Our Viking day started with an early wakeup call and a chilly Zodiac ride to the landing stage for L’Anse aux Meadows.
We boarded school buses for the ride to the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage site, where Helge and Anne Stein Ingstad led an archeological excavation establishing that Vikings did visit and live in North America. The ruins that they found have been re-buried for preservation, but the depressions which led them to the site remain. There are also reconstructed sod huts which tell the story of how the Vikings lived here.
L’Anse aux Meadows takes its history seriously; our next stop, Norstead Viking Village, takes some liberties in the interest of entertainment (and, I guess, education).
The Snorri Viking Ship, a replica Viking knarr which sailed from Greenland to Newfoundland in 1997 to recreate Lief Ericsson’s journey, is the pride of the village; Grom the Viking met us in the shed which houses it and told us the story.
After that, we walked down to the main part of the village and did some exploring; we could have visited the seer and had our fortunes told or engaged in a little axe-throwing, but those experiences will have to wait for another visit.
We left Norstead and got back on the bus for the hour-long drive to St. Anthony, the biggest town in the area, and our lunch at Lightkeeper’s Cafe next to the Fox Point Lighthouse. Wayne the Viking was there to greet us again!
The cafe specializes in fish. We had fish chowder, followed by baked salmon and halibut with a couple of fried cod tongues. After that, we were ready to walk the trails around the lighthouse and the shore to burn off a few calories!
There was a gift shop across the street with exhibits about local life (including wildlife). Diane picked up a Labradorite pendant there (no photo, sorry!).
We got to see the Explorer make its way in from the sea and into the channel going to St. Anthony.
Taylor, one of the expedition’s divers, had a rare day on dry land today.
We finished our day with a visit to Grenfell Handicrafts; unlike the handicraft stores we visited in India, they didn’t ply us with food and alcohol. Diane saw a T-shirt she liked, but it wasn’t available in her size, so we left with intact wallets.
Our Zodiac back to the ship was much smoother and shorter than the morning run, but we were still chilly enough to enjoy Amarula-laced hot chocolates when we returned.