Yesterday it was raining so we drove north to the tip of Newfoundland to see a site where a Viking landing has been found. The Vikings did not try to settle here, but used the place for about ten years as a base camp to overwinter and to spread out to gather wood, grapes and furs and then to return to Greenland and Iceland and home to trade.

The landing spot

There were nine or ten of these very distinct hollows that have been dug up and then restored.

Four buildings have been reproduced. The large building served as the main living quarters for a 35-40 person crew with the wives and wives' servants (slaves) of the two or three most prominent crew members.

This was not at the Viking site but something we saw along the highways on the way. We would be miles from any little village or even a house, and see these fenced off areas usually no more than 10 feet off the road. The plots were about 20X20 to 20X40 and sometimes there were 3 or 4 next to each other. They had potatoes planted in almost every one, but some had a variety of vegetables. None of the fences looked as if they would stop any animal, though some looked a little sturdier than others.