Labrador!!! -- Part 1 (or "Newfoundland -- Part 3" : )

 Catching the ferry to Labrador in St. Barbe, we met four fellows we picked out immediately as Scandenavians.  Turns out they were Norweigan, four awesome guys travelings around Newfoundland.  We sat and talked with them for the entire ferry ride (1.5 hr) and found out a lot of interesting things from/about them--one of which, is that Finn, the one in the tan shirt, is dear friends with Nancy Weeks who was one of our neighbors and fellow ward members in Rexburg!!!  He had stayed with her family for a highschool exchange in Arizona and still visits and keeps good contact with her :) And we met this Norweigan on the ferry to Labrador... Nancy Weeks!! Funny world!

 Okay, so we can into Blanc Sablon which is actually part of Quebec.. just one little french-speaking, Quebecan town right on the border with Labrador.

 Blanc Sablon was a beautiful little port.

 Had to climb a pretty steep set of hills to get out!  Fat little marmots everywhere in the rocks here.

 This coast was so beautiful!!!!  I couldn't get over how this reminded me of a mixture of Hawaii and Alaska right here. Glad to be able to see it on a sunny day.

 Now we're in Labrador, "The Big Land."   Yay :)

This is Andre and his cute little daughter Laurance.  He's a friend we met back in Corner Brook, "on the island" (of Newfoundland) as Labradorians say, had told us we could stop by his place in Labrador on our way past if we needed to use a bike stand or anything, since his was one of very, very few for a very long way.  Since our bike had been making funny noises for the past few days it was really quite the perfect opportunity to adjust some things.  He and his wife, Jose, part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, invited us to camp that night in their yard.  Great to have a flat grassy place without a long search.  Those guys are awesome.  Very greatful to them and great to get to know them.

 Near Capstan Island.  One of the 60 century-old lighthouses that can be found all around NL's coasts

 A pokey friend we made along the road

 It was so peaceful and beautiful up on this plateau... great day of riding

 A veiw of the little town, Red Bay -- were we cut off to start up the Long gravel road to Happy Valley- Goose Bay

 Hmmm, which way??

 Run-off from snow melt just coming through the ground everywhere along this stretch... lots of nice clean water!

 These sleds are used behind "skidoos" in the Winter, for hunting I think.  They are all along this road just sitting out in the middle of the wilderness.  They leave them right where they are until the snow piles up again the next year.

 Using the solar panel outside out tent : )

 Beautiful evening..

 Cooking up some "supper."  We've learned from some locals that here lunch is called "Dinner" and it is always served at noon.  Dinner is "Supper" and is always served at 5:30.

 Nice sunset that night

 Neat lakes with these little Taiga islands... we were blessed with some NICE weather for a few days!

Thoughts on waves (not those kind)

One of my favorite things this whole trip has just been to wave to people--many people some days--and see each wave back with a big smile on their face.  Tandem bikes make people stop what they are doing, look up, and smile. Most of the time it's people working in their yards--women and children in rainboots working in their garden patch, old men on their "lawn tractors," people hoeing and shoveling (people are always out working in these provinces!) and fisherman just in for the day.  It just feels good to make these little connections with people.  I feel so blessed to be able to look in the eye and share a joy-filled moment.  I like to think maybe some of them are inspired to do something they've always wanted to do when they see us pass on our laden bike.  I've thought about how it's neat that this summer I'll be "sharing a wave" with people all across Canada.  At one point I thought, maybe I should count, but then I thought, no, I want to wave to each person and savor that moment for what it is, not just be thinking of numbers.  Anyway, that's something that makes me happy these days.

Newfoundland -- Part 2

 Our good friends Doug and Betti Hogg from Vancouver (that we met back in P.E.I. when they invited us into their camper for lunch on a rainy day) have run into us in every province since!  This night (we were going to meet them in this area because they offered to take us up to the "viking village" the next day) they met us on the side of the road with dinner--steak and potatoes and salad and steamed vegetables!!!--that they roasted in these makeshift ovens :)  We were greeted with an Inookshook (rock man) by the road and ushered into this old Seining boat they have set up with a picnic table inside.  Nice folks : )

 On our "field trip" by car up to the very Northern part of Newfoundland we went through St. Anthony and ate at a nice place at Fox Point.

