July 30, 2023 Nanortalik, Greenland

A peek outside at 2 a.m. revealed fog, as did a peek at 6:15 a.m. However the captain mentioned that at 5 a.m. the sun was shining, but the fog moved in. At 7 a.m. Zuiderdam had passed Qaqortoq and was less than 25 nautical miles from Nanortalik.

When we met Ellen and David for breakfast in the dining room, the temperature outside was 4° C, wind was light but still foggy. We played Five Crowns after breakfast until the bow was open. The fog had lifted, so passengers could see the sea ice and mini icebergs as Zuiderdam cruised along the Greenland coast to its anchorage at Nanortalik. The drifting sea ice is called sikorsuit. The townsite was less hilly than Paamiut and the house colours seemed less vibrant even as the sun shone on them.

Zuiderdam was anchored outside the inner harbour of Nanortalik, Greenland by 11 a.m., The fog began to roll in again, the temperature was 6° C. Sea Ice and small icebergs floated in the harbour.

The dining room was open just for an Express Lunch which was Zucchini Bisque, North Sea Fish and Chips or Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad with dessert - actual blueberry cheesecake. After a quick lunch, we stopped at Billboard Onboard for tender boat tickets but were told there would be a short five minute wait and to collect the tickets when we are ready to go ashore. Two more groups of people had been called when we returned ten minutes later. In no time, it was time to go down to Deck A and settle in the tender boat for the six minute ride to the tiny dock.

Again today, when we left Zuiderdam to explore Nanortalik, we were wearing our insect repellant infused clothes but they were not as necessary. There was a breeze and no mosquitos greeted our arrival at the tender dock. We were told by other passengers that, yesterday, near the Paamiut tender dock, head nets were being sold by a local vendor from a blue cargo container. He was sold out before noon.

Most passengers turned left as they left the dock area, onto the asphalted street. We went right to a less residential area. We had no map to wander around the town. There is a small variety of house styles and colours. We began to hear the ship’s fog horn.

Nanortalik, formerly Nennortalik, is a town on Nanortalik Island, in southern Greenland. It is the eleventh-largest town in Greenland with a population of over 1,000 people. The name Nanortalik means "Place of Polar Bears" or "Place Where the Polar Bears Go". There are no polar bears anywhere close. Nanortalik was founded in 1797, a few years after Paamiut, as a trading post. It is nestled at the mouth of the Tasermiut Fjord. Greenland’s only natural forest at the Qinngua Valley is about 40 kilometres from Nanortalik. Its tall willows and birches are an exception as most vegetation rarely exceeds half a meter in height.

There were several different bays surrounding the townsite. At one point we found a sign post with arrows indicating direction and distance to other places, one of which was Isafjordur, Iceland which we will visit in three days. Nearby from one overview we could barely see the Zuiderdam in the fog, less than one kilometre away. In some areas the ship’s fog horn echoed. There are colourful wildflowers springing up amongst the rocks and the along the roadside. We met Cee Kaye and Brad who told us that there were salmon fillets drying on some rocks behind the sports centre. Next to the Sports Center is a soccer field with green artificial turf. The streets beyond had newer houses and a newer asphalt road. Eventually we strolled to the area of the Nanortalik Open Air Museum, admission was just $10 US each. We were given wrist bands to show we had paid the admission.

Within the colonial harbour front were nine historical mid 19^th century buildings. The first storey of the buildings were constructed of rocks and the rest of the structures were wooden currently painted red. There was a factory (built in 1839) producing train oil from whale oil, a bakery, brewery and a hospital. The 1930-1983 radio station was originally built in 1840. The collection was on about ten acres which was covered in small yellow flowers. Housed in another building is a collection of traditional sealskin kayaks including examples of their frames. Sealskin covered kayaks are known as umiak. Evidence of their use goes back 4,000 years. Boys were given their first kayak as young as five. They were specially constructed to fit the body type of each boy with provision to expand as the child grew. Kayaks were used for fishing and transport, but gradually faded from use in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The headquarters of the museum is located in the large house which was originally the colonial managerial house built in 1904, also painted red. In it are artifacts of the native, Old Norse and Colonial history including examples of traditional clothing. There is also a room of model boats created over 50 years by Per Sonberg, a trained painter would had built model boats since childhood.

Up a small incline was the town’s white church, but it was not open to view the interior. In three hours we had made a good survey of the townsite and walked back to the dock to take the tender boat back to the ship. We had walked over 14,000 steps.

Fog began to roll into the harbour around 6 p.m. At dinner, we watched as the fog obscured the nearby shoreline. The scheduled departure was 8 p.m., but we were underway a few minutes early steering back the way Zuiderdam entered returning to the Labrador Sea on the way to Prins Christians sund (Prince Christian Sound). In the fog the speed is just six knots since it is not far to Prins Christians sund.

Tonight’s show in the World Stage was comedian Kelly MacFarland. In his introduction, the cruise director, Tjalling Riedstra, mentioned that in the morning at 6:30 the bow will be open for the start of navigating the eight hour cruise of Prince Christian Sund. The scenic cruise will be at a speed of just six knots.

We also attended two different performances by the classical duo Ashley and Manuel in the Explorers’ Lounge. The first was Beethoven Masterworks Part 1. The second was French Connection. In between performances Claire noticed two women who she was sure had been on the April/May Japan cruise. Helen and Debbie confirmed that they were on the Best of Japan and Japan/Alaska cruises in the spring.

Nanortalik is on the left side and Prins Christains sund is on the right side. At the bottom in the centre is Ittilleq. It is close to the most southernly part of Greenland known as Cape Farewell. Zuiderdam will pass it overnight.

Steps 16,517