LABRADOR – GOOD-BYE WIND; HELLO BLACK FLIES.
Day 138 – September 11 always brings back such memories – we’re sure it does for everyone else, too. It was beautiful out this morning when we got up – sunny, few clouds, no wind, and 41 degrees. We left a little before 11 a.m. for a drive south to check out Quebec, at least until the road ended. We’d planned to get more pictures of the excellent scenery & take a few back roads since we were in the Honda rather than the RV.
So, if there’s no wind & it’s a warm, clear day, the biting black flies come back in force, starving for a meal. It is truly amazing how something that small can cause so much misery. The biting black flies are different in Labrador than the ones we have gotten in Maine & New York. First, you only get them for about a month elsewhere; here they last for four months at least. The people here only have about two months of good weather, then are thrown back into the long, never-ending winter. But as soon as it warms up enough to melt the snow & ice, the bugs arrive. Some people walk around with welts all over their faces and necks; but others, they don’t seem to bother. The flies elsewhere are small, also, but more light & lacey if that makes sense – their wings are almost see-through & lacey. The flies here, however, are tougher, smaller, and a little ant-like, with wings. ICK.
Again, both the Welcome-to-Labrador Visitor Center and the Welcome-to-Quebec Visitor Center were closed. I guess once September arrives they lock the doors. After our first stop to take pictures and the attack of the killer flies, we knew our taking of pictures & walking around outside would be limited. One trip outside brought at least fifteen flies into the car. We again had numerous bites to deal with. They not only itch terribly, they initially bleed & get very sore, almost like someone punched you. Okay, TMI. Enough about the bugs!
Brador Falls, Blanc Sablon, QC
Brador Falls, Blanc Sablon, QC
Brador Falls, Blanc Sablon, QC
The first stop was at this amazing waterfall we’d seen when we drove by before in the RV., Brador Falls. We continued driving south through several small towns. We saw very few people, mostly the guys doing road work. Everything was pretty-much closed down. Hey, winter is not here yet!
The fishing boats were mostly pulled out of the water; the fishing nets were laid out, drying on the rocks. We took a few pictures of the hills, bays, and islands off-shore. The largest towns were the first one after crossing into Quebec, Blanc Sablon (home of the ferry terminal), and the last one at the end of the road, Vieux Fort. We took a couple of roads in these towns; not much happening. We took the road to the top of the mountain in Vieux Fort, the road where we could’ve camped at the top of the hill when we were there in the RV. That road turned to dirt but there was a lake at the end of the road and a wonderful look-out at the top of the hill with a great view. We think that was where the gentleman was referring to when he gave directions to where we could spend the night.
Click any picture below to see a slideshow.
We ate our lunch at the lake then drove back to the RV in L’Anse au Clair, Labrador. On the way back we finally saw someone on the wonderful beaches we passed in Quebec – a large group of young adults lighting big bonfires at the water’s edge. Nice! The high today was 57 degrees, sunny to partly cloudy, no wind. The girls are loving the heated pads; can a cat sleep too much? But once we leave this campground, they may have no electricity again. Enjoy it while you can.