Day 3: L’Anse aux Meadows and Raleigh
The ride in the Zodiac from the ship to shore was stormy, wet and wild, especially from my spot in the front of the raft, which slapped mercilessly up and down against the oncoming waves. By the end of the ride I was not sure whether the vertebrae in my lower back were ever going to speak to me again — except in loud screams.

At L’Anse aux Meadows, the site of the millennium-old Viking archaeological site, a park guide took us by boardwalk through the coastal grasses to the site of the digs. It is believed that this settlement was a staging site for ships coming from the north and travelling further south down the coast of North America, and that one of their main roles of the inhabitants was to smelt and forge bog iron to create replacements for rusted nails in the Viking ships. A short walk away from the actual archaeological dig led to reconstructions of the sod-covered buildings, as it is believed they originally appeared, manned by park interpreters dressed in period dress.

We returned to the ship, circled around the northernmost tip of the Island of Newfoundland, and anchored outside of Raleigh, where again much of the town turned out to greet us. Vans drove us in shifts to nearby Burnt Cape, billed as a botanist’s paradise. A bedrock of limestone, exposed conditions and a climate with fiercely cold winter winds have together created a unique ecology rich in miniature plants. Many of the species I could recognize from my familiarity with their better-known larger varieties, and many were new to me. We took a short walk to a sea cave that loomed several storeys high above the crashing waves. From our high vantage point, the vistas out over the ocean were striking,

I was especially glad to be back on the ship, warm and dry, enjoying dinner in the dining room. Mealtimes, with endless gourmet offerings, were a chance to mingle with other passengers. Although I took a natural liking to some people in particular, I tried to mingle as much as I could, and by the end of the trip I had met almost everyone. Because my fellow travellers were well educated, broadly experienced, and had the curiosity and sense of adventure to have chosen this type of cruise, our conversations were usually animated and interesting. Much of what I learned was gleaned not only on our day trips and frequent on-board lectures, but also in these affable mealtime exchanges.

About
Steve Fick: Artistic Statement

Daily Journal
Day 1: St John’s & Salmonier Nature Park
Day 2: Change Islands & Tilting
Day 3: L’Anse aux Meadows & Raleigh
Day 4: Cape Charles & Battle Harbour, Labrador Coast
Day 5: Gros Morne National Park
Day 6: Grand Codroy Valley
Day 7: White Bear Bay & Ramea
Day 8: Conne River & Francois
Day 9: St.-Pierre, France
Day 10: Return to St. John’s

Related Stories
Ghost coast
Torngat Mountains

Resources
www.fick.ca
www.danielpayne.ca
Adventure Canada
Newfoundland & Labrador