More fjord pics! Fri, 8/5/22

So many glaciers, or what's left of glaciers, and cirques on these dramatic mountains here at Prince Christian Sound (Fjord).  Some of them reach right to the water's edge, and calve, making icebergs to ogle or dodge.  This is my second post for this day, for this extraordinary fjord.

Not sure of this glacier's name (but I bet it has one), but here you can see the medial moraines that occur where two glaciers meet.  Lateral and medial moraines consist of glacially-transported rock and debris. They form on the sides of glaciers. Terminal moraines mark the glaciers maximum advance.

We're not in Iceland yet (land of waterfalls),

yet we saw plenty of waterfalls today!

Sometimes we had to squeeze in at the rail for a good view.

A tidewater glacier is a glacier with a terminus that ends in a body of water influenced by tides, like this fjord.  Typically, tidewater glaciers calve ice to produce icebergs.  We saw lots of icebergs!

Ice, ice, baby!

The sun appeared and disappeared, but the temp remained cold or at least chilly.  When Insignia passed a glacier like the one above (with Nannie and Bubba), the wind off the ice made the temp feel really cold.  We were dressed in layers.

Awe and admiration.

Everyone seemed surprised to see Holland America's Zaandam sail into the inlet (of course, we thought we were the only ship around).

You see how close she got.

You really see how big the glacier is!

Another tidewater glacier.

Dropping good-sized bergs into the sound ....

Holy Toledo, another massive tidewater glacier!  With a drone we'd be able to see how huge it is, as it stretched across the top of the rocks.  Alas, no drone.

And finally, at the entrance to (or, in our case, the exit from) Prince Christian Sound, is a weather station founded by the US during World War II under the name Bluie East One. Today the weather station is run by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) together with Tele Greenland. A long wooden stairway leads from the harbor up to the station with community building, power plant, residential barracks and radio aerial plants.  (thanx, Wiki)

I'll leave you with this beauty.

Prince Christian Sound, Fri, 8/5/22

Thursday:  Foggy conditions greeted us when we opened our drapes this morning.  Insignia was supposed to take us to Narsaq in Southern Greenland at 7am, but she sort of parked or swiveled in the fjord, four miles south of Narsaq -- waiting for the fog to clear and icebergs to move.  We waited.  By 9:30, the captain made the announcement.  Too risky to continue the four miles up to Narsaq.  No going ashore.  Well, at least we had Qaqortoq -- once out of four attempts is better than none!  So, Insignia turned around and proceeded slowly out to sea.  Tomorrow we're to cruise Prince Christian Sound.

Friday:  This is what I saw when I opened the drapes at 7am!

We hurriedly got dressed and scurried to the top deck.

Joining the people already there.  We stayed up here all morning and didn't leave till we sailed out of the 66-mile Fjord.  Here we saw some of the most breathtaking, ethereal scenery we've ever seen.  I'll let the pictures do my talking.

Imagine how large these glaciers had been 25 or 50 years ago.

Big as a barge.  Maybe bigger.

Aappilattoq, perched on the water and below the vertical granite cliff, is an Inuit town with about 100 residents; it's the only settlement on the Fjord.  A boat is the only access.  None of us could imagine living there.

How many different hues of blue ice can there be?

Every shade, every shape.

Warm air came through the space where Jimmy was standing.

We took turns getting warm. 

I have more pics to share, perhaps tomorrow.  I promise you that this up close look at the many glaciers, icebergs and those imposing mountains that tower over the narrow channel with their spires and jagged ridges, was simply wondrous.

Qaqortaq! Wed, 8/3/22

 

Monday and Tuesday were sea days, as we made our way from Newfoundland to Greenland across the Labrador Sea.  The weather grew kinda poopy Monday evening, and we heard the foghorn off and on during the night on Monday.  Sea days are lazy -- reading and writing (blogging) and, of course, eating. 😉If a person has oatmeal for breakfast, all manner of other yummy dishes are allowed for the following meals, right?  Our stinky St John's hiking clothes got a needed dunking in the laundromat.  Generally, we relaxed on Monday after our big day yesterday.

