Day 6…Greenland Cruise…Amazing scenery in Greenland…

This iceberg was much more enormous than it appears in this photo.

We are in Greenland! Wow! What a place! Late yesterday afternoon, we arrived at a magical wonderland known as Prins Christian Sund, named for Prince Christian VIII of Denmark. The area is a dramatic fjord separating the southernmost islands of the rest of South Greenland, a land of jagged mountains and green pastures where sheep farms border icy fjords and Norse history intersects with modern communities.

Prins Christian Sund presents exquisite scenery for cruising, with mountains reaching nearly 4,000 feet, glaciers inching toward the sea, and tidal currents that limit ice formation.

What an interesting iceberg floating by this glacier.

From the ship’s brochure:

“At approximately 4:00 pm, Celebrity Summit will be reaching Prins Christian Sund. The duration of viewing will be influenced by prevailing weather conditions. Our Celebrity Activities Speaker, Brent Nixon will provide updates to our navigation to Prins Christian Sund and some narrations about the history and importance of this symbolic place. 

Announcements can be heard in public venues as well as open decks around the ship and on your stateroom TVs on Channel 1. Please turn the volume up. If weather permits, we will open the helipad in order to enhance your scenic cruising/viewing experience. Please listen for announcements via the PA system to advise you accordingly.”

We encountered one amazing glacier after another.

Here are some essential facts about Greenland from this site:

1. World’s Largest Island

Let’s start with the basics. Greenland is actually the world’s biggest island – by area – that is not a continent. The total area of Greenland is 2.16 million square kilometers (836,330 square miles), including other offshore islands. Almost 80 percent of the land mass is covered by an ice cap. The ice-free area may be a minority, but it’s still around the size of Sweden. With a population of 56,480 (2017 estimate), it is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.

2. Greenland Was Green

The Arctic nation is mostly white since most of Greenland is covered in ice, snow, and glaciers. So how did it get its name “Greenland” when it’s not really green? It actually got its name from Erik The Red, an Icelandic murderer who was exiled to the island. He called it “Greenland” in hopes that the name would attract settlers. However, scientists say Greenland was quite green more than 2.5 million years ago. A new study reveals that ancient dirt was cryogenically frozen for millions of years underneath about 2 miles of ice.

They couldn’t have been more awe-inspiring!

3. Greenland is an Autonomous country

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. Although Greenland is geographically a part of the North American continent, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for about a millennium. Since 1721, Denmark has held colonies in Greenland, but the country was made part of Denmark in 1953. In 1979, Denmark granted Home Rule to Greenland, and in 2009, expanded Self Rule was inaugurated, transferring more decision-making power and responsibilities to the Greenlandic government. Under the new structure, gradually Greenland can assume more and more responsibilities from Denmark when it is ready for it.

4. 4,500 Years of History

According to historians, the first humans were thought to have arrived in Greenland around 2500 BC. The group of migrants apparently died out and were succeeded by several other groups who migrated from North America. At the beginning of the 10th century, Norsemen from Iceland settled in the uninhabited southern part of Greenland, but they disappeared in the late 15th century. The Inuit migrated here from Asia in the 13th century, and their bloodline survived to this day. Most Inuit Greenlanders are their direct descendants and continue to practice some of the centuries-old traditions.

“Humans have inhabited Greenland for more than 4,500 years.”

Deep-sea sediment cores from northeast Greenland, the Fram Strait, and the south of Greenland suggest that the Greenland Ice Sheet has continuously existed since 18 million years ago.

5. Inuit Culture

Today, 88% of Greenland’s population are Inuit (predominantly Kalaallit) or mixed Danish and Inuit. The remaining 12% are of European descent, mainly Danish. Truth be told, Greenlanders actually don’t appreciate being called ‘Eskimos’; the proper name for them is Inuit or Kalaallit, which actually means ‘Greenlander’ in the native Inuit language, Kalaallisut. The Inuit Greenlanders identify strongly with Inuits in other parts of the world, like Canada and Alaska, and they actually share some similarities in their languages as well.

6. A Multilingual Nation

The majority of the population in Greenland speaks both Greenlandic (mainly Kalaallisut) and Danish. The two languages have been used in public affairs since the establishment of home rule in 1979. Today, the young generation learns both languages, as well as English, in school. The Greenlandic language is an interesting language with a long history, and it’s closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada, such as Inuktitut. “Kayak” and “igloo” are Greenlandic words that have been adopted directly by other languages.

Another interesting iceberg.

