Sunday, September 30, 2012

L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland

From Gros Morne, we continued north to the northern tip of the western cost of Newfoundland to St Anthony's and L'Anse Aux Meadows.  Technically, this is as far north as we've been, 51 degrees north latitude..  Item of note here was how long dusk and dawn lasted.  The sun would set but it would continue to be light for a couple of hours.

St. Anthony is the largest town in this region and L'Anse Aux Meadows is the site of a Viking settlement dating to 1000 AD, very cool.  Parks Canada has done a wonderful job in re-creating the settlement which includes a Viking lodge and out buildings.  The site is based on historical information in Eric the Great's Saga and the information geologists documented from excavating the site.  The Vikings returned to this camp on numerous occasions over several years, proving they were able to cross from Greenland, across open water, reaching the east coast of North America.


Phillips Garden, art work

The following is the small fishing village near the site.  The homes are now owned by Parks Canada with the residences holding the right to their homes until their death.  Each property will then go to Parks Canada and the village will disappear..  It should be noted, this is a very isolated region where the young people have all moved away in search of jobs and opportunities.  It is sad that the homes are all owned by Parks Canada but for the elderly people who still live their, the arrangement allows them to remain in their homes.

View of fishing village at L'Anse Aux Meadows

A following provides a glimpse of the very rugged northern coast.  We had a beautiful day for a morning hike which took us along the coast and overlooks of the Atlantic Ocean and the town of St Anthony.

St Anthony coastal walk



View of St Anthony



St Anthony whale watching tour departing the harbor



St Anthony's lighthouse and coastal walk



St Anthony's lighthouse and coastal walk



St Anthony, coastal walk



St Anthony, coastal walk



Viking lodge and out buildings



Viking lodge with out buildings on the right of the lodge



Inside the Viking lodge



Parks Canada interpreter



Parks Canada interpreter



One of the doors into the Viking lodge



Viking Lodge and out buildings



Viking Lodge



View of Burnt Cove, overlooking "the swimming pool" which is the long thin pool towards the right



Burnt Cove, park ranger interpretive tour



Hike down to "the swimming pool"



Walking along the edge of "the swimming pool" at Burnt Cove

Next stop, back to Gros Morne,,,
 

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