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
Disko Bay Glacier Cruise
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
Disko Bay: Around Ilulissat
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
Kangerlussuaq
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
Kangerlussuaq "Ice Cap and Musk Ox" Flight
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
Kangerlussuaq "Point 660" (Ice Cap) Tour
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 (?)
Hvalsey Church
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
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
Qassiarsuk - Brattahlíð - Eric the Red's Farm
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.
Igaliku: Garðar Cathedral
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"
Nararsuaq
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
Narsarsuaq: Cruise to Qooroq Icefjord
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!
Nuuk
National Day Celebrations
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!
Around Nuuk
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
