We were...
... at a place called Fogo Island Inn, on... well, Fogo Island.
... at a place called Fogo Island Inn, on... well, Fogo Island.
We had stumbled across the hotel last year whilst looking for places to stay in Maine (quite a long way from Maine, but I tend to get a little sidetrack when I see lovely looking hotels...). We both decided it would be a great place to spend a special celebration...
Guess now was as good a time as any!
Guess now was as good a time as any!
As soon as we pulled up to the hotel front door in the dark, the light snow blowing almost horizontal in the bitter wind, the door opened and we were greeted with a very warm welcome - a theme which was to continue the whole of our time there.
We were shown to our bedroom; windows on two sides, a huge bed, an enormous bathroom, probably the size of our bedroom at home, and...
...a log fire!
The guy that showed us to our room said we would feel some swaying movement, as the room was built on narrow columns (I think to have minimal impact on the rocks and plants and lichens which grow there.
It turned out to be slightly more than a little movement...
After a lovely meal in the hotel restaurant, we sat in front of the roaring fire for a while before heading to bed at around 10.30pm, looking forward to a long sleep after our lengthy travelling day.
At 3.30pm however, we were still awake.
The last time I had stayed up that early/late to welcome in my birthday, it was ten years previously, on my 20th. However that time I had just returned from an evening out clubbing - slightly different...
There was a pretty ferocious gale blowing outside, and the vibrations from the pillars rose up through our bed and pillows. The vibrations would grow in severity and then die down; the pattern continously repeating itself over and over. It was as though we were on a boat and were lying above the engine.
T rang reception to see if we could move, as there was no way we were going to be able to get any sleep at this rate.
Luckily seeing as it was January, the quiet period, we were able to move to a smaller room, on solid foundations. The guy dropped the key off, told us where the room was, and left us to it. I was thankful for this, as the last thing I wanted was to make small talk; although we did get a little lost in the maze of corridors, but eventually we found our new room. On solid foundations, we slept.
Waking up at 8.30am, we had to make our way back to the original room where all our belongings were. With bed-travel hair (i.e. no point in even attempting to tame it), black circles under our eyes from four hours sleep, dressed in our pyjamas, we had to catch the lift up a floor, and then walk down the longest corridor ever to exist:
It turned out to be slightly more than a little movement...
After a lovely meal in the hotel restaurant, we sat in front of the roaring fire for a while before heading to bed at around 10.30pm, looking forward to a long sleep after our lengthy travelling day.
At 3.30pm however, we were still awake.
The last time I had stayed up that early/late to welcome in my birthday, it was ten years previously, on my 20th. However that time I had just returned from an evening out clubbing - slightly different...
There was a pretty ferocious gale blowing outside, and the vibrations from the pillars rose up through our bed and pillows. The vibrations would grow in severity and then die down; the pattern continously repeating itself over and over. It was as though we were on a boat and were lying above the engine.
T rang reception to see if we could move, as there was no way we were going to be able to get any sleep at this rate.
Luckily seeing as it was January, the quiet period, we were able to move to a smaller room, on solid foundations. The guy dropped the key off, told us where the room was, and left us to it. I was thankful for this, as the last thing I wanted was to make small talk; although we did get a little lost in the maze of corridors, but eventually we found our new room. On solid foundations, we slept.
Waking up at 8.30am, we had to make our way back to the original room where all our belongings were. With bed-travel hair (i.e. no point in even attempting to tame it), black circles under our eyes from four hours sleep, dressed in our pyjamas, we had to catch the lift up a floor, and then walk down the longest corridor ever to exist:
Usually, at times such as these, you meet people. Not only that, but they are guaranteed to look bright eyed and bushy tailed, perfectly neat and tidy, not a hair out of place.
To our relief, we didn't meet a soul.
To our relief, we didn't meet a soul.
Safely back in our beautiful room, we were able to appreciate the stunning views in the morning sunlight:
We ate breakfast, and drank a glass - or two - of champagne (hey, not every day a girl turns 30...), whilst I opened cards and presents.
Wrapping up warm in our thickest Montreal winter gear, we stepped outside for a blast of fresh air.
It was certainly a blast - but no where near as cold as we expected, and I think we were a little too wrapped up to be honest; but better to be that way round than too cold.
It was certainly a blast - but no where near as cold as we expected, and I think we were a little too wrapped up to be honest; but better to be that way round than too cold.
We viewed the noisy poles which had prevented a good night's sleep:
Walking around the harbour of Joe Batt's Arm, the place was quiet.
The fresh air blew away our lack-of-sleep cobwebs, and the sparkle of the place gave us energy which meant we ended up going much further than we originally planned.
As you can tell, we - or rather T - could not stop taking photos...
Halfway around the harbour, I found a local friend:
Back at the hotel, they asked us if we wanted to change rooms. As much as we loved our room, the thought of the possibility of another night of not much sleep if the wind got up again, led us to agree to a different one.
The great bit was, we got to be nosey; viewing a couple of rooms from which to choose.
The great bit was, we got to be nosey; viewing a couple of rooms from which to choose.
We picked one the opposite end of the corridor, again with windows two sides of the room, again overlooking the North Atlantic, but these windows captured the sunset.
Added to that, the bath was in the bedroom, overlooking the sunset windows...
Bathtime!
Added to that, the bath was in the bedroom, overlooking the sunset windows...
Bathtime!
Our plan was thwarted, as, just as we and turned on the taps and were filling the bath up, the phone rang. It was reception, asking us if we could switch all our lights on in the room as they had a professional photographer outside wanting to take photos of the hotel.
Hmm...
Bathtime had to wait for an hour...
Hmm...
Bathtime had to wait for an hour...
That evening, we went downstairs where T and the inn had set up a table in the dining room in front of a roaring log fire, rather than in the main restaurant. Very special.
After a huge meal, which included moose (very lean, and actually pretty tasty), Caribou Moss (a lichen which is a favourite of the Caribou (Reindeer)), and Partridgeberries (a slightly tart berry, the size of a small grape, and I became addicted to them...) I received something I hadn't had in years...
A birthday cake!!