It was still raining when we reached the Marine Atlantic
Ferry Terminal in North Sydney. As is customary at Ferry Terminals, there are
long lines of cars, campers and trucks, lots of transport trucks. The weather
had been stormy all night, and I thought there was a good chance we'd have a
rough crossing, but a short chat with a couple of Ferry workers indicated not.
Now everything is relative, and they're use to as they said, November and
December crossing being much worse.
The harbours are always calm because of their natural
protection, but as we headed out into the open sea, sure enough, as the workers
had said, it wasn't bad. The further we went, the brighter it got. The rain
stopped and by the time we approached Port aux Basques, the sun was out and the sky
blue. Luck had been on our side, and we counted our blessing for a calm
crossing.
When land was within sight, we noticed patches of snow on
the mountains at higher elevation. It was a reminder that spring comes later to
Newfoundland, but we came prepared with tuques, gloves and warm jackets.
The road from Port aux Basques to Rose Blanche was twisty and
the pavement pitchy. But in daylight, the drive was scenic and enjoyable. Rose
Blanche is at the end of highway 470. We didn't need to worry about passing it
by, we just slowed and found our road; School Road. As expected, the town's
only school was on our road, though it's closed now. There are only half a
dozen roads in Rose Blanche, Main, School, Lighthouse, and few more. They all wind
their way down and around the harbour, passing many houses along the way then end.
There are street lights but no traffic lights. There are a few stop signs and
the street signs appear hand painted. Life is simpler here.
Everybody waves and smiles when we meet. The first time, the
wave is accompanied by a look of curiosity, as they know we're not from here.
We arrived at our home away from home, the Friendly
Fisherman. It's harbour-front, with half the town in view. To say the least, the
view from the deck is spectacular. Three boats are pulled up on slips just in
front, a half dozen fishing boats are tied at wharves around the harbour, an
assortment of colourful fishing stages stand on stilts in the shallows, and the
lighthouse is perched overlooking the sea in the distance.
Inside, Joe and Cathy have done a wonderful job renovating
their place. It's modern, bright and beautiful.
And, it's quiet here. A single person, boat or vehicle
moving anywhere around the harbour area raises our attention. I'm not a strong
believer in heaven, but if there is one, the Friendly Fisherman in Rose Blanche
is probably it.
Click here for the next story in this series:
http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2017/05/doing-what-newfoundlanders-do.html
Click here for the next story in this series:
http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2017/05/doing-what-newfoundlanders-do.html
