I took the 100 minute "Master Explorer" flight with AirZafari, up Disko Bay to the Eqi and Kangilerngata glaciers
and then back down and over the Ice Cap to the Jacobshaven glacier and the famous Icefjord with its giant bergs.
|
| Graham + Vulcanair Partenavia P68
|
|
| Up Disko Bay: An isolated berg near Ilulissat
|
|
| View to Kangilerngata Sermia glacier
|
|
Kangilerngata Sermia face
A floating face, so large bergs calve smoothly into the water.
|
|
| View to Eqip Sermia Glacier
|
|
Eqip Sermia Face
A hanging glacier, over land. Ice falls and breaks into smallish chunks.
|
|
| Eqip Sermia Face
|
|
| Big Ice
|
|
| View up fjord towards a "dead" glacier. (?)
|
|
| View to Ice Cap
|
|
| Cloud-shadowed Ice Cap view
|
|
| Cloud-shadowed Ice Cap view
|
|
Face of Jakobshavn Glacier aka the Icefjord Glacier
Don't be deceived by the lack of scale: It's enormous:
|
|
| Jakobshavn Glacier aka the Icefjord Glacier
|
|
| Jakobshavn Glacier: top view
|
|
| Jakobshavn Glacier: closeup of Face
|
|
| Icefjord: Giant Bergs
|
|
| Icefjord: A stranded monster
|
|
| Icefjord, near mouth
|
|
| Icefjord Mouth
|
|
| Ilulissat Harbor
|
This was a cruise up Disko Bay to the Eqip Glacier.
|
The Disko Line Najaaraq Ittuk
With strong steel sides.
|
|
| Big Ice, near ilulissat
|
|
| Scenic Ice, near Ilulissat
|
|
| Nudging up Northern Disko Bay
|
|
| Waterfall, from Ice Cap
|
|
| View towards Kangilerngata Sermia
|
|
| Iceberg aircraft carrier
|
|
| Nudging inwards to Eqip Sermia through loose ice
|
|
Eqip Sermia glacier face
It's big: the face is around 2.5km wide and 250 meters high
|
|
| Eqip Sermia Face: Detail
|
|
| Graham at Eqip Sermia
|
|
| View to Eqip Sermia, from near Eqip Lodge
|
|
| Pushing our way out
|
|
| Nudging out through thicker ice (rear view).
|
|
| Departing view of Eqip Sermia + Big Ice
|
|
| Big Ice near Ilulissat. With Actic Hotel in background
|
|
View to projecting ice at mouth of Icefjord
From Hotel Arctic, across Ilulissat harbor
|
|
Ice Berg visiting Ilulissat Harbour
The Icebergs go where the Icebergs want to go!
|
|
| Visiting Danish Navy patrol boat
|
|
| Zion Church (from 1779, restored 1925)
|
|
| Zion Church
|
|
Charming Knud Rasmussen Museum
Rasmussen was an early 20th c Greenland explorer & anthropologist
|
|
| Some of the many sled dogs tethered around Ilulissat
|
|
Futuristic Icefjord Museum
Sadly the interior emphasises artistic presentation over information
|
|
| Path to view of Icefjord Mouth
|
|
| Icefjord: That's some seriously BIG ice
|
|
| Beware of Tsunamis from calving icebergs
|
|
A typical Air Greenland De Havilland Dash-8
They use seven of these for all their domestic plane flights.
|
|
Air Greenland Dash-8 being hauled off for maintenace
An all too common sight, unfortunately.
|
|
| Polar Hotel: Basic, but comfortable
|
Another tourist flight with AirZafari. Sadly the pilot decided to focus on the so-so scenic valleys, with only a short time over the Ice Cap.
|
Ready for my Ice Cap flight.
I had a front seat. "Don't nudge anything!"
|
|
| Heading towards the Ice Cap
|
|
| Ice Cap edge
|
|
| View to the Greenland Ice Cap
|
|
| Typical spiky surface of outer areas of Ice Cap
|
|
| Pilot-recommended "Scenic Valley". Meh.
|
|
Kangerlussuaq Fjord (the "Long Fjord")
Note the sharp fresh-water to sea-water transition
|
|
| Our "tundra capable" tour bus
|
|
| Scenic Lake. Ho hum.
|
|
| Reindeer Glacier (?)
|
|
| Moraines at the edge of the ice Cap
|
|
Outer edge of Ice Cap
With much black dust blown back from moraines
|
|
| Graham on the Greenland Ice Cap
|
|
| Selfie on the Greenland Ice Cap
|
|
| Distant Reindeer
|
|
| Reindeer Glacier (?)
|
I managed to arrange a private chartered boat expedition from Qaqortoq to see the 13 c Hvalsey Church
This is by far the best preserved Norse-era building in Greenland.
|
| View approaching Hvalsey Church
|
|
| Hvalsey Church
|
|
| Hvalsey Church
|
|
Hvalsey Church view to interior
Through very strongly built doorway
|
|
Hvalsey Church interior
Looking back towards main door
|
|
Hvalsey Site
Banqueting Hall in foreground, Church beyond.
|
|
| Hvalsey: Banqueting Hall
|
|
| Graham at Hvalsey Church
|
|
| My hired boat
|
|
| Big Ice near Qaqortoq
|
|
| Air Greenland helicopter to Qaqortoq
|
|
| Passengers sit behind the cargo!
