On the road again, this time from Steady Brook to Rocky Harbour, just over an hour but of course we stopped along the way. There is just so much beauty to be found here in Newfoundland and it fills my soul. Throughout this trip I have felt my emotions unfreeze and I now am crying often. That is only significant because I was not able to cry for over a year after Steve died. So, I have a lot of catching up to do. Beauty sometimes triggers tears, certain conversations and ridiculous unrelated little things find me crying. So, I guess that is a good thing. And Sue is very supportive.
We drove to the Gros Morne Discovery Centre and learned so much about the geology of the area. We drove around to see the tablelands and other geological wonders.
And of course we spent time in the gift shop. I only bought a couple of little souvenirs but Sue found a stunning set of pewter salad tongs. If there was a second set I would have bought them but I was out of luck. The more I thought about it I realized I did not really want the salad tongs so much but they represented a life style I no longer have. There was a time when we entertained regularly. Many Sundays we had spur of the moment guests as well as having guests for more scheduled events. Those salad tongs reminded me of the loss of that life style and I mourned my loss. I guess it is those epiphanies that occur from time to time that are helping me regain and understand who I am. They are couched in the midst of the beautiful nature we are immersed in and have been good medicine.
Since there was no ferry across the bay we had to turn around and make our way back to the bottom of the bay and on to our destination. We arrived in Rocky Harbour and our lodging at Wildflowers Country Inn. What a cute little cottage we had! It contained everything we needed and was just so cute!
There was a gallery in the restaurant and various products for sale. These rain slickers could possibly have been a warning of what was to come.
The town itself is not very big but there are lots of gift shops which I love and also a fair amount of restaurants. We shared a very nice cod dinner in a cute restaurant which had been converted from an old house. It was expensive which is why we shared. I am well on my way to purchasing enough ear rings for all the girls in the family. Pretty much I have not found much for the guys. Maybe on another trip.
It rained over night which sounded great on our roof but the continued rain was not welcome as we got ready for out boat trip of the Western Pond. But we pressed forward and drove to our appointed rendezvous. It was a 3 km walk from the parking lot to the dock. A few steps in I realized I would need to use my trekking pole, I don’t know what is wrong with my heel but it is causing me a lot of grief. It was a little stressful getting to the dock because if we were not there on time we would miss our window. It was an interesting walk though. The path was good as we walked along the boggy area, either elevated wood or gravel. So many flowers and so much different foliage. Our hurried steps got us there in plenty of time.The skies had begun to clear, and it was getting warm.
Once we were on the boat the temperature dropped and we were happy for our coats, especially when it began to rain again. But, oh, what a treat! Western Pond is actually an inland fjord and it is stunning. Since it is inland the boats were brought into the area in pieces and assembled in a boathouse near the water.
As luck would have it and because we came on near the front of the line we sat on the upper deck and had a splendid view. The fjord is about 500 ft deep and has walls up to 2000 feet high. The water is pristine being fed by water falls and a small brook to the east so the salinity of the water has been eliminated. I can find no adequate words to describe its beauty. We loved it so much!
Our 3 km return walk back was not so bad as we took in the amazing topography. We walked a ways with a woman who knew a great deal of the area and showed us specific flowers and a moose path. Upon learning that I had lost Steve just over a year ago she told me I was still ‘raw’. She said the first year you kind of just put one foot in front of the other, then in the second year you are raw and then in the 3rd year you begin to find yourself. She was a widow of 5 years so had experienced her own recent journey. All in all it was a wonderful experience.
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