This weekend we headed out of town with Elizabeth's parents to take in the sights and sounds of Lewisporte, and (relatively) nearby Twillingate, in Central Newfoundland!
After escaping St. John's and some unusually crazy traffic, we eventually made it to Elizabeth's Grandfather's house in Lewisporte after a 4.5 hour drive. It didn't take us long to fall asleep, and we woke the next day well rested for the busy day that lay ahead.
Our first stop on the trip was the Boyd's Cove Beothuk site. Discovered by archaeologists in 1981, the site features the remains of a village used by the now-extinct Beothuk people of Newfoundland. Since the death of the last Beothuk, Shanawdithit, in 1829, archaeologists have struggled to learn more about their culture through the remains they left behind. The site at Boyd's Cove proved to be valuable in yielding a wealth of artifacts that help to shape our understanding of how these people lived.
Our first stop on the trip was the Boyd's Cove Beothuk site. Discovered by archaeologists in 1981, the site features the remains of a village used by the now-extinct Beothuk people of Newfoundland. Since the death of the last Beothuk, Shanawdithit, in 1829, archaeologists have struggled to learn more about their culture through the remains they left behind. The site at Boyd's Cove proved to be valuable in yielding a wealth of artifacts that help to shape our understanding of how these people lived.
The site consists of an interpretation centre, built in the form of a Beothuk pit house, and the site of the village itself, a 1.5km walk from the centre. In the centre we learned all about the discovery of the site itself, as well as a bit about Beothuk culture. A couple of interesting facts:
The site of the village is now covered in grass, but it remains clear of trees and the distinct rings that formed the boundaries of the pit houses are visible. It is easy to see why the Beothuk chose this site in particular, as it is located close to the sea shore and next to a running stream that would have been a source of fresh water. It is sad to think that the Beothuk are gone today as a result of their contact with Europeans, who brought conflict, disease and starvation.
- When European fishermen would return home during the winter, the Beothuk would take the metal nails used in their fishermen's structures and would fashion them into tools such as arrowheads and fish hooks. They did not make metal themselves.
- The Beothuk covered themselves, and most of their belongings, in a mixture of red ochre and animal fat. This mixture was used as sunscreen and insect repellent, and lead Europeans to call the Beothuk and similar tribes "Red Indians".
The site of the village is now covered in grass, but it remains clear of trees and the distinct rings that formed the boundaries of the pit houses are visible. It is easy to see why the Beothuk chose this site in particular, as it is located close to the sea shore and next to a running stream that would have been a source of fresh water. It is sad to think that the Beothuk are gone today as a result of their contact with Europeans, who brought conflict, disease and starvation.
After a nice picnic beside the interpretation centre we set off for the Twillingate Islands, to check out the town of Twillingate itself, as well as the breathtaking scenery. Elizabeth's mum lived and worked in Twillingate for two and half years, so was able to give us a full guided tour of the place.
We first headed up to the Long Point Lighthouse, hoping to get some views across the bay and over the ocean. Unforunately, the lighthouse was shrouded in fog so thick we could barely see the sea below the cliffs. We did return later in the day when the fog had cleared and were amazed by the view.
We first headed up to the Long Point Lighthouse, hoping to get some views across the bay and over the ocean. Unforunately, the lighthouse was shrouded in fog so thick we could barely see the sea below the cliffs. We did return later in the day when the fog had cleared and were amazed by the view.
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We also managed to get a couple of hikes in, and one museum! The first hike took us around French Head and afforded us views of some pretty dramatic rock formations, angry looking sea, and a lone iceberg. On our way there, while snapping some pictures of the iceberg, we saw a boat coming into harbour called Midnight Shadow, which just so happens to be a kind-of-famous fishing boat from the TV show Coldwater Cowboys.
After a quick fish n' chips (with dressing and gravy, of course) we started to head back to Lewisporte, but not before a second hike out to see a natural arch in Lower Little Harbour. When we finally reached the arch, we were pleasantly surprised to see a small iceberg perfectly framed beneath it. Much fun was then had by trying to break one of the chunks that had come off the iceberg by throwing rocks at it (throwing rocks at things floating in the sea = Luke's favourite pastime).
After a quick fish n' chips (with dressing and gravy, of course) we started to head back to Lewisporte, but not before a second hike out to see a natural arch in Lower Little Harbour. When we finally reached the arch, we were pleasantly surprised to see a small iceberg perfectly framed beneath it. Much fun was then had by trying to break one of the chunks that had come off the iceberg by throwing rocks at it (throwing rocks at things floating in the sea = Luke's favourite pastime).
On Sunday we toured the area around Lewisporte, visiting some spots that Elizabeth and her family had frequented whenever they visited her grandparents. It was a beautiful place to be, and we even caught sight of another couple of icebergs. After taking a stroll around Woolfrey's Pond and visiting Elizabeth's aunt and uncle we hit the road for our journey back to town.
It was a great weekend, and we somehow managed to pack in a lot into just a couple of days. Needless to say, we were pretty tired by the end of our trip, but we did manage to stay up late enough to watch the final of the Women's World Cup, and play a swift game of Ticket to Ride before finally crashing.
Here's some more photos from our trip.
Here's some more photos from our trip.
