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We drove to the Bonavista Peninsula and found a place to park in Catalina. Drove up to Bonavista, which lives up to its name. Just outside of the town is a natural phenomenon called the dungeon. It is a couple of water caves where the roof has collapsed leaving a gaping hole with two arches where the water flows. A short distance from there is a one hundred sixty year old lighthouse. The area around it is open grazing for the community animals: cows, horses, cattle, sheep and goats. Morgana had her first encounter with goats. They were very curious about her. She was pretty tolerant of them until all four of them wanted an in-your-face encounter. She reacted with a feline hisss.John Cabot is reputed to land here in 1497. There is a statue honoring his landing. I personally believe that he chose a better area. This place is very craggy with "shipwreck" written all over the coves.In town are some very historic buildings. First is the Mockbegger Plantation, which was the home of F. Gordon Bradley, an advocate for Confederation in 1947. There is also a replica of The Matthew, Cabot’s ship. The Ryan Premises is a National Historical Site, which housed the wealthy merchant’s business. His counting office, mercantile store and home have been restored to its former glory. The salt cod business thrived for well over one hundred years until 1954, when refrigeration and factory ships took over the industry. There are many exhibits which detail the various forms of fishing in the area and the lives of the fishermen, including movies of the process of catching and salting of the cod. Exhibits also show the sealing industry, including actual film of a sealing expedition in the 1930s and the loss of 77 men from The Newfoundland in the early 1900s.It was not a film for the faint of heart.Friday, August 15, 2003Visited historical Trinity. In 1615 Sir Richard Whitbourne held the first Court hearings in the New World and wrote a book about Newfoundland in 1622. The area became known for its fishery and prospered. In 1748 Benjamin Lester developed a mercantile trade route all along Newfoundland and Labrador. After his death in 1802, it was passed on to his son-in-law George Garland who became very wealthy in the salt cod trade. Later, in 1906, the business was sold to the Ryans, who have major operations in Bonavista, which is now a national historical site. The Lester-Gardner Premises and home are open to the public and have some of the original furnishings in them.The merchants’ wealth came from the truck system, where the local fishermen sold their fish to the merchant who in turn sold the fisherman the staples he needed to feed his family. No money ever exchanged hands. This was a good deal for the merchant because he set the prices for both the fish and the wares he sold. The fishermen did all of the work, while the merchant took some risk in getting the goods to market, but reaped all of the profits. In the mid 1920s Sir William Ford Coaker fought against this system of servitude. He founded the Fisherman’s Protective Union which gave the fisherman the possibility of earning a fair living. The union even built a town, Port Union, half way between Trinity and Bonavista. This was the only town in Canada built for and by the union. The movie, The Shipping News was partially filmed there. The new system worked well until after the Confederation, when the Canadian government wanted the fishermen to use larger ships and exploit the fishery. In 1954 refrigeration began taking place of salting. 1958 saw the beginning of the trawlers and the factory ships, which stripped the ocean’s floor of its natural breeding grounds. By 1990 the Great Banks, once known as the fishing bread basket to the world was almost a desert. Once again too much greed and avarice shot the goose which laid the golden egg. It will take generations for the fishery to ever come back, if it does.Back to Trinity. Another important house was that of Richard and Emma Hiscock. After marrying in 1883, Richard had a prosperous forge and his wife a merchant shop. In 1893 Richard died at sea leaving Emma widowed with six children. This did not stop Emma. With her children, she continued business as usual, even turning the front parlor of her home into the post office, and later the bank. Her children prospered, married well and became established in their own businesses. The two youngest daughters never married and lived in the house. They were very active in the community. In 1992 the house was given to the State as a museum with all of its artifacts. Florence, the youngest daughter, at age 94 was present at the ribbon cutting ceremonies.Down the road from Trinity is the set for the movie Random Passage, a story about the immigrants to Newfoundland. It is very popular in Canada and many people visit the reproduction of the town. We did not.We had heard of a place on the highway which had great French fries. It is called the chip truck and is off Rte 230. The fries were excellent. Drove to Musgravetown and parked for the night at the elementary school. We had, travel trailer , heard about a place called The Arches, about 30 miles away. Being early we took the trip, without the trailer. The journey was well worth the effort. The Arches is a small unknown gem in Tickle Cove. The slate rock is reddish in color, giving the name to the next town of Red Cliff. The Catholic Church in Open Hall was also noteworthy because of the design of its windows and of its steeple.Had dinner in Musgravetown at the Barracks, an old Salvation Army Church. On the menu was Fisherman’s brewis served with scrunchions (little pieces of pork fried in butter. The food was excellent. We also found a book of Newfoundland songs to add to our repertoire.
John and Maggie Pelley are Geriatric Gypsies. Both of us are retired from the rat race of working. We are full-time RVers, who ran away from home. We began our travels on the East Coast and, like the migrating birds, seek the warmth of the seasons. No more shoveling snow in Chicago. We have discovered volunteering with the National Park System. During our travels we have found that each town has a story to tell: some are more interesting than others. Both of us enjoy good listening music as we go. John has a CD he has recorded of Native American flure music. We have learned that RVing has a learning curve. We want to pass on some advice the help others avoid this trecherous curve. Life is an adventure. We are living it to the utmost.
