September 1, 2018

    Today started with the wakeup call at 6:30 and luggage needed to be placed in the hall by 7 a.m. to be gathered to be put on the coach. Breakfast was at 7 and we left on time at 8:15 to journey to Rocky Harbour, a distance of 346 kilometres along the Viking Trail highway 430.  We arrived in Rocky Harbour to drop off the luggage about 2:30 before going to Norris Point.  Less than five hours in the coach.
    This morning it was sunny and a cool 9°C with a bit of wind. A Newfoundland breakfast favourite was included in the buffet, which was toutons. A touton is pan fried bread dough and served with light molasses as the sauce. After breakfast, we took a 30 minute walk before boarding the coach.       Steps 4517
     Most of the route today the coach had covered in the past few days with a return to scenic Gros Morne National Park.  Chris played a CD produced by fellow passenger and musician Verun Rau on the first leg of the trip.  We stopped at the Plum Point Motel, where we had staying two nights ago, for the rest stop. On the next segment Chris played a DVD of the Newfoundland band Anchors Away.  Several of their members work on the tour boat that took us on an afternoon cruise of Bonne Bay. It contained energetic tunes, some of which the passengers sang along with the band.
     The first stop was at Arches Provincial Park for the rock formations carved by the gulf waters into two arches. The passengers had 30 minutes to take photos and stretch their legs, as the clouds started to gather, before continuing another 30 minutes to the village of Cow Head for lunch.
     For lunch the choices were Seafood Chowder and a roll, Vegetable Soup and a roll, Cod as Gratin with a roll or a Chef’s Salad. Dessert was optional.  Chris circulates a signup sheet prior to arrival at the lunch stops and relays the information to the restaurant so that the meals are ready for us when we arrive. During lunch, the mainly cloudy sky, gave way to fog over the harbour, then a light drizzle, then a bit of sunshine followed by a short sun drizzle. We took a 20 minute walk in the village partly in a light drizzle before returning to the coach for the hour drive to Rocky Harbour.
     Rocky Harbour’s latitude is close to the latitude ofLethbridge, Alberta.
     The coach stopped in Rocky Harbour at the colourful Oceanview Hotel facing the harbour. After unloading the luggage and a leg stretch, the coach took us to Norris Point for a two hour scenic boat cruise on nearby Bonne Bay. En route we had great views of Gros Morne mountain, but were unable to stop on the narrow road. We saw several bald eagles sitting in the cliffside trees or soaring above the bay. There were spectacular views of the Tablelands rock formations from the boat. We learned about the geology of the cliffs and the history of the fishing villages, most established after 1904 when the land was no longer restricted to seasonal fishermen from France.
     Dinner was in the Oceanview Hotel dining room, where the tables for our group were arranged for two or four guests, we sat with Richard and Linda. The served dinner choices were a full lobster served with baked potato and asparagus, baked chicken breast served with mashed potato and asparagus, pan fried cod served with baked potato and asparagus or vegetable stir fry. 76% of the passengers ordered the lobster. We started with a vegetable soup and ended with blueberry cake topped with whipped cream.  We had a view of the harbour, watched the sunset and then could see the light from the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, which we had visited three days ago.
   There was a brief three minute fireworks display, just after 10 p.m., near the harbour that we could see from our room window.     Total steps 14,139


































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