A capital in a glorious landscape

During the night and the morning we were sailing along the Greenlandic South West Coast northward. Our next destination should be Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. The weather has been amazing again and we enjoyed the view over the snow and ice covered mountain ranges in the distance.

At the same time we had lectures again. It was difficult to make the right decision. Should we listen to a lecture to be well prepared when we reach Nuuk or should we stay on the open decks or in the Observation Lounge to enjoy the nature? But then suddenly there have been creatures that made the decision for us – whales. At least seven Humpback Whales showed up in front of the vessel. Our captain slowed down the ship and gave us so the best possibility to watch these huge animals. It was unbelievable. They did not feel disturbed by us. Especially the giant flukes have been an imposing picture.

Photo Klaus Kiesewetter

In the early afternoon we reached Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The town is with app. 15.000 inhabitants the largest city of this icy land. The Paleo-Eskimo of the Saqqaq culture settled in this area already 5000 years ago. The city was founded as Godthåb in 1728 by the royal governor Claus Paarss. Hans Egede, Greenland’s first missionary founded his mission colony on a small island directly in front of the area, where Nuuk is located today, in 1721. But only some years later he moved to the new founded colony of Godthåb on the mainland. The old colonial part (Godthåb) is still an important historical part of Nuuk.

Nuuk is a very modern city today, with modern inhabitants, modern buildings and a modern “way of life”.

During our time in Nuuk we could explore both parts of this amazing town, the historical part, the present part and perhaps even a little bit of the future.

And our hikers on board even enjoyed the fantastic surroundings of Nuuk.

In the evening we relaxed in the panorama lounge. The crew invited us to a fruit and ice carving show and Mikki, our Greenlandic artist, played his guitar. The day could not end in a better way.

Qassiarsuk

How fresh was every sight and sound on open main or winding shore! We knew the merry world was round, and we might sail for evermore.
The Voyage, Alfred Lord Tennyson

We dropped anchor in Qassiarsuk quite early at 06:30.  It was another beautiful day! It seems that spring is a couple of weeks late in arriving in Greenland.  Nevertheless Qassiarsuk is one of the greenest and mildest areas on the entire island which is why this is one of the most agricultural regions in all of Greenland.  

“ as the excursion boats plied their way up the fjord, blue skies followed in their wake.

Boat Excursion to Glacier
Photo © Corina Gamma

The excursions to see the glacier at the head of the fjord started off early with the first boats leaving at 07:30.  The sky was largely overcast 1st thing in the morning but as the excursion boats plied their way up the fjord, blue skies followed in their wake.  

Boat Excursion to Glacier
Photo © Corina Gamma

The deeper into the fjord we went, the more ice we encountered.  Finally, the small excursion boats stopped where they could enjoy a terrific view of the glacier at the end of the fjord.

Guided walk Viking History
Photo © Corina Gamma

Meanwhile, back in the small community of Qassiarsuk it was a perfect day to go for a stroll on your own or join a guided walk to discover the Viking history of this bucolic community.

Shortly after 11:30 the last Polar Cirkel boat was back on the ship.  We spent the afternoon on board Fram enjoying the fantastic scenery in some of the fjords of Southern Greenland.  We also were prepped on tomorrow’s activities and plans for the Nuuk, capital of Greenland.  

Fashion Show
Photo © Corina Gamma

In the evening we attended a fun fashion show that was put on by the ship’s crew, officers and Expedition Team.  Even the Captain took a few turns on the runway!

Greenland – Here we come

We sailed around Cape Farewell - the southernmost tip of Greenland - during the night and we have to say - it was bumpy, very bumpy. Some of us could not sleep and made the decision to stand up again to watch the sea from the observation lounge or any other place on the ship with a nice seat and of course a huge window; it is always helpful in a rough sea to see the horizon.

The wind was decreasing during the morning so that passengers could participate in the lectures about Greenland in the lecture halls.  

Around lunchtime we reached our first destination in Greenland, Qaqortoq. The town greeted us with sunshine. As soon as the captain went alongside the first children showed up at the pier to welcome us.

