We drove to Boat Harbour, Newfoundland, on a cold, rainy Tuesday. The image of small fishing huts and wharfs clinging to the bank of a small inlet in western Placentia Bay was as I had remembered from our first trip in 1988.
The population in this village, at its peak, numbered 600. Today, probably less than 200 still live there. Although a few still fish commercially, most of the residents commute to work in neighboring Marystown.
Our biggest discovery that day was of Rattle Brook, the noisy river of my father-in-law’s memory. We could not locate it in 1988. However, 30 years later, the province has erected a sign on the highway identifying this body of water. On rainy days, it rushes loudly over the rocks into the bay. We stopped, took pictures and recalled the stories we had heard. On still days, the river may be a mere trickle or a dry bed as in 1988.
The house he had lived in no longer stands. Like so much of the Newfoundland we saw, towns, like Boat Harbour, and cities, like St. John’s, are built on stony hills with steep roads.
Having received word that a cousin wanted us to visit her in a nearby town, we drove there next. She talked about growing up in Boat Harbour. She had fond memories of the cove freezing in winter and the thick sheet of ice serving as their playground. She recalls loading a Christmas tree on a sled and pulling it to the center of the cove.
She asked us to meet her in Boat Harbour on Thursday. She introduced us to more cousins and took us to the cemetery behind the small United Church where so many Dentys had been buried. (In 1925, three denominations - Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian - came together to form the largest protestant church in Canada.)
Her sister-in-law served tea when we arrived at her home fashioned with cabinetry, like fine furniture, which her dad had handcrafted. Her husband was at work. Spread on the table were miniature tart shells which we filled with assorted homemade jams of cloudberry, (also called bake apple because of the taste), and partridgeberry, (similar to blueberry.) She also served assorted homemade cookies and crackers with cheese. Of course, we were served tea with cream and sugar, very British indeed.
Afterwards, we drove to the home of more cousins, where he and a friend were building a new two-bay garage. He has traced the family tree extensively. Our children took pictures of his documents.
We ended our visit with a stop at The Tea Rose, a small restaurant on the highway to Boat Harbour. It’s owned and operated by 14 individuals of the community. At present a cousin, whose mother was a Denty, serves as president. The chef, visiting with us after the meal, questioned us about our southern veggies. She said that she had tasted asparagus for the first time during the past week. Unless something, like asparagus, is imported, vegetables in this part of the world consist of potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets and cabbage, all grown during the short summer season, preserved and served throughout the winter.
Newfoundland Expression: God love your cotton socks.
It means “Thank you.”
Recipe
Favorite Tea Buns
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup fresh milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Raisins, partridgeberries, coconut, 1/4 cup custard powder optional
Mix flour, sugar and baking powder together. Then rub in butter
In a separate bowl, mix milk egg and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Mix well
Add fruit if desired.
Shape into buns. Before baking, mix 1 egg with milk and brush over the buns.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
June 2018
Beautiful..