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Our Viking day started with an early wakeup call and a chilly Zodiac ride to the landing stage for L’Anse aux Meadows.

Wayne the Viking (and his lovely partner) greet us

We boarded school buses for the ride to the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage site, where Helge and Anne Stein Ingstad led an archeological excavation establishing that Vikings did visit and live in North America. The ruins that they found have been re-buried for preservation, but the depressions which led them to the site remain. There are also reconstructed sod huts which tell the story of how the Vikings lived here.

Depressions in the ground mark the spots where the Vikings lived and worked

L’Anse aux Meadows takes its history seriously; our next stop, Norstead Viking Village, takes some liberties in the interest of entertainment (and, I guess, education).

And now for something completely different – Norstead, a “Viking Village”

The Snorri Viking Ship, a replica Viking knarr which sailed from Greenland to Newfoundland in 1997 to recreate Lief Ericsson’s journey, is the pride of the village; Grom the Viking met us in the shed which houses it and told us the story.

After that, we walked down to the main part of the village and did some exploring; we could have visited the seer and had our fortunes told or engaged in a little axe-throwing, but those experiences will have to wait for another visit.

We left Norstead and got back on the bus for the hour-long drive to St. Anthony, the biggest town in the area, and our lunch at Lightkeeper’s Cafe next to the Fox Point Lighthouse. Wayne the Viking was there to greet us again!

The cafe specializes in fish. We had fish chowder, followed by baked salmon and halibut with a couple of fried cod tongues. After that, we were ready to walk the trails around the lighthouse and the shore to burn off a few calories!

Looking back at the lighthouse from the trail

There was a gift shop across the street with exhibits about local life (including wildlife). Diane picked up a Labradorite pendant there (no photo, sorry!).

With any luck, this will be the only black bear we’ll see on this trip

Polar bear – rumored to be very bad-tempered

We got to see the Explorer make its way in from the sea and into the channel going to St. Anthony.

Taylor, one of the expedition’s divers, had a rare day on dry land today.

We finished our day with a visit to Grenfell Handicrafts; unlike the handicraft stores we visited in India, they didn’t ply us with food and alcohol. Diane saw a T-shirt she liked, but it wasn’t available in her size, so we left with intact wallets.

Our Zodiac back to the ship was much smoother and shorter than the morning run, but we were still chilly enough to enjoy Amarula-laced hot chocolates when we returned.

Earlier this month, we had the chance to see the Nâo San Juan in the harbor outside the Albaloa museum and factory in San Sebastian, Spain. They are constructing it as a replica of the San Juan, a Basque whaling ship which sank in the harbour of Red Bay, Labrador, in the late 16th Century.

Today, we were in Red Bay, and got to see the site where the San Juan sank so many years ago – and much more. It was a very busy day. We began the day by climbing the Tracey Hill Walking Trail (600+ steps, 120 meters vertical gain), then seeing the Red Bay Whaling Museum, enjoying some Labrador music, and visiting the Parks Canada site devoted to Red Bay and the Basques, followed by a dinner for the National Trust group in the Chart Room on the Explorer, hosted by two of the Lindblad/National Geographic experts on the cruise. A good time (and much wine and laughter) was had by all.

Photos from the Tracey Hill Walking Trail:

Most of us had to choose between the boardwalk up the hill and the beach walk. Not this guy!

After the trail, we visited Whaler’s Restaurant for some light refreshment and shopping, then walked over to the Zodiac to return to the ship for lunch.

After lunch, we took the Zodiac to Saddle Island to visit the remains of the San Juan and learn more about the Basque whalers.

Reconstructed Basque try works (rendering station)

“Bernier” (a Quebec freighter that went aground in Red Bay in 1966), which is near the ruins of the San Juan.

We visited the Red Bay museum to learn more about whales and whaling.

A concert followed at the local church.

Local musician ready to play Labrador tunes for us

Finally, we visited the Parks Canada Red Bay National Historic Site for more information about the Basque whalers and how the San Juan was “discovered” in long-lost records.