Overnighting at Cape Race

This past weekend we tripped down the Southern Shore of the Avalon penninsula (Newfoundland, Canada). Via some slapdash planning and perhaps a little fate we ended up at Cape Race, where we spent the night in our tent.

FYI, Cape Race is the site of the first wireless station in the province (1904), and the only land-based location that received the Titanic's distress call (1912). The place is predictably barren — moonscape-ish in certain spots — and notoriously windy.

After a cozy sleep and breakfast, we chatted with the lighthouse keeper, who was quick to inform us that the nighttime temperature had hit -7°C (about 19°F). Then we set out for a morning walk, north along the coast, as far as Clam Cove.

Didn't carry much gear aside from water bottles, a water filter and snacks, which were pre-selected to provide the full spectrum of protein, carbohydrate and (largely healthy) fat. Here's the breakdown: 

• homemade mix of nuts and seeds
• dark-chocolate-covered almonds
• pistachio nuts (in the shell)
• figs (dried)
• date paste (cut into cubes).

My fave among these snacks, by far, were the pistachios — although I'm not judging simply on the basis of taste or nutrition. You see, after scarfing down said nuts, we improvised games with the empty shells. I'm talking target shooting (well, flicking), spitting for distance, boat races in a meltwater stream, and other such sophistocated events.

Proof positive that snacks aren't merely a matter of pragmatics. They're fun, too.