Sisimiut

Well, that is some start: If it weren't for the slightly chilly wind you'd be tempted to walk in shorts. The very clear weather seems to emphasize all colors, so the houses of Sisimiut looks like freshly painted. In Assaqutaq we can watch children working on their fishing skills; the waters are so rich they don't even need a bait! Also they learn hunting seals at primary school, makes you think about spoiled Nintendo-Kids at home... Greenlandic tradition is revived in many places. A fine example is Jacob, who shows us a sheer endless series of "Eskimo-rolls" in his handcrafted Qajaq. People coming back from the historic hike are beaming, be it the sun or the exitement, hard to tell. So we sail into the evening towards Disko Island. To the delight of the restaurant crew, a whale shows up during dinner, causing many people to run outside. It was certainly worth it: A humpback whale decided to show off a little, breeching three times in a row to great applause. With the Crews Fashion Show a long, good day comes to an end.

Kangerlussuaq

Well, and that's about it...it is unbelievable how fast time can pass in the end. Early in the morning everybody get's a famous last ride ashore. But: the day is far from over yet. There is a long, bumpy and joyful excursion to the inland ice, the mother of all glaciers and icebergs. This is where it all comes from, fascinating!
The "city" of Kangerlussuaq has got the melancholic charme of a forsaken place, like being strewn into the wide valley of the Søndre Strømfjord. An interesting guided walk brings us to church and museum, but the thoughts a still far in the distance where everybody can catch a last glance on MS Fram mooring in the Fjord. Quite a few vows are made to come back. Then it's BBQ time at the nearby lake, where the last hours till departure are bridged with delicious musk ox burgers and wine and salad. And, finally, after a wonderful trip that seemed long and short at the same time, the red Aircraft leaves the ground. Farewell, Greenland, Farewell, Fram...

Itilleq

Truly, the weather tries to distract everybody from the thought of leaving, under a clear blue sky we navigate towards our last stop. At the foot of snow-capped mountains the colorful houses of Itilleq welcome us. In a double sense of meaning, since the whole village has prepared a kaffeemik, that is coffee and self-made cake in their houses. And then the highlight of the day: The soccer game, Itilleq vs. Fram. In the beginning there are only very few players and quite a lot of rules. In the end we have a lot of players and no more rules; no one bothers about petty offenses like "out" or handplay, also running behind or through the spectators (with the ball, of course) is just fine. Sometimes it doesn't even matter which goal we shoot at. Well, come on, who cares: 33 players on the field, of literally all ages and nationalities, that is a good game, no matter the result. Probably it's a draw, anyway...
In the evening Captain's Dinner while we enter the Sondre Strømfjord towards our destination. The crew cheers everybody up with song and laughter. Time to pack.
Last, but not least: The glorious winners of the "Picture of the Cruise" contest are: Ian and Jane Lawson and Harald Thee. Thank you for participatiing, all of you!

Ilulissat

There is only one drawback to the day in Ilulissat: It is simply not possible to do everything that is offered, although everything is sooooo tempting: A helicopter ride to the icecap is certainly a one-in-a-lifetime thing, but if you talk to the people that came back from the morning hike to the wide Fjord which is clogged with giant icebergs, it was probably jsut as nice. And then put on a warm sweater, jump on board of the stout excursion boat and find out what it means to be really in the drift ice. Innumerable variations of blue and white, in all shapes there are. In the good ol' times of Kodak, everybody would have spent a fortune on film rolls!
And then there is still a little time left to take a stroll through Greenlands second largest city, although the number of sledge dogs seems to be rivalling the population. Mood is high in the evening, just in time for the famous crew show where our talented crew members perform songs, Balinesian and Phlippine dances, juggling shows and a lot more. Although the trip is near an end, everybody goes to bed with a smile.

