A Day of Rugged Beauty

On a sunny May morning I set out from Trinity at 9:30am and make my way to New Bonaventure.  When I arrive 20 minutes later skipper Bruce Miller is waiting there to greet me and his other passengers down by the dock.  There are 6 other passengers on the tour this particular morning and we each grab a yellow life jacket from the stage before climbing into the boat. 

 

I can safely say that Bruce’s boat tour is unlike any other offered in Newfoundland.  While most tours on the island focus on whales, icebergs and birds, this tour is designed to share with visitors what once was in rural Newfoundland.  The tour hugs the rugged and breathtaking coastline as he takes you from one abandoned community to the next including Kearley’s Harbour and Ireland’s Eye, where members of his own family once resided.

 

I doubt that this tour could be duplicated in any other part of Newfoundland.  Not because other communities didn’t share a similar fate, but because Bruce himself is the real highlight of the tour.  When he quiets the motor in front of one of the older communities you stare out at the shore and it is hard to imagine that anything could have ever been there.

 

As Bruce recants tales of his family, you can almost see his Uncle Joe waving goodbye from the schooner leaving the tickle, his Aunt Meg fertilizing the garden with capelin or his father loading up the dog sled with wood.  As these stories unfold you start to appreciate how painful it must have been for them to be forced from these places they all loved so dearly.  Bruce points to a few grey boards on the cliffs and tells us who once lived there.

 

As we go from spot to spot Bruce stops the boat near a giant iceberg.  He grabs a net, leans over the side and scoops up a chunk of broken off ice.  With a mighty bang he breaks it into smaller pieces and we all have iceberg popsicles.  As if to make the moment even more magical a humpback whale surfaces and dives down, giving us a wave with his black and white tail.  Bruce never promises these moments on his tour, because he knows that nature is unpredictable.  He waits around for another few minutes for the whale to surface one more time (this time we all have cameras ready) Once we get the shot he heads towards the next destination, his cabin in British Harbour.

 

We dock the boat and Bruce runs ahead of us towards the cabin to get the kettle on for tea.  Two of the passengers say goodbye because they have opted to do the two hour hike back to New Bonaventure, passing through some of the communities we have seen from the water.  The rest of us sit around the kitchen counter with Bruce’s homemade partridgeberry jam on purity crackers, warming our hands over our cups of tea.  Everyone is enthralled in conversation about the politics of fishing and we can hardly believe that almost an hour has past.  We have to go because we have far exceeded the 2 ½ hours allotted for the tour.  Bruce says he would happily let us stay, but he has to be back in time for the 2pm tour.   Warmed up from the tea we board the boat and take in the coastline one last time before finding ourselves back on Bruce’s stage.

 

 

The Newfoundland Food Fishery

The Newfoundland food fishery is a time when Newfoundlanders are able to return to age old traditions of catching cod fish for personal consumption.  The Newfoundland cod fishery was the key industry on the island for centuries until the Canadian Government shut it down indefinitely in 1992.

This decision ended the traditional way of life for many Newfoundlanders living in outport communities.  The annual food fishery is a small conciliation for this loss of
lifestyle and staple ingredient in Newfoundland cuisine.  During the fishery each boat on the water can pull in 5 fish per person to a max of 15 codfish per boat.

The food fishery certainly changes the scenery around Trinity during this time.  The normally empty bays are dotted with small fishing boat, the wharfs occupied with men and women bent over the splitting tables skillfully filleting their catch with skill and
precision before they leave a select few out to dry in the sun.  The rest of the fresh fish fills the fridges of friends and family and everyone comes up with different ways to serve the
catch: cod au gratin, cod chowder, cod provençal, or pan fried on its own…the
list goes on.

Over the years many of our guests staying during this period have been offered to ride along with the local fisherman and share in the experience. It is without a doubt one of the most authentic and memorable experiences any of our guests could ask for. It has served as an excellent way to educate visitors in the traditions of this place and people.

The next food fishery will be open from   September 24^th – October 2^nd and is open to both residents and non-residents.

Cod Jigging in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland

The Perfect Pre or Post St. John’s Conference Getaway!

The Perfect Pre or Post Conference Getaway

It is well known that there are no accidental tourists in Newfoundland.  Visiting this island takes organization, effort and time, but it is well worth the trip.

Many of the guests who stay at the Artisan Inn have come to Newfoundland to attend one of the various conferences held throughout the spring, summer and fall in St. John’s.  Because it takes such an effort and investment to come to the island, many conference attendees take a few extra vacation days to allow for exploring Newfoundland outside the city.

