Long before Columbus, Vikings crossed the Labrador Sea from Greenland to settle in L'Anse Aux Meadows. Centuries later, Portuguese fishermen, Basque whalers, French trappers, and English pilgrims would follow and discover a Promised Land where nature nurtures both body and soul. Here, where the sun first kisses North America, explorer Jacques Cartier found a place where 'the scenery is indeed worth seeing and can't be properly described in words.' The ravishing lighthouse-studded coast still inspires awe. Manna from the sea still delights palates. And small cruise ships like ours still ply these waters with a freedom denied to larger cruise ships.