Day 16: the end

Miles Traveled: 4452 nautical miles

Ports Visited:  6

New Countries Visited:  1

Medical Evacuations:  4

Ship Time Changes: 5

Meals Solo:  32

Meals with “Friends”:  1

New Foods Tried:  2 (reindeer and musk ox)

Towel Critters:  7  

Movies Watched:  9

Photos Taken:  1,359

Cups of Tea:  a lot

Positive Covid Test:  1

Favorite Photos . . . you knew it would be of the icebergs . . . near and far!

An Unforgettable Experience

This cruise to Greenland was more than just a vacation; it was a visit to a place that seemed like such a mystery. I was completely captivated by the majestic icebergs, the wildlife, the people, and their culture.  I had no idea what to expect but that is exactly why I was so excited to visit Greenland.  And most of all so thankful we were able to visit all three planned ports in Greenland too.

Day 10: Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk is the capital of Greenland with about 20,000 residents.  

35% of the Greenland population lives in Nuuk

I was amazed at how compact and easy it was to walk around the town.  It does have a different feel than the other two towns we have stopped.  I did not have an organized excursion tour today and was doing my own thing.    

Nuuk Cathedral was closed due to construction so that was a bummer.

Sedna the Goddess of the Sea

I stumbled on a fresh market.  It wasn’t for the faint as they were preparing the local catch meat and fish for locals to buy.  I found it interesting and thought it was a great window into the life of the locals. 

 

My next stop was to the Katuaq Culture Center.  This is one thing I have been looking forward to the most.  In my research, I found that inside the culture center was a café called Cafétuaq that had a sampler plate of Greenlandic Tapas.  Now let me just say I am not an adventurous eater when it comes to trying new foods, but I really wanted to do this.

I am happy to report it was all very good and not that bad.  I liked some more than others but nothing was so bad I had to spit it out.  I spent a lot of the day just wandering around enjoying the cooler weather; it sure did not feel like 35 outside.  I popped into the grocery store to check it out.  I was impressed with the selection of fresh produce even if the prices were high. Honesty, the prices of produce in the US has become so expensive that the prices did not seem that bad since it is imported.  Most of the food in the grocery store is imported from Denmark or Iceland . . . except for fish and meat.  For example, a small personal size watermelon was about $8.

The prices are to be expected since it is all imported.  I read that fresh produce is not as readily available in the winter months due to shipping cost must be by air due to icy waters making it hard for shipment by boat.  So that might be why there is so much produce on the shelves right now.  I was a bit taken back when I saw this meat in the freezer.  That would be seal (right) and whale (left).

 

I made one more stop at the Hans Egede statue that was high above the city.  The views were lovely. 

And I hiked to the top!

The views were even better from above.  Those colorful house are so fun!

A few art sculptures as I headed back to the boat.

My new friend today is an elephant.

At this point the cruise ship has traveled 2,552 nautical miles.  Tonight, we turn around and head south towards Canada and the United States

Day 8: Qaqortoq, Greenland

My day started in the early morning hours with a group text saying the Aurora Borealis is out.  I debated getting up and checking it out or rolling over and going back to sleep.  The thought of staying in my warm bed sounded better.  I talked myself into getting up because it might be my only chance to see them.  So I got up threw on some warm clothes over my pajamas and headed to deck 12.  It was so windy and cold but man was I glad I made the effort. 

I am sure you have seen all the fancy photos people post with amazing colors . . . in my opinion those are fake since they are taken with filters and special settings that aren't visible to the naked eye.  I was happy to just watch in the natural beauty and not altered.  After a few minutes, it was back to bed. 

I think I am still on a high from our first stop in Greenland, but today we are at the city of Qaqortoq, Greenland.  Qaqortoq is the largest city in southern Greenland and the 11^th largest city in the country.  During the summer about 3,000 people call it home but in winter there are only about 2,000 residents.

