Monday, July 25, 2011

Bonavista Peninsula


The Bonavista Peninsula—a rocky thumb extending into the Atlantic from Newfoundland’s eastern face--has seen European arrivals since 1497-

                                        -when John Cabot made landfall in this vicinity.

The Cape Bonavista Lighthouse has stood here since 1842.  It marks the end of the road between here and Europe.

 Gazing over the water in the direction of London, we watched a colony of puffins on a nearby rocky promontory.




Many gulls and this family of silver foxes were ready to catch anything they could for supper.




    We toured an exact full-scale replica of the Matthew, the ship that brought Cabot and his crew to North America. 


It is now kept inside a huge building to preserve it.

The Ryan Premises National Historic Site is a series of period seafront warehouses that present the last word on the once mighty cod fishing industry.

The history of inshore, offshore and international cod and seal fishing is well covered from its very early beginning to the present day. 




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