Greenland & 4 subsequent days at sea
Greenland is a self ruled part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Today, the population is concentrated mainly on the southwest coast, while the rest of the island is sparsely populated. Three-quarters of Greenland is covered by one of the only few permanent ice sheet outside of Antarctica. With a population of 56,081 (2020), it is the least densely populated region in the world. About a third of the population lives in Nuuk, the capital and largest city; the second-largest city in terms of population is Sisimiut, 320 km (200 mi) north of Nuuk. The Arctic Umiaq Line ferry acts as a lifeline for western Greenland, connecting the various cities and settlements.
The countryhas been inhabited at intervals over at least the last 4,500 years by Arctic peoples whose forebears migrated there from what is now Canada. Norsemen settled the uninhabited southern part of Greenland beginning in the 10th century, having previously settled Iceland. These Norsemen later set sail from Greenland and Iceland, with Leif Erikson becoming the first known European to reach North America nearly 500 years before Columbus reached the Caribbean islands. Inuit arrived in the 13th century. Though under continuous influence of Norway and Norwegians, Greenland was not formally under the Norwegian crown until 1261. The Norse colonies disappeared in the late 15th century after Norway was hit by the Black Death and entered a severe decline. Soon after their demise, beginning in 1499, the Portuguese briefly explored and claimed the island, naming it Terra do Lavrador (later applied to Labrador in Canada)
In the early 17th century, Danish explorers reached Greenland again. To strengthen trading and power, Denmark–Norway affirmed sovereignty over the island. Because of Norway's weak status, it lost sovereignty over Greenland in 1814 when the union was dissolved. Greenland became Danish in 1814 and was fully integrated in the Danish state in 1953 under the Constitution of Denmark. With the Constitution of 1953, the people in Greenland became citizens of Denmark. From 1961 Greenland joined the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which Denmark joined as a founding member of the EFTA in 1960, but its membership ceased with effect from 1973 when Denmark joined the European Communities. In 1973, Greenland joined the European Economic Community (EEC) with Denmark. However, in a referendum in 1982, a majority of the population voted for Greenland to withdraw from the EEC. This was effected in 1985, changing Greenland to an OCT (Overseas Countries and Territories) associated with the EEC, now the European Union (EU). The associated relationship with the EU also means that all Greenlandic nationals (OCT-nationals) are EU citizens.
1979, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland; in 2008, Greenlanders voted in favour of the Self-Government Act, which transferred more power from the Danish government to the local Greenlandic government. Under the new structure, Greenland has gradually assumed responsibility for policing, the judicial system, company law, accounting, auditing, mineral resource activities, aviation, law of legal capacity, family law and succession law, immigration and border controls, the working environment, and financial regulation and supervision. The Danish government still retains control of citizenship, monetary policy and foreign affairs including defence. It also provided an initial annual subsidy of DKK 3.4 billion, which will diminish gradually. Greenland expects to grow its economy based on increased income from the extraction of natural resources. The capital, Nuuk, held the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. At 70%, Greenland has one of the highest shares of renewable energy in the world, mostly coming from hydropower
Silver Cloud's original plan for Greenland had to be substantially altered because the winter ice had not melted enough for the ship to enter the original fjords. Therefore our route was mainly in a small confined area shown on the map above
Friday  May 20th. Anchored off Qassiasuk, Greenland
Qassiarsuk is one of several settlements in Southern Greenland which subsist by sheep farming since the 1960s. It lies in the heart of Norse Greenland, home of one of the most famous Norsemen of all, Eric the Red, who founded the colony in Southern Greenland around 985. Eric was fiercely pagan, but his wife Thjodhild was a devout Christian. The Sagas say that she demanded her husband build her a church; Eric refused, but Thjodhild refused to share his bed until he relented, unwittingly constructing the first church in North America, on the condition that it be out of view of his hall. Today, Eric's house and Thjodhilds church are outlines in the turf of the modern town, but extensive archaeological investigations have shown a once thriving community centred around the church. Today, one can visit faithful reconstructions of Eric's hall and Thjodhild's church, and gain a stunning view over the fjord from Hans Lynge's remarkable bronze sculpture of Eric's son, Leif (the first European to visit the North American Mainland), as well as enjoying the hospitality of the locals, who are proud of their idyllic town and its epic history. Several sites in Norse Greenland including Qassiasuk / Brattahlíð are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Went ashore at 9.15 to explore the village that Erik the Red had established around 985: two and a half hours exploring the ruins and reconstructions. f his house and the first church, also the present church. Then walked u to the statue of Erik´s son, Leif
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After lunch on the pool deck, I had a swim and a siesta and then we were in the last Zodiak group to go ashore for an 8 km walk at Igaliku this meant we only had 150 minutes which was not enough!!.Black mark for the Expedition team!! We did get to a magnificent viewpoint over the town of Igaliku and indeed even about 15 minutes past that, but we needed our robbed 30 minutes to get to the village and back: a shame.Also we were far too warmly dressed for the walk!.
Igaliku is home to just 30 inhabitants (down from 55 in 2010). It was founded in 1783 by a trader and colonial administrator named Anders Olsen and his Greenlandic wife Tuperna.