The weather was not great and the fog was so thick the tender boats could not take us to land.  In fact they had started taking people ashore and had to stop because you literally could not see anything. 

Thankfully, the captain was patient and waited it out and an hour later we were back on tender boats headed to shore.  Today, I signed up for an art walking tour that visits stone works around the city known as Stone & Man.

The project is the work of local Qaqortoq artist Aka Høegh, who endeavored to turn her home town into a permanent open air art gallery, and essentially, a work of art in and of itself. With the help over a dozen artists hailing from other Nordic countries like Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and of course Greenland itself, Høegh oversaw the creation of 24 separate carvings and sculptures. Some of the works took the shape of fully shaped sculptures made out of local boulders, while others looked more like recreations of ancient tribal markings of fish and whales.

It was interesting to see them, learn the story of each work as we were guided around town.

I think this one below was my favorite because on the far right there is a narwhal.  I always thought narwhals were mystical and did not exist.  They are rare but they are out there!  Who knew?

One story that I remembered was this carving below.  It is a self-portrait that is a single lady all alone.  Back in the day, the ladies washed their hair with urine so it made it easier to form a big bun on top of their head.  I bet they did not have many dates with that smell! 

These towns are so small that you can walk the town quickly.  I really enjoyed the slower pace to just enjoy the moment.  I walked around town, checked out the grocery store, and some of the landmarks around town.  I loved all the colorful houses again.  As you can see the weather was foggy but as the day went on it lifted and came back and lifted.  The weather in Greenland is unpredictable.

A few other landmarks around town Church of Our Savior

Memorial Fountain

Qaqortoq Musuem that was filled with local history and artifacts.  I really enjoyed seeing the traditional dress clothing. 

The close up of the beading is amazing!

I thought this street sign was funny and well can you imagine if you had to write that on all your communication?

Tassuunnaqquunnerit Tamaasa which translates to I think of you every time I pass by.  I would think about you every time I had to write that, and I'm sure it wouldn't be fondly.

Just another iceberg hanging out as we leave town.  

Day 7: Nanortalik Greenland

Well good morning GREENLAND!

I woke up to beautiful weather and by beautiful weather I mean we are able to take the tender boats to shore!

I cannot wait to step foot on Greenland!  Nanortalik is the most southern town in Greenland.  Nanortalik is the 11^th largest town in Greenland with a population of about 1,200 people.  Nanortalik means Place of Polar Bears.  No, we did not see one.

Hey iceberg you are in our parking spot. Apparently, the iceberg is blocking our ship’s closer access to port but isn’t that a pretty cool view.

I had booked a small boat iceberg tour!  Our boat was 6 people and a local guide.  The small boat allowed us to get so close we could touch the icebergs.  Yes, it was pretty cool!  You cannot imagine how many photos I took of icebergs because it was just something that I do not see very often.

You do not realize how massive the icebergs are until you are up close.  The boats in the photos below are so tiny!

The guide told us about 90% of an iceberg is underwater.  The aqua color in the photos below is part of the underwater iceberg; the water is so clear.  I asked our guide (early 20s) if he ever got tired of seeing them and he quickly said never.  I feel the same way!

I think of Nanortalik as more of a village than a town.  It is very compact and you can walk everywhere which is what I did.  It is cloudy and foggy with a temperature of 35.  It really could not be more perfect.

I went to the Nanortalik Outdoor Museum which was well worth the $10 and my time.  There were several buildings with displays of the history of the island and its people; did not take one single photo.  Honestly, I was just happy walking around with no plans!

The house are all painted bright colors which I did not take photos.  The only white building I saw was the church. 

As I was waiting in line to tender back to the ship, there were some local kids singing songs.  They were just adorable and so funny! 

I think this might be one of the top places I have visited.  Seriously, not because it was grand or had fancy places but because it was rustic, off the beaten path, and just amazingly beautiful.  I could sit and watch those icebergs all day but not in the winter!  

Baaj Greenland!