L'Anse aux Meadows - 150 km - 2 days
August 8th and 9th were spent doing the Viking Experience on L’Anse aux Meadows.
L’Anse aux Meadows
On Friday, we expored L’Anse aux Meadows, which is:
the only undisputed site of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact of Europeans with the Americas outside of Greenland. It is notable as evidence of the Norse presence in North America and for its possible connection with the accounts of Leif Erikson in the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red, which were written down in the 13th century. Archaeological evidence suggests the settlement served as a base camp for Norse exploration of North America, including regions to the south.Wikipedia
It was discovered by the by the Norwegian husband-wife team of explorer Helge Ingstad and archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad:
In 1978 UNESCO designated it a World Heritage site:
L’Anse aux Meadows is a National Historic Site where Parks Canada has recreated the Norse long houses:
and has docents in period costumes performing some of the activies that the Norsemen and Norsewomen would have been doing:
The actual archaelogical site, which is a few metres away, has been restored to the state in which it was discovered (minus a few thousand artifacts, many of which reside in the Rooms museum in Saint John’s):
Birchy Nuddick Trail
After visiting the archilogical areas of interest we hiked the 3.2 km Birchy Nuddick Trail starting just outside of the very beautiful Visitor’s Centre:
It trails takes you through fields of rare plants, specialized to the climate of the northern tip of Newfoundland:
including some conivorous ones:
The trail meandered out the coast typical of the area:
including relics typical of the area:
We took the time to sit back and enjoy the scenery:
before venturing past seven Norse fairy houses:
Although Henry missed one, there was more artwork to be seen:
These are our tracks for Friday, Aug 08
*click on the map for more details
Norstead
On Saturday, we visited Norstead, a Viking Village and Port of Trade on L’Anse aux Meadows:
which is:
a non-profit organization that was created to take history out of the exhibit case and place it in the hands of visitors.
They allow us to pretend to drink from cups made of horn and as well as to wearing socks with our sandals:
There is a authenically recreated Viking ship Snorri that was sailed 1500 miles from Greenland to Newfoundland:
as well as numerouse pieces of Norse artwork:
Camels Back Trail
Before leaving L’Anse aux Meadows, we hiked the Camels Back Trail
which showed a different character of northern Newfoundland:
These are our tracks for Saturday, Aug 09
*click on the map for more details
That’s it for L’Anse aux Meadows
Next we are off to St. Anthony.
In case you had missed it, we came from Western Newfoundland (North).
When we are travelling, our current location is always available and updated every 10 minutes