Heart's Content, Newfoundland

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We start this entry with the beautiful, yet chilly view from the backyard of our house (Ocean's Nest) in Heart's Content, NL, population 300. The maximum daytime high was 12 degrees, so we were seeking out indoor activities.

This leads us to the next picture of us in the cable station practicing our Morse code. The first 3 trans-Atlantic cables between the new world and the old world came ashore in Hearts Content, which is the town's claim to fame.

After lunch we went to see some hookers and caused quite a stir in the sleepy little town. They turned out to be two women in their seventies and hooking is apparently a craft which involves pulling little colored pieces of fabric through burlap sacks in an artistic fashion. Bob was somewhat disappointed.

We had to hurry home by 3 o'clock to meet our special dinner guests (5 X 1.5 lbs lobsters) that Tara from the cable museum arranged to have delivered to Ocean's nest. They were very good company but didn't survive their encounter with us.

The following day we attempted to burn off some of the calories from the previous night's indulgence, but were continuously thwarted by mother nature in the form of liquid 'sunshine'. Instead we piled into the car and made a trip to two closed museums in Cabonear. Apparently these museums are staffed by high school students, who happen to rather rudely still be in their classes at this time of year. This trip was not in vain, however because we managed to secure about 4 pounds of fresh fresh cod fish, locally smoked salmon, as well as the smoked Caplins pictured. As an interesting aside the Caplins are the small fish whose annual arrival attracts seabirds by the millions as well as several species of whales. That is your science quota filled for today! Bye for now!!

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Photos

Morse Code Operators
Bill and Rob sending a message to each other circa 1850.

Crafts
Bill is acquiring a new career hooking. Rugs that is.

Lobster abuse
Unfortunately Ocean Nest did not have tools for cracking open the lobsters, so Bob attacked them with the kitchen knife.

Ocean Nest
Queen Victoria in the hallway of our Victorian digs.

Fine Dining
There's nothing like a good feed of fresh lobster.

Suburbs
Elizabeth May would approve of the laundry drying on the line behind Bob.

Barber shop
It's the lighthouse at Heart's Content harbour, but to we landlubbers it looks like a.....

Fishing boats
Could it be more maritime than this?

Treasure Chest
This was our source of FRESH cod. Mmmmmm good. Also smoked salmon and smoked kaplin.

Smoked kaplin
A Newfoundland specialty. Eat whole. Very smoky and salty.

Cod feast
The chefs, Rob and Bill, created a fantastic meal with the fresh cod. A lot of cod!

Comments

[Jack]

Newfie's best
Did you have some screech already? If not, you must try it. By the way I was in St.Johns in 1972 and again in 1978 attending the College of Fisheries. I don't know if that still exists, but it was on the East Side of the Harbor on Southside Road. I have taken their School ship a few times through the Narrows.

[Janice and Fred]

Enjoying your newfie pics. We have almost the same picture of old St. Johns. Glad see the diet is improving from fries, stuffing and gravy to lobster and Cod. I'd leave the kaplin for the whales. Sorry about the weather but that's the way it is on the rock.