In different excursions we explored this wonderful town in South Greenland. Qaqortoq was founded by the Norwegian-Danish trader Anders Olsen in 1775 as the old colony Julianehåb. Qaqortoq is today the largest city in South Greenland with app. 3.300 inhabitants (2012) and belongs to the community of Kujalleq.

The city is famous for its open air gallery “Stone and Man”. 1993 -1994 the well-known artist Aka Hoegh started this gallery together with 18 artists from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Åland Islands. Today there are more than 40 sculptures to see in town.

“Great Greenland” Greenland’s exclusive tannery is located in town and an important economical factor for Qaqortoq. One excursion group was able to visit the tannery and learned a lot about Greenland’s seals and the problematic to sell the fur to the international market.

As we had wonderful warm weather, sunshine with some clouds, everybody stayed longer in town as expected. It was wonderful to stretch the legs after two sea days.

After dinner we had a special evening landing in Hvalsø, next to the ruins of an old church and farmhouse out of the Viking time.  The extraordinary light during the sunset created an unforgettable light over this important historical place. 

Snow- and Lapland Buntings were still singing their wonderful songs when passengers had to leave the landingside.

The Tempestuous Denmark Strait

 The most beautiful thing one can experience is the mysterious.  It is the source of all true art and science.  He to whom this reaction is a stranger, who no longer can pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe,  is as good as dead. His eyes are closed.

Albert Einstein 

The region near Southeast Greenland in the Denmark Strait is one of the stormiest places in the world’s oceans, situated directly beneath the North Atlantic storm track.  (Robert S. Pickart Physical Oceanography Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution).

Storm in Denmark Strait
Photo © Corina Gamma





“ By 20:00 we had winds of between 20 and 25 metres/sec.  On the beaufort scale this is defined as a strong gale or storm. 

As usual, we have been looking at satellite weather charts over the past few days.  We could see very strong winds forming to the South of Greenland which were due to track north in the Denmark Strait.  Hm.  Pretty much exactly where we were going. The winds built steadily throughout the day and gradually swung to come out of the north.  By 20:00 we had winds of between 20 and 25 metres/sec.  On the beaufort scale this is defined as a strong gale or storm.  

Looking out the large windows on Fram the sea looked rather dramatic.  Wave heights were four to six metres with some of the waves cresting over and the air filled with salt sea spray.  Inside the ship was another story. Inside Fram it was nice and comfy-cozy.  We were fortunate that the seas were taking us on the starboard quarter stern.  This imparted a long steady roll to Fram.  Nothing violent.  No bashing into waves.  No heavy bumps. No large crashes.  It certainly looked much worse than it felt.

As today was a full day at sea, we had a full program of lectures.  We also held briefings designed to familiarize everyone with our Polar Cirkle boats and our tender pit operations.  Sea days are also an opportunity to meet the Captain on the bridge and learn a little about navigating Fram in polar areas. 

Miki Jacobsen (right) conducting  a tour of the ship's abundant art.
Painting by Miki Jacobsen
Photo © Corina Gamma

Photo © Corina Gamma

At 15:30 there was a nice change to the days routine with aromatic waffles being served in the Observation Lounge.  You could smell the delicious aroma of cooking waffles throughout the ship, from deck three all the way to deck seven.

At 22:00 Miki entertained us all by playing his guitar and singing Greenlandic songs in the Observation lounge.  Miki is a very talented musician and artist.  A lot of the artwork on Fram is his, including the large paintings and sculptures in the reception area on deck four.  It is always a pleasure to have Miki on board!

Let’s go West!

Our next two days we will spend at sea. The Denmark Strait between Island and Greenland can be very rough, but it looks like that we are travelling with lots of angels as the sea is totally smooth.There is nearly no wind and only a little bit of swell. Best weather conditions for whale watching as you can see nearly all movements at the sea surface.

And we have been successful. Several times during the day we could spot some whales, most of them have been Sperm Whales; one we saw in the distance seemed to be a Seiwhale. For a while we have been accompanied by a small group of dolphins. Small crowds of Northern Fulmars and Kittiwakes followed the ships. As we had so less wind we could not expect so many sea birds because they need the wind to fly. But it has been worth to stay on the open decks; there was always something to see. Even the flat sea looked nice in the sunshine, especially in the later evening during the very, very late sun set.

