Ramea and Back

The Ramea Islands

It was throwing it down with rain when we got up and still raining after breakfast when we loaded the canoes onto the van. Today we are taking the ferry over to the Ramea Islands and we are taking the canoes just in case the weather becomes finer later on. We walk through the town to the ferry dock to catch the 11am boat. The ‘Gallipoli’ is waiting for us to board. It’s a one and a half-hour crossing but it’s not exciting as visibility is not very good. Inside the lounge we entertain ourselves by borrowing a short length of rope from the crew and practising our knots. Bill is the best, but then you’d expect that from a former Scout-Master. At least I can still remember how to tie a bow-line, even if I can’t do it one-handed. Thinking about it now I can still remember how the Sheep-shank goes and my Trucker’s Hitch is now perfect.



As we approach the small group of islands we can see that only the one island in the group is inhabited and as we come into the harbour the small village is very much like Burgeo. Carolyn drove the van for 50 yards off the ferry and then parks. We then walked up to Durim’s house. He’s our B&B host back at Burgeo but he was born and raised in Ramea and he’s allowed us to borrow his former family home. It’s a tiny two-up, two-down cottage. It’s easy to imagine how cosy it might have been in a bleak mid-winter but I also imagine that life out here must have been pretty grim. The island population is now about 1600, but it used to be more when the fishing was good.



We have a picnic lunch in the cottage before deciding to circumnavigate the island on the coastal trail. At first we walked through the town, but after stopping at the Cosmetics Store for candy we stepped out onto the path. It was still oscillating between rain and drizzle as we followed the board-walk across the bogs. The cloud was low and visibility was poor as we shuffled around. At the lighthouse we scrambled up the steps in the vain hope of a view. All we got was the loud blasts from a foghorn. The route circled one end of the island before returning to town at a point where several wind-turbines had been erected. I wonder what proportion of the islands electricity they can provide.



After that we passed an outdoor swimming pool - they must be hardy souls here - and a very boggy cemetery. The weather was clearing up a little now and the walk was a bit more pleasant as we meandered around the other end of the island before returning into town where we started. Inside the islands only cafe we had a beer and a massive slice of lemon meringue pie before deciding that the weather was nice enough for a paddle. We still had 90 minutes before the ferry returned to Burgeo.



We launched the canoes from the stoney beach at Sandy Bay which was strewn with the heads and backbones of many fish. Someone must of sat here all morning gutting the catch.



For an hour or so we explored the uninhabited islands opposite the main island and enjoyed the sunshine and the relatively calm waters. We’d heard rumours that these islands were famous for Puffin Colonies but we saw no sign of that.



When we’d finished we loaded everything back onto the van and re-boarded the ferry. This time visibility was great and we could enjoy the views along the coast and the islands as we approached Burgeo. Back in town I walked around again taking photographs in the evening light and after a late supper we crashed out.

Calendars for 2012

Calendar Selection

Note that these calendars are marked with holidays from different countries. If you'd like a different country from that shown they please contact me and I will try to make another version. I should point out though that Lulu.com doesn't cater for all countries. One day Lulu.com may actually do the sensible thing and allow the holiday country/language to be selected on check-out. But that would be too logical.

 

Rough Passage

White-caps and Swells

This morning we woke to an overcast and misty morning. Very different from yesterday’s sunshine. We still decided to paddle though and so after breakfast Ian and Debbie, and Bill and Janice, both in tandems, an me, in a solo canoe set off for the Sandbanks Provincial Park where Carolyn will meet us.



It’s calm as we set off along the town coast in the Short Reach, and we paddle through the harbour and under the bridge past the dock where the ‘Gallipoli’ ferry is ready to leave for the Ramea islands. From here we head out to Morgan’s Island across the choppy channel. Our aim is to find Hunt’s Island and visit a cemetery there. At one time these islands were inhabited but the people moved back to the main land and the town of Burgeo some time ago. We saw some photographs in the museum the other day which showed some of the houses being floated across the channel and dragged up the beach to be re-located.

