September 2015 – Page 2 – Steps to Anywhere

Final day in Newfoundland

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Edward Thorpe

The weather was again fantastic for our final day in Newfoundland. It was only a 200 km trip from Corner Brook to Port aux Basques and we arrived around noon. After a little shopping we grabbed a Timmy’s coffee and drove out into the Codroy Valley only a short distance from Port aux-Basques to find a quiet place for lunch.

After lunch we returned to Port aux Basques and checked into our hotel for the night. Our room was actually ready at 2 PM. We took a walk around the town, visited an ATM and chatted with some locals along the harbour boardwalk. Upon returning to the room there was a new development–no water. An hour later we learned that it was not just a hotel problem but one affecting the whole town.
Water returned about 11 pm although pressure was low. Fortunately, we were on the first floor. People on the third floor never really got water.
Now we are waiting for the ferry. I should be able to post a few more photos once we reach Sydney.

More about Vikings

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Edward Thorpe

We awoke to another beautiful day in Newfoundland, great for the first full day of autumn. After breakfast in St Anthony we packed up and visited another Viking village recreation called Norstead. This time it was typical of the more permanent sites in Iceland. The buildings were constructed of timber rather than peat blocks but no less spartan.

Wood lathe

Tools of the day

Textile making

Ocean Cargo vessel 65 feet long

Church

Boat house

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Bye Labrador, Hello St. Anthony

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Edward Thorpe

It has been another beautiful day, sunny and bright all day and very calm seas for the ferry crossing from Labrador to the Newfoundland coast. We took the longer route from St Barbe to St Anthony. It was not a complicated route but we set the GPS for our destination about 150 km away. “Penny” acknowledged the 150 kms but estimated our travel time to be 4 hours. Seemed strange since the speed limits were 80 to 90 kph but she was insistent until we were within 50 km at which time she began to catch up with reality. Morale, don’t always trust the machine.

We actually arrived in St Anthony about 2 PM, had lunch and visited the first Timmy’s since Deer Lake. After we checked into the motel we set off to L’Anse aux Meadows, the 1.000 year old Viking settlement. It really was worth the modest $10 admission. We recalled seeing the Viking long boats at museums in Oslo but really did not think of them as vessels that would take them as far as Newfoundland.

Coastline at L’Anse au Meadows

L’Anse au Meadows original Viking village

The remnants of the original settlement are still visible and there is a reconstruction of some of the buildings. The sod of which they are constructed is harvested only a few kilometres from the site.

L’Anse au Meadows

I was fascinated to learn that the area is considered sub-arctic climatically. A look at some of the vegetation, however, confirms this. There are fully mature balsam trees complete with cones but they are only three feet tall.

Tomorrow we will do a little more sightseeing and then move to Corner Brook for the night.

100 year old Balsam 3′ tall

South Shore Drive

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Edward Thorpe

Sunrise in Blanc-Sablon After last evening’s rain we awoke to a bright, sunny morning with the thermometer registering 9 ℃ (48 ℉), the coolest day so far.
The high for the day was eventually 14 ℃ (57 ℉) but the wind was cool often up to 30 kph (20 mph) with stronger gusts and never really let up.

We drove the southern shore of Labrador out to Red Bay and it is uniquely beautiful and remarkably barren. At Red Bay we reached 51.7 degrees north latitude. Trees never reach any significant height and the land often looks very tundra-like. Red Bay National Historic Site At Red Bay we explored the Basque Whaling museum and talked with the Parks Canada staff. The site will close for the season in about two days, the more distant Battle Harbour site had closed already.

By the time we had finished at the Red Bay National Historic Site it was lunch time and the Whaler’s Restaurant was conveniently adjacent to the museum. Once again I was able to enjoy east coast fish, cod this time and it was another enjoyable meal.

From there we retraced our path back to Blanc-Salon then beyond along the Quebec side of the north coast of The Strait of Belle Isle until we found rain then reversed our path back to Blanc Sablon. Next we stopped at a grocery store for croissants, cheese, grapes and wine. Dinner! Tomorrow we return to the Newfoundland mainland and St Anthony. After that we begin our return home.

Typical Highway view

Labrador Straits War Memorial

L’Anse Au Clair

Brador Falls