Brigus & the Baccalieu Loop

The canal that runs through the picturesque town of Brigus

This is where we stopped for lunch - gift shop in the front, restaurant in the back.

We left for today’s tour on the Baccalieu loop around 10:30 AM. Judy joined us again as our tour guide.  We toured Harbour Main, before arriving in Brigus. This pretty little village is situated right on the water, and has some lovely views overlooking the bay.  The town’s well-kept old-style architecture, rustic stone walls, lush, green gardens and winding narrow lanes are reflective of its English, Irish and Welsh heritage. We passed artists sitting at their easels with their paint brushes poised, overlooking the shoreline on this sunny day. A flat-stone lined canal runs through the village.

Brigus is home to the Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site, the former home of Captain Bob Bartlett, who was hailed as the greatest ice navigator of the 20^th century.  The cottage has been revived and depicts the Captain’s northern expeditions and his simple way of life.

We stopped for lunch at a little café in Brigus. Marcel had hot dogs, Judy and I each had a delicious thick, creamy cod chowder and a blueberry crumble for dessert.  I shared my dessert  with Marcel as after the huge bowl of chowder, I just could not eat the whole thing. Actually, any two of us could have easily shared one meal as the portions were very large for lunch.  After lunch we strolled through a small walled in town garden across from the café. 

Our next stop on the route was Cupids, which was the first English colony in Canada. Today, it is another small fishing village and archaeological site. Famous Native American Squanto lived in Cupids from 1616-1618 after being captured by the English. It was here that he learned the language and he ended up greeting the Pilgrim Father’s at Plymouth Rock. Cupids celebrated it’s 400^th birthday in 2010 and the first recorded birth of an English child in Canada took place here.

Grounded ship at Harbour Grace

We then drove north along route 70 through several small towns and villages. We stopped at the Visitor Centre at Harbour Grace. There is a ship grounded near the shore here. A placard tells the story of this ship and why it is still here and reminds us this is the location from which Amelia Ehrhart left for her transAtlantic flight. 

As we drove today, we couldn't help but notice the numerous churches - mostly the Roman Catholic and Anglican ones, were the ones that stood out - and usually atop the highest piece of land in the village.

At the top of the peninsula, we visited Bay de Verde (pronounced Beta vird), a small very picturesque, fishing community. The roads in the village were more suited to mountain goats and 4x4s. than our front wheel drive SUV. The road leading to the Protestant Church was so steep, I found myself leaning far forward in my seat and I had to close my eyes – good thing I wasn’t the driver. 

From here, we headed south along route 80 through beautiful countryside and small fishing villages.  We took a lot of pictures.  We arrived back at Mike and Judy’s a bit after 6 PM. Judy and I made dinner, delicious salmon on the BBQ with maple mustard topping, tossed salad and vegetable couscous. After dinner and clean up we did a quick load of laundry and by 9:45 p.m., we called it a night. 

Shag Rock