The morning program started with our first bridge visit tour for our chinese guests. Tomorrow the other nations will have the chance to see the working area of our officers.

Of course there was a lot of time for reading books and dreaming.

 

During the day our international lecturer staff has given many lectures in German, English, Norwegian and even with a translation into Chinese. A sea day is always a good possibility for lecturing and teaching the passengers. The lecturers want us to be best prepared when we reach our destination we dreamt of for such a long time – Greenland.  

We are on the same route like Erik the Red more than 1000 years ago. But times have changed. He went over the Denmark Strait in open rowing boats; we have our wonderful ship FRAM. We can be relax, our officers on the bridge are doing a wonderful job for us, we have not even to think about it. After only one day we feel like home on board. During the night most of us will sleep again very well. The soft movement of the vessel gives us the feeling of sleeping like a baby in a cradle. Let’s see what kind of surprises the next day will bring to us.

Reykjavik Iceland

Of the gladdest moments in life, methinks is the departure upon a distant journey to unknown lands.  Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home.  Man feels once more happy.  Afresh dawns the morn of life.

Sir Richard Burton, journal entry - 2 December 1856

Photo © Corina Gamma

Iceland seemed to be living up to it’s frigid name today.  The 31st of May and only 6˚C.  A cold North Atlantic rain made the temperature seem even colder. However a quick check on the internet shows that the average temperature in Reykjavik on May 31st is 6˚.  So all perfectly normal for this time of year. Brrrr. 

The checkin process on Fram today went smoothly as always. 

Photo © Corina Gamma

It took only a few moments to receive a ship’s ID after which  we were shown to our cabins and then, on deck four we received our blue expedition jackets for the voyage. We had lots of time to explore Fram and to get to know our new home away from home before the mandatory safety drill at 19:30. As a matter of law all passengers much participate in this very important drill.

Photo © Corina Gamma

 

Shortly after the drill we cast off our lines and waved good-bye to Reykjavik.  As we “set sail” the sun poked through the clouds which seemed to be a good omen for crossing the Denmark Strait.  We will have the next two days at sea and the weather forecast looks good!

Photo © Corina Gamma

At 21:15 we met the Captain in the Observation Lounge where he gave a warm welcome speech and a toast for the start of our voyage to Greenland.  He introduced key members of the ship.  The Expedition Leader Anja Erdmann then took over and introduced the members of the Expedition Team.

It is now 22:00 as we head westwards across Denmark Strait on our way to Qaqortoq Greenland!  The winds are light and the seas one to two meters.  Ideal conditions!

Photo © Corina Gamma

At Sea

Although we are whole day at sea it doesn’t mean that we are bored. Few lectures before lunch, few after the lunch and bridge visit kept us busy.

The vessel was surrounded by sea birds and many of us spent some time on the outside decks, taking photographs of gliding gannets, kittiwakes and fulmars.

Today is also our last day on board so packing the luggage and securing purchased souvenirs inside suitcases also took some time.

In the evening we had captain farewell. Captain Arild Hårvik briefly summarised our trip, thanked his crew for work good done and expressed the hope that we had good cruise. Truly – indeed we had excellent cruise on the unique waters.

A beautiful day on the „Sheep Islands”.

At 10 o’clock MV Fram moored in the harbour of the capitol ^[1] of the “Sheep Islands” ^[2].

Also today we had excellent weather and immediately after MV Fram was cleared everybody went ashore. Judging be patches of snow which are still present on the highest hills, spring arrived here a bit later than usually. Small, fresh green leaves on the trees were another indication of the late spring arrival.

After pleasant stroll over the town and quick lunch on board we were ready for further exploration. We had a choice of the historical, architectural and biological tours.

At 16:40, enriched with acquired knowledge, we were back on board and at 17:00 MV Fram left the pier.

Sailing between the islands the ship set the course for Iceland. Tomorrow we have sea day but “today” is not over yet. At 22:00 “The Crew Show” will take place in Observation Lounge and we are eager to see it.

^[1] – Torshavn

^[2] – Faroe Islands

Lerwick Shetland (or as they say in Shetland, “Lerrick.”)

“A first walk in any new country is one of the things which makes life on this planet worth being grateful for.”