Jimmy and I met with our friend, Linda, for a much needed catch-up chat in the afternoon.  We're still knocked sidewise by seeing each other on this cruise!  While we visited, the ship began rolling and pitching, with noticeable whitecaps in the sea.  It was blowing a gale!  Sunny but cold, too.  Nevertheless, Jimmy and I donned fluffy white robes and braved the cold for a dip in the "hot" tub on Deck 9.  I wouldn't call it hot, but it was nice and warm (till we got out).  While we soaked, we watched people walking the track on Deck 10 dressed in winter garb.  Sloshing tsunamis tossed the water in the swimming pool, always fun to watch.  Clouds moved in later.

Monday night, our captain came on the loudspeaker.  Our itinerary was altered!  No Nuuk, Greenland on Wed 8/3.  No Paamiut Greenland on Thurs 8/4!  Seems rain/high winds are blowing into southwestern Greenland and we won't be able to land or anchor.  Well, phooey.  Instead, the ship will head straight for Qaqortaq to anchor Wednesday morning.  Fingers crossed on this one!  After Qaqortaq, we're scheduled for Narsaq Greenland the following day.  Well, safety first, but we're disappointed.  Mother Nature dictates.

We rolled all night, but upon entering the fjord, the ship settled down.  Jimmy and I, and Nannie and Bubba were up early (first light comes early) to "catch the ice!"  And we saw ice!

Greenland morning.

Our first glimpse of Qaqortoq from the ship.  This tiny slip of a town (largest in southern Greenland) perched on a mountainside has been inhabited since prehistoric times.  The town was christened Julianehaab after the Danish queen Juliane Marie, but I'm not sure when the name change took place.  Don't ask me to pronounce it.  Like all populated places in Greenland, Qaqortoq is not connected to any other place via roads ... hiking trails or sea traffic only.  Insignia anchored offshore and we were tendered ashore.

Jimmy and I had 8am excursion tickets to hike along The Great Lake (Lake Tasersuag) with a guide.  Fog and a light mist, a chilly temp in the low 40's meant long johns, and layers, and rain jackets (also my Sherpa vest).  We wore our Tilly hats, not for wind today, but so we could drape skeeter netting hoods over them.  I used mine, Jimmy didn't -- I would've gotten eaten alive by skeeters if I hadn't.

Nannie and I bought matching Greenland shirts in this shop.  Everyone we met along the way smiled and said "hi."  Delightful people, these Greenlanders.  We're just happy we were able to come ashore.

Mindebrønden (Memorial Fountain) completed in 1932.

Largest fountain in Greenland.

 

We broke away from the (slow) group and continued on our own till we got to the back of the lake (two-plus miles) and turned around.  Except for the haunting call of a loon, all was quiet and peaceful.

Yellow Poppies, Arctic Anemones, and Saxifrage, Harebells, Arctic Cottongrass, and lots of Buttercups, plus a few Fireweed plants.

Lupines and Buttercups.  Lots of color in Greenland!

Serious cairn going on!

Can you see my netting?  Glad I had it.

Qaqortaq is down by the red x.  Really nice, picturesque hike.  The lake is pure enough to be the town's source of drinking water.  Can you see Jimmy?

Jimmy blends in!

Returning to town.

Don't think so.  Not for the average American!

Throughout Qaqortaq are carvings of whales, faces, and other traditional designs carved into boulders and lichen-covered rock faces. Together these stoneworks works of art are known as Stone & Man.  They're very cool.

Greenland's national flower:  magenta-petaled Niviarsiaq (“young girl”) in Greenlandic (Chamerion latifolium).  Quite attractive in a grouping.

Stellar day.  Beautiful country.  Back in toasty Insignia, we departed at 6pm, sailing down the fjord toward the sea and over to the next fjord and tomorrow's stop in Greenland -- the town of Narsaq.  Ocean in motion again!