Two Countries

 Day 5! Red Bay, Labrador August 7, 2022

Okay friends. I think I saved the nice opening story of our journey to One Drive to which I have no access here sine I did not pay $450 to have onboard WIFI!  Perhaps next time ashore it will occur to me to retrieve it! In the mean time…

Yesterday we were in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and people really do ask if you “come from away.” I had booked a basic tour because I thought it would take me away from the town and out into the country side and it did. I left with Group 8 for the Highlights of Corner Brook. We are docked in an industrial area next to the mill that makes newsprint paper. It is the only place a ship can dock as there is an underwater natural shelf for most of the shoreline. That would only allow for a 20’ draft. Too close to call for a cruise ship captain. 

I don’t need to tell you that it is a small city. It only took a few minutes to reach the center of town where there are 3 Tim Horton’s! Starbucks has closed!

Our guide, Charles, is the former Mayor and was proud to point out the City Hall ‘he built.’ He pointed out among other things the new hospital and what it cost. The new high rise – 9 stories tall. The new Walmart on the outskirts of the town. The bank that is boarded up because last week ‘some dumb fool’ drove a backhoe into it to try to steal the ATM machine. They were now successful.  He pointed out where the criminal now resides – the new jail!

When we got to the top of the mountain we visited the Captain Cook Monument.  The charts he surveyed in the 1700’s are still used today as a reference to support the 1998 survey. There are shoals in the bay that the ’98 survey didn’t show. On re-inspection they were indeed there.  So navigation is basically on the 1738 or so.

We drove back through town, past the steep championship golf course and out the other side back up another hill to Marble Mountain. They have several slopes and one lift for each two runs. Short runs where we were and long ones on the backside of the hill. Ski season is mid December to mid February usually.

Here there was also a Zipline. The ‘catcher’ was happy to chat, had never lived somewhere…a common phenomenon here. As we were leaving a girl got stuck midway across the Duck Pond and the catcher had to hang on the line to make it more taut.  When that didn’t work our last sight of the scene was him inching his way to her to bring the lady back to dry land!

We then went to Man in the Mountain. This possibly seen, depending on your imagination, depicts a man in a hat looking down over the Humber River to guard the Shelter Island where pirates buried their gold! Canadians must have a lot of time on their hands to think things up. The river did have many kayakers, river rafters, and canoeists enjoying the warm summer sun before winter comes.

Upon returning to the ship I met Carol in our cabin. She had taken the provided shuttle van into town and walked over to what turned out to be a beautiful, large park along the waterfront. There were trails, waterfalls and ducks.  She really enjoyed it before coming back on the van to warm up.  I wore shorts but I think it will be the last chance for that until maybe when we return to Maine.

She told me there was WIFI in the harbor building we could use.  The set up was nice. Lunch tables and chairs and a sunny window warming my back. The signal was good and I thought/planned to post a good story of the beginning of the trip and several pictures downloaded from my phone.  Could NOT find the document!  I usually can deal with computers but am a little annoyed with myself now and will next time bring my laptop with me. I promise myself and you!

We decided to have dinner in the dining room. It was the first time as we have been buffeting it until now.  We actually each showered and put on nicer clothes and made our way to Deck 2 for Open Dining. No line at all. We asked to share a table but when the other people came they chose not to sit with us as they spoke German.

My steak was delicious and Carol enjoyed ravioli. Service was fast, the food was good. The view was nice. We decided to do the later show so wandered through the music venues. On this ship they are open areas and each plays for 45 minutes and the next seamlessly picks up so there is no overlap. BillBoard is the piano bar with dueling pianos. A lady at one and young man at the other.  He had a really nice voice and she played very well but her singing seemed a little harsh unless she was in her lower range.  But the song choices suited us.  A little Buffet, Glen Campbell, Fleetwood Mac and Carole King seemed welcome after dinner.

We still had a little time to kill before the later show violinist show would start. We went up to the Crows Nest/Explorations Bar to see if our friend Deb was up there knitting. She was not but as we were going about Nora and Dan said hello and they had just started a game of Sorry. Did we want to play.  Carol said she never had played before. So of course the game we played was long, and lots of laughter and calls of SOORRRY!  And, of course, Carol won! 

Deb came in but left before we finished so we have yet to tell her we will meet her at Pinnacle Specialty Restaurant tonight for Carol’s birthday celebration. We were invited to join Nora and Dan to celebrate his birthday/60th wedding anniversary! We couldn’t get a table for 5 and had already asked Deb so had to decline. In a few days we will meet at Cannoletto to celebrate Deb’s birthday. 

It is amazing how quickly it seems we gather friends when we cruise.  Some may become real friends over time like Lyn and Rod from Australia, Donna and John from California, Judith and Manny who were supposed to be with us on this trip. We miss you Manny and Judith! And Hue and Byung from way back in 2013 on our trip around South America. And, of course, Elva!