NEWFOUNDLAND – L’ANSE AUX MEADOWS.
Day 125 – It was 44 degrees this morning & we’re getting low on propane. We drove north to do the Viking thing; it’s a big draw here. We stopped at several places on the way hoping to find some propane. No luck, but supposedly we can get a fill-up in St. Anthony, so we’ll head there later.
Before ending up at L’Anse aux Meadows to learn about the time period the Vikings were here, we visited Raleigh, Cape Onion & Ship Cove, three small villages with great scenery. Then, at L’Anse aux Meadows we had lunch at the Norseman Gallery & Restaurant. There was so much to see at the Gallery, particularly the drawings & paintings and the incredible carvings made from whale bones, and moose & caribou antlers. Lunch was very good, small portions & high prices, but fresh and perfectly cooked. We split a bowl of the Seafood Chowder and we each had the Cod Taco served with a small salad. Rob also had the Flourless Chocolate Cake. (I was saving room for dinner, once again at the Dark Tickle Nymphe Cafe in St. Lunaire.)
Ship Cove, NF
Ship Cove, NF
Ship Cove, NF
L’Anse aux Meadows is is a small town on the tip of the northeasternmost part of the Northern Peninsula. One thousand years ago, a Viking expedition landed here. Archeological digs have turned up artifacts from this period. Now you can visit several museums pertaining to the Vikings. The L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site of Canada & Visitor’s Center, UNESCO World Heritage Site is the only known Viking Site in North America. Also nearby, the Leif Ericson Monument, a ten-foot statue can be visited. And there is Norsted – A Viking Port of Trade. This last outdoor museum, Norsted, is where we spent our afternoon. There was a long boardwalk which went to period-style sod covered buildings. There were costumed interpreters who took us through some of the buildings, reinacting life as it could have existed in Scandinavian countries from 790-1066AD. There was a large building which housed Snorri, a replica of a Viking trading vessel. The Snorri was built in Maine, and shipped to Greenland, and was sailed from Greenland to L’Anse aux Meadows in 87 days. There were farm animals and a garden, a sitting area where a fire could be lit, and more out-buildings including the Chieftain’s Hall (which contained the living quarters & kitchen). Rob had his chance to pretend to be a Viking Chieftain.
Click any picture below to see a slideshow.
We drove to St. Anthony and got propane for the RV. In the distance we could see a huge Cruise Ship & we hurried to try to see it next to the cliffs. By the time we got to the lighthouse, the ship had moved away and was heading back out to sea. This was probably the ship that unloaded eight busloads of passengers this morning for a visit to L’Anse aux Meadows. Luckily we arrived just after they’d left. We drove to the Nymphe Cafe for one more meal before leaving this area. Like a broken record, we had the same thing as last time – that’s how good the food was. We split the pizza and the Mac & Cheese, and we brought back to the RV 2 portions of the amazing Partridgeberry Carrot Cake. The high today was only 53 degrees and it was windy & partly cloudy. Tomorrow we leave for the campground across the street from the ferry terminal in preparation for our journey to Labrador on Saturday.
Pistolet Bay Provincial Park: Located on Route 437, 12 km off Route 430, Raleigh, NF. (709) 454-7570 or (709) 637-2040. E-mail nlcamping@gov.nl.ca. Website www.nlcamping.ca. Open early June to mid September (supposedly….this year they were scheduled to open May 22 but due to the heavy snowfall still on the ground, they didn’t open until mid June). 30 campsites, no hook-ups, water is available at the comfort station along with a dump station, showers, laundry, and restrooms. The day use area was located in a different place than the campground. It had a playground and a large lake for canoeing & kayaking. $20.15 per night, Canadian currency. The campsites were very nice, most large enough for our RV, tent, & tow car. Most sites were fairly private; there were varying degrees of trees & bushes between them. Our site, #29, was completely surrounded by woods and very private. We stayed five nights & could’ve stayed longer. We would definitely camp here again.