Kissing the Cod - We Are Now Honorary Newfoundlanders

Straitsview, Newfoundland (48 degrees, grey skies, chilly)

Barry puckering up!

Part of the Iceberg Festival included a Newfie Night at Skipper Hot's Lounge about 45 minutes from our campground. There was a traditional four piece band playing which was really great. The accordion player and owner of the lounge, Ford Blake, is very talented. They mostly played Newfoundland tunes but by far the most popular tune was a Beach Boy hit. There was lots of dancing and stomping going on. 

They kept asking if anyone wanted to be "Screeched In".  At first we were hesitant but after a third call Jann, Barry, and I raised our hands.  It was only after signing up did they say "food was being prepared".  Good grief! 

Drinking the screech

Well it turned out to be a lot of fun. I think about 17 people signed up and we each had to wear some type of Newfoundland clothing. Jann and I each wore one rubber boot and Barry wore a yellow rain hat.We were the only folks from the U.S. Out came the food...first there was traditional meat (bologna), then some type of very smelly fish whose name I've blocked, then a small piece  of molasses bread. Each sampling included a "blessing and toast". But wait there is more. Out came a whole cod fish and we were instructed to tell it something sexy and kiss it. It was too late at this point to turn back and the crowd urged us on. We did it! Afterwards we each got a shot of Screech which is a type of rum and officially became honorary Newfies. I have a certificate to prove it.  It was a fun night and certainly one we will always remember.

Dr. Grenfell

Grenfell Interpretation Centre

The next day we toured the Winfred Grenfell Interpretation Centre in downtown St. Anthony. It tells the story of how Dr. Grenfell in the late 1800's came from London by ship and was the first doctor to arrive in this very remote area.  He witnessed so much suffering and decided to dedicate his life to  improving  the health of the people living St. Anthony and many surrounding towns including some in Labrador. He did a tremendous amount of fund raising and recruiting which  established hospitals, clinics, orphanages, a dog sled medical team, and a medical ship which toured the surrounding areas providing health care. He and other volunteers also taught them how to start gardens and use their craft producing skills with  rug making to provide income and improve their way of life. We were awed by how dedicated he and his wife and over 150 volunteers were in providing care to this area at the time. The museum is excellent and it includes a tour of their home across the street.  There is also a very nice gift shop which sells very local crafts, rugs, carvings, and an excellent water repellent parka.

Hooked rug

We continued to drive all over this area chasing icebergs and checking out the small towns. Along the roads we often saw huge stockpiles of stacked firewood not near any housing areas. It's in various stages with some of it being dried tepee style, split, and eventually stacked. Local residents apply for a license to chop down a certain amount of trees for firewood. Local loggers bring it to their spot and drop it off for the owner to chop and sort. Each has a license tagged to the pile and we were told no one bothers each other's firewood.

Also right along the road we saw small fenced in gardens. Most of the homes are along the coast and we were told the constant winds and salt makes for poor conditions to grown a garden. Folks stake out area away from the coast to plant and grown their own fresh vegetables right along the ditches of the roads. The fences are to keep moose out and again no one bothers their garden. Some of these gardens seem to be far from the villages but  the ground is very fertile and must be worth the effort. The economy is struggling in this area due to cod fishing being banned. Many of the young people have moved away or commute long distances to make  a living. Oftentimes, the men are gone for two to three weeks at a time and return home only for a few days. Having a way to grow fresh vegetables and have plenty of firewood to heat their homes during the long winters helps out in so many ways.

One other fun thing we have learned about Newfoundland is the local people enter homes even when visiting through the back door. This tradition started when most folks were fishermen and this practice kept them from tracking through the front parlor. Due to the economy oftentimes the front porch or step is never completed. Folks now  call them "mother in law doors".  Here is an example below. :) 

We will end the post today with a few more icebergs and a fun dinner in Raleigh enjoying a "lobster experience". After checking into the restaurant the owner drove us out to a dock to pick out our own lobsters for dinner. He pulled up a big crate of them right out of the cold waters. We then drove back and his wife steamed them and served them for dinner. Each were over two pounds and the best lobster we have had to date. It was a very enjoyable evening with our friends. Life is good!

Heading out to the catch of the day

Lobster traps

Fine mess of lobsters

I'll take that one please 

The finished product....yummy!

Be sure to check back soon. We are on our way to Labrador. It's another ferry ride and we will be spending two nights this time in a whaling village.

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