7. No Roads In Greenland

Despite having a land size of 2.16 million square kilometers, there are no roads or railway systems that connect settlements to one another. There are roads within the towns, but they end at the outskirts. All travel between towns is done by plane, boat, helicopter, snowmobile or dogsled. Boats are by far the most popular mode of transportation, and you’ll often see locals out cruising the fjords every summer.

8. Whaling & Fishing

Fishing is a major industry in Greenland. The country imports almost everything except for fish, seafood, and other animals hunted in Greenland, such as whales and seals. Each administrative area has a certain quota of whales, seals, and fish assigned to it, ensuring that there’s no overfishing. Certain species, like the blue whale, are protected and thus cannot be fished. No export of whale and seal meat is allowed — they are only consumed locally.

Another interesting iceberg.

9. A Vibrant Capital City

Almost one-quarter of Greenland’s population lives in the capital city of Nuuk. Vibrant and funky, the city is the biggest, most cosmopolitan town on the island and it packs in quite a lot of museums, hip cafes and fashion boutiques for its small size. To get an introduction to the country, be sure to visit the National Museum of Greenland, the Katuaq Cultural House as well as Nuuk Art Museum. Backed by a panorama of mountains, the city is perched at the mouth of a giant fiord system, making for easy day trips into the fiords and surrounding nature.

10. Midnight Sun

Every year, the sun does not set from May 25th to July 25th, and it stays visible throughout the entire day and night. The midnight sun, as it is called, is a pretty cool natural phenomenon that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lifetime. June 21, the longest day of the year, is the summer solstice and a national holiday in Greenland. You’ll find locals out basking in the sun or enjoying a barbecue out in nature.”

More views of a glacier.

We had such a fantastic time yesterday afternoon, taking photos and commiserating with passengers over the wonder before our eyes. The captain did a great job rotating the ship to accommodate our viewing. We took tons of photos. In many ways, it was similar to being in Alaska, which we did in 2017, and then to a much more expansive experience, Antarctica, in 2018.

Check out the amazing ice formations where the glacier meets the sea.

Seeing glaciers and icebergs was exciting again, and we loved every moment. Finally, when we moved along, we headed to dinner in the main dining room at another shared table and dined with three lovely women with great stories.

Stunning scenery.

After dinner, we headed to the Rendezvous Bar for live music and to visit with our new friends, Tracy and Sean, whom we’ve had much fun with since the cruise began. They are newlyweds, 30 years younger than us, and quite a fun couple.

Glaciers running toward the sea.

Soon, we’ll be heading to a tender to go ashore to the small town of Nanortalik, Greenland, with less than 1200 residents. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos from that experience.

Be well.

.Photo from ten years ago today, August 23, 2013:

We sure have plenty of tomatoes (Pomodoro) to last through our remaining eight days of cooking before we travel to Africa. Yesterday, I had none, and we have more than we can use today. After Santina left this morning, I discovered this glass bowl filled with tomatoes in the kitchen. We’re well stocked with tomatoes with the substantial batch Lisa picked for us yesterday in the steep yard. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2, Hubbard Glacier…Wow! Wow! Wow!

We encounter aspects of this world in our travels that leave us emotional with our mouths agape in sheer wonder and awe.  Such was the case yesterday when our ship sailed to the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska.

As we approached the Hubbard Glacier.

Our captain’s adventurous nature and desire to please his passengers got us as close as any cruise ship dare venture when calvings (equivalent to avalanches) were occurring every 10 minutes or so.

Beautiful mountains surround the glacier.

We’d love to have been able to capture calving, but they happened so quickly we kept missing the photo op, especially without our tripod handy on deck five, where we stayed watching the glorious scene for over two hours.

As always, Tom was having a great time.

It was cold outside, and we were bundled up as best as we could with the clothing we have on hand; lightweight jackets, flannel shirts leftover from chilly Penguin, Tasmania, and gloves we’d purchased in the ship’s Alaska shop. I’d added a hat and scarf to my glove purchase, but none were available for men.

At times, we wondered if dark chunks of floating ice were wildlife, but alas, we never saw an animal in the area.

Tom, who more easily stays warm than I, had no trouble staying warm while I nestled up close to him for some added body heat.  Many passengers had brought along heavy down jackets and gloves, but we have no room for such items.

As it turned out, the dark ice was a compilation of rock and dirt trapped in ice.

When we’re on the Antarctica cruise in January, we’ll be renting complete cold-weather outfits through the ship’s pricey rental program. Still, it is undoubtedly better than purchasing everything we’d most likely never use again.