Eqip Sermia

For the first time this year a ship tries to go into this Fjord. Since it ends at the front of two giant glaciers that are rising high towards the icecap, you never know what is expecting you. And indeed, a thick band of drift ice blocks our way, MS FRAM has to stop. Of course, this doesn't keep us from going outside, especially not after being baptized by Neptune himself! So we bring our Polar Cirkel Boats out and off we go, through a dense blue-and-white labyrinth, pushing ice floes aside and marvelling at the bizarre shapes in the crystal-clear water. Everybody is in an outdoor mood when we come back, so the timing is just fine for a BBQ on the upper deck while we are gently cruising through the snow-covered Fjord. Brian and Leo, our food and ice artists, have picked a big block of glacier ice from the sea and show us in the evening what skillful hands can do with natures material. A day in the company of a glacier comes to an end.

Sisimiut

It is children's day in Sisimiut, so you see many Greenlanders in the streets wearing their traditional clothes, lending a lot of color to this rather grey day. On a very instructive excursion to an abandoned fishermans village named Assaqutaq we learn that at least part of todays happiness is due to the fact that the children are simply still alive. Not long ago the harsh living conditions up here in the north took its toll among children and adults alike. Straight from the people who do know: this is how we learn more about Greenland, the Danish colonization, dogs, religious conflicts and cultural clashes than from any book. The afternoon brings us to the ruins of Ancient Sisimiut, where people from the Thule-Culture lived and hunted since the 16th century. Before we leave for Disko Bay qajaq-champion Jacob shows us how a master can handle his needle-thin boat, an impressive demonstration in ice-cold water.

Nuuk

The Danish name for Nuuk is Gondthåb - good hope. Whoever had hoped for sunny weather did so in vain, but at least the rain stopped before we went to pier. We can really feel now that we are going North, the snow reaching down straight to the sea level.
After all these remote places, the capital of Greenland is certainly different: There are busses and roundabouts and traffic lights, people with shopping bags and cigarette butts in the streets. Well - a city is a city. But then again, there are book stores and classical music presentations and good shops and nice Bistros and Brasseries and, and, and... Again - a city is a city. So everybody had the chance to go out on a stroll, get souvenirs or take a boat ride to Nuuk Fjord.
Now we are heading on for Sisimiut over night. And if nature wants to welcome us back we see a number of humpback whales pretty close to the ship.
Those who follow our trip on the map will notice a dashed line in our way - the Polar Circle. We will cross it around six in the morning. So from tomorrow on we are really Polar Travellers...

Ivittuut

There are three places in Greenland that are good for spotting Musk Oxen, one of them being Ivituut, the "Grassy Land". There is certainly one spot that is perfect for being chased by Musk Oxen, and this is behind the Ivittuut Mineral Museum... No kidding, we had the Oxen right in the backyard of the building, forcing us to a couple of interesting evasive maneuvers. Finally, the hairy creatures felt somewhat outnumbered and took off. So we could focus on the morbid beauty of the ghost town that once hosted the world's largest mine for Cryolithe. This snow-white mineral was once essential for the effective production of Aluminum. Needless to say that the importance culminated towards the end of WW II. Well, the rush is over, and all that remains is a 250 feet deep hole, a scenic conglomerate of abandoned houses and an excellent museum with an outstanding collection. So we spent the best part of our day in Ivittuut - in sunlight, of course. Now it's time to go fast and far over night to Nuuk!

Narsaq

We must have done something right - the sun literally wakes us up in the Narsaq Sound, where - for a change - we can go to pier. Now we split into groups again: Those who like a good hike are brought into the wide valley, at the end of which sits a very famous mountain, the Kvanefell. It is the world's only source of the beautiful gemstone Tugtupite. Of course everybody wants to find a piece of it, but this remains only a hope, since the outcrops are well hidden to the untrained eye. A lovely morning nonetheless.
Other activities take us to Narsaq Point, permitting splendid views into the bay, or to the long-ago crumbled ruins of an old Norsen settlement. Greenlandic handicraft and knitwear can be found at the school, where we are invited to a bazaar-like event with music and barbecued ox. Without having seen clouds for a whole day we sail out towards the open sea to make our way towards Ivittuut.

