Vi startede dagen med morgenmad i tantes køkken, som så meget autentisk ca. 1950 ud. Der var tyttebærmarmelade til det ristede brød. Det er en Newfie-specialitet kaldet partridge berries eller squash berries, som vi har fået flere steder ligesom bakeapples, også kaldet cloudberries, som er multebær, og sortebær, som her kaldes crowberries.

Så kørte vi videre ud langs fjorden til et Gros Morne nationalparkens Visitor Centre, hvor vi købte adgangsbilletter til parken og så en film om Tablelands, som er nogle meget anderledes røde bare bjerge. Filmen forklarede, at de egentlig er den oprindelige havbund i et hav som har delt den østlige og vestlige del af Newfoundland, men som så pga. de teutoniske pladers forskydninger er blevet presset op og blevet til bjerge.

Fra Visitor Centre kørte vi lidt ud langs med bjergene og gik en tur, før vi fortsatte helt ud til den lille by Trout River, hvor vi drak kaffe og spiste blåbærmuffins fra tante, mens vi skuede ud over St Lawrence bugten og filosoferede over tilværelsen 😉

Ind i landet igen og sydpå af TransCanada Highway til Stephenville, hvor vi kørte en afstikker ind i den lille by, som mindede os om små amerikanske byer, vi før har kørt igennem. Vi spadserede en tur op og ned af Main Street, kiggede på et par forretninger og købte kager og kaffe, som vi indtog ved et mindesmærke for de faldne i verdenskrigene – nok nær den grimmeste plads vi nogensinde har set! En afstikker med en anderledes form for sightseeing – men mindst lige så interessant som fine gamle huse, kirker og landskaber.

Inden vi nåede helt ned til havnebyen Port-aux-Basques, hvorfra vi skal sejle i morgen, svingede vi vestpå til Newfoundlands vestligste punkt, Cape Anguille. For en uge siden begyndte vi vores besøg på The Rock med at køre tur tæt påøens sydligste punkt. Senere på turen har vi skuet ud over det østligste punkt nær hovedstaden St John’s og spist frokost på det nordligste punkt med udsigt (næsten) til Grønland, så hvad er mere passende end at slutte her på det vestligste punkt. Vi kørte helt ud til fyret, får vi skal overnatte i fyrmesterens hus i nat. Vi nåede lige en lille gåtur langs stranden, før vi skulle spise aftensmad i fyrmesterens stue – en lækkert hjemmelavet middag, bestående af chilisuppe, årets første torsk med grøntsager og rabarberkage til dessert. Under middagen sludrede vi med de to andre hold gæster ved bordet, som var fra henholdsvis Belgien og Toronto, og bagefter kunne vi nyde den mest fantastiske solnedgang over havet.

English version:

We started the day with breakfast in aunt Jane’s very authentic ca. 1950s kitchen. There was toast with partridge berry jam – a Newfie speciality also known as squash berries (you may know them as lingon berries if you’re an IKEA shopper), which we have had several times in Newfoundland as well as bakeapples, also called cloudberries (a bit like yellow raspberries) and crowberries (black berries found on moors).

Then we drove out along the bay to one of the national park visitor centres, where we bought a day pass for the park and saw a film about Tablelands, which are some really distinctive bare red mountains. The film explained that they were originally the ocean floor of an ocean that separated the eastern and western part of Newfoundland, but because of the upheaval of the Teutonic plates they were pushed up above sea level and became mountains (or that’s the way I understood it – if you want a more scientific explanation – google it!).

From the visitor centre we drove out along the Tablelands mountains and went for a walk before continuing on to the small village of Trout River, where we drank our coffee and ate the blueberry muffins we got from aunt Jane this morning, while we looked out over the Gulf of St Lawrence and wondered about life.

Back inland again and south along the TransCanada Highway until Stephenville, where we made a detour into the small town, which reminded us a lot of many small American towns that we have driven through on earlier trips. We walked up and down the Main Street, looked into a few shops and bought coffee and cakes, which we devoured next to a memorial for the fallen soldiers of the two world wars – probably the ugliest such that we have ever seen! But seeing small town Canada like this is just as interesting sightseeing as fine old house, churches or landscapes, we think.

Before we reached the south coast of the island with the ferry port of Port-aux-Basques, from which we’ll be sailing tomorrow, we turned westwards to the most western point of the island, Cape Anguille. A week ago our visit to the Rock began with a drive near the most southern  point of the island. Later in the week we looked out over the most eastern point near St John’s and had lunch at the most northern point near L’Anse aux Meadows, so what could be more fitting than ending our visit here at the most western point. We drove all the way out to the lighthouse, as we will be staying at the lightkeeper’s lodge tonight. We just had time for a short walk along the shore before dinner in the lightkeeper’s dining room – lovely homemade food – soup, the first cod of the year and rhubarb cake for dessert. During the meal we chatted with the two other couples at the table, who were from Belgium and Toronto, and afterwards we admired the beautiful sunset over the ocean.