Change Of Pace

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August 7, 2019 – Nanortalik, Greenland - Weather: 42.8°F/6°C, partly cloudy, wind 6.8 mph, humidity 88°







We travelled down the south-west coast of Greenland overnight at a leisurely pace of 10 knots passing in and out of fog banks. This morning we arrived at Nanortalik, located on a small island near the mouth of the Tasermiut Fjord at the very southern tip of Greenland. The name of the town translates to the “place of polar bears” which we did not encounter other than those on the town’s official crest.



The settlement of the area dates back to the early 18^th century when a trading post was established to supply European fishermen and whalers along with the local Inuit. Today the area’s main industries are crab fishing, seal hunting, fishing, and gold mining along with a robust tourist trade. Tourists are attracted to the area’s pristine wilderness and magnificent wildlife combined with a simple living atmosphere.



Late morning we took the tender to shore and did our own self-guided walking tour of the town. Stopped in at several local shops including the Nanortalik Tourism Service gift shop where we picked up a piece of Inuit art for our collection. We found the Old Timber Church which was built in 1916 and stepped inside for a moment of reflection. A little further down the road we came upon an outdoor museum, a collection of ten historic structures.



After spending three hours ashore we returned to the ship and the call of another tasty meal in the Lido restaurant. The afternoon passed quickly as I read and B worked on her genealogy files. Once the tenders were all safely stored the Captain set off for tomorrow’s adventure, cruising the Prince Christian Sound. As the weather forecast indicated that fog would be with us again this evening and there were icebergs close by the Captain adopted a 6 knot speed and progressed slowly down the coast. This evening B attended the evening’s Main Stage performance of comedian Kelly McDonald while I spent time reading and working on the blogs. Hopefully I’ll get better internet connectivity soon to get everything posted.

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