Even though the weather has been miserable most of our trip, we still have to get out and check out the land so we don’t waste any time. We are, afterall on a very, very challenging schedule.
Today was the day to see the northern peninsula of Newfounland. First we headed to L’anse aux Meadows, and UNESCO and National Historic Site, marked as the first place Vikings landed on North American Soil.
As it was the last day the site was open this season we were let in for free, and our admission staff told us the best thing to do was to watch the 30min NFB documentary so that we would get a much deeper understanding of the history of the Viking’s and of what was found at the site.
The video gave me a much better understanding of the Viking’s and what was found and so we checked out the exhibits inside the visitor’s centre and then walked out to where the actual site used to be.
Parks Canada has recreated a few sod huts, to show visitors how the Viking’s used to leave. Two gentlemen were re-inacting the Viking lifestyle in the long hut and the few other huts were used for different other elements.
Most of the area was used as Viking’s travelled and according to archaelogists the Viking’s who lived in the area were only there for a short time and either were scared off/fought off by native people, or continued on there way to find another new land.
It was an interesting place to see, and we walked along the landscape and found other remains of Viking’s huts which had rotted away or fallen down since they were here.
We then for a sign for a hike, so we figured why not?! It took us along the edge of the cliff’s and gave us an incredible view of the rough landscape, similar to that of Greenland we are told, and we got an astonishing view of Labrador. (It isn’t actually that far from Newfoundland!)
The hike took as back to our car, so we carried on with our day. We were on a mission to find a place to eat, and we passed Raleigh, NL a small community and decided to see what they have to offer. That would be not a whole lot. Raleigh, like most places in the area are made up of a few houses with not much else. We figure most northern peninsula residents go to St. Anthony for things, or they live off the land like their ancestors have for many years.
We have noticed most of the houses are heated by wood, and cut up logs are stored along the edge of the roads for people to get at during the cold winter months.
With no luck in Raleigh for a place to eat, we headed off to St. Anthony—one of the biggest communities around.
We drove through it once, and only noticed a couple places to eat, Tim Horton’s being one, but we figured we should be able to find something more local than a big name chain restaurant. Once we made it through St. Anthony, we arrived at a dead end, by a lighthouse, and by the jagged cliffs, which were causing that water to crash very, very hard. It was an incredible site to see, but our bellies were grumbling and we figure we had better get a move on, so we did.
We carried back into town, and decided to stop and a place that seemed similar to KFC, except it was locally owned. In we went, chicken, fries and mozza sticks ordered, we chowed down on our lunch and then continued on. The lady who worked at the chicken place informed us that the interpretive centre just across from the hospital was quite interesting—it was a museum regarding the life and impact Sir. Wilfred Grenfell.
He was a young British man, who came over and realized the poverty and impoverished people that lived in Labrador and Newfoundland in the 1800s. He made it his life’s mission to change the lives of these people so that they could live better in the future. He was a doctor first and foremost and a preacher second, but those two skills became just what the Labradorians and Newfoundlander’s neaded at that time.
The interpretive showed us a short film, and had many exhibits, which helped us learn more abou the impact this gentlemen and his wife had on the tiny communitites in Newfoundland and Labrador. The museum house, which is where Sir Wildred Grenlaw and his wife Anne, lived is usually closed at this time of year but the museum staff said they would open it up for us to look around. It was a beautiful old building, situated on the top of the hill behind. The house was kept in tact, as if the Grenlaw’s still lived there. The pots and pans that they used were on the stove, their clothes hung in their closet, and their awards and paintings hung on the wall. IT was an incredible site to see, and it gave me a deeper understanding of the extraordinary work this man did for Labrador and Newfoundland in the 1900s.
Back at our campground we figured we had better dry out the tent and the sleeping bags inside, so we took them and the two pillows to the campground laundry facility. As the tent belongings were drying, we took off on a short walk to find the river, which we can hear from our tent at night.
The sunlight had finally popped through, and we were able to get some incredible shots of the bright autumn leaves, which are changing into a bright orange. We have seen an amazing amount of diverse colours, but these are just as beautiful. The walk took us to the river, and we were able to get an up close and personal look at the rushing water. Once we were back at camp we figured we had better clean up—aka: have a shower, so we did.
Blogging and quick hellos’ to people via Email using the campground wireless, after, and a campfire to fill our bellies with burgers, hot dogs and smores finished off our last day in Newfoundland.
Tomorrow we are off to Labrador, to get a first hand account of the Canadian area, which is rarely visited by people we know….Talk to you in a few days blogger friends!!
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