The most important thing I didn’t say, was that for the FIRST time on this trip, I have a room with a view!!!!
And the second thing, is that a dear friend who shall be nameless ………. either did not tell me, or I, (in)conveniently forgot about the MONSTER mosquitos that live here!!! They have insatiable appetites for Anglo- Saxon blood. They also have no respect for citronella!
When I went on the boat over the fjord to Qassiarsuk this morning, I was assured there were no mosquitos because of the sheep being there! He just forgot to mention the millions of midges!!!!
Still managing to stave off this cough, cold whatever - sorta anyway, but I’m pushing it I think!
But enough moaning!!!
Today, another glorious day, warm, sunny, very still and quite lovely!
It was Greenland’s National Day & @ 8am, they had a flag raising ceremony with a bit of singing, with probably pretty close to the entire population of Narsarsuaq outside the hotel, & where after the ceremony they had an outdoor breakfast.
As I said above, went over Tunulliarfik Fjord to Qassiarsuk - Brattahlid where Erik the Red settled in 982! Around 1000, Lief - his son - after being baptised in Norway bought Christianity back to the Viking settlement & this was - unsurprisingly - not popular, but his mother, Tjodhilde, converted, & it was she who had the 1st Church built in Greenland here.
They have made a reconstruction of this & of a long house, & this is where my visit commenced (lucky me as I didn’t have to walk up from the “harbour” as the guy driving the boat, from Blue Ice, needed to open it up as there is no guide at present), so, we arrived in a small cove just below it.
I then walked around the settlement, talking to a local whilst waiting for the “real” Church to be opened up for the day, there is 1 photo from inside it that I’ll try to post that I think is very funny!!! They must get an awful lot of 'firey' preachers!!!!!
It is a very sweet building.
Looked at the Viking ruins before & after visiting the Church, then clambered up on to a rocky outcrop to view them from above - excellent.
This little fellow followed me around:
A place on my "dream-list" to visit thanks for
ReplyDeleteposting these photos!