Today was an early day. We wanted to catch the 8:30am ferry to Fogo Island which is about an hour away from Twillingate. But everything that we had read online says that you should arrive an hour before your sailing. So that meant we were out the door by 6:30am.
We got to the Farewell Ferry Terminal at 7:35am and we were able to have a little rest while we waited in line. At around 8:15am, they started boarding and we ended up being the last car in our row. What we found interesting is that when you pay your fare which for us was $24.75 CAD, the price includes your return trip back.
Once we got upstairs, we grabbed a table at the back of the ferry. The entire trip is about one hour and fifteen minutes and includes a stop at Change Islands. At around 9:45am, we arrived on Fogo Island in Stag Harbour.
Our first stop was in Seldom to Vanessa’s Take-Out Convenience. This is where you check in for the Ocean View Cottages which are across the street. To our surprise, even though it was only 10am, we were able to get the keys for our cottage (#3, $172.49 CAD including taxes).
My neighbour Pauline and her husband Dennis purchased a home on Fogo Island in Island Harbour about two years ago. Pauline is originally from Fogo Island and still has family living there. When we were planning this trip, I asked her if we could stay there on my birthday. When I told her the date, she said that unfortunately someone was already going to be there. But she still wanted us to check out the house. So we first stopped in and had a nice visit with Pauline’s sister Gloria.
We then headed across the road and checked out Pauline and Dennis’ house. What a beautiful home they have and it is right on the water. It sure would have been nice to stay there. Just kidding Pauline. And to top things off, there was an iceberg.
It was now time for lunch, so we went to The Cod Jigger which is in Central Fogo Island. You can always judge how good a restaurant is by how many locals are eating there. Sure enough, we both enjoyed our meals.
Our next stop was to visit Pauline’s mom Bride at the Fogo Island Health Centre. Before we left, we asked Pauline if there was anything that we could bring her mom. She said that she likes Apricot Jam and onion rings from The Cod Jigger. We had a lovely visit with Bride and she quite enjoyed her gifts, especially the onion rings. Just as we were leaving, the sun came out.
We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around Fogo Island which is twenty-five kilometers long and fourteen kilometers wide. Therefore, it does not take a long time to get anywhere.
We visited so many places like Shoal Bay, Tilting and Joe Batt’s Arm the home of the world famous Fogo Island Inn. Past patrons have included Oprah Winfrey and Gwyenth Paltrow. Unfortunately, only guests are allowed in the hotel but we were able to take pictures of the outside.
As we were driving back to our cottage, we decided to stop in at the Foodland in Joe Batt’s Arm. While we were walking through the store, I thought I spotted someone that I recognized. When I got closer, I realized that it was interior designer and HGTV personality Tommy Smythe. We talked for a few minutes and he told us that he was working on a project with Zita Cobb one of the founders of the Fogo Island Inn. It was so kind of him to take the time to chat. We finished up our visit to the Joe Batt’s Arm area by stopping by the Long Studio.
We got back to the cottage around 6:30pm and went across the street to Vanessa’s to have dinner. Gloria told us that they have the best fish and chips on the island and she was right. We ended the evening just relaxing and resting up for tomorrow.
Be First to Comment