I’m in Newfoundland, Canada, out at the L’Anse aux Meadows archaeological site. This is the only confirmed Viking site in North America. Since I’ve recently followed the Vikings from Norway to Iceland to Greenland, I found the pull of Vinland just too strong to resist!
Parks Canada vigorously assures visitors that Leif Erikson himself landed here. Which is probably true, but Leif or no Leif, there was definitely a Viking outpost here, with archaeologists finding various bits and pieces from Greenland and Iceland, and the remains of Norse-era iron smelting. They also found butternuts, which aren’t native to Newfoundland and were probably found on voyages further South.
There are only outlines of the buildings remaining, but it was still fun to see. There’s a good visitor center and also a full-scale reconstruction of the main buildings, with various in-character Viking guides. Naturally I tried out some traditional axe throwing. 🙂
Nearby, there is a fine statue of Leif Erikson (See! See! He was really here!) which is an exact twin of the one I saw in Greenland, near Eric’s farm. That one faced Vinland. This one faces back towards Greenland.