Close up of the top layer of Hubbard Glacier.

After the few hours on deck five, we headed up to our veranda, where we could take the more steady of the two videos included here today when we used the tripod placed on the outdoor table.

This expanse of the glacier is approximately ten stories high.

Although the sun tried to peek through from time to time, the conditions were overcast with dense clouds. Nevertheless, we did our best with the photos, knowing they wouldn’t be perfect in less-than-ideal situations.

Ice floating in the rippling sea as we neared the glacier.

We both feel we’ll need to purchase a more sophisticated camera while we’re in the US, especially with Antarctica and Africa upcoming in the future. These simple cameras we’ve owned over these past years are no longer sufficient for our needs.

The size of the glacier is hard to believe, and it continues to grow over time.

Although I still have a lot to learn about taking photos, I think I’m ready to go to the next level, perhaps taking an online course to help me. I’ve been hoping a more technologically advanced camera would hit the market soon within a reasonable price range that is relatively easy to use without changing many settings while shooting.

The closer we maneuvered toward the glacier, the more the floating ice in the sea.  It’s still early in the summer season.

Alas, I’ve yet to encounter such a product and will soon begin searching for what will work well when weight is a significant factor for me and our baggage. We certainly don’t need any added weight to our already heavy bags and carry-on.

Suppose our current camera continues to hold up. In that case, we’ll keep it since Tom seems to be getting good at handling it, and the idea of us each taking photos in both of the upcoming locations might prove to be the best idea for capturing unique and memorable shots. 

An edge of the glacier.

Today, we’re in Sitka with a plan to get off the ship and explore yet another tourist-orientated town with shops and restaurants. Of course, there’s so much more to see in Alaska, but we’re convinced that someday we’ll return and do so in our way and time.

In reality, one-day visits to ports of call generally don’t do it for us, with a few exceptions. Instead, it’s the magic of living in a location for a period that provides us with the type of experiences that fill our hearts and minds with the richness and depth of any location, hardly accomplished in one day regardless of any tours on which a traveler may embark.

At specific points, the ice appears blue.

This further exemplifies our chosen method of traveling…not quickly skipping from one location to another, instead of spending the time to discover the wonders this fantastic world has to offer.

Of course, one generally doesn’t stay long at the Hubbard Glacier, and for our purposes, this cruise fulfilled our expectations. The sights and scenes yesterday left us reeling with delight over having decided to spend these short nine days on this Alaskan cruise.

We’ll be back tomorrow with many more photos we’ve yet to share.  Have a beautiful day filled with richness and wonder!

Photo from one year ago today, May 22, 2016:

One of the narrow roads we walked in the neighborhood in Bali. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1, Hubbard Glacier, Alaska…Wow! Wow! Wow!…

Tom, hatless and happy anyway!

Please note: We’re finalizing the headcount for the “Meet & Greet” for our readers in Minneapolis on June 9th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at:

Grizzly’s Wood Fired Grill at this location in Plymouth, Minnesota:
220 Carlson Pkwy N, Plymouth, MN 55447
Please RSVP if you plan to attend and haven’t already done so.  Hope to see you then!

As we began posting this morning as we were nearing the Hubbard Glacier and we were both bundled up in our warmest clothing, prepared to bolt outdoors as the ship made the approach although not cold in the realm of Alaskan weather and we were very excited to get as near to the glacier as possible. 

Me, bundled up and freezing my you-know-what off!
 For details on this massive glacier please see below from this site:

“Hubbard Glacier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hubbard Glacier
Hubbard landsat-tn.jpg
False color image of the Hubbard Glacier
Type Tidewater/Mountain glacier AKA Valley Glacier
Location Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska, U.S., Yukon, Canada
Coordinates 60°18′50″N 139°22′15″WCoordinates: 60°18′50″N 139°22′15″W
Length 122 kilometers (76 mi)
Terminus Sealevel
Status Advancing
Hubbard Glacier is a glacier located in eastern Alaska and part of Yukon, Canada, and named after Gardiner Hubbard.

Map of Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, squeezes towards Gilbert Point on May 20, 2002. The glacier is close to sealing off Russell Fjord at the top from Disenchantment Bay at the bottom.

