Homeward Bound

The Arches on Nfld's Northern Peninsula

Basking in the rain & wind

The tempest!

Fogo Island

Fogo Island Inn

Sunny Trinity

A Trinity Saltbox house

Originally a private residence, now a St. John's B&B 

Can you hear the flutter of butterfly wings? That's me, getting warmed up for take off later today. It's been an amazing five weeks and I have covered a tremendous amount of territory... drove 3845 kms in 3 weeks!
So today, travel musings on this most recent adventure...
My visit with my favourite, and probably only living immediate relative besides my brother, Auntie Paul, was so much fun. It was a little startling, I admit, to look at her and see myself 25+years from now. We laughed and laughed and talked and talked, so often sharing the same opinion...I'm not sure that's necessarily a gift to the world!
I've told several people here in Newfoundland that if they have ever thought they'd like to see the  boat-only accessible communities on the South Coast of this province, Grey River, Francois,  & MacCallum, they should not postpone the idea. It really is only a matter of time before the aging population there will vote to re-locate because of their isolation and need for some form of living assistance, be it medical or social. The sight of that endless forbidding coastline will long haunt me. The ingenuity of concrete roadways and winding boardwalks displayed in all these perched communities continues to remind me of the resourcefulness of the people who inhabit this place. The people are warm and friendly and hospitable just like the rest of the world. We just can't imagine living a lifetime in such isolation any more than they can imagine living in a city!
Mother Nature's wind and water display in L'Anse aux Meadows was truly a treat. That's the picture I'll hold on to as I conjure up Newfoundland when I'm far away in BC. It's humbling (that's the word that comes to mind and won't go away) to see evidence of a people's habitation put there 1000 years ago. I can't even imagine the discomfort of their ocean crossing not to mention the inhospitable landscape where they briefly settled. Those Norsemen were tough, no question!
Zita Cobb and the co-operation she has wrought among the seven(?) communities on Fogo Island are a fine example of what's possible. The terrain of Fogo Island is like no other place on the island of Newfoundland, and I should know... I wonder how many miles of it I walked that day! Loved the place and I encourage visitors to Newfoundland to go there, even if Fogo Island Inn is too rich for your wallet, as indeed it is for mine. It's so worth seeing.
( I finished this post in St John's airport, Wifi was not co-operative, tried again in Toronto, no luck so here I am, safely at home with thoughts of Trinity and St John's a distant memory)
Trinity was it's usual quaint and lovely self and in addition to a delicious meal, a lovely walk, an interesting and well-performed theatre performance, we lucked in to a free concert by the renowned Cantus Vocem. There we connected with former Corner Brook residents, all of whom I can now call friends.
Friends aplenty in my beloved St John's and I did manage to connect with just about everyone I wanted to see. Enjoyed not having a car and the weather co-operated for walking. Had lunch with friends at the cafe in The Rooms...delicious food with a magnificent view plus great conversation! Thanks Michelle & Garth.
My one regret on this trip was the absence of dogs. My life just never feels complete without them. I did talk to all I met on the street, no surprise to anyone who knows me. This lack will soon be rectified as I once again immerse my self in my puppy world.
I'm so grateful I was able to cross  three big things off my 'bucket list', see people  and places that  matter to me.
 I am also profoundly thankful to be back home!