(This addition to our blog for June 12 failed to get posted--so here it is)

Today we took a leisurely trip through the scenic, lush, and laid-back Codroy Valley. The valley lies just north of Port aux Basques, where we left our ferry, and west of the Trans Canadian Highway. It was settled during 1825-1845 by Acadians, Scots, Irish Catholics, Channel Islanders, and English Protestants. The decendants of these original settlers still farm the rich Grand Codroy Delta deposits. Most of the agricultural land is planted to grass and hay, currently being cut and fed to the 6,000 head of cattle (3,000 dairy cows)  found in the valley. Later cuttings of the grass and hay will be stored in silos for winter feeding. Before the 1960's many sheep were being raised for subsistence purposes. They are now almost gone from the valley. We looked for an old carding mill, listed in the tourist books as closed, and found it abandoned and being used for storage.

Codroy Valley 

The ultimate destination of our road trip was the Cape Anguille Lighthouse at the far end of the valley, on the westernmost point of Newfoundland. The lighthouse has been abandoned and replaced by a fog horn and a beacon mounted on a steel structure. There is an Inn being operated in one of the original buildings and some of the other buildings have been restored. It was a great place to have our picnic on this warm and sunny day--no bugs!

Anguille Lighhouse

On our way to the lighthouse we visited the Ramsar-designated "Wetlands of International Significance." Ramsar refers to an intergovernmental treaty that helps provide for the conservation of and wise use of wetlands. Ramsar is an Iranian city where the convention was agreed to, and countries signed. The wetlands provide habitat for migrating water and land birds--none were present at this time.

We also stopped at the Gillis Brothers General Store and the E.W. Gales Store. Both stores have been operated by the same families since the 1950's. The Gillis General Store carries groceries, movies, beer, souvenirs, baked goods, hardware, housewares, clothing, cloth, yarn, and, as advertised, "Everything from a baby fart to a clap of thunder." The Gales store was larger, and carried more attractive produce and larger displays of dairy items, and the same products as the Gillis store. The Gales store also displayed musical instruments for sale, mostly guitars. Every little town has a general store, sometimes with a gas station, and the staff always gives good  directions and recommendations.

We stopped at The Holy Trinity Angelican Church in Codry. It holds regular services, and is additionally a National Historic Landmark. The original church was destroyed by a 1912 gale; the present structure was built with the assistance of the community that donated free labor and materials. The church was locked , so we looked through the windows to see the beautiful pulpits and fine woodwork. The cemetery has some very old headstones, some marking people who died in the late 1800s.

The Holy Trinity Angelican Church - Codroy, Newfoundland

In our Newfoundland travels we've seen several Anglican cemeteries, several Roman Catholic cemeteries, and even one Pentecostal cemetery. Where do they bury the other heathen souls here, we wondered.

Apple pie and coffee at the Silver Sands Restaurant ended our great day in the valley, and we are preparing to move on tomorrow--ever northward.