Day 5 (July 23, 2020): A Tale of Three Anses... Plus!

July 23, 2020

As we have been up around 6:30AM every day of our vacation so far, this morning we slept in til 8:30! We had a leisurely and quiet breakfast at the Florian Hotel and set out just after 10 to start our last day of exploration before getting the afternoon ferry back to Newfoundland. We decided to focus on the three 'anses' (coves) in the Labrador Straits area, as well as a couple of other quick sites. Once we arrived back in Newfoundland, we made a detour to take in one important sight we had missed in Flowers Cove, and then made a bee-line for our overnight accommodation in Port Saunders - our launch point for tomorrow's visit to Port aux Choix's National Historic Site.

The three l'anses (coves) we visited today before leaving Labrador.

And now, let's start our tour of the 'anses'! First, L'Anse Amour.

On the gravel road in to L'Anse Amour, you pass a burial mound. But not just any burial mound! 9000 years ago, hunter-gatherers expanded into the Labrador Straits from the Maritimes - they were part of the "Maritime Archaic tradition". Very little was known about them until 1973, when archaeologists discovered an elaborate burial mount in L'Anse Amour, containing the skeleton of a child and artifacts. It is the oldest known elaborate grave site in North America.

The tiny village of L'Anse Amour (translates as "Cove of Love").

An inukshuk in L'Anse Amour.

Completed in 1857 and automated in the 1960s, the Point Amour Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada and the second highest in Canada. It stands 109 feet tall. The Strait of Belle Isle, separating Labrador and the Island of Newfoundland, is an important shipping lane, as it cuts off over 200 miles from Quebec to England, versus having to sail south of Newfoundland. For that reason, and also due to the treacherous currents in the Strait (the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Labrador Sea meet in the Strait), its role has always been highly important.

The lighthouse's living room.

An example of a period lighthouse light, on display at Point Amour Lighthouse.

On to the second 'anse': L'Anse-au-Loup.

A view of the cove, with its prominent headland. With a population of just over 600, L'Anse-au-Loup translates as Wolf Cove. It was a frequent stop for French fishermen as far back as the 1500s and had French ships until France abandoned Labrador in 1763. Crews of 75-100 men fished out of the cove every summer.

The Labrador Straits Museum is located in L'Anse-au-Loup, but we were disappointed to find it closed, due to COVID. As we sat at the viewpoint overlooking the town, we saw the only wildlife we had seen on the visit to Labrador. (We did spot a mink crossing the road outside Blanc-Sablon later in the day, however!)

On to the third 'anse': L'Anse-au-Clair.

The former Anglican Church in L'Anse-au-Clair now serves as the Labrador Visitor Centre.

L'Anse-au-Clair has a small but beautiful beach, where a trail called the "Jersey Trail" begins. The trail explores the history of a man who arrived from Jersey, England in the 1800s and who left his influence on the cove.

And now for the 'Plus' reference in today's blog title! Forteau, Blanc-Sablon, Flowers Cove and Port Saunders.

Forteau

With a population of 445, Forteau's name means "Strong Waters". Fishers from Devonshire and Guernsey settled here. By 1818, Forteau was the largest British settlement in the Labrador Straits area. The first church was built in 1849.

A komatik (dog sled) in Forteau.

Blanc-Sablon

The stunning Brasdor Ouest falls in Blanc-Sablon.

Loading the 3:30PM departure of the Qajaq W from Blanc-Sablon to St. Barbe. The raised bow portion reminds me of a shark's jaw opening! Unlike yesterday’s voyage, when we had to stay in our car, this time we were allowed to go up to the passenger deck to take in the journey.

Flowers Cove

We felt so stupid for having missed, "Home of the Thrombolites" on Flowers Cove's welcome sign on the way through earlier this week. I had actually read it on the sign and thought it was the name of their hometown team! "What a weird name for a team," I recall thinking!

15 minutes north of St. Barbe is Flowers Cove, which we drove through on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, with no idea that it holds an incredibly unique treasure: the Thrombolites! Thanks to the neighbour of Pam's mom, who last night suggested that we visit Flowers Cove to see these formations, we decided to retrace our steps on Route 430 this afternoon upon arrival from Labrador. We are so glad we did! So what are thrombolites? They are ancient 'clotted' microbial communities formed in shallow water. They only exist in a few places on Earth - Western Australia and Flowers Cove in particular.

Pam and I agreed that they remind us of the Chinese dumplings you get with dim sum!

They also remind me of a "blooming onion"!

A close-up of the surface of a thrombolite.

Flower's Cove.

And that's perhaps where Flowers Cove got its name?

On Route 430 south towards the turnoff to Port Saunders, the Long Range Mountains start to rise. This peak is over 500 metres (in comparison to Gros Morne, at 807 metres).

Port Saunders

Early evening was upon us as we drove along the harbour in Port Saunders, a beautiful village with a definite ongoing fishing industry at its backbone.