A Beautiful Day to Visit the Edge of the World

According to the Flat Earth Society*, the four corners of the world are located in Hydra (Greece), Paupa New Guinea, the Bermuda Triangle, and Fogo, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada).

The ferry to Fogo island is less than an hour’s drive from our home, so obviously we had to make the trip. What’s life without a little adventure? And what’s the point of living this close to the edge of the world if you can’t be bothered to visit and pay your respects?

This post is going to be pic heavy, but I hope you enjoy the journey.

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The road to Farewell (where the ferry docks) is about half-way between the highways to Twillingate and to Gander, branching up off of the cross-bar in that drunken H-shape. It’s a pretty drive, with typical Newfoundland scenery (rugged landscapes, ponds, trees) and the typical Newfoundland need to watch for moose. There’s not a lot to do while you wait for the ferry, unless you like tossing rocks in the water or looking at seaweed.

In other words, my family was sitting pretty.

Oooooh!

The ferry itself is… well, it’s a working ferry, not a cruise ship. There’s a non-functional cafeteria, a few snack machines, the party closet I mentioned yesterday, lots of room to get inside if it’s raining, washroom facilities, and a 360 degree view of beautiful ocean and islands.

And crazy people.

Rawr.

Fogo island is beautiful. It’s not what you’d call lush, though at this time of year the trees are leafy and the wildflowers beside the road are in full bloom. The landscape in Newfoundland tends toward rugged rockiness, with geological features popping up everywhere you look. My favourites are “erratics”: boulders left strewn across the landscape by retreating glaciers. Also big, rocky hills that were once much taller mountains.

“The landscapes tend toward a certain landscapiness.” -Why I’m not a tour guide

So, Brimstone head. The CORNER OF THE WORLD for some reason I can’t quite figure out. But whatever! Here’s our first glimpse of it:

See those stairs? Thank goodness for those! There are several places where you still have to scramble over rocks, but the stairs are helpful.

And plentiful.

The view from the bottom:

Told you there were wildflowers!

…and from half-way up:

ICEBERGS

It’s a long walk, and not an easy one if you’re not used to climbing all the stairs. But the view from the top is definitely worth the effort.

The walk back down is easier…

…though the stairs are still a wee bit intimidating if you’re clumsy and your legs are feeling a little wobbly from the climb.

So that’s it. That’s Brimstone head. Okay, one more look from the top:

I have more to share from our day on Fogo, but that can wait. Thanks for joining us! Every time I took a picture, I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys. 🙂

(Those who follow me on Twitter got the live show, complete with ancient safety instructions, Big D’s jumbo sausages, and more fun. It’s all still here, at least until it gets shoved down by my ramblings.)

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*I really have no idea how seriously they take this. But it looks like the answer is “pretty darned,” at least for some.