We mis-read the small map we have and instead of going to the far side of Morgan’s Island to reach Hunt’s Island we creep down the nearer coast of Morgan’s Island. The sea is a little rough with waves which are two or three feet high. It’s not too bad though as we are sheltered somewhat in the lee of the island. We keep a look-out for the cemetery though and eventually spot it on a cliff above us. A little further on we find a small rocky bay where we pull up. We walked up to the cemetery and discovered that this was in fact Hunt’s Cemetery. The most recent grave was dated 1989 and their were plenty of plastic flowers around to suggest that the cemetery is often visited. We had bushwhacked up to the cemetery but we could now see the proper trail leading up from the other side of the island. We walked this trail a little while up to a crest where we could get a view down to the other side. Below us we could see a small house and a new floating-dock. That’s probably the way we should have come. Up here we could also see the foundations of several houses indicating where people used to live out here.



Back at the cemetery we looked back across to the mainland and could see our destination in the distance. The famous white beaches of Sandbanks could clearly be seen through the gloom. In discussing how best to get there I was all in favour for heading for the shore and creeping along the coast. The others however where for paddling directly across the open channel to the beaches. About half-way across we could see a group of rocks which would give us something to aim for.



From the rocky bay we launched again and were soon out in the open sea. It was windy and choppy, with white-caps, and the swell was quite large too. We had the angle of the waves, the direction of the wind and the pull of the current to contend with and it was not easy to keep ourselves pointed in the right direction. We stuck close together as we crossed and fortunately visibility was not too bad and we had a pretty clear view of our destination.

As we became more exposed in the open see it became more difficult. At one point Debbie and Ian had a panicky moment as they found it difficult to turn the canoe with the wind blowing them off course. Bill and Janice hollered at them to keep paddling and gave them a brief tow to get them back in line. I was still in favour of making a dash to the shore but instead we ploughed on and eventually reached the rocks which marked the half-way point. I tucked in behind them and continued as best I could. It was quite a hairy paddle and it was a strange sensation to be out in such a sea in an open canoe. I was taking on a little water that broke over the bows and the canoes in front disappeared from time to time in the increasing swell.

Eventually we came past the last headland and could see the sandy beaches of the Sandbanks appearing closer. Far away I could see Carolyn waving on the beach indicating where we should land. At this point I risked putting my paddle down so I could take some photographs whilst the others got ashore.



The surf on the beach was surprisingly big and I could see that the other canoes were having some difficulty keeping a straight line as they beached. As I came close to landing Carolyn grabbed my boat and hauled it ashore and I leapt out without mishap. I was exhilarated but glad that it was finished! We dragged the boats up the beach and then carried one of them back to the van. Ian and Debbie were definitely not canoeing back later that afternoon.



For the next hour and a half we walked through the park, around the path, along the beach and following the boardwalk through the boggy marshy areas. We saw plenty of irises and pitcher plants as well as some Moose tracks in the mud. Still not seen any of these fictional creatures yet.



Whilst trying to get close to some Pitcher plants for a photograph I nearly lost my boot in the sphagnum moss. After walking up some steps to Greep’s Head we admired the views, though the weather is not great, and then walked down the other side to visit another old cemetery. This one is overgrown and it’s clear that no-one has lived out this way for many years. It must have been a difficult and cruel existence out here. Especially in the harsh winters.



We completed the circular trail back to the van after crossing two bridges over some ponds. Still no Moose. After a picnic lunch we walked back down to the beach to see what the conditions were like. I was ambivalent myself about canoeing back to Burgeo but Bill and Janice were keen, so that meant I had to go as well.



It wasn’t easy launching out into the surf and on my first effort my canoe got swamped and I had to empty it before re-trying. This time Carolyn gave me a huge shove which was enough to get me past the breakers. Bill and Janice seemed to get off OK and we started our paddle back to town. The conditions were just about the same as our first crossing but at least this time we were to hug the coast all the way back. It was still a rough passage though.

The hardest part was getting around the point but once that was done the conditions eased off. I made it easier for myself by just tucking my canoe behind that of Bill and Janice. I don’t thing that drafting behind them made much difference, but it certainly felt safer. It was tricky for them though as they couldn’t really see me and communication was difficult in the wind.

