Friday, June 7, 2019
In camp at Triple Fall RV Park near St. Anthony, NL
When we visited Iceland last March we heard a lot about the Sagas. These oral histories had been passed down verbally for centuries but were finally written down in the 12th century. The Saga concerning Eirick the Red describes his banishment from Iceland for three years because he was convicted of manslaughter. Eirick sailed west to the next large island and established a settlement about 990 AD and named it Greenland. It was not any greener than Iceland, but he was trying to entice more settlers. Later, Eirick’s son Leif Erickson sailed even further west to the east coast of Labrador and south to Newfoundland at L’Anse aux Meadows. This is at the far northern tip of Newfoundland. They built a substantial camp there to repair their boats and to fish. The L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site features eight buildings that have been excavated and four replicas built to depict the life of the Norse people. Note: Vikings are Norsemen who are actively raiding and pillaging. At the end of the raid, they go back to being Norsemen. Although the Sagas relate stories about women who are just as brutal as their male counterparts, apparently there were no women Vikings!
This is the foundation of a small workshop. Note the snow still on the ground on June 7!
This is a replica of the largest building. Inside there were fires burning and Norse people making lunch and carding wool.
Humans emerged in Africa about one hundred thousand years ago. From there they migrated north and split. Some went west to Europe. Some went east to Asia and Australia. Part of the later group made its way across the land bridge into Alaska and on to North and South America. Finally, about 1000 AD the Norse met the North American Indigenous People, here at L’Anse aux Meadows. The meeting completed the migration of humans. Mankind had encircled the globe. This sculpture commemorates that meeting.
After leaving L’Anse aux Meadows we found these two Woodland Caribou peacefully having a snack. Even they appear to be in town on eating grass they were not fenced or tied and are wild.
We found one more iceberg grounded at St. Carols.
Today is the beginning of the Iceberg Festival in St. Anthony. To celebrate icebergs and another successful trip we went to the Royal Canadian Legion for Fish and Chips dinner with Partridgeberry Pie ala mode for dessert!
And since the fog finally lifted at the lighthouse, we went to look for whales. Stephie, this picture is for you. He is very far away, but you can just see the top of the whale after it spouts!
On the road
Rory and Luci
Westward Ho! 