Travel

Big Nickel and Dynamic Earth, Sudbury

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On a gray September morning, a group of us visited the Big Nickel and Dynamic Earth in Sudbury.  The Big Nickel, Sudbury's most famous landmark, is a must see - after all, mining of nickel and other minerals are what built the city and the region.  Dynamic Earth, a museum that explains the history of mining in the region, is located next to the Big Nickel. A tour seven stories down into the mine shows the different methods of mining over a long period of time. 

Eastern Canada road trip - Western Brook Pond, Gros Morne National Park

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It was late afternoon by the time we arrived at Gros Morne National Park. After pitching our tents, we laced up our boots and headed out on a short hike (3km one way) to Western Brook Pond, one of the easiest and most beautiful hikes in the park.

The day was beautiful. The sun was shining, the sky blue and full of fluffy clouds. Even as more clouds rolled in and the wind began to blow, it only added to the atmosphere of the landscape. We passed over limestone ridges. The wind whipped the water from the bogs onto the boardwalk.  We arrived at the lake just as the clouds completely covered the sky, but hot chocolate from the shop warmed us up. Boat tours were available through the fjord but we arrived too late to catch the final cruise of the day.

The fjord was incredible. More than a hundred glaciers surged through the Long Range Mountains during the last Ice Age, each one scraping, carrying and wearing down metres of rock. The movement of the glaciers created deep ravines, forming dramatic landscapes such as the cliffs that tower over Western Brook Pond. The weight of the ice sheet put pressure on the land, forcing it downwards until the lowlands were below sea level. When the ice started to melt, the valley between the 2000-foot high cliffs filled with saltwater, turning it into a fjord. The departure of the heavy ice caused the land to rebound, as 2km thick glaciers were no longer pushing it down. The lake was cut off from the ocean by the rebounding land and the deposits left behind by the glaciers. The salt water was eventually flushed out and the fresh water now found in the lake has an extremely high purity rating.

Eventually, threatening skies and the encroaching darkness forced us to head back to our campsite and a warm dinner prepared over an open fire.

Tallinn, Estonia

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A cotton candy confection of pastel hues, the Old Town of Tallinn is a city right out of a fairy tale. Pink and yellow and green and blue buildings around every corner, it bubbles and sparkles with charm. Golden crosses atop onion shaped domes shimmer in the sunshine. The medieval passageways are a labyrinth of well trod cobblestones. An old Russian barracks turned prison, imposing towers and a pretty pink palace hint of the presence of a colourful and sinister villain - a must in every good fairy tale.

We arrived by sea, crossing the Gulf of Finland from Helsinki aboard a large cruise ship. On our arrival, we caught a cab to the top of the old town to view the city from above. We strolled slowly down the winding streets to the large market square, bustling with vendors and shoppers alike.

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Eastern Canada road trip - St. Anthony to Gros Morne

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The drive from Newfoundland's northernmost tip along the western coast to Gros Morne National Park is gorgeous. Dotted with fishing villages, lighthouses and hiking trails, we dawdled our way down, enjoying the peace and beauty of the region.

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Elora and St. Jacobs

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Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Life is a journey, not a destination." The same could said about our recent trip - our final destination was a complete bust so the day became about the journey. 

The day was about two sisters spending time together, giggling, getting lost and discovering new and interesting places.  We visited Elora, a sleepy and enchanting town that lies on the banks of the Grand River. We walked along the river in the early morning sunshine, enjoying the peace and quiet. A man with his dog walked past and two little boys fished under the branches of a giant tree. In town, we explored broken down buildings, interesting shops and an old mill.

Our excursion continued in the surrounding countryside, which was dotted with sprawling Mennonite farms. We shared the dirt roads with horses and carriages transporting Mennonite families. We stretched our legs at the West Montrose Covered Bridge, also known as the Kissing Bridge, and ended our day with a bit of shopping at the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market.

Eastern Canada road trip - L'Anse aux Meadows

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In the last decade of the 1400s, two Italian explorers set off to chart a new route to the Orient, seeking their fortunes in the trade of spices from the East. Financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, Christopher Columbus was the first to set sail, departing from Palos de la Frontera in 1492 with three ships and the promise of great wealth and power over land and sea if the voyage was successful.

In early October, after spotting land for the first time in five weeks, Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas. While on the island, which he named San Salvador, Columbus caught a glimpse of one of the great treasures of the New World - gold. No route to the East was found, however, Columbus returned three times to explore the islands and coastlines of Central and South America. 

A fellow Genoese navigator, John Cabot, was the second explorer to set sail across the unknown. Departing from Bristol, England with a royal patent from King Henry VII, Cabot's first voyage to discover a route to the East was a failure and he was forced to return after battling bad weather and running low on supplies.

Sailing on the Mathew on his second voyage, however, Cabot went ashore on June 24, 1497 on the coast of North America. The location of Cabot's landfall is disputed - it could have been Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia or the United States - and it lasted only a brief moment. After standing on land in the New World one time, the rest of Cabot's exploration was made from aboard the ship as his crew traveled along the coast. Cabot made a third journey to North America but little is known of the trip.

And so, for more than four centuries, credit was given to a pair of Genoese explorers for the discovery of the Americas despite Norse sagas, which claimed the Vikings were the first Europeans to reach the New World some 500 years before Columbus.

In 1960, in a small fishing village on the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, resident George Decker led Helge Ingstad to what the locals believed to be an 'old Indian camp'. Helge, an explorer, and his wife Anne Stine, an archaeologist, were searching for Vinland, a place mentioned in Norse sagas as the settlement established by Leif Erikson around the year 1001.

Seven archeological excavations, led by Anne Stine Ingstad, unearthed the remains of eight buildings at L'Anse aux Meadows, including dwellings, workshops and a smithy. It is believed that the intriguing and fierce Vikings lived and worked in sod buildings for a short period of time.

Presently, L'Anse aux Meadows is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the only conclusively proven Norse settlement in North America and the place where the first noted presence of Europeans is found in the New World.

Although the original excavations were reburied to protect the site, you can tour a recreated version of the Norse settlement and view the ruins of the original camp. Visit the Interpretation Centre to learn more about Leif Erikson and the Vikings who lived at L'Anse aux Meadows more than 1000 years ago.

The original ruins, reburied to protect the site

There is a beautiful coastal hiking trail at L'Anse aux Meadows. Although it drizzled during the tour of the settlement, our guide promised that the rain would soon stop. He was right. As we headed out on the hike, the clouds scattered and the sun came out. The wind was brisk. A stunningly gorgeous afternoon emerged. In the beginning, the trail followed the rugged coastline, over rocks and hills, up stairs and then down again. Eventually it turned inland and boardwalks led over bogs and marshes, where we enjoyed fresh cloudberries and a close encounter with an enormous moose. 

In the mountains of France

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Somewhere in the French Alps there is a small village.  Situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Grenoble, it lies nestled under the shadow of ancient ruins and along the shores of a river with turquoise waters. Away from the bustle of city life, forgotten by time, its charming streets ramble between old buildings, alongside doorways, beneath the flapping of laundry drying in the spring breeze.

Window shutters and doorways are a pop of colour on the sun bleached stone buildings. The river water moves swiftly, the kayakers are there for a moment and then gone. The views from the top unparalleled - waving grasses, towering stone ruins, fields of green, tiled rooftops and distant mountains.

Photos also taken by Gary and Victoria.