more Vikings

Norstead is a collection of recreated Norse & Viking buildings. For example, the church is a replica of a church Leif Erikson built for his mother in Greenland, & the chieftain's lodge is based on one found in Norway. The costumed guides were full of interesting facts & stories. 

Norstead - the blacksmith & the church

 

Norstead - a chieftain's lodge

           

Norstead - the Viking boat. This boat was built in Maine in the 1990's, based on a real Viking ship that was found 60% intact. A crew from a sailing club in Maine sailed her from Greenland to Newfoundland to recreate Leif Erikson's voyage. It just happened that a member of that sailing club was visiting the boat at the same time that I was; he was asked to be part of the crew, but couldn't make it. The thing is 54' long, weighs 12 tons, & carries 13 tons of balast BEFORE putting in the 2 tons of supplies & the men. The mast is 45' tall, & the sail is 1000 square feet; it took 90 women a year to make the sail (shear the sheep, card the wool, spin the wool, weave the wool, & sew together the 5' strips). A bit more info can be found here. 
http://www.norstead.com/main.asp?nav=showEvent&eid=yoUnXyihJj
I went back to look at it twice more - so impressive!

           

After visiting Norstead, I walked up a nearby headland for some exercise & the view.                  

           




After an early dinner, which included toutons (pronounced like "toe-tens" & consisting of fried bread dough dipped in molasses), I saw a moose on my drive back. Then, back in the campground was a Siamese cat surveying the world from the dashboard of a van which had traveled here from Wisconsin.




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