|
|
| Big Ice in Eric's Fjord
|
|
| Landscape view from Helicoper
|
|
| Big Iceberg in Eric's Fjord
|
|
| Approaching Qaqortoq
|
|
| Church of Our Savior. Ho hum.
|
|
| Dolphin Fountain
|
|
| Qaqortoq Museum: Hans Egede
|
|
| Qaqortoq Museum: Kayaks
|
|
| Qaqortoq Museum
|
|
| Qaqortoq Museum: Traditional clothing
|
|
| Qaqortoq Harbor
|
|
| Fjord view, from helicopter.
|
|
| Safely landed back in Narsarsuaq
|
The modern village of Qassiarsuk is believed to be the location of Eric the Red's farm of Brattahlíð
|
| 1982 monument to Eric's 982 AD expedition
|
|
| View to Leif Eriksson statue
|
|
Leif Ericson statue
Staring SW towards Vinland
|
|
View over Brattahlíð
Ruins of later Norse church in upper right.
|
|
Ruins of later Norse Church
Probably a couple of centuries after Eric.
|
|
| Church ruins
|
|
| Outline of "Banquet Hall" ???
|
|
| Graham at Brattahlíð Church ruins
|
|
Restored turf outline of Thjodhild's Church
The very first Church in Greenland, built by Eric's wife, with Eric's very reluctant consent, on condition it was away from his farm.
|
|
| Graham at Thjodhild's Church
|
|
| Modern church, opposite Thjodhild's Church
|
|
| Imaginative replica of Thjodhild's Church
|
|
| Graham at replica church
|
|
| Replica Viking Longhouse
|
|
| It's surprisingly spacious inside
|
|
| Inner (lockable) bed-cabin for the Boss and his Lady
|
|
| Iceberg in Eric's Fjord, in mid-June.
|
The modern village of Igaliku holds the ruins of the 12th c Norse Garðar Cathedral
The Cathedral of St Nicholas was wealthy and is surrounded by farm buildings: the largest Norse farm in Greenland!
|
View over Igaliku
Cathedral ruins are below blue building near center
|
|
| Igaliku: Viking Monument
|
|
Garðar Cathedral, from East end
Chancel and chapels in foreground, nave beyond
|
|
Garðar Cathedral, from South East
Nave in foreground, leading to chancel and chapels
|
|
Modern marker over Norse Bishop's grave
A 13th-14th c Bishop, with Ring, etc.
|
|
| Garðar Cathedral: East End
|
|
| Farm buildings: Tithe barn?
|
|
| Foundations of Bishop's Feasting Hall
|
|
| Farm buildings: Cow Byre?
|
|
| Rebuilt (?) Byre doorway
|
|
| Graham at Garðar Cathedral
|
|
| Eric wasn't lying when he called it "Green Land"
|
|
Curious sheep
They don't get many visitors!
|
|
| "The Children's Forest, 2004"
|
|
Blue Ice cafe
Hone of Blue Ice Tours
|
|
Narsarsuaq Museum
Focused on the "Bluie West One" WWII airbase
|
|
| Blue Ice in Eric's Fjord
|
|
| Big Ice in Eric's Fjord
|
|
| Trees! In Greenland!
|
|
| Forest! In Greenland!
|
|
Confused statue of Eric and family
Eric is lifting Leif up onto his pomy
|
|
Unexpected Ukrainian flight at Nararsuaq
A Vulkan Air cargo flight
|
A short but very scenic cruise, past much Big Ice, up to the Qooroq Glacier.
|
| Distant view to Qooroq Glacier
|
|
Clear (refrozen) ice at base of berg
The bergs are white due to many tiny air bubbles
|
|
| Closer view to Qooroq Glacier
|
|
A toast at the Glacier
Orange Juice + Glacier ice!
|
|
| The Parade forms up at City Hall
|
|
| The National Day Parade
|
|
| National Costumes in the Parade
|
|
| The starting gun for the Seal Hunt
|
|
| Seal Hunters waiting for the starting signal
|
|
| Starting gun fires!
|
|
| The Seal Hunters are off!
|
|
| A Danish patrol ship is part of the fun too
|
|
| Speeches at the Harbor
|
|
| More speeches
|
|
But there's cake too
(An anniversary at the Kittat Store)
|
|
| And I got a slice too!
|
|
Hans Egede Statue
On a crag over the Old Harbor
|
|
| Church of Our Savior
|
|
| Church of Our Savior
|
|
| View to Old Harbor and Modern Apartments
|
|
| "Mother of the Sea" sculpture
|
|
| National Museum: Kayaks
|
|
Umiaq frame from the late 15th c (!!)
Used for travel and whaling. Driftwood frame covered with sealskin.
|
|
| National Museum: Festive Constumes
|
|
| Greenland Parliament
|
|
| Greenland Parliament Chamber
|
|
Parliament: Queen Margrethe visits
And hands over Self-Rule documents
|
|
| Kangerlussuaq: Hindbærsnitter + Hindbær Spandauer
|
|
| Ilulissat: Muskox Burger
|
|
| Ilulissat: Muskox Burger
|
|
| Ilulissat: Yummy Reindeer Burger
|
|
| Ilulissat: Yummy Reindeer Burger
|
|
| Kangerlussuaq: Pulled Muskox Burger
|
|
| Kangerlussuaq: Kringer pastry + Hindbaer Spandauer
|
|
| Qaqorotoq: Excellent Reindeer Carpaccio
|
|
| Qaqorotoq: A fine Reindeer Steak
|
