2026 NFLD: as craggy as it gets

Grabbed the early ferry across to Fogo Island, a nice forty five minute crossing. Got chatting in the line up to Jason and Monica, from Ottawa, and we sat with them in the ferry lounge. They were on a short business/vacation trip to NFLD, and are staying in Fogo as well.

tiny next to the big boys

Driving off the ferry, the most striking visual is the landscape change. Trees and forests are gone, replaced by craggy rock and scrub like vegetation. The are a bunch of gnarly looking black spruce around, but damn few. The landscape is rocky and edgy looking. Hardscrabble.

Brimstone Head Campground is nestled into a small cove in the town of Fogo. To the left is a dramatic rocky peninsula, of course called Brimstone Head. This landmark is considered one of the four corners of the earth, as identified by the Flat Earth Society. Most of the sites face right onto the cove, perfect for whale watching and fabulous sunsets.

there is an Alto there somewhere

lookout at the top of Brimstone

Barley settles in

We had dinner with Jason & Monica at the Bang Belly Bistro. The chef/owner formerly worked at the Fogo Inn, then opened his own spot. It was a full house, and not surprising as the meal was amazing! We all decided on the table d’hote menu, which was a four course meal with a variety of selections. The food was unbelievably creative and oh so good. Probably one of the best meals we have had at a higher end restaurant. Menu prices reflected the quality of the food, but well worth every penny.

Coconut curry cod, crispy rice & caramelized slaw. Damn!

Later that evening a crazy wild storm rolled through. The rain was pounding and the wind was howling. Our little Alto was rocked constantly by the never ending gusts. At times we thought we would just be rolled right into the sea!

By the morning, although the rain passed by, a strong wind remained. Cloudy with some sun, we decided it would be a good day to walk the Joe Batt’s Arm Trail. The end point of this walk along the coast is a large bronze sculpture of a Great Auk. The flightless great auk is considered the original “penguin” of the North Atlantic. It was driven to extinction by humans, desired for their feathers, fat, and their tasty meat. It was an excellent walk along the coast. Along the route we passed by one of the four artist retreats that have been built around the island. These unique structures are intended to provide visiting artists with a quiet reflective studio from which to work their craft. These studios were built by Zita Cobb, before she built the Fogo Inn, and was her first small step in revitalizing the island.

Fogo Inn from across the sound

an artist retreat studio

the Great Auk

We stopped at Growlers on the way back to camp for an ice cream cone treat. Great flavours and very good.

The sky cleared the next day, the wind subsided, and the warm temps arrived. Walked into Fogo and explored the town and its shops. Had a nice takeout lunch from Punchbuggy, which just happens to be an offshoot of the Bang Belly Bistro. Needless to say, it was very tasty.

Fogo harbour

saw some nice sunsets

Bit of an update: remember those big tubs of salted beef seen everywhere, well I now have the story. Got chatting with a guy in the meat dept of a local Fogo grocery store, so I asked him about the tubs, particularly the trimmed navel. He explained that it means the meat is from the navel/belly area, and that it has been trimmed of most of any excess fat. A mother and daughter close by started to laugh at my question, then jumped right into the conversation. The mother explained that the beef forms the basis of a traditional Jigs Dinner. The chunks of beef are boiled, split peas are simmered in a cloth bag with the beef, then root vegetables are added. The bagged peas are mashed with butter and pepper, and then all served on a plate with mustard pickles and perhaps a savoury dressing. What a hoot of a conversation.

The tour of the Fogo Inn was definitely a big highlight of our time on the island. Not only is the Inn architecturally very interesting, the entire story about its coming into existence is just as interesting. The Inn was designed to be the hub of the re-emergence of the entire Fogo Island. From the employment and wage dollars injected, to the spinoffs businesses, the Inn in some manner has been a driving influence.

the stilts mimic how fishing sheds are built out over the water

a bucket list destination for Dale

Our guide through the Inn was Blanche. A lifelong Fogo Island resident, she not only knew the Inn inside out, she also knew the history and culture of the island, and then, how the Inn was  connecting with it. For instance, all the wallpaper lining the stairwells is custom created, and tells one part of the islands history. One theme was depicting the end to end process involved with fishing. She gave an interesting insight. When a Newfoundlander says they are having fish & chips, they mean cod. Pan fried fish dinner, they mean cod. Fish chowder, they mean cod. In Newfoundland, the word fish only means cod. Any other type of fish is called by its name. That is how intertwined cod is with Newfoundland.

uneven wood planks are intentional

the entire cod process story is in the pattern

water, wind, waves, rocks, fish, and whales

every room faces the sea

no detail too small, minics Fogo salt box houses

cinema showings

cinema snacks...only the best

who knew Dale had a lookout?

During construction, a woodworking shop was established to build all the furniture for the Inn. Wood was sourced mainly from the Maritimes, local craftsmen were employed, as well, furniture designers from around the world were invited to come to the island to create custom pieces. When the Inn opened, requests to purchase the furniture pieces were soon received, and the woodworking shop soon had a new mandate to continue building pieces for sale. We toured the workshop and the attached store, and had great conversations with the people there.

The Inn is truly a unique business model, and its impact on the entire island is very special.

Spent the rest of the afternoon hanging with Barley, and tidying up stuff, as we head out in the morning. Fogo was a very interesting place to explore...so unique in so many ways.