After our day within the Greenlandic Scorching Springs of Uunartoq and a superb night time’s sleep onboard Ocean Albatros, we lastly made it to Qassiarsuk (Brattahlíð). This is likely one of the first settlements of Erik The Purple, who was banished from Iceland centuries in the past. The truth is, it was the primary everlasting settlement by European settlers that explored the Arctic area.
To this present day, there’s a presence within the space, and its place in Greeland is preserved for generations to return, not least as a result of it’s a UNESCO World Heritage website. This all made visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland a should whereas on our expedition.
We anchored shiny and early, round 7 a.m., with the Greenland solar beaming down over the nonetheless seas surrounding the shoreline. Inside a matter of minutes after getting up, we have been raring to go. Nicely, after a fast breakfast and freshly-brewed espresso that’s.
Now, one of many best methods of visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland is by Zodiac. If you happen to’re unfamiliar, it’s a small rubber boat that may get a lot nearer to shore than greater ships.
Ocean Albatros has a heap of Zodiacs onboard, and they’re winched down when company are as a consequence of make landfall. This makes it very easy to go to smaller and harder-to-reach locations that huge ships can’t get to. They actually open up complete new areas to discover, particularly in international locations like Greenland, the place harbours are at a minimal.
We boarded our zodiac from Ocean Albatros and headed in direction of the small jetty in Qassiarsuk. There’s no large-scale harbour or another method to get to Qassiarsuk – simply this small jetty, which leads straight into Qassiarsuk itself.
It’s a tiny city, extra of a neighborhood of round 15 homes. This, on the face of it, sounds fairly vanilla, however belief me, it made it further particular. It felt so particular to be visiting such a small however traditionally essential place – it actually didn’t matter in regards to the measurement or the quantity of individuals round.
Visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland is all in regards to the quieter tempo of life, and it actually felt like that as quickly as we arrived. Plus, that’s the fantastic thing about Greenland, in any case.
It’s one of many least-populated international locations in the entire world. Every landfall you make in far-flung areas seems like an genuine expedition. You’re discovering new locations you might by no means have thought of visiting earlier than. Nicely, at the very least for me, that was the case.
I imply, I knew a superb few locations I wished to go to, however each different cease and expedition was a bonus for me. Qassiarsuk is unquestionably a really blissful bonus.
Anyway, I’m rambling once more.
After making landfall at Qassiarsuk, we met an area information who defined the total historical past (intimately) of Erik the Purple. He knew his stuff and it made visiting Qassiarsuk in Greenland so worthwhile. Like, I’m not ashamed to say I didn’t know hundreds about Erik the Purple beforehand – now, I depart as a fully-fledged historian!
I don’t wish to spoil the tour, nevertheless it actually gave perception into the vigorous and fairly traumatic historical past of Eric the Purple and his banishment from Iceland.
Our tour took round 60 minutes, and we ended up visiting the normal stone homes and church buildings constructed centuries in the past. It was, in reality, the primary Norse settlement in Greenland, and it was so unbelievable to see.
The reconstructions at the moment are in satisfaction of place in Qassiarsuk to discover and we headed into Thodhildur’s church of Brattahlid and realized a lot extra about early Norse settlers.
Plus, the unique foundations nonetheless exist, simply reverse the crimson church on the town. It’s so epic to see.
We wandered throughout the grime tracks, meandered the rolling hills, stated hello to a number of the locals and ultimately made it to the statue of Eric the Purple, which overlooks the city.
The views from right here have been spectacular, and we may see proper throughout the Tunulliarfik Fjord and Narsarsuaq throughout the water. All of it felt so particular. We ended up simply sitting right here for a superb 45 minutes, having fun with the view and the sheer silence of Greenland.
The entire place is tiny, however it’s completely definitely worth the go to for its historical past and allure. Naturally, we went into the native retailer to seize some snacks earlier than boarding our Zodiac again to Ocean Albatros. It’s the one retailer within the small neighborhood, they usually promote all the things and something you may ever need. From chocolate to iPhones, that they had it.
After boarding, we shortly modified and made it for dinner in the principle restaurant on degree 5. We bagged a desk by the window and watched the views round Narsaq, the place the mountains gave method to the ocean. It was bliss.
Because the anchor rose on Ocean Albatros, we returned to the open ocean across the Labrador Sea. Our sights have been set additional north. To Nuuk, the capital metropolis of Greenland.
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