From: "Evelyn" ewoudenberg@roadrunner.nf.net To: NFLD-LAB-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2003 4:32 PM Subject: TIDBIT INFO. "ANCESTOR'S PARADISE" NL. > Tidbits of info. about our Ancestor's paradise, traditions that have stayed > throughout the many years, walking in our Ancestors foot steps, but without > the hardships they had to endure. They broaden their paths for us, their > many great grandchildren and wished the best for all of us. They are "Gone > But Not Forgotten". Lest we forget! > > > ENJOY! The Tour Of Our Ancestor's Homeland: > > > Welcome to Newfoundland and Labrador > The place where land, water and sky embrace like old friends. And the edge > of North America holds an adventure as big as the sky. Encounter a land old > as time, and people who make you feel like you've known them all your life. > > Where you'll always be welcome. > The far east of the western world. > > Come to the place where the New World begins. Feel the power of the > Atlantic as it meets North America for the first time. It happens right here > at Cape Spear. Where Newfoundland's oldest surviving lighthouse has stood > for 16 decades. Where the wind warms your soul and where you're closer to > Ireland's Cape Clear than Ontario's Thunder Bay. > > Come to the city that started it all, the first in the New World. Come to > St. John's and take a walk on Water Street, the oldest street in North > America. Look out over a naturally-sheltered harbour, where 40 vessels lay > anchored 40 years before the Mayflower landed. Raise a glass in a place that > boasted over 80 pubs before the Americans began their battle for > independence. Now that's history. > > > Take a walk in our parks. > > Come to Gros Morne National Park. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site > for its exceptional beauty and unique geological features. Ramble over an > ancient expanse of mantle rock. Where colossal collisions of tectonic plates > created formations as barren as the moon. Take a stroll through a jumbled > mass of rust-coloured rocks. Visit the Tablelands, a 600-metre high plateau > that forms one of the world's best examples of rock exposed from the earth's > interior. Rock usually found only deep beneath the ocean floor. This is the > land of the Titans, where human travellers are dwarfed by Precambrian cliffs > towering thousands of feet above land-locked fjords. > > A serious hike takes you all the way to the top of Gros Morne Mountain and > rewards you with an unforgettable view of Ten Mile Pond and the Long Range > Mountains. > > > This is where giant arctic hares make their home, and woodland caribou and > moose can be found. Steep valley slopes are alive with lichens, mosses, and > tuckamore trees. Orchids thrive, over thirty wild species in all. Berries > answer to names like bakeapple, partridge, and alpine bear. Gros Morne is > like no other place on the face of the earth. Come see our wild side. Take a > walk in our park. > > > Breathing room. > > Come to Labrador, one of the last great wilderness areas on earth - a > colossal frontier. Over 300,000 square kilometres of unspoiled land. > Mountain ranges containing some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet. > The Torngat, the Kaumajet, and the Kiglapait mountains feature sheer walls > that soar 5,000 breathtaking feet out of the ocean. > > Wildlife roam in spectacular numbers. One of the largest barren ground > caribou herd in the world lives here, the George River Caribou Herd, 450,000 > strong. There are moose, wolves, lynx, porcupines, and polar bears. Whales, > seals, and giant arctic hares. It's wild. > > If you're a fool for fishing, you'll be crazy about our fish. Brook Trout > tipping the scales at seven and eight pounds. Ouananiche, a landlocked > salmon, the largest in the world was caught here, a 22-pound trophy. And > Atlantic salmon run upwards of 20,000 fish in some of our rivers. > > > You can see forever in Labrador. And you can see where the Palaeo-Indians > lived 9,000 years ago. See the 7,500-year-old Maritime Archaic Indian burial > site which is the most ancient evidence of a funeral in North America. And > Red Bay is where the Basque whalers, in the early 1500s, rendered whale oil > for Europe, establishing the first industry in the new world. > > The people of Labrador are your hosts in this big-hearted place. You'll > notice that it's a personal thing when you come to our home. The Innu and > Inuit are Labrador's indigenous peoples. Their history dates back many > centuries, and it is they who first learned how to live in this land. > Whaling, fishing, and fur trapping brought European settlement around 1700. > You can see how it was at Hebron, Hopedale, and Nain where original, > preserved Moravian mission sites still hold out against the elements. > > Come to Labrador. A place that will awaken your heart and soul. > > > Avalon Region > > As rugged as the rocks of its shores and as friendly as the pubs of St. > John's. The Avalon Peninsula is where Newfoundland and North America begins. > It's a place where you can photograph herds of caribou or seabird colonies, > icebergs, or whales. Spend your nights fine wining and dining or raise a > cheer in a pub. Find arts and entertainment, great food, and a wide range of > accommodations, as well as some terrific buys on Newfoundland and Labrador > crafts and artwork. You will also find warm, fun-loving people with high > regard for friendliness and hospitality. > > Thrust out into the waters of the North Atlantic, this irregularly-shaped > peninsula once was a part of the European continent that drifted westward > 400 million years ago. Settlers from England and Ireland began farming and > fishing here in the 1600s. The Avalon is filled with tales of the early > adventurers who laid claim to this New World and the men from many nations > who fished here. All over the region you'll hear legends and lore from the > folk that you meet. Museums and historic sites bring history to life. Every > community is a picture postcard of tiny houses surrounded by a spectacular > seascape. All parts of the peninsula are within a few hours drive of the > province's capital city, St. John's, and