Day 9 Codroy Valley

From this campground we have travelled south west and north west so today David wanted to pick a different direction and we headed north east. I had thought I might like to stop at some point in St. George’s, the place I lived for five years until I was in grade 6. Traveling along the TCH we were off at the first exit, St. David’s/Jeffrey’s to drive along the ocean. For those following along who own RVs – DON’T do this. We didn’t have the trailer and still the going was tough! I lived in this area 46 years ago and I suspect I drove over some of the same roads – literally – today! The map wasn’t really clear, and I wasn’t absolutely sure I remembered. I knew St. George’s was further along the Bay but I didn’t know if you could get there from this road. You couldn’t.

We ended up in the saddest little port, at the end of a very poorly maintained dirt road, in an outport called Fischells. There were men there working on nets and clearly the shacks were lived in but in all our travels throughout the Caribbean ports, we have never seen any place more neglected. The coastline was spectacular, minus the rusted chassis littering the beach, but truly it looked like the place God had forgotten!

Back tracking, and let me say David was thrilled to travel back over the deeply rutted road, we went back to the highway to continue to St. George’s. The campground paper had mentioned a K’Taqmkuk Mi’kmaw Cultural Historic Museum, highlighting Mi’kmaq history, so we thought we would start there. Imagine my surprise when we arrived to discover that the building restored to house the display was in fact my Dad’s old courthouse that was next door to the house we lived in!! I am sure the kids manning the museum thought I was crazy I was so excited about the building! They were gracious though in sharing the pictures and information they had on the restoration. It was funny to realize the larger than life memories you have from your childhood are in fact much more reasonably sized in actual fact!

The school was walking distance from our house so we walked there to discover that although everything still stood where it had been all those years ago, many of the buildings had been repurposed. Years ago the Catholic Church, being the centre of the Newfoundland community, had a collection of buildings gathered together to serve the surrounding area. The church itself still stands in the center, having changed little since the days of my First Communion there. While my elementary school still stood, it has been converted to a public school and has undergone renovations. The convent is now a boarding house. The priest’s residence that we always referred to as “the palace”, has now been converted to a B&B called The Palace Inn!! Newfoundlanders, always a sense of humour!

Between our house and the school was the library. You would never guess the countless hours I spent there as a child. Still open, I ventured inside, once again to be astounded at how small it was now! I had a great chat with the librarian and discovered that I had in fact gone to school with both her parents. I had noticed a little house behind the library that I immediately recognized as Mrs. Doucette’s. She had been our housekeeper (and nanny really!) as Mom served at the public health nurse for the area and was required to travel to various outports. I mentioned this to the librarian and she told me Mrs. Doucette still lived there and assured me I really should go and visit. I was beyond excited at the prospect but had my first disappointment of the trip when she wasn’t at home. We came back twice but in the end I left a note for her. I guess I will never know her reaction when she reads it!

Arriving back at the campground tonight we discovered, when the ferry came in today, it brought loads of new visitors. The campground is over-full tonight. In Newfoundland there is always room for one more! A new group of musicians came by tonight to Screech-In the new arrivals. This group seemed especially primed for fun and by the tie the evening ended there were 36 new “honourary Newfoundlanders”!

Tomorrow morning we pack up and head to the National Park on the Northern Peninsula. Gros Morne is incredibly beautiful so although we feel like we have barely scratched the surface of what we could see here, we are looking forward to the next stop on the journey!

  

My childhood home in St. George's. So much smaller than I remember and the honeysuckle is gone!

 

Now a museum, this was my Dad's courtroom back in the day! A teepee where the bench once stood.

 

The church where I made my First Communion.

 

The former priest's residence.

Beautiful shoreline marred by garbage! Fortunately only in Fischells!