The Vikings were sexist!

 

We spent today in the northern most part of Newfoundland with Labrador in view across the water. It was a beautiful sunny day and one might have thought my 3 fellow travelers were bundled up because of the nippers. Luckily it was only because it was in the low 50s with the wind blowing. We stopped first at the World Heritage site where the Norsemen created a settlement a thousand years ago. Everyone thinks it was the Vikings but the Vikings were only the young Norsemen who were sailing out to do a bit of marauding. Women were not allowed. Norsemen & women only went when the intent was to settle. I had always thought they were nuts to go north to Newfoundland to settle but it turns out they were coming from a settlement in Greenland that’s north of here. 

 

The photo above was taken just down the road from the original settlement at Norstead. Here they’ve re-created a Norse port of trade complete with a few costumed interpreters and is worth a stop if you come. If you’re thinking of planning a trip in September remember the guidebooks don’t know what they’re talking about in terms of places being open. We’ve eaten at the same restaurant two nights in a row because a) there are very few places to eat up here (I guess locals don’t eat out much) and b) it’s the only place we’ve found open to eat.

We did get our first moose sighting today of a moose or at least part of one. It’s moose season here and a couple of hunters were busy butchering one down the bank by the road. However I thought you’d much prefer this photo Cookie in Washington state took at a vintage camper show. Apparently the moose on top has traveled many hundreds of miles on top of that car. Thanks Cookie (and Auntie!).

Now for the “exciting” news. Our overnight ferry to leave on the east side of Newfoundland on the 17th was canceled due to mechanical difficulties. They’ve rescheduled us on the 21st on the west side ferry, thus “giving” us a few more days in Newfoundland. You’ll probably be bored to tears hearing from us by then.  But don’t worry. I have plenty of new words to share with you.

Word of the day…   Twack - a shopper who looks over all the commodities but buys nothing. “They’re twacks - old women shoppers who can’t make up their minds.” (Most of the craft stores have been closed so Judy & I haven’t found it too difficult to avoid being called twacks.)