Charles William Beebe, American Naturalist 1887 - 1962

The clouds and blustery winds of yesterday were replaced by largely clear skies today. It was still cool, around 15˚C but very comfortable with a sweater and windbreaker.

At about 07:30 Fram eased into the pier located in downtown Lerwick. By 08:15 the ship had been cleared. Several motor coaches were already on the pier waiting for those that had elected to go on one of the two excursions on offer.

Lerwick Shetland
Photo © Corina Gamma

At 08:30 the 1st buses set off for Jarlshof, on the southern tip of the Mainland of Shetland. Jarlshof is a site that was continuously inhabited almost from the beginning of human settlement in Shetland (from around 4000BCE) until the 17th century. The original Stone-Age houses are topped by a broch, Pictish wheelhouses, Viking longhouses and, towering over the whole complex, the ruins of a 16th century mansion. The highlight was climbing up a spiral staircase to the top of the tower of the most recent stage of settlement, for a birds-eye view over the whole of Jarlshof, laid out before us like a map.

"The bird watching on Mousa was excellent... even a Great Skua that was eating an unidentified bird species for a late breakfast.

The 2nd excursion was by motor coach and then ferry to the uninhabited island of Mousa and Mousa Broch, best preserved of all these uniquely Scottish Iron-Age (600BCE to 500CE) fortifications. 

Mousa Broch Mousa Island, Shetland
Photo © Klaus Kiesewetter

The bird watching on Mousa was excellent, especially the sea birds with sightings of Gannets, Gillemots, Northern Fulmars and even a Great Skua that was eating an identified bird species for a late breakfast.

Skua, Mousa Island
Photo © Klaus Kiesewetter

All of the motor coaches were back to the ship by 13:00 which still left enough time to grab lunch and explore the shops in downtown Lerwick.

Search and Rescue
Photo © Corina Gamma

In the late afternoon we had some excitement in the form of a helicopter visit by a local search & rescue team.  They radioed Fram and asked our Captain if we would like to participate in a helicopter rescue drill with them.

My lasting impressions of Mainland Shetland are of  a peaceful island with rolling bucolic landscapes. Shetland sheep with young lambs speckle lush green pastures. Sturdy Shetland ponies with young foals are frequently seen grazing not far from the roadside. There are many gorgeous white sandy beaches occupied only by Common and Grey Seals and various seabirds.

Kirkwall Orkney

“A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.“

Spike Milligan, Irish Comedian 1914 - 2002

Kirkwall Orkney

At 07:00 we could feel Fram shuddering as we approached the pier in Kirkwall Orkney. Our thrusters struggled as they slowly pushed Fram broadside into the pier against a thirty knot wind. When you live on board Fram as much as some of us do, you can tell by that particular vibration, without even getting out of bed, that it’s a breezy day outside. Gone was our warm sunny weather from Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Today was largely overcast with 25 knot winds and the temperature hovering around 10˚C.

We had three different excursions on offer. Those interested in birding set off on a bus tour at 08:30 while the folks interested in the Vikings and pre-viking history of Orkney left on a bus tour to Skara Brae at 08:45. The final tour of the day went to the Italian prisoner of War Chapel at Lands Holm by Scapa Flow and then on to Highland Park Distillery and St. Magnus Cathedral.

Earl's Palace, Kirkwall Orkney

By all accounts, all three of the tours were first rate. Whether you went on an excursion or not there was plenty of time to explore Kirkwall. From Fram to the centre of town was a mere 10 minute stroll. Orkadians refer to Kirkwall as a city but with only 8,000 inhabitants, no offence Orkney, but that seems a tad boastful. But perhaps it’s all relative as Kirkwall is the largest town/city/metropolis in Orkney and the administrative centre.

Italian Chapel, Lands Holm, Orkney

While Kirkwall is short in population the quality of the shops is high. Indeed I would say of a much higher standard than the average souvenir shop in, oh, say Edinburgh for example. Lots of us returned to the ship with souvenirs of Orkney.

Skara Brae, Orkney

The overall impression of Orkney was of a peaceful, green, rolling, very fertile farming landscape. Sheep and cattle dot a landscape bereft of trees. It is not difficult to imagine the best land being farmed for several thousand years.