Once past the headland we paddled across the mouth of two bays. Nobody was in the mood to go in and explore them. As we approached the town we could see the ‘Gallapoli’ returning from her trip out to the Ramea Islands. We had no desire to be run down so we paddled back across the channel, which was still very choppy, and took shelter within a group of rocks to watch her dock.

We then paddled under her bows back under the bridge into the shelter of the harbour. It was obviously calmer in here and we made light of the final stretch past the fishing-dock, out the harbour, and back down the Short reach to our home dock.

That evening, after dinner, we decided to have another paddle and took our canoes out down the far end of the Short Reach. We went past the old Fish Plant and even paddled a short way up a small stream. This end of the bay was almost solid with jellyfish.

Their was a dance in town that evening and some of us made the effort to attend. However it didn’t really get going until late and they returned back to the B&B before long.

Paddling on the Ocean

First Canoeing

I am up before breakfast and go out walking with my camera at 6am. It’s a beautifully clear morning with a hint of pink in the sky. I walk back up to the viewpoint and take some more panoramic shots. I can see a mist clearing on the cliffs in the distance.

After that I walk around the village and take more shots in the warm golden light. To avoid the telephone and electricity wires I ask a couple of the locals if it would be OK to photograph from their gardens. They are friendly and chatty.



At the dock I chat to a couple of fisherman as they prepare to set sail. They are packing ice into coolers. I then cross over the bridge to Small Island and take some more shots across the harbour.




When I got back to the B&B I helped Carolyn unload the canoes and get everything ready for our first day on the water. It was then time for a breakfast of porridge and toast. Everyone was ready by 9.30.



As the tide was high we launched from the small beach instead of the ramp which slippery with slime anyway. The geography around Burgeo is a bit like Norway, with deep inlets instead of fjords, which are sheltered from the open sea. It’s flat calm as we launch into a stretch of water which is called the Short Reach. We have three canoes in the water as Carolyn and I are paddling tandem. I’m paddling in the bow so that I can take unimpeded photographs as we go whilst Carolyn can do the work! Ian and Debbie are in one canoe and Bill and Janice are in the other. It all feels a bit strange as we are paddling on the sea with open Canadian Canoes. I’ve only ever been on the ocean in sea-kayaks before. It’s mill-pond flat in the reach as we start but I’m wondering how it will be when we get some waves and the boats are riding a swell. We shall see.

We headed straight out into the reach and aimed for the opposite shore where we paddled into a piece of water called the Ha-ha through a narrow channel. It was a beautiful morning, warm, clear and without a breath of wind. The sea was incredibly clear too and we could clearly see rocks 30 feet below us. Their was also plenty of jelly-fish in the water, ranging from tiny transparent ones to larger orangey-red one one with tentacles. Not ideal for swimming.



After passing through the narrow channel into the Ha-ha it opened into a long fjord, or sound or ria. This place was once famous for the stranding of a Fin Whale which was shot and butchered by the locals. Farley Mowat, a Canadian author living in Burgeo at the time, 1967, wrote a book about the incident called ‘A Whale for the Killing’. Inside we explored some nooks and crannies and then pulled up on a beach to stretch our legs. I went for a short walk and saw a lonely house.



On the way through the main entrance the clarity of the water allowed us to observe star fish, sea-urchins and mussels in the water below us. We also came across a tiny brid which sat in the water like a tiny penguin and which allowed us to approach very closely. This one didn’t dive but later on we saw others that did dive. Looking at a book later we discovered it was a Little Auk (Alles alles), which is known as a Dovekie in North America and as an Ice Bird in Newfoundland. We were told that these birds were rarely seen inshore and were usually associated with the Grand Banks, the famous fishing area, off the coast of Newfoundland.




As we came out of the sound we saw a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as it flew over us and as we came around the headland into Muddy Hole we saw another perched on a promontory. This one an immature juvenile, but we saw the adult bird 3 or 4 times after that. We then paddled into the next bay, the one before the Bay de Loup, and canoed right up the end passing several isolated house on the way. We think these are sumer houses or fishing lodges used by people that mainly live in Burgeo. We found another small beach here and pulled up for lunch. As usual we turned one of the canoes over onto the other two to make a picnic table. It was hot under the sun.



