... a little rain must fall.....

If I did not know any better, I'd think we are in Norway.  Even the color of the buildings is the same red and yellow ochre, and the Fjords, and the water falls from the still snow covered mountains.....  This is however not Norway, but the "Viking Trail" - on the east coast of Newfoundland - where vikings first landed around A.D. 1000 - they probably felt right at home!

But I am getting ahead of myself.  We left Twillingate early, skipping our planned hike because it was raining hard and the wind was very strong.  I am getting very zen in my old age: when I was younger, this would have upset me.  But not now.  Now I realize that the weather is what it is and that, "in every life, a little rain must fall", and I just go on my way....  so on our way we went.

The road is pretty even in the rain, and there were some lovely clear spots in the sky eventually. 

Also, the only time we go to museums is when it rains, so this gave up an opportunity to get some history and culture...  We stopped at a charming regional museum in the town of Great Falls, which is in the very center of Newfoundland -- as far from the sea as one can get (which is not very far).  The museum is dedicated to the history of the Beochuck, the native people who were in this part of the island when Europeans arrived.  They were a small tribe (about 1500 people) living from the sea and hunting, and them last one of them, Demasduit, died in 1829.

 She left the only oral history we have of these people, as well as a lot of drawings of the way they lived.  There is still very little known.  As often when learning about native tribes, it is a tragic story.  But it was very interesting. 

Also, it is nice to see that not all Europeans were heartless, as the proclamation from the then governor shows.
(also note how careful the museum is to explain that the wording is just old fashioned, and they are not using the word "savage" in a derogatory way.....)

We continued to the Gros Morne National park, and as we arrived, the sky started to clear.  Just enough for us to get a glimpse of the amazing surrounding, and wanting more.

  I took a walk on the beach in front of the hotel,

and Joe took some pictures of the bay behind it.

After a short walk by the lighthouse, where Joe could not help but take pictures of the fence - because he likes fences almost as much as doors and windows-





















 we had a lovely local dinner. 

Going to bed early because we want to maximize our day in the park tomorrow - weather is supposed to be very nice - although it will start on the chilly side- there is a frost warning for this evening......