We love Fogo Island

We left our little campground behind the motel in Gander.  We wanted to make the 10 AM ferry.  It is only about an hour's drive but they don't take reservations and we wanted to be sure to get a spot.  And we did have to take into account that we were leaving at rush hour.  A little Newfie humor:  we were passed by two appliance repair trucks and never saw another vehicle.  We thought we might be the only vehicle on the ferry.  Not.

This is not the same kind of ferry as our crossing from Nova Scotia.  This is a intra-provincial ferry, subsidized by the province.

We figured this out because this was the total cost for the two of use (senior fare, of course) and the rv.  And it is round trip.

We were the fourth in line, though many more cars came.  One large Rv was in back and we met them at the campground.  No big trucks this time.

Drive onto the ferry.  We are directed to the wider center lane.  Good.

Our guide says keep coming, keep coming.

And then we are this close to the exit ramp, maybe even closer.

We are the first vehicle and the first one off.  Ferry trip is about 45 minutes.

As we exit the ferry, we see a very large piece of equipment that is getting on the ferry.  Glad we are off.  The boat will never float.












There are 11 communities of Fogo Island.  The population total on the island is about 2500. We drive to the town of Fogo, about a half hour away and find the campground.

What a spot.  I will not go on again about beauty and views.

This is the view out our window.







There is only one other rv in the campground and one tent up on the field.  The large rv that was way behind us on the ferry comes in about 1/2 hour later.  They are from Pennsylvania.  And the town is Lancaster.  Welcome home again.  If you are reading this, Terry and Mary, it was fun being with you.  And be sure to get rid of that extra kid you picked up in St. John's!

We decided to take the short hike to Fogo Head, a large rock beside the campground.  Only about 1/2 mile round trip, but steep.

We are warned.

We climb up this rocky hill.

View from the top with the town of Fogo down below.

As we get near the top we learn that we are on one of the corners of the flat earth, at least according to the Flat Earth Society.

Here are all  four of the corners.












We drive to Joe Batt's Arm, another town, for dinner.  Yes, that is the name of the town.  A lovely restaurant and we are still on our local food kick so we both have cod.  Talk to a couple next to us ( we are the only four in the restaurant).  They are from the island, were away in other parts of Canada and have returned.  Though he is retired, he has taken another job.  After dinner, an ice cream stop at Growlers.  We heard about it a few towns ago.  Ice cream made at that store and all local flavors.

 We have passed by a new a famous landmark on the island.  It is the Fogo Inn.

You can sort of see it in the distance in this picture.



You cannot get too close, unless you are  a guest.  You park in a lower lot and then a car picks you up!  It is a building that looks quite different from anything on the island... large and rectangular and modern.  This is the project of a woman who has returned to Fogo Island and invested $40 million.  She tried to use as many local craftsmen and businesses in building and furnishing.  I am told rates start at about $600 a night in the low season.   We only saw it from a distance.

Then back to the campground and a campfire with our neighbors.  Have I mentioned it gets dark about 10Pm?
The weather has finally changed.  Today was partly cloudy, but that also means partly sunny.  And it was nice.

The next morning and we decide to take the longer hike.  This one is about two and a half miles, again challenging.

We climb and climb and climb.  Not as steep, but consistently uphill.  We are now using walking sticks.  At the very top there is a viewing deck and then another bit of climb to another viewing deck.  We are way high above the Atlantic Ocean.  It is really the ocean now, no more bays. The trail is a loop and as we get to the other side, there are many series of long steep steps.

 We exit at the trail head on the other side of the mountain.  Now we have to walk about a mile on the town streets.  Not as much fun, but several people come over to talk to us.  Always pleasant and interested in where we are from and how we are enjoying Newfoundland and Fogo Island in particular.

Les has been having a vision problem, so we decide to go to the local medical facility. There is one on the island.  We are experiencing the Canadian healthcare system.  Everything goes very smoothly.  But I write this to tell you that we run into the man we saw in the restaurant last night! Small island.  He knew we were there because he saw and recognized our rv in the lot.

On the way back from the clinic, we stop at the Fisherman's Co-op. Nothing fresh, everything is "fresh frozen", whatever that means.  We buy a small bag of shrimp and a big box of crab claws.  The box is much too big to fit in our small freezer so we are forced to eat them for dinner.  Yummy.
The campground has filled up tonight.  Every spot is taken. We have not met a lot of Americans; most of the campers are Canadian.   We do some socializing and then it starts to rain, so no campfire.  It rains very heavily during the night and there are fierce winds.