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Ate in Hot Rocks with splendid views of icebergs and the snowy hills
Saturday. May 21st Floating with the icebergs
Settled ourselves down under blankets on the back of Deck 8. About 0 degrees but the sun came through by 11am..The ship edged up to the Qalerallit Glacier by 11 am and we were allowed out on to the bow on Deck 5. Lunched at Hot Rocks and then had a Paris coffee out on Deck 8, Cold!, Played Trivia.. Had a swim, then got wrapped up in n! layers for a wondrous zodiac ride at 4 around the icebergs. A crew zodiac plied us with champagne and goodies. It was not nearly as cold as we had feared.
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Had a siesta before Recap and Briefing: bad news was that on leaving Greenland at noon on the morrow tha weather was going to get progressively worse, 4.5 meter swell, until the UK at least. Dined in Hot Rocks, last time for several days!!, and then had a Paris coffee and Amaretto in the Panorama Lounge , listening to a Variety show with Alfredo, Helder and Raphael
Sunday,May 22nd. Narsaq
. A trading center was established here due to it's natural deep water harbor which could accommodate ocean faring vessels, . Initially local seal hunters traded blubber and seal skin for continental goods, such as coffee, sugar, bread and buckwheat. Until approximately 1900 seal hunting formed the main economy for Narsaq. In the early 1900s seal hunting began to fail, and the main basis for the economy gradually shifted to fishing. The town's historical fishing village dates from 1914.
The main house of the historical village today houses the power company in the city. Simiutak at the Skovfjord mouth near Narsaq was a HF/DF radio range finding station called Bluie West Three during World War II. The station commenced operations in January 1942, and was permanently manned until the end of the war. The population also increased during this period, from 25 in 1870, to 162 in 1919, and to 300 in 1930. However the settlement did not experience significant population growth until 1953, when its first prawn and fishing factory of Royal Greenland was established. The factory was subsequently closed in 2010. In 1959 the population exceeded 600, and Narsaq achieved town status,
With 1,346 inhabitants as of 2020, it is the ninth-largest town in Greenland. Several hundred people live in the surrounding community. The town is notable for the 1990 Narsaq massacre, a mass shooting where seven people were killed and one was wounded. The shooting was the worst in Greenland's history
Then a 10 minute, slightly less painful, walk to the centre of town. Several buildings there formed their museum; one with clothing and boats; another with local art; a tradional turf house and a slightly more recent one. The museum was really interesting with an interesting local there to tell us all about it - and it was nice and dry inside it!!! Then we found a clothing store open and also went into the, surprisingly, modern, supermarket, selling guns! .
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We returned on an empty zodiac and shed our drenched clothing and boots, sending the majority of soggy items straight to the laundry. Showered and then the bathroom became a repository for all our dripping outer layers. I started watching the President´s Men but then needed a siesta. Tea and Trivia followed by another ghastly lecture by Rosalie, luckily watched in our suite- before Recap when we learnt that the weather was turning nasty and we would have 4 and a half metre swells before reaching St Kilda after 3/4 days at sea. I got Kalaish to get me some sea sick pills.”Ate in La Terraza and David bought a bottle of Barola
The day dawned bright. Breakfasted in the restaurant, with eggs Benedict and a blueberry pancake for a change. Enjoyed a lecture by Malcolm on National Parks and World Heritage.. Several walks round the ship , a cup of soup in the suite and then a Wok lunch at the Pool Grill and a Paris coffee.. No other lecture that we had not heard before.Tea and then Trivia and a Mojito by 6pm, a trifle decadent!!. Dressed up for the Venetian Society, probably the only couple to do so!, cocktails and canapes in the Panorama Lounge before dining in the restaurant. A Parka party at the pool deck at. 9.45, with very poor gluwine, & with just an animated Marcel to chat to/endeavour to understand, and cold feet: I will give such an event a miss on the next leg!
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Tuesday 24th May. At sea
Pilates again at 8.45 and then a lecture by Elizabeth on Scottish Archaeology. Interesting that the Storegga Landslide about 6000 BC destroyed all life in East Scotland. The ship was still travelling almost due east but there was more swell, so I had a lie down and took a pill. The next lecture was about how animals adapted to the cold, by Aussie Oscar, which we watched in the cabin. There was then a Pub Lunch and Sing Along with Alfredo, Raphael and other staff in Dulce Vita; thoroughly enjoyable - although the chips were terrible!
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The ship headed well north of the direct route to avoid the worst of the weather. Intriguingly, with the gale force winds behind us, and the following sea, the ship was actually surfing. The bow wave was about amidships.
Another talk on whales by Malcolm before an enjoyable pairing wine tasting. A briefing on Stornaway then dinner in La Terraza
Thursday 26th May May. Supposedly Stornaway!, but actually a 4th day at sea
It being deemed impossible to land on St Kilda, because of the weather, the ship made for Stornaway, but by 1pm the weather was deemed too bad to enter harbour there. Tobermoray apparently refused to take the ship, so we soldiered south into the night
On to, though no one knew it until we woke up there!, Oban