Since we had seen the birthplace of Leif Erikson in Iceland, I thought it would be fitting to see his landing site on the other side of the Atlantic. It’s a long way up the island, but worth the trip.
The UNESCO World Heritage site and Parks Canada do a great job at respectfully capturing the symbolism of the first contact between Europeans and indigenous North Americans, predating Columbus by 500 years.
Similar to Eriksstadir, a reconstructed sod house and actors in period garb make the Vineland site come to life. I was most impressed by the bog iron forge, which was used to make nails to repair the long boats, without which they might not have been able to sail home.
We stayed the night at the Viking Village B&B and ate at the Daily Catch restaurant, where the food was as fresh as could be and the view was divine. Earlier in the summer you can often see icebergs from here, but we’ve already done that.
Then Janet, Lou, Cindy, Cathy, Barb, Paula, and three dogs all departed for their crossing of Labrador. I made my way back south with other plans.
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