After lunch we paddled out towards the open sea beyond Alderidge Head and out into the main channel that leads into Burgeo in the directions of Boer’s Island. It was strange being on the open ocean in a canoe but it was flat calm and easy going. However the sea did have a long swell which was deep enough for the canoe in front of you to disappear from time to time.

We headed out to a green marker buoy in the middle of the channel and re-grouped there before heading back to Burgeo. At Smalls Island we entered the harbour under the bridge, past the small docks, before paddling out the other side into the Small Reach and down to our own dock.



It was low tide now so instead of landing on the rocky beach we tied up to the floating dock. After stowing our gear we sat on the dock in the sunshine drinking beers. I put the canoes away later when the tide rose again. After a dinner of fried cod we went out into town to see the fireworks. Apparently the town was celebrating it’s annual re-union. Unfortunately some cloud came over in the evening and the fireworks were muted in the mist.

Arrival in Burgeo

Meeting Everyone

We have another long drive today as we must drive north to Deer Lake to pick up our clients and then all the way south again to Burgeo; a round trip of more than 500km. After breakfast I walk down the hill into town whilst Carolyn goes and fills up the van with fuel. On the way down I am surprised to see a train lined up beside a small lake. As I approach it turns out to be a railway museum. It's too early to be open so I just wander around and take a few photographs. Unfortunately the weather is a bit grey and overcast. I find out later that the Newfoundland railways were built in 1882, ran passenger services between 1898 and 1969, and finally closed in 1988.






Unusually the railway was built on a 3’6” gauge and the main-line from St. John's to Port-aux-basque was a distance of 538 miles and took about 25 hours. It must have been quite a ride. The first picture above is a mural painted on the side of the Railway Museum building. The line to St. Johns is now a cycle/foot path and forms the first part of the Trans-Canadian Long-Distance Trail.





Carolyn has some trouble locating me as I am wandering about but eventually she picks me up and we start off on our long drive. As is usual in these parts the road was long and straight and lined with pine trees. The road signs saying ‘Moose Next 50km’ were augmented with others that said ‘Caribou next 30km’. Of course we saw neither Moose nor Caribou. We drove past the impressive Long Range Mountains and several picturesque lakes, including Blue Lake and George Lake.

We pulled off the road at Corner Brook to do some shopping; we needed stuff for our picnic lunches over the next few days. A few miles further on we came off the Trans-Canadian Highway to pass through the small village of Pasadena. We were looking for a picnic spot along the shores of Deer Lake itself but we couldn’t really find one. On arrival in the town of Deer Lake we drove up to the B&B where our guests are staying. They weren’t there. Apparently they were expecting us later, but we did manage to track them down to a pizza restaurant where they were having lunch. We introduced ourselves to Bill and Janice, and Ian and Debbie. They weren’t really surprised as they’d seen our van laden with canoes pull into the parking-lot. After lunch we picked up all the gear they had brought and started our drive south to Burgeo. This meant re-tracing our route back past Corner Brook until we reached the turn-off for Burgeo. This road, about 150km, was only built in 1979 to connect Burgeo by road. Before then Burgeo could only be reached by the inter-coastal ferry.

Burgeo is a small fishing town, with a population of about 1600, which these days doesn’t even have much fishing especially as since the moratorium on Cod Fishing, of 1992, the local fish-plant has closed.



We arrived in Burgeo about 4pm and after checking into out B&B we had a short walk around the town. At the store we purchased some beers and wines and then dropped into the local museum. It was drizzling and overcast but surprisingly the sun came out in the early evening so I went up to the look-out point to take some photographs.



When we sat down to dinner I was aghast to find that we were to eat Moose stew. I was of the opinion at this time that the Moose was a fictional creature and I was loath to eat something that I’d never seen never mind believed in the existence of. I did eat it. It was great.

