Sailing Through the Most Beautiful Places on Earth
Day 62, 2023 North Atlantic Adventure
Wednesday, July 12, 2023; Cruising Prins Christian Sund, Greenland.
When it comes to scenery, I can’t think of any I love more than mountains and rocky coastlines. My love of mountains started in my teen years, when our family started spending vacations in the Rocky Mountains – camping and then backpacking from Colorado north to Alberta, Canada. I’ve always loved the sea, but it was my fall vacations on an island in Maine that started drawing me to rocky coastlines.
Bottom, with cat Sam on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, 1993.
Prins Christian Sund (Prince Christian Sound) in Greenland is one of a few special spots on earth that combine these two loves in one stunning experience. It’s right up there with Milford Sound on New Zealand’s South Island, the deep fjords of Norway and Chile, the Antarctic peninsula and Alaska.
The abundance of icebergs almost canceled our opportunity to sail in Prins Christian Sund. The eastern approach to the sound has too much ice for safe passage by the Zuiderdam, despite the fact that we have picked up three Danish ice pilots and a specialist from Holland America’s head office.
Captain Friso announced yesterday that he would speed up and head for the southwest entrance, so we could still spend the scheduled eight hours cruising the sound. Instead of sailing through (as we did twice in 2019), we would sail about halfway in and turn around for the return journey.
That deviation didn’t disappoint. Our onboard expert geologist commented repeatedly about how lucky we were to have such a beautiful sunny day. (I guess I’m lucky; we had the same clear sunny weather on my previous two transits.) The granite mountains, complete with snow and glaciers on the high levels, towered over our ship as we sailed through the rather narrow gorge. There were too many waterfalls to count. Floating ice was all around us – much more than I remember from 2019 when we were here a month later.
Despite the desolation of this southern tip of Greenland, we came across a small village. Usually cruise ships stop to tender in some provisions for the hardy villagers, but we didn’t today. Perhaps because a smaller Seabourn ship had already stopped there earlier in the day.
I spent most of the day in the Crow’s Nest, doing a little painting and mostly chatting with friends. It is an easy trip out to the open deck to take photographs — no need for my puffer jacket if I didn’t stay too long. My biggest concern was becoming complacent about being surrounded by this beauty all day. I can live with that.
Love your commentary. Hope we will be blessed with sunny days next month in the same areas.
Love your postings!!!!! And totally agree mountains and water. – nothing else compares.
Thank you for the report (all of them, actually), but today especially for the photos of scenery past. Most are places I have seen, but can never see enough of them. The pics are wonderful.
Glad you made it past that forlorn little settlement in the Sund. I always feel sad for the people who live there, and wonder what their lives are really like.
Oh, such beautiful photos! I have been blessed to see some of the places you showed pictures of but these mountains were so much closer and that made them more dramatic. And to be near all that water and ice. How wonderful. I love the sea and mountains!
Interesting variation in getting in and out of the Sund.
So glad they found a way for you to enjoy it all.
Totally agree with everything you wrote, some of the most beautiful scenery in the world!
Lovely, thank you for the commentary and especially the comparisons as I’ve never been to Greenland but have been to all your other comparisons so the pictures become much more real in my minds eye. . Sail on fellow traveller!
Am Enjoying vicariously your extended voyage. Commentary is great.
Hope to see you aboard a ‘dam’ ship soon.
I agree that this Sund is the most beautiful experience. We were blessed to be able to transverse the entire Sund. If I remember correctly we had a helicopter that preceded us through checking for iceburgs. It was a glorious day. We’ve also been blessed for seeing all the ones you posted as well and they are glorious too but P Christian Sund was Spectacular!! I greatly enjoy your posts and commentary! Thank you
Jo thanks for sharing your personal experiences along with your current adventures. Breathtaking! I share your love of mountains and especially Rocky Mountains.
Loved the collection of mountain scenery. I find all mountains inspirational and locales by the sea add a calm feeling.