The longest source for Hubbard Glacier originates 122 kilometers (76 mi) from its snout and is located at about 61°00′N 140°09′W, approximately 8 kilometers (5 mi) west of Mount Walsh with an elevation around 11,000 feet (3,400 m). A shorter tributary glacier begins at the easternmost summit on the Mount Logan ridge at about 18,300 feet (5,600 m) at about 60°35′0″N 140°22′40″W.
Before it reaches the sea, Hubbard is joined by the Valerie Glacier to the w. Throughout forwarding surges of its own, it has contributed to advancing the ice flow that experts believe will eventually dam the Russell Fjord from Disenchantment Bay waters.
The Hubbard Glacier ice margin has continued to advance for about a century. In May 1986, the Hubbard Glacier surged forward, blocking the outlet of Russell Fjord and creating “Russell Lake.” All that summer, the new lake filled with runoff; its water level rose 25 meters (82 ft), and the decrease in salinity threatened its sea life.[1]
Around midnight on October 8, the dam began to give way. In the next 24 hours, an estimated 5.3 cubic kilometers (1.3 cup mi) of water gushed through the gap, and the fjord was reconnected to the ocean at its previous level.[1] This was the second most significant glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in recorded history, and 35 Niagara Fal equivalent flows.
In spring 2002, the glacier again approached Bert Point. It pushed a terminal moraine ahead of its face and closed the opening again in July. On August 14, the terminal moraine was washed away after rains had raised the water level behind the dam it formed to 18 m (59 ft) above sea level.[2] The fjord could become dammed again, and perhaps permanently. If this happens, the fjord could overflow its southern banks and drain through the Situk River instead, threatening trout habitat and a local airport.
It takes about 400 years for ice to traverse the length of the glacier, meaning that the ice at the foot of the glacier is about 400 years old. The glacier routinely calves[3] off icebergs the size of a ten-story building. Where the glacier meets the bay, most of the ice is below the waterline, and newly calved icebergs can shoot up quite dramatically so that ships must keep their distance from the edge of the glacier in Disenchantment Bay.”

Now, late in posting, we’re rushing to upload today’s post with the first round of Hubbard Glacier photos we took while standing for several hours on the deck in the icy cold weather totally entranced by the sight before our eyes. 

We had no idea how magnificent it would be.By noon, after the close sailing to the glacier, we’d scheduled to meet Diane and Helen for lunch in the dining room. We’d met them on the last RC cruise from Sydney to Seattle, finally managing to find one another on the Solstice so we could catch up.

Photos don’t do this massive glacier justice.

Cafe al Bacio was packed when we arrived after the enjoyable long lunch so we sat with another couple for a half hour and chatted while we waited for a table in our usual spot along the railing.

A table opened up only a short time ago and soon we were situated at our favorite table and chairs, all in the ergonomically correct position for ultra comfortable typing and researching.

As soon as we upload today’s post, we’ll return to the cabin to shower and dress for the evening. Thank goodness tonight is “casual” dress which makes the prep time quick and painless.

The remainder of the day includes a Cruise Critic private party in one of the “royal” suites on the 11th deck to which we’re invited and will attend. Afterward, we’re meeting a couple in the Captain’s Club lounge for happy hour from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm. 

Then, we’re off to dinner in the Epernay Dining Room where we’ll share a table with other passengers who enjoy sharing. By 9:00 pm, we’ll take off for the night’s entertainment in the Solstice Theatre. We’ve discovered we prefer to sit on the balcony level of the theater preferably in a back row.

While we watched there were numerous “calvings”, the equivalent of an avalanche on a glacier.  A loud sonic type boom followed several seconds later.  It was unreal!
If a show doesn’t entertain us, inconspicuously, we can slip away.  With both of us possessing “short attention spans” we seldom find one of us prefer to stay for the show unless it extra special. It’s not uncommon for one or both of us to nod off during a show.
Over these next few days, we’ll share the balance of our Hubbard Glacier photos and our up-close-and-personal experiences in participating in this extraordinary observational event.
Thanks to our readers for hanging with us during these past 30 nights of cruising “less the two nights we spent in Vancouver before boarding the Solstice).
With only four days remaining until we disembark on Friday, catching our flight to Minneapolis, our hearts are filled with enthusiasm to see our loved ones once again. Lots more Hubbard Glacier photos will follow tomorrow!
Have a lovely evening and be well and happy.
Photo from one year ago today, May 22, 2016:
This close up of my dinner in Bali appeared to be a lot of chicken. But, once I dig in there are only a few good bites on each leg and thigh section. Tom eats the two breasts and a little meat, but the dark, which I prefer, is sparse due to locally lean free-range chickens.  For more Bali photos, please click here.
D