With such a vast island to visit and little time to explore it, many visitors make the mistake of trying to see too much and, as a result, spend most of their time in their car.

A seal relaxes on the government warf in Trinity

Just a 3 hour scenic drive away from downtown St. John’s, a visit to the town of Trinity offers the perfect getaway for those who wish to connect to Newfoundland’s past and outport lifestyle in only a few days.

 

With numerous hikes, boat tours, film sets, a theatre festival, heritage structures to tour, wildlife to spot and a variety of restaurants to sample from in the immediate area, a stay in Trinity allows visitors to have a wide range of cultural, culinary and historical experiences without long drives in between.

Spring and fall Conference attendees have an additional advantage of off season rates from May to mid June and Late September to November.

For further information about the area, activities and accommodations visit www.trinityvacations.com

When to Spot Icebergs in Newfoundland

It’s cold and snowing today in Newfoundland so we thought it appropriate to blog about icebergs!

If Newfoundland has an advantage over any other province in Canada, it is the fact that icebergs flowing from the north directly past the island, allow visitors to spot them from land.

Typically, the best time to come see icebergs in Trinity Bay are the months of May and June.

Only 10% of icebergs can be seen on the water’s surface, which is why the expressions “just the tip of the iceberg” is used when referring to a problem that is only a small manifestation of a much more profound problem.

Icebergs come in two main forms, tabular and non-tabular, both can be seen from the shores of Trinity Bay.

Before the historic collision of the Titanic with an Iceberg as it sailed across the Atlantic in 1912 there was no system in place for monitoring icebergs.  In 1914 the International Ice Patrol was formed as a reaction to the incident.

Now monitoring icebergs can help visitors to Newfoundland know where and when they can spot an iceberg by visiting www.icebergfinder.com.  See where and when icebergs were spotted off the coast in past years and where they are now.

Icebergs can sometimes move quickly only staying close to shore for a few days at a time before moving away from the coast. If you are in Newfoundland and your plans are flexible follow the Artisan Inn on Twitter @trinitygetaway to receive tweets whenever icebergs appear!

The Oldest Wooden Church In Newfoundland!

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The small white and green catholic church standing on the appropriately named Church Rd. in Trinity is the oldest standing wooden church in Newfoundland.  Many claim that it is also the oldest wooden church in North America.  The quaint church is well worth a visit and is always open and free to pop into during the day.

Many couples have chosen to use the intimate space as the location for their wedding ceremonies.

The church was built in 1833 and the tower was added in 1880.

Berries in the Bight!

Lorraine prepares fresh blueberry and partridgeberry muffins for guests of the Artisan Inn to enjoy at breakfast.

 

September in Newfoundland is the best time to pick the wild blueberries growing along the cliffs and hillsides.

Newfoundlanders do everything imaginable with blueberries.  Blueberry pies, blueberry muffins, blueberry tarts, chocolate cover blueberries, blueberry cocktails, blueberry wine, blueberry jam and blueberry coulis.  One person told me that they had used blueberry juice to dye

scarves blue, a fun and joyously messy activity their children will not soon forget.

Visitors are amazed by how packed with flavour Newfoundland blueberries are.  We may be limited with regards to what can be grown here, but this Newfoundland does well!  In a world where pesticides and growth agents are used to produce most the worlds fruits and vegetables, it is comforting to know that certain things can still grow plentifully without our “help” or interference.

Twine Loft Blueberry Lemon Tortes

Guests renting out our vacation homes constantly ask where they can buy some local blueberries to put on their breakfast cereal or bake a couple treats.  When they find out that all they have to do is take an empty bucket and walk up Gun Hill at the base of Trinity, just minutes from their front steps, they are gone in an instant.  Many of our guests, including some professional chefs, have insisted on coming to Trinity in the fall as opposed to summer for this very reason.

It might seem extreme to think that someone would travel so far just to pick berries, but celebrated Canadian chef Michael Smith once said:

“Breaking bread with family and friends is universal. Gathering, preparing and sharing food represents the very essence of what it is to be human.”

Perhaps that is why our chefs look so pleased with themselves when they come into work with litres of berries picked from their very own gardens.  They get to work with an ingredient that is reflective of their land, their history and their livelihood, and can share that through the food they prepare for people coming from all over the world.

Many believe that culinary tourism is so popular these days, because people are missing this key element in their day to day lives.  To the surprise of many, they are finding it right here in outport Newfoundland on picturesque hillsides with empty, soon to be full, pails.