L'anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada

After leaving Red Bay on the Canada and Greenland cruise, our next port of call was L'anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland. It is on the Great Northern Peninsula, i.e. the northern tip of Newfoundland island. The L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is a World Heritage Site .

We anchored in the bay and took the tenders to Norstead.

By the jetty is the statue of Leif Erikson. Also known as Leif the Lucky, he was a Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America -

Norstead is about 1 mile down from L'anse Aux Meadows National Historical Site and is a reconstructed Viking port of trade, with a replica of the Viking boat that sailed from Greenland. I went to the Norstead centre ticket office to use the wifi but it was very poor, so decided to walk around outside the site and to my surprise it led into the back door of Norstead. The replica Viking boat -

Exhibits highlight the Viking lifestyle, artifacts, locals are dressed in traditional Norse costumes -

The buildings are wood-framed covered with peat-turf, similar to those found in Norse Greenland and Iceland. The church -

Looking across to the tender, and some eider ducks -

I followed the trail which led up the hill to a view point over the bay, though it was foggy at times. Really soft underfoot, but dry. A nice walk. Many people were plastered in insect repellent and using nets, but I didn’t see a single fly of any kind.

Our ship in the foggy bay -

In the afternoon I didn't fancy going out to L'anse Aux Meadows, as I'd seen enough in Norstead. The settlement of L'anse Aux Meadows has been dated to approx 1000 years, so is an 11th-century Viking settlement. The site was discovered 1960 and includes the remains of 8 buildings, made of sod over a wooden frame. They were dwellings or workshops. Now there are 3 reconstructed Norse buildings. The archaeological remains at the site were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

I went to have a look at the bay

The hill I walked up, as seen from the ship -

Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada

After Halifax, our next port of call was Corner Brook. I knew nothing about Corner Brook, which is the largest city in Western Newfoundland. It lies at the end of a beautiful fjord in the sheltered Bay of Islands. The Blomidon Mountains surround Corner Brook. 

The Bay of Islands was originally charted by Captain James Cook in 1767. Cook spent several weeks exploring this three armed fjord and named many headlands and coves.

I had no idea what I was going to do in Corner Brook so started walking into town from the ship, although there was a free shuttle bus.

I saw a sign for the Corner Brook stream trail so went for that. The trail was being repaired in places. It was quite pleasant alongside the river and in pine and deciduous trees.

Came to Glynmill Pond, now used for salmon.

Ring billed gull and American black duck

The route I wanted to take to continue the walk was closed, so I went back the same way, until I found the section they were repairing earlier was now closed off. So I had to take another route out. 

After a coffee and free wifi in Tim Hortons I headed to the Emporium to see Maggie the Newfoundland

On the way back to the ship I went into St John the Evangelist Anglican church, quite modern inside.

In the afternoon I took the free shuttle to Walmart, because I've never been to one before. I didn't want to buy anything. Back in town I went to a pub for a beer - note the Newfoundland on the glass. The beer is local to Newfoundland, not India!

Canadian flag with that of Newfoundland and Labrador -

Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland

 In July 2024 I set off on a cruise to Canada and Greenland on Fred Olsen's Bolette. After 5 days at sea, our first stop was St. John's, Newfoundland. Newfoundland and Labrador form the most easterly province of Canada. St. John’s is the capital and situated on the southeast of the island of Newfoundland.

Because of Newfoundland’s island location, it has its own unique time zone, ½ hour different than the rest of Atlantic Canada. It is the easternmost city in North America and also the oldest. 

When we arrived at the port, a Newfoundland dog was there to greet us. It was wearing the Newfoundland tartan -

In a nearby park is a memorial to Newfoundland and Labrador dogs - though sadly I didn't see any real Labradors.

St. John's is a hilly town with a mix of colourful wooden houses, brick churches and colonial buildings. 

The main street was closed to traffic, to enable cruise ship passengers to walk safely.

The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist -

National War memorial -

Mid morning fog in the bay -

Jelly Bean row -

Anglican cathedral of St John -

After lunch I decided to walk up Signal Hill, This is the hill on the left of The Narrows -

 One of the oldest buildings in St John's, having survived the great fire in 1892 -

Still quite a way to go!

View from The Queen's Battery Barracks -

Looking across The Narrows. Cape Spear can just be seen (under the yellow arrow) - this is the easternmost point of North America. There is a fog bank behind and when we sailed out that evening there was no sign of Cape Spear cos of the fog.

This is a zoom shot of Cape Spear and the 1836 lighthouse can be seen =

The top of Signal Hill, Cabot Tower. It is free to go up the tower.

Sailing out through The Narrows at 7.45 pm - when we had entered in the morning it was thick fog and we saw nothing. As we went out into the bay we sailed into a fog bank.

Surprisingly there was a nice sunset back over the mainland, with fog on the right of the photo -