Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Bonavista and Port Rexton: Saturday August 25th

Having taken the 14 hour ferry crossing from North Sydney to Argentia, Newfoundland, we had a few hours this morning to explore the ferry and snap a few pictures. The sky was clear and the waters realitively calm. We made landfall at 10:00am. What a site to see the island appear out from the horizion.



From Argentia we travelled north towards the Trans Canada Highway and up the Bonavista Peninsula to Port Rexton. We decided to endulge and spoil ourselves by reserving a room at Fishers Loft Inn. The Shipping News was filmed nearby, and this is the very same inn where Kevin Spacey and Judy Dench stayed while on location. The inn is a collection of randomly placed buildings, each beautifully coloured and unique. On the grounds was a garden from which ingredients are taken and used in the kitchen. Our room was perfectly situated overlooking the bay.

After checking in, we made our way further north along the peninsula to Bonavista. Along the route, a quick stop was made to sample the local road side fare: fries with dressing and gravy. Delicious! From there, we passed through the town of Bonavista and toured the Cape Bonavista lighthouse and walked in the footsteps of John Cabot (having supposedly landed here in 1497). We drove back into the town of Bonavista and had lunch at Skipper's Café. The saltfish and brewis (with scruncheons) was tasty. The pea soup and dumpling was so good that I am now a huge fan!

Further south along the coast we paid a visit to a provincial park known as the Dungeons (aka sea caves) and the town of Elliston, otherwise known as the root cellar capital of the world. Old and abandoned root cellars can be found throughout the town, many in the most unsuspecting of places. Just outside Elliston we did some puffin watching. All around us were puffins swopping down from the cliffs to the ocean below.





From here we returned to Port Rexton and our room for a little relaxation. Later that evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner of pan fried cod at the inn. It had been a long day so we retired for the evening, excited about tomorrow and the Skerwink trail.

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