We took our time, having a leisurely drive up, and finally arrived to check into the cottage we had rented in nearby Goose Cove - one of “Nan and Pop’s Cottages” - around 5:00 p.m. We were pleasantly surprised to find a cozy little cottage, with new and cheerful décor and everything we needed. There was a large back deck overlooking a lovely view, and the door opened onto a combined kitchen and living room. There was a clean and modern bathroom, and at the back, two comfortable bedrooms complete with bureaus and closets - even framed pictures of kittens to make us feel right at home. The TV was small, the kitchen stove was not new, and the fridge was a small bar fridge, but the cupboards and drawers were well stocked with everything we’d need, and the couch, armchair and table set were quite comfortable. All in all, we were quite impressed and enjoyed our stay there very much. We decided we would highly recommend it. We did notice, however, that it was for sale, so if you’re interested in staying there, better go soon!
After a brief rest and quick supper, we headed into Trinity to drive around a little before the first play. The first thing that everyone notices as they drive into the Trinity area is the bay filled with blue and white buoys, which appear to be randomly placed from some angles, and show clearly as straight lines from others. I thought I knew what they were, having seen something similar on a tour in Prince Edward Island a few years ago, but we asked a local just to be sure. She smiled and confessed that they were mussel farms (as I had thought), but told us that is one of the three most common questions asked by visitors (the other two being, “Can I stay longer?” and “What’s for sale?”). Many of the older residents, amused at the frequent question, will apparently tell some tourists that space in Trinity is at a premium and they didn’t have room for cemeteries, so those buoys marked the hanging graves where they buried their dead.
As you enter the community, what stands out are the large red buildings of the Rising Tide theatre in the harbour. Next to the original theatre building is a new structure, built to resemble a two-storey fishing stage, and primarily intended to store the materials need for the many plays offered by the group. The nearby parish hall is also used for some of the plays. I’ll discuss the plays further in a future post.
We drove along a couple of roads, to get acquainted with the area, but quickly realized that the town of Trinity is fairly compact, and most of the attractions are grouped in the same area. By far, the best way to see it is to leave your car in the parking area near the theatre and explore on foot. We didn’t have a lot of time that night, but I did get a really nice picture of St. Paul’s Church, and later of the smaller Holy Trinity Church nearby.
On another afternoon, we did park the car and walk around a little. Unfortunately, we still didn’t have a lot of time to explore many of the tourism sites, such as the Trinity Museum, Green Family Forge, or Hiscock House, so we focused on just walking along the streets and taking in the atmosphere - and, of course, a few pictures. We walked past the old Court House, Gaol, and General Building, which now also housed the pharmacy, and I wondered if anyone else found it ironic that you went to the jail to buy drugs. Further down the street was the marina, marked by a 300-year old building which must have been renovated, as it appeared to be in marvellous shape for its age. Behind the building was a sign advertising the tours of the mussel farm.
We also stopped into a craft store to pick up some hand-made items to take home, and I was happy to find several balls of boa yarn, hard to find in the city lately, for my own knitting projects. Further through town, we passed heritage buildings in classic styles that sadly aren’t used anymore as houses become largely uniform boxes, lacking the detail, artistry, and colour of the buildings of yesteryears. One house even had its own small cemetery - and an outhouse - in its yard.
The history and tranquility of the area was soul soothing, but by Sunday morning, my friend and I were in serious internet withdrawal, and were delighted to discover that the Twine Loft at the Artisan Inn offers free wireless access to visitors. The Twine Loft restaurant has been recommended in the 2010-2011 edition of “Where to Eat in Canada” and is one of the few places to have its own sommelier. It had a charming back deck built out over the water, with a beautiful view of the nearby fishing structures and the bay. Inside, there is the small restaurant downstairs, and upstairs is a rustic lounge, decorated as the loft of a fishing shack might be, but with comfortable chairs and tables and the incongruous, but welcome, benefit of modern wireless access. So we settled into the large red armchairs with our netbooks and a cup of coffee and checked in with friends and family and sent news of what we had seen and done on our trip to date. The proprietor was very friendly and helpful and introduced us to her website, http://www.trinityvacations.com, in which she has compiled an excellent collection of information about the area that I strongly recommend visiting before making your arrangements. As it turned out, it was one of the sites I had used myself in planning our trip.
We would have loved to have had more time in Trinity to explore in more detail, but it’s definitely a place to go back time and time again. The scenery is breathtaking, the people friendly, and the heritage of the town is full of stories yet to be discovered.