its newest city, Mount Pearl. > > > Exploring Newfoundland and Labrador brings you closer to your true self. > This is a big place with a lot to see and do, so take your time. Discover > the common thread. You'll find it hiking the rugged coast while whales > frolic in the ocean at your feet, dancing jigs and reels, eating food with > funny-sounding names, gazing at a glacier-carved fjord, and in the orange > silence of the autumn forest as you listen for moose. > > Whether you are here for the sedate or the pulse-pounding, there's a rhythm > for you. Where else can you experience the old world and the new, visit the > past, present, and future in the same day? And at the end say, yes, this was > the finest hour. Until tomorrow. > > > Entertainment: > > The people of Newfoundland and Labrador have always enjoyed what we call "a > time" - an evening of songs and stories, music and dances, laughter and > food. In the small isolated coves and inlets scattered around our coast the > people provided the entertainment themselves. There was always someone with > a yarn to tell, or a tune to play. > > Our history has had as much influence as our geography. English, Irish, > Scots, French, and Basque visitors and settlers have made their mark on our > language, our music, and our arts. The aboriginal peoples of the province > add a distinctive brand of culture. The result is a unique blend of talent > and styles of performing and other arts that will stir your soul and > stimulate your senses. > > > There's a good time waiting for all who visit Newfoundland and Labrador. Our > rich culture of food, dance, song and storytelling is captured in festivals > and events across the province. So tap your fingers through the regions to > find out which festivals will get you tapping your toes > > Whalin' The Blues > Let's clean up the beach, go watch whales, and listen to some cool blues. > This extended festival begins Earth Day and goes to Labour Day. There will > be house concerts and nightclub gigs. > > > Soirees & Times - Avalonia Times > This play travels back in time to the early days of our Colony of Avalonia > where you will encounter a motley crew of original settlers. You will embark > on a historical/comical journey through time and meet lively characters > portraying events while experiencing Irish/Southern Shore culture. > Traditional music and food will be served up by the original crew for a > "grand ole time" indeed. > > > O'boyle's Rum Walk > Stroll through the narrow streets and alleyways of the city and learn about > Rum, Romance and Rebellion. A "must" thing to do in St. John's. > > > Placentia Area Theatre D'heritage > "Faces of Fort Royal" theatrical production about Pierre Le Moyne > D'Iberville's attack on the English in 1696 and the life of Les Plaisantins. > "Glimpses of Placentia's Past," vignettes performed at various locations > throughout Placentia. > > > Signal Hill Tattoo > This ceremony features British Military Drills, music and manoeuvres from > the 1790s. The Tattoo performs every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and > Sunday at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM (weather permitting). On days the Tattoo > takes place, there's also a firing of the noonday gun during a 5-10 minute > ceremony. > > > Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra > The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) presents over 20 concerts during > its September to April season; usually on Friday and/or Saturday evenings. > Venues include the Arts & Culture Centre, Cook Recital Hall and the Basilica > of St. John the Baptist. > > > An annual 2,200 km automobile tour featuring a passing parade of priceless > classic, sporting, grand touring and historic autos from 1900 to the > present. This unique motorsport rally competition will cover roads in > Eastern and Central parts of the island, and includes vehicle expos in St. > John's, Clarenville, Marystown and Gander. Leg One covers the northern > Avalon Peninsula to Gander. > > The lay of a very big land > > More than 400,000 square kilometres. Larger than New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, > and Prince Edward Island - combined. 17,000 kilometres of rugged coastline. > Newfoundland and Labrador has been shaped by its geography, both its sheer > size and its characteristics. > > Watch Out for Moose > There are about 150,000 moose on the island of Newfoundland, and most > highways go through good moose habitat. Moose are great to look at - from a > distance. If you see one on or near a highway, slow down immediately and > prepare to stop. Like all wild animals, moose are unpredictable. Be sure the > moose has either crossed the highway or gone back into the forest before > resuming your drive. Also, if you see a vehicle stopped on or near the > highway, the driver may have spotted a moose, so be cautious. Avoid driving > at night if possible, and if you must drive, slow down. Scan both sides of > the highway with your lights on high beam unless overtaking other traffic, > and pay attention to warning signs. A road sign like "Caution, moose next 11 > kilometres" means moose cross there frequently. > > > Winter Travel > During the winter, all primary highways are kept open except for short > periods during or immediately after a severe snowstorm. > > Fall asleep to the sound of waves gently rolling against the shore. Arise to > a shimmering sea and the cries of gulls as they wend their paths above the > harbour in search of food. Cook your breakfast over a campfire or enjoy the > home cooking of a hospitality home. Whether you are looking for a bed and > breakfast, a trailer park, campground, hotel or motel, you'll find them all > here. > > The hospitality of our people is internationally renowned. Whether you're > staying at one of the fine hotels in St. John's or a small B&B in one of the > many outport communities that dot our shores, you're sure to be pleased. Our > national and provincial parks also offer campgrounds for those seeking a > more rustic experience. Whatever your preference, come and stay a while. You > won't regret it. > Hope you have enjoyed the tour! > > Cheers > Evelyn >