Prinz Christian Sund Greenland

We entered Greenland 30 August, 2016 from the east following our visit to Iceland.

The view below is at the point where we left the Atlantic ocean to enter the narrow channel known by locals as Ikerasassuaq (the long channel) and to others as Prinz Christian Sund.






Cruising along the channel we see the southern tip of the Greenland Ice Cap.

Close to the point where we head south is the only settlement, Aappilattoq.




After a few minutes, the locals came to greet us in small boats. Adults and children waved at picture-taking cruisers waving from their balconies.

Here's a video clip from my YouTube channel.

At the end of the day we were moving toward our first port of call, Qaqortoq.

Tips and notes

If you travel by ship and enter from the east, the village is on the starboard side.

Whale watching: Some see whales at the point where the channels and ocean meet. We did not seen any here but on the next day, we saw a whale surface whilst having dinner.

The mountains by the channel rise to 1,700 metres.

Prinz Christian Sund is 58 km long and 350 metres wide at its narrow point.

Greenland is the world's largest island.
Capital: Nuuk
Time Zone GMT - 3 hours
Danish connection: A Danish possession since 1536 and independent since 1979.
Population: About 56 million and about 90% Inuit
Language: Greenlandic
Currency: Danish Krone (DKK)
Credit cards: widely accepted

Links to more

Greenland country site http://www.greenland.com/en/
iexplore


Connections
Website www.suttong.com

Hurricane Hermine- Heading to New York City

After enjoying our visit to St Johns, Newfoundland Labrador, Canada (September 3, 2016), we were to stop at Halifax, Nova Scotia; however, the effects of Hurricane Hermine were felt this far North so the ship's captain decide to head for our final destination, New York City.

The doors to the lower decks were closed. And the winds were too strong for us to open the door to our balcony so I shot this view riding up the exterior facing lift. We were at sea the 4th and 5th of September. The videos are from 5th September.

On deck nine, a roped off area was accessible for smokers. The jittery video represents the difficulty standing still as even that high up, the storm effects were noticeable.

The indoor and outdoor pools were drained earlier because of the wave action. Many people were seasick.

The wave-action eventually lessened as we neared New York City. We docked on 6th September.

Nanortalik Greenland Photos and Notes

Nanortalik is in southern Greenland. It's a small and friendly community on the world's largest island. My wife and I visited on 1st September, 2016.

When I reached the shore, the sky was blue and the sun was bright. But you will see a change in later photos.

Amidst small houses and building, you can find sculptures.

Fresh meat? Some sites are more intriguing than others.

Transportation by boat has a long history.

You can listen to a local choir at a small church. There's a small fee to go inside.

There's a small hotel.

 A restaurant...

An outdoor museum

And friendly people

Many coastal scenes kept me busy. The natural beauty changed as fog rolled in after I came ashore.

Qaqortoq Greenland

We arrived in Qaqortoq, Greenland 31 August, 2016 via small tenders. It's a small settlement with a Viking history. Most of the people of Greenland are Inuit.

The popular stone carvings called "Stone & Man" are not far from the dock. The project organised by artist Aka Hoegh attracted other artists from several Nordic countries.

Up the hill tourists perused items in the grocery store before checking out historic sites.

An old church has incredible views of the ocean.

As we climbed a nearby hill, we noticed a lot of teens gathering blueberries.

Here's a video clip of the Inuit gathering blueberries.

 We stopped by a cemetery on the way down and noticed how the community respects their dead.

It's a picturesque village and a great escape from the summer heat.

As others have observed...

Iceland is more green than Greenland.

The population of Greenland is about 56,000-- about 1/6 that of Iceland but

Greenland is much larger than Iceland.

Credits

My wife and I took all posted photos.

My web page is www.suttong.com

Budapest Hungary

We arrived in Budapest, Hungary 21 October 2015. After checking into our hotel for the two night stay, we visited a  restaurant featuring local entertainment.

The next morning was overcast but we enjoyed a walking tour of various landmarks including parliament, Heroes Square, and bridges over the Danube.

For lunch, we stopped in a small restaurant advertising goulash- a classic dish of Hungary.





















Castle Hill is an interesting area to explore.

In the evening we enjoyed a dinner cruise along the Danube.

On the next day, we spent the morning at the Budapest Market where we picked up some unique gifts and had our lunch at one of the many venues.

We were in Budapest on the 23 October, which is the memorial day of the 1956 revolution-- when the Soviet troops left Hungary. And the proclamation of the Third Hungarian Republic in 1989. Their were various activities around Parliament, including displays of historic importance.

























One monument we will never forget is the Shoes on the Danube memorial. This was created by Can Togay with sculptor Gyula Pauer to honour Jews killed by Arrow Cross militia during World War II. It was completed 16 April 2005. The Jews were ordered to remove their shoes and shot by the edge of the Danube so they fell into the river. It is located south of the parliament building. (wikipedia)