Day 35 August 27, 2026 St Barbe Newfoundland to Pistolet Bay Provincial Park Newfoundland 113 miles
Today was a warm day by Newfoundland standards. Quite a wind is blowing so we thought things were rather nice. No rain all day.
We had a wonderful home cooked breakfast with the father and son who were also staying at the BnB. They continued to tell us stories about Newfoundland and some of their expressions. Breakfast included homemade bread and three kinds of jam. Jams were made of bakeapple, pumpkin marmalade and another berry. Quite interesting.
We are all off to Norstead which is an historic site at the northern tip of the island of Newfoundland.
On the way we noticed a most unusual sign that appeared several times in a 30-40 mile stretch. The sign was in bright yellow with red letters and read “Caution Potholes Ahead”. No mind you potholes exist everywhere we have been. We never figured out why these were so special. In fact worse ones exist elsewhere.
Along most of the route were long rows of neatly stacked wood. The pieces were small in diameter and all the same length. Obviously people burn a lot of wood in the winter. Sometimes a sled with something similar to a fence around it is nearby. They must fill the sled with wood and then pull it home with their snow machine.
One of the trails and the mascot for the local school is thrombolites. Well that is a new word. They are special rocks made by organisms thousands of years ago and then fossilized. We didn’t go down the trail to see them. Google had a very nice picture of some.
We finally got to Norstead. It is a UNESCO site due to the significance of the Viking presence here. We watched the video and looks around the displays. Connie got a new shirt. We waited for the free tour. The actual site is about a 1 km walk from the Visitor’s Center. The tour guide was very good. She knew the facts, answered all the questions, and set a pace that was very doable. We were very glad we went on the tour. Neither of us would have known what the dents in the ground were. When the guide pointed them out we could understand but otherwise you would not know. No signs at the significant locations. They have evidence of at least two long houses and a blacksmith work area. They made iron nails to be used for boat repair. They also harvested trees for the same purpose. The walls would have been triple thickness to keep out the cold of winter. They left sagas of their journey to get here and life as it existed. They didn’t leave any evidence of why they left. When they did leave everything was destroyed. They have constructed a long house based on the evidence here and what they know from other Viking sites. We also learned that Viking refers to the warring factions. Norse refers to the same people when they are going about their daily lives. If you ever get to Newfoundland the place is worth a visit. Just be sure you take the tour.
By the time we finished and returned to the car it was late afternoon. We ate at a pub recommended by one of the people from the parking lot. He said to have the moose burger. Unfortunately by the time we got there they were sold out. We had Hot Moose instead. That is a slice of bread with slices of moose roast covered in gravy. The meat is dark in color and a little tough. We probably won’t order that again. Been there, done that.
We decided to try the nearby provincial park. We are in luck since we only want the one night. The camping spots are booked full for tomorrow night. As usual we cause quite a stir. Several people stopped to talk and take pictures.
Spoffords Travel 