 |
The Matthew, a replica of the ship
in which John Cabot "discovered" Newfoundland 500 years ago, was in fog-shrouded
Port-aux-Basques the day our ferry arrived. Publicity and commercial tie-ins
for the Cabot 500 were everywhere - you couldn't buy groceries without
getting a bag emblazoned with Cabot's dazed-looking face. |
 |
Chris is dwarfed by the Arches, a bizarre
natural formation on the northwestern coast. The large stones underneath
feature a gorgeous variety of colors and patterns. |
 |
The National Historic Site at Port-au-Choix,
where evidence of ancient Dorset Eskimo and Maritime Prehistoric Indian
habitation has been found, offers little visible archeological evidence,
but the hiking trail winds through lovely scenery with amazing geological
and botanical variety. |
 |
In Hay Cove, just outside the L'Anse aux Meadows historic site, we
spotted icebergs and picked up bergy bits that
had washed ashore. The locals offered iceberg ice for sale nearby. |
 |
The historic site at L'Anse aux Meadows offers the only confirmed evidence
that the Vikings landed in North America 500 years before Cabot. Parks
Canada has recreated a Viking settlement in wonderful detail, both inside
and out, complete with costumed Newfoundlanders
gamely playing the part of Norsemen. (The dandelions in the foreground
grow everywhere; if they're not the provincial flower they should be.)
This is northern Newfoundland's prime tourist destination, but in this
lonely part of the world that doesn't mean large crowds, and it's well
worth the long drive. |
 |
The scruffy but endearing port town of St. Anthony was the headquarters
for Sir Wilfred Grenfell's mission to the people of northern Newfoundland
and Labrador. Dr. Grenfell built the region's first hospitals, but also
hastened the Innu and Inuit peoples' loss of their traditional ways of
life. The home built for Grenfell by the citizens of St. Anthony is now
the Grenfell House Museum and headquarters for
the Grenfell Historical Society. At Howell's Tourist Home in St. Anthony
we experienced Newfoundland's legendary hospitality first-hand, along with
lively conversation with the other guests. |
 |
From St. Barbe you can take an auto ferry
across the Strait of Belle Isle to the southern coast of Labrador. This
is an easy trip for people who want to say they've seen Labrador, but the
road doesn't connect to anywhere beyond a short coastal strip. On the stormy
night when we drove past here en route to St. Anthony a tanker explosion
destroyed the ferry dock. Luckily for us, we had bigger Labrador plans
in mind, but other travelers we met were badly disappointed. Two days later
on our way back we visited the still-smoldering dock. |
Newfoundland,
Part 1: Up the West Coast
