Vikings and Raleigh

On Newfoundland Highway 437, we saw this sign — and knew we were on the right road as we were headed toward two of those destinations and had just left turned off Hwy 430 which we had been on since leaving Gros Morne - not that there were many other choices..  

L'Anse aux Meadows is a United Nations World Heritage Site as it is the only authenticated location of  a Norse (Viking) settlement circa 1000 AD.  It is also mentioned in Norse literature written in 1200 AD.  As good fortune would have it my "good" camera failed this day and we only have a few cell phone photos. You are missing a treat — I dressed up in Viking garb — donned the full regalia (no head gear to my chagrin) - but did have battle ax and shield.  I was ready for freddy.

The location is on the northern tip of the western peninsula of Newfoundland and is within sight of Labrador, about 30 km to the west.  It is "easily" locatable for early sailors due to a string of islands and it obvious site at the tip of the peninsula.  I reckon that would be important.

It was a pretty site, but was used primarily to acquire hardwood from further south for export back to Greenland.  These are reconstructed - the ruins are nearby- and they have a museum of artifacts recovered on the site too.

Our other destination was Raleigh, an almost abandoned cod fishing town that has some old preserved cod fishing buildings an and interpretive display.  The population is estimated at 125 and according to the guide at the museum, they have 5 school age children in the city, so a new school bond is not on their horizon. At it's peak, the permanent population was about 500, but during cod fishing season would have been much higher with temporary workers coming in.  Cod fishing is not what it used to be.

Unfortunately these salt drying sheds on the dock is the only photo I have of the old cod fishing operation.

there were a lot of other just abandoned stuff and evidence of a rundown small poor town that no longer has an economic purpose.

The ride north was pretty, along the Gulf most of the way, sometime through forest — had to brake for a moose.  Bit of excitement there.

there are a surprising amount of wild flowers for August - unless this is spring.  and along the highway this purple flowers sometimes really shows off.

and the towns are all repeat small and located on water, repeat, water.  Raleigh was first connected by paved road to the outside in 1967.  

We are staying in St Anthony, a port city — well they all are in one fashion or the other.  So we went out to the "point"  All towns seem to have one of them too.  It was windy and the fog had come in.  We were excited to be seeing what looked like postcards of Newfoundland.  Fog and sea and rocks

and it is getting cold too. Have not needed nor used the air conditioner at night — could not if we wanted to.  There is not one — but we do have extra blankets.