The Atlantic Ocean covers approximately 20 percent of the Earth’s surface or 41,105,000 square miles. Named after the Greek god, Atlas, a Titan condemned to hold up the celestial heavens for eternity, the Atlantic presides between North and South America on the west and Europe and Africa on the east. Up north, the Atlantic connects to the Arctic Ocean and to the Southern Ocean to the south. Tonight, I have travelled to Torbay, Newfoundland, to experience the brisk winds that come off the Atlantic and view the iceberg on the horizon.
Torbay’s history goes back to the start of the early English fishery in the late 1500s. It received its name from another Torbay, located in Devon, England. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon “Tor” which signifies “a rocky hill.” There is history in every step I take as I walk along the beach and up the hill to overlook the town. It is peaceful, with only the sounds of wind and waves. It is hard to imagine the bedlam that would have ensued when the Community of Torbay sustained three French Campaigns during the early years (1696- 1762). And then there was the famous pirate, John Nutt, who moved with his family from Devon to settle in the New World. But that is another story.