Tuesday, September 24, L'anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, CA
Newfoundland is a large Canadian island off the east coast of the North American mainland, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It has 29 percent of the province's land area. The island is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton Island by the Cabot Strait. It blocks the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. Newfoundland's nearest neighbor is the French overseas community of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
With an area of 42,031 square miles, Newfoundland is the world's 16th-largest island, Canada's fourth-largest island, and the largest Canadian island outside the North. The provincial capital, St. John's, is located on the south-eastern coast of the island; Cape Spear, just south of the capital, is the easternmost point of North America, excluding Greenland. It is common to consider all directly neighboring islands such as New World, Twillingate, Fogo, and Bell Island to be 'part of Newfoundland' (i.e., distinct from Labrador). By that classification, Newfoundland and its associated small islands have a total area of 43,008 square miles.
According to 2006 official Census Canada statistics, 57% of responding Newfoundland and Labradorians claim British or Irish ancestry, with 43.2% claiming at least one English parent, 21.5% at least one Irish parent, and 7% at least one parent of Scottish origin. Additionally 6.1% claimed at least one parent of French ancestry. The island's total population as of the 2006 census was 479,105.
L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS, NEWFOUNDLAND
Located on the northernmost tip of Canada's Newfoundland, L'Anse aux Meadows is the site of the first Norse settlement in the Americas. Leif Eriksson's voyage here from Greenland in the late 10th century predated Columbus by 500 years. Proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, the ancient village Eriksson founded provides fascinating insight into the day-to-say lives of Vikings. Each of its remarkable dwellings was constructed of a wood frame covered in sod. The site was uncovered in 1960, when a resident of this small fishing village pointed out a series of mounds in the earth that he and his neighbors had always believed to be an ancient Native American camp.
We visited the remarkable ancient settlement founded by Vikings more than 1,000 years ago. Here, at L’Anse aux Meadows, Leif Eriksson, son of Erik the Red, was the first European to set foot on American soil. The Viking originally called his discovery “Vinland,” which many believe translates from Old Norse into “land of meadows.”
We toured this finely restored village
with our guide, gaining immeasurable insight into what life was like for the
continent’s first Norse explorers.
Two moose cows and a colt. They were all chewing their cuds.
Marker where Vikings initially landed.
Thought to be the first blacksmith site.
Mounds covering the original building walls. These were excavated after use of X-ray, sonograms, every available tool in the 1960s. After the digs to verify results and find artifacts, the dirt was refilled for exploration at a later time.
The buildings inside the white fence were recently built to reflect those found in the 1960s explorations. The sod houses were constructed of soil packed over wooden frames.
Sod blocks used to construct building walls; great insulation.
Game birds caught for cooking; held daily to see if men brought in fish or other game.
Indoor "plumbing."
We saw evidence of carpentry and iron smith workshops.
En route back to our ship, we stopped to visit the recreated Viking village of Norstead to learn more about life in these northern reaches one millennium ago.
Boat house.
Beam close to nine yards.
Garden with onions, beets, cabbage, snap peas, chives, rhubarb ...........
Christian church.
More info: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/meadows
If you have not seen Labrador, now you have seen a picture from a cruise ship.
We sailed around 3 PM today, heading for Saguenay, Canada. It is up a fjord off the St. Lawrence River. Tomorrow will be a sea day due to the distance we must travel.
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