The Viking Trail

July 5th

We set off this afternoon along the western coast of Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula. This route is known as the Viking Trail and ends at the northernmost point of the island. The harsh winter conditions were apparent in the numerous construction zones along the way, several of these involved stripping portions of the highway back to a gravel base and we spent a lot of time inching along through these sections. The weather deteriorated as we drove, but the cold, wind, and rain really seems to fit the place, imparting a natural beauty of their own. After paralleling the Labrador coast for a while the route cuts across the interior of the peninsula for the last 60km to St. Anthony on the Northeastern coast. This last leg is as remote as any area I have ever traveled through with no towns and little evidence of humans beyond the shoulders of the road. To top off our drive, as we rounded one of the last turns before reaching St. Anthony Sara excitedly pointed out the first iceberg of our trip!

After checking in to our B&B we struck out for dinner. We ended up at a former lightkeeper's cottage turned restaurant, where we enjoyed excellent food and a stunning, if stormy, view of our second iceberg floating by. An excellent ending for our day!

Posted by Shawn