Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Monday, November 02, 2015

Labrador

From Gros Morne, we headed north to the village of St. Barbe.  There we  left our motorhome in a RV park that is little more than a fenced parking lot with power.  Boarding the afternoon ferry, we arrived in Labrador in approximately 2 hours.  The ferry landed just inside Quebec and we quickly drove across the border into Labrador to the hotel for our one night stay. This will be a brief visit, as we will return on the evening ferry the next day.





This is rugged country with many beautiful landscapes most of which will be beyond our reach in such a short visit. The vast interior can be reached by plane, dirt roads and ferries. There is no hospitals or advanced medical service available here. This service is available in Newfoundland, so bad weather, which is a regular occurrence, will make getting care problematic. We will be touring the southeast Atlantic Coast from the Quebec border to Red Bay in the northeast on one of the few paved roads. Even this road is in poor condition in some spots, apparently due to the current influx of workers taking part in the new boom of extracting natural resources.  The other evidence of their presence is the many temporary housing units seen along the road.








 The first Europeans in Labrador were thought to be the Vikings in the 11th century.  There are a number of native peoples who have called this region home. One of  our first stops is the L'Anse Amour Burial mound. While not physically impressive, the mound is the oldest funeral monument in North America dating to about 7, 500 years ago.  That is almost 2000 years before the pyramids of Egypt were build.  When it was discovered, an excavation revealed the grave of a young Maritime Archaic Indian who was given a ceremonial burial indicating the importance of the site.



The landscape is covered with large boulders. Our guide indicated these were deposited during the ice age. Even in late July it is cold, windy and very foggy.  This is a pretty common weather conditions  here.



The Labrador Straits Museum in L'Anse Au Loup is a small but interesting museum created by the Straits of Labrador Women's league.  The women of Labrador worked hard alongside the men to survive in this land.  The museum is an effort to remember the history of the area and the history of the people who have lived here.







As  sail and steamship traffic increased between Europe and the Americas, the Strait of Belle Isle became an important shipping route.  With the narrow waterway, icebergs, fog and generally bad weather, the Point Amour Lighthouse became a vital navigation tool.  The lighthouse was put in service for the 1858 navigation season.  Even with the lighthouse, there were notable shipwrecks.  The lighthouse has a fascinating history and it is definitely worth visiting.













10 comments:

Travels with Emma said...

With the weather you spoke of, that sure isn't a place that I'd like to live. Not hardy enough I guess.

Nickie and Jim said...

Nice to see Labrador again, through your eyes. We liked visiting there (took our motor home) and would love to return. So many places, so little time! :- )

Paul and Marsha Weaver OCT. 17, 2009 said...

Paul and his two brothers went fishing in Labrador. He said it is beautiful country but not a place he would never think of living there. He saw a different part of that country. Your photos are so much prettier.

I love the lighthouse.

Sherry said...

With so few services and such difficulty in transportation, the people of Labrador must be seriously hardy and really want to live there. Friends of ours visited and said the bugs forced them away in just two days. Especially love your lighthouse pictures and the 6th picture from the top of that gorgeous river. I guess one would need either a boat or a 4WD to do much exploring.

Gypsy said...

Extracting natural resources? Temporary housing? Sounds like North Dakota! Your photos make it look like a beautiful place.

Linda said...

Lovely photos, and seeing Tommy Dorsey's record jacket brings back some great memories for me. The music of today, in my view, just can't compare with the music from the 30's and 40's. :)

Wanderin' said...

I can see why many folks visit the area but I can also see why they don't stay. Winter has to be fierce.

DearMissMermaidDotCom said...

What a fascinating place. The temporary houses look rather depressing, but to each their own. It looks so beautiful and unspoiled in some areas. Your photos are stunning. I am envious.

Peter said...

A treeless arctic kind of desert - that's Labrador. Must have been like home for many of the vikings.

Paul and Marti Dahl said...

Must be a hard area for full time residents, but as long as the have Tommy Dorsey music, how bad can it be? ;c)