Qassiarsuk

Morning mist covers the Fjord as we drop anchor at Qassiarsuk, the famous Viking settlement where Erik the Red resided in the year 1000. As soon as the tender deck is open the two excursion boats go alongside to pick the passengers up for the ride to the Qooroq icefjord, which sheds huge amounts of ice into the area. After only a couple of minutes we have to nudge our way through the drift ice, constantly seeking out a path through the frozen maze.
Finally, we have to stop and turn around: The Glacier has pushed all the floes together, building a nicely consolidated carpet of ice. But it was a faszinating boat ride nonetheless.
Back in Qassiarsuk, Polar Cirkel Boats are waiting to bring us ahore (after lunch, of course), where everybody can choose between a historical settlement walk with lots of information on the Viking Era, or a scenic hike into the unbelievably pittoresque neighbouring Fjord under immaculate blue skies. Whatever the choice may be - at dinner time everybody comes to the conclusion: What-a-day!

Qaqortoq

On a chilly morning everybody goes ashore with a full set of options: The Museum does not only show a nice selection of Inuit handicraft (real qajaqs, real anoraqs) but also the "red room" and the "blue room", where famous people like Charles E. Lindbergh and Knud Rasmussen stayed. The "Stone and Man" project was founded in 1993, when Greenlands most famous artist, Aka Høegh, assembled 18 sculpturers from many countries to carve their impressions into the surrounding rocks. The guided walk takes you nearly through the whole village, which is literally full of artwork. Those with a rather culinary approach to the Greenlandic culture could try their courage on whale steak and seal blubber, but also various typical fish dishes. Speaking of seal: The afternoon offered a tour through Great Greenlands tannery, where around 120.000 sealskins are treated annually. After an eventful day we leave the pier for Quassiarsuk.

Igaliko, at last...

This morning reminds us why we call it Expedition: The pack ice belt is wider than expected, so we have to go around it, shifting the days schedule, fitting in a few more lectures and enjoy the cruise alongside the ice until we reach the entrance of the Igaliko Fjord. Under a clear blue sky we pass beautiful icebergs, accompanied by proud seal hunters in their small boats, displaying the dead seals like a trophy.
Igaliku itself has only 30 permanent inhabitants. Still, it is a place worth a walking tour, last not least for the sake of the Norsen ruins and the memorial of Erik the Red and Einar who came here more than 1000 years ago to found ancient Gar∂ar. The day ends with a hike to a nearby ridge which offers spectacular views in two Fjords during sunset.

At Sea (II)

There is a linear correlation between sea conditions and the number of free seats in a lecture hall. Since the weather has improved today, the audience has increased considerably, listening to talks on Modern Greenland, Fridjof Nansen, Seals, Ice and Polar Bears. However, there are also many interesting ways of doing nothing on a ship: You can while away in the observation lounge, scanning the endless horizon, play a game of cards with a view in the Bistro, stand on deck and watch the Fulmars soar around the vessel, or take your time chatting at the dinner table. Quite many were to be seen in the Gym, compensating the excellent Buffet. In the evening we pass Cape Farvell in a distance. Tomorrow morning we will be in Greenland!

At sea

The weather picks up a little on the Denmark Strait, and we all start to develop our sea legs. Although there is no land in sight, we have a full day of lectures from morning to dinner time, covering a huge variety of topics from seals, Greenlands politics, birds, History, the Inuit, Geology and - very useful - Digital Photography. Those who prefer to have their nose in the wind enjoy the fresh gale on deck and the beautiful clouds. In the evening everybody catches a glimpse behind the scene, as our Chef and the Hotel Manager volunteer to be guests in a little "talk show" in the Observation Lounge. Now everybody gets to sleep in anticipation of the first sighting of ice tomorrow!