July 9th - Another Day at L' Anse aux Meadows

Tonight I'm staying at Marilyn's Hospitality Home and Marilyn is now in the kitchen preparing traditional Newfoundland (Northern Newfoundland) cod dinner.

(after dinner) - Dinner was great.
 

Bed and Breakfast lodging is my preferred way to spend the night.  You meet interesting people and the homes are spotless.  Most motels are overpriced and not all that clean.  The building in the picture to the right is a typical motel.

On the ride up here from Flower Cove - I stopped to take a picture of one of the many small plots of cultivated gardens that you find along the way.  Every mile or so you will see these.  Also along the road you will see cords and cords of neatly stacked winter fire wood along with hundreds of lobster traps sitting waiting for the start of the next lobster season. 

I found out yesterday from our guide at the Viking site that the gardens along the road were used because the soil is better and since the land belongs to the "Crown" anyone can use it for growing vegetables.  They also don't worry about anyone taking traps or wood because it's a small community and anyone caught taking anything would be "shamed." 

A short distance from L' Anse aux Meadows is the town of Saint Anthony.  We spotted Julia and her father making the trek on their Honda Cubs to raise money for "Because I'm a Girl."

Bill and I took a hike out on the point overlooking the very small town where Marilyn's home is (population 32) and I spotted one of the 60 types of small orchids on Newfoundland. 

Marilyn said that she was one of 13 children and was born and raised at L' Anse aux Meadows.  When she was growing up, they had no electricity, no running water, no inside plumbing and all cloths were hand washed by her mother on a wash board. 

What is amazing to me, on the trip, is that even in a town as completely remote as this one, they have high speed internet.  I have not been any place in Canada where high speed internet is not the norm. Also of note - I'm still looking for the disgruntled Canadians over their health care system.  I have not met one person that does not feel okay with their system.  All Canadians, that I have talked to about this,   think it could be better, but ask them weather they would rather have their system or the US system - and they laugh. 

After dinner we went to a local "pub" (the only one - it also doubles as a convenience store) for some traditional Newfie music and where the "Newfies" celebrate integrating new-comers into the local festivities.  Required for anyone participating, is the drinking of Screach - a rum based drink, the eating of some salted fish and the kissing of a cod fish along with some words of seduction.  You also need to recite a sentence or two in traditional Newfie English.  Marilyn, from the B&B, got out on the dance floor and really put her stepping skills on show with a traditional Newfie jig.

When you first meet Newfoundlanders - you have to pay very close attention to their speach because they can be very difficult to understand.  After listening a while and getting into the rhythm of their style - you can begin to understand what they are saying.  Newfoundlanders are very welcoming people.  They are friendly and will go out of their way to be helpful.  The night before, when we stayed in Flower Cove at the B&B, Maggie our host, told us that because it was raining we should leave the bikes in her garage and use her van.  She didn't know anything about me.  They are just trusting - and oh, by the way, don't try to pay them when you arrive.