Lanse aux Meadows

Second day of no school. How long before I stop thinking of everything as a potential lesson plan? Today we ended up in Lanse aux Meadows. What an awesome, awesome experience. I walked where Eric the Red walked about 1000 years ago!

It is a way station for Viking explorers from Greenland who may have gone as far as New Brunswick or Boson. They wintered over here, fixed their boats etc. 50 - 60 stayed here at one time. They really didn't intend to settle here. The site proves that Europeans were here before Columbus, and the tenacity of Viking explorers. The site is really quite a new discovery.

It was windy and raining (with snow) when we came, a perfect setting really if you want to imagine what it would like to winter over here. Part of the exhibit is a reconstruction of the excavation. (A great story on its own.) It is a sod/peat house with a warm fire inside and 2 guides to tell stories, sing songs and answer questions. Our group was most willing to stay and chat, laugh and stay and stay. I never knew sails were made of wool, or of knitting with a single needle. I also learned a lot about Norwegian folktales, and traditions. Newfoundlanders sitting in a peat house around a warm fire almost make you think living out the winter here might be fun.