Twillingate, Newfoundland - July 15 - 16, 2015

July 15, 2015

We left Rocky Harbor, to head toward Twillingate, Newfoundland.  Twillingate is an island on the north end of Newfoundland.  Looking at a map, it is way out there. 

We all got settled in the RV Park and then it was time to assemble to go to the Tillingate Dinner Theater.  That was FANTASTIC.  They had seven performers.  They had guitar and accordion players as well as singers.  They sang many of the local tunes.  In between the musical numbers they had little local skits.  We laughed so hard at the cute skits.  The performance was wonderful and LOCAL.

One thing about the whole Newfoundland area is – THERE IS NO CRIME.  What a refreshing idea!!!

 

Twillingate, Newfoundland - July 15 - 16, 2015

July 15, 2015

We left Rocky Harbor, to head toward Twillingate, Newfoundland.  Twillingate is an island on the north end of Newfoundland.  Looking at a map, it is way out there. 

We all got settled in the RV Park and then it was time to assemble to go to the Tillingate Dinner Theater.  That was FANTASTIC.  They had seven performers.  They had guitar and accordion players as well as singers.  They sang many of the local tunes.  In between the musical numbers they had little local skits.  We laughed so hard at the cute skits.  The performance was wonderful and LOCAL.

One thing about the whole Newfoundland area is – THERE IS NO CRIME.  What a refreshing idea!!!

July 16, 2015

The day started out driving to the Prime Berth Museum.  Dave, the owner, told of his family history in the fishing industry in Newfoundland.  He was a fourth generation fisherman.   He told of the catching and processing fish – Cod fish. The fish process used four people.  One was the Header (removing the head – taking out the tongue and cheeks- disposing of the rest of the head), the Cutter (which slit the fish open and removed the liver – used for Cod Liver Oil), the Splitter (that took out the backbone and laid it flat) and Salter (that salted the fish).   Since there was no power or refrigeration, the only way to preserve the fish was with salt and drying.

After “gutting the fish” we went out to dispose of the remains.  He through in the head and guts out in the water and the fish went crazy.  They all worked so hard to get their share. 

Dave also told us that they did not have electricity in the area until the 1960’s.  He didn’t have power until he was 19 years old.  Stan & I can’t imagine living like that. We thought we were roughing it without TV until we were in elementary school.

Dave also had a whale skeleton at the Museum.  He told how he had heard of a dead whale that had been beached in the area.  They needed to have it removed from the populated section of the beach.  He approached about the whale – they agreed to let him have the whale if he removed it from that beach and moved it to another location.  He dragged the carcass to an island with no community on it, and let it rot for about three years.  After that time, he cleaned each piece of the skeleton, with the help of his Grandson, and reassembled it at the museum. 

On the way back we drove around a bit at went by Long Point Lighthouse.  We didn’t stop as it was foggy.

When we finished the museum, we drove around the area and returned to the RV Park.  We had expected rain, but were pleasantly surprised with sunshine.  Yippee.