The Blockhouse

Minister's Island

Because we were so close to St. Andrews from St. George (only 22 km away) and...

Just a short drive across the ocean floor on the bar at low tide will take you to the summer residence of that visionary railway builder Sir William Van Horne.

It contained some fifty rooms, seventeen of which were bedrooms, and a grand drawing room as large as many of today's homes. Of course, there were servants' quarters and a huge dining room as well as a billiard room where his ornate six by twelve table still stands today.

Also constructed from the quarried beach stone is the circular bathhouse where Sir William would spend hours enjoying his hobby of drawing and painting.

Perhaps the loyalist Anglican minister, Parson Andrews whose old stone house (c 1790) still stands and for whom the island was named, felt the same magic that Sir William felt one hundred years later. Now another hundred years has passed and the mystique remains.

Thanks for the tour. Now to drive back across the ocean floor before the tide changes.

Lake Utopia

While visiting St. George we were invited to stay at the Cottage with Sue. What a spot - we didn't want to leave! Thanks again Sue & Steve!!

Just sitting on the floating deck, watching the fish jump and kicking our feet like kids.

The view through the window during the early morning hours.

The sun sets once more on Lake Utopia - thanks again Sue!

A Quiet Moment to reflect and enjoy Newfoundland

Rose Blanche NL (2)

A glance out the window as the rain continued.

Rose Blanche NL

Come along as we visit the fully restored Rose Blanche Lighthouse , located in scenic Rose Blanche , just a 45km drive along Route 470 from Port aux Basques, NL. Built in 1871 from a nearby granite quarry, this lighthouse stands as a proud sentinel of our shores. D & T Stevenson, lighthouse engineers from Edinburgh, Scotland, designed the original apparatus. This is the family of noted author Robert Louis Stevenson.

On July 26, 1871, Neville selected the location and work began soon after. Of granite construction and built by local workers, the building operated as a lighthouse from 1873 to the 1940s. The original light was a 4th order dioptric lit from sunset to sunrise at a height of 95 feet above sea level. It could be seen for 13 miles in clear weather.

There were six keepers over the approximately 70 years of the lighthouse's existence. They were: John A. Roberts, John Cook, Bruce Cook, Philip Hatcher, James Skinner and again Philip Hatcher. Hatcher was the last keeper to serve at the lighthouse.  After it was abandoned, the building fell into ruins. (The top photo)

The light currently on display is a sixth-order Fresnel lens that is one of the few remaining lenses of this type. Restored in 1999 and furnished with 19th century reproduced furniture and local antiques, this lighthouse is a must-see for all lighthouse enthusiasts. The lighthouse is open to the public on a seasonal basis.

Current Rose Blanche. 

Colony of Avalon Archaeological Site - Newfounland (GPS 47.0228, -52.879)

Step back in time to 1621 and visit an Archaeological Dig in Ferryland, NF.



 

Below is a well - it was told through the generations that

there was a well into which a child had fallen and had died- afterwhich it was covered over.

A local 'older gentlemen' told the Archaeologist were he

believed (from stories old) the well to be. 

It was found after just 3 test holes were dug.

Lisa - our kitchen guide - asked us to look at this

and to figure out how to drink of this without

spilling the contents.  We figured it out :)

Below is Lisa.

Cape Spear Newfoundland -Battery

 

Journey back in time and explore the remnants of the sites World War II coastal defence battery – Fort Cape Spear. Walk in the footsteps of Canadian and American soldiers as they guarded St. John's from attack from lurking German U-boats.

This gun could shoot and reload in a minute and a half.  It raised up over the

wall and down and lowered within 3 minutes from it's location.

GeoCaching in Newfoundland (2) - Cape Spear

This is Black Rose's Travel Bug that she placed while we were on vacation.

She named him 'Jitter Bug' :)   

We took him from NB to NF and back (3400+ km).

He even travelled to Cape Spear.

Stand here with your back to the sea and the entire population of North America is to the west of you.

Face the sea and the next stop east is Ireland.

Port Aux Basques Newfounland July 10th 2011