Stone and Man

Check one more off our "bucket list" - Greenland. We absolutely loved visiting here. So much like back home in Pinedale, Wyoming. As we approached port today it was very hazy and rough out at sea. My first thoughts were that we wouldn't have our much anticipated chance to see Greenland. Yet the sun appeared, the waters calmed and before you know it we were headed into the town of Qaqortag for a day of walking around the town of 3, 229 inhabitants.

We were led by 2 young ladies from Denmark, afterall Greenland is self-governing Danish territory. The first item of business was to learn how to say the name of this town ... perhaps you can try it yourself. The initial part is a little like a guteral sound and then, as your guides recommended, "you just add the word Hot Dog." https://www.howtopronounce.com/qaqortoq/31550515 - So there you have it!

We found beauty all around as we followed our guides to view the Stone & Man collection by various Nordic artists who transformed hard granite into art around the city. Here are some samples of what we enjoyed while hiking in Qaqortoa:

We learned of a Polar bear that made its way into the town recently. Our guide informed us of the catchy saying: "If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lie down. If it's white, say goodnight" − which is to say, if you have some sort of aggressive encounter with a polar bear, you're probably a goner.) After enjoying the tour, sipping a local lager, and basking in the beautiful sunshine, we boarded the tender for a short ride back to our ship, which waited patiently in the harbor.

Unbeknownst to us, storm clouds were gathering on the horizon—both literally and figuratively. The ominous weather forecast prompted our Captain to make a pivotal decision: our anticipated Nuuck, Greenland port was struck from the itinerary, replaced by an additional Canadian port before we chart our course back to the States.