Leaving for Newfoundland

The Long Drive

Its a 936 mile drive to North Sydney, Nova Scotia from our canoe base in Sunderland, Vermont. It will take us two days, driving east across Vermont and New Hampshire and into Maine at the coast. From there we will head north to the Canadian border and head into New Brunswick before the final leg into Nova Scotia, past Cape Breton, and to the ferry port of North Sydney. Then it will be a five hour crossing to Port aux Basque in Newfoundland.




Carolyn and me are up at 6am at leave the base at 7am in a hired van with a double roof-rack loaded with five canoes. Inside we have all the gear necessary for our canoeing and hiking holiday in Newfoundland. When we get there we will rendezvous with our four guests, but that is in two days time.

The first part of the ride is a nostalgia trip for me as I rode through New England, over the Green and the White Mountains and into Maine on a bicycle many years ago. We are not following the same route of course as I would have been riding the minor roads. I like seeing the familiar names of places as we pass through.



At Freeport in Maine we pull off the Interstate to drop by Day’s Lobster and Crabmeat Takeout for lunch. It is Maine so we obviously select to have Lobster for lunch. We sit outside in the sun at a picnic table overlooking a muddy inlet.  Then it’s back on the road past Bangor, as far north as I got on my bike trip, and into the wilder wastes of northern Maine. This is new territory for me.

We make one more stop when we pull over at a viewpoint to look at Mount Katahdin. This is the highest mountain in Maine and the end-point of the Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately the weather is overcast and we cannot see it. The interstate is now passing though pine country. Mile upon mile of pines. From time to time we see road signs that say ‘Moose Next 20 Miles’, or ‘Moose Next 25 Miles’. But we see no Moose.

In an hour or so we reach the border crossing. It is inevitable that we are pulled over and we have to go into the office and wait half an hour to be processed. It’s not too bad and we are soon on our way into Canada. Once again it is mile after mile of pine trees, except now its kilometres instead. The signs read ‘Moose Next 40 Km’ or ‘Moose Next 25 Km’ but we still see no Moose. What we do see in ingenious Moose fences which are designed to be one-way only. The Moose can get into the forest from the road-side but not out of the forest onto the road. It begs the question then of how a Moose could get on the road in the first place. More astonishingly we see tunnels under the highway which are large enough for Moose to pass through. These must be at least 2 or 3m in diameter. In the UK we might put tiny tunnels under the road for frogs to pass through. Its a big difference.

After about 500 miles we pull off the road at Monckton and find a hotel. The only room they have left is ‘Harry Potter’ themed. We take it. I get the bunk-bed and am amused to be sleeping with a Wand, a Quidditch stick, a Sorting Hat and an Owl in a cage. Luckily the owl is not real. I think I will sleep easy. For dinner we stumble across the parking-lot to find a restaurant which is themed in the style of a Ship Museum. I don't know how many miles we are from the sea but it must be quite a way. The fish and chips are quite good though, and the beer is welcome.

The next morning we have a brisk breakfast and are back on the road by 7am. After 50 km we cross into Nova Scotia. Once again it is an endless view of pines and signs that warn of Moose. We see no Moose. The last part of the journey is past Cape Breton. I am astonished to see road signs in English and Gaelic. Eventually we roll into North Sydney at abut 1.30pm.



Our boat is due to leave at 3.30pm but it doesn't depart until 4.30pm. We while away the time by having a greasy lunch. Once we are on board we change our watches to Newfoundland time, which is 5pm. It’s the only place in the world on a half-hour time-zone.

On board it's as dull as any other ferry crossing. Its grey and bleak outside so we just doze and sleep in the lounge. We miss the last dinner call and have to make do with a sandwich. We dock at 10pm just as the sun is going down and have a mere five minute drive to our B&B. The check-in goes without any fuss and we crash-out. Finally we are in Newfoundland.

Cevennes: France 2011: Top 30

Cevennes: France 2011: Top 30, a set on Flickr.

These shots are from my first hiking trip of the year to the Cevennes in France in May 2011.

I was hiking with Jim, Adriana, Catherine, James and John.

We followed the following long-distance trails: GR70 (Chemin Stevenson) from La Bastide Puylaurent to Mt. Lozere and then the GR7 to Lodeze.

More shots from the Cevennes