 The "lightkeeper," Dennis, brought us up in the tower and explained a few things about the lighthouses in modern times.  We were his first visitors of the season!!

 Spotted a few of the icebergs that float down from Greenland.

 This replica of a viking cargo ship was at the "viking village" that we visited.  It was really neat to learn more about their ship building/voyaging techniques and compare it with the Hawaiian vessels I have learned about.

 This "viking," "Sven," taught me a fun viking game.  We want to replicate the board back home.

 Beautiful sunset in Port Saunders that night!

 And a Great camping spot too!!!  (a tip from a really nice couple who run a B&B we actually got to know quite well the next day).

 Tons of shell fossils in these rocks!

 After coming down to the beach and inviting us to breakfast (!) they invited us to come out on the boat!  It was a Beautiful sunny day!!  That's Kathy Patey and her daughter Lonni (David is driving the boat).

 We pulled a lobster pot -- lucky to get a nice big one in there -- and David explained how the system works.

 Hiked over to the other side of Keppel island, a family favorite of the Pateys.

 Another lighthouse over 100 years old.

 Keith had to swim in Northern Newfoundland!

 Proof I did it too.

 Oh, and back on this side of the island too.

 Crazy. 

 David cooked up the lobster we brought up (boiled in salt water is better than steamed in fresh water we found) in a pot over a bonfire and split it between us  :)  So delicious!!!

 Wanting to contribute to the BBQ feast the Patey's were fixing for us that evening, we went to the wharf to ask if we could buy about 10 lbs of Shrimp, they handed us a 25 lb. bag and said "Take it and run" with a big grin.  We couldn't believe how generous and kind everyone we've met here is!  Sadly, we couldn't eat it all.

 : )

Setting the Lobster pots in the early morning in front of the beach we spent the second night on.

 This is one of the only places in North America from which you can see two lighthouses.

The whole coast was soo glorious.  We couldn't take many pictures while trying to cover distance biking, and the pictures can't truly capture it.  You'll have to see the Newfoundland coast for yourself someday : )

Newfoundland - Part 1 : )

 Our first camp site in Newfoundland - not far from where we got in on the ferry.

 The second night, after a beautiful sunny day, we camped at a lake ("pond" as Newfoundlanders would call it) FILLED with frogs and toads (mostly toads).  We bathed in the lake and took a ton of pictures of mating toads -- too indecent to post ;)

 A forest in our tent

 Wiltondale-- a tiny town with wonderful people.  Stopped in at the "gas bar" at the end of a cold day and were intived to camp in the grass there.  Fae, from the gas bar, brought us down a huge pot of hot chocolate!!  On the left is Jeff, a solo bike tourer from Quebec.  Awesome guy who stayed with us that night and biked with us the next day.

This is our dinner.  It's a rabbit.  We bought it frozen at the gas station for five dollars.  It was tough, but tasty... quite a a bit of meat actually.  This gas station also had pickled beets and jams on the shelves along with the canned stuff, fox and coyote snares for sale, handmade snoeshoes, and other wonders!!  I bought a hand knit wool hat there with whales around it.  I love it.

 Gros Morne National Park.  This day was AMAZING... SO beautiful.  One of my favorites for sure.  We passed at least six moose.  Mist hung around the mountains and cliffs.  It was magical.

 Lots of little fishing stations like this one.  Breakwater made with beautiful smooth rocks instead of the blasted stuff.  Old lobster pots, boats, sheds everywhere. Old but still used.

 "Ethie" -- shipwrecked in 1919 in a terrible storm. 

 "Arches"

 Oh, I Love the rocks here!!

Takin' a dip.