Whales

In Gaspe and Baie Comeau, transport was on school buses – black and yellow stripes, like on the Simpsons. These are both partly French areas, with BC almost completely French speaking. TSH and Diva had a good long walk through a residential district, calling in at Eglise Ste Amelie.

Whale(s) could be seen by the side of the Silver Whisper for most of the afternoon.

Every day now, there is more autumn colour, so there is real hope for an excellent display before home-time. Some people are getting ready for home-time, as the first cruise heads towards its close in Montreal. But TSH and Diva are not attending the Captain’s farewell, as they are travelling on to New York.

The other thing that’s changing by the day is increasing signs of money and modern life. More tarmac, more stone and brick buildings, more shopping malls. In Greenland and Newfoundland, life is obviously hard, dominated by the weather and the land. Baie Comeau is recognisably part of the 21^st century. Whilst cruising, you don’t understand anywhere in detail, but you see how a region has developed and how it connects together. And the closer you get to the power, the more money there is around. But there is still no mobile phone signal in Canada.

The ship is the same as ever.  One morning, one of the waiters was singing cheerfully. The cleaner always tells TSH and Diva to ‘enjoy your dinner’, as he goes in to clean their suite for the second time that day.

TSH has been keeping count. Gaspe had 1 horse, 2 chickens, 3 cows, many gannets and cormorants  and a train engine.  Baie Comeau had 1 steam engine and a squirrel.

One of the anchors is missing and the rumour on board is that it had been lost at sea in the storm. TSH asked a ship’s officer but he said it had been removed for repair, which is not as exciting.

Blue sky and sun now as well as smooth river sailing – who could ask for more! Well, champagne and more whales for sail-away.

Journey justified

The approach to Greenland presented a stunning panorama. Completely smooth sea and a view of rows of high jagged peaks. The colours ranged from black rock through shades of grey and cream to snow white, highlighted by shafts of sunlight. There were no apparent flat areas to be seen, as everywhere was steep slopes. The first iceberg drifted past the ship. A shape could be seen on the horizon, and TSH used his zoom lens to verify that it was another iceberg.

This part of Greenland is below the Arctic Circle but some definitions would include the whole area within the Arctic region.

TSH took a picture of a small brown bird which had hitched a lift on the Silver Whisper.

The ship slowed down because of the increasing number of icebergs, one of the largest of which appeared to be blocking the entrance to the Prince Christian Sound. We were all reassured because there is an ice pilot on board, assisting the Captain with the safety of the ship. Also, the water in the Sound is very deep everywhere, so there is no problem with finding the correct channel.

Just before entry to the Sound, a number of whales appeared. White ones appeared to be floating on the surface but darker coloured ones could also be seen on the surface at times and a lot of water spouts dotted the water around the ship.

Lunch was taken on deck as the ship sailed for six hours through spectacular mountain scenery and innumerable icebergs. The bergs were a variety of shapes and textures, like sculptures in an outdoor park. Many were smooth white, with a metallic shine, but a few were rougher, with a regular pattern of ridges.  It was (sorry) some of the Texans who appeared on deck in shirt sleeves for the outdoor lunch. They lasted outside for less than two minutes. TSH and Diva each had about four serious layers of clothes.

At one stage, a small iceberg disintegrated just in front of the ship and the speculation was that the ship’s heat had caused this to happen.

The general scenery, below the snow line, consisted of steep rocky surfaces, a bit like Wastwater screes, punctuated with the occasional glacier. It all looked extremely inhospitable but in one place where the Sound widened out and a few waterways met, there was a village whose means of transport was solely on the water. The village looked typically Scandinavian, with brightly painted wooden houses.

Like in a well organised firework display, some of the best was left until last, and the Silver Whisper exited the Sound through a large number of larger bergs.

Everyone on board agreed that it had been a spectacular day with ideal weather. The only thing missing was a polar bear. And one woman was hoping to see a penguin (!!). TSH took 400 pictures.

During the night, the ship’s spotlight could be seen in constant operation, scanning for icebergs. This is really continuing the Titanic theme which began in the exhibition in Belfast, or earlier this year in Cherbourg, which was Titanic’s first port of call after Southampton.

The next morning was when TSH and Diva set foot on Greenland soil, in the small town of Qaqortoq. The houses here were also brightly coloured, but this settlement is large enough to have a school, church, supermarket and more police than you ever see in a UK town of much greater size. No trouble was apparent so maybe they were there because of the ship. A lot of 4 wheel drive vehicles for a place with no roads out.

The captain has cancelled his dinner with guests tonight. Many large bergs are expected and he wants to be on the bridge with the ice pilot. No weather forecast for the Labrador Sea yet.

Two doctors

There were two doctors. The one who looks after any sick passengers or crew – TSH and Diva thought he was even more brutalised than most  (Diva has a medical phobia). So absolutely no plans to be ill. The other was an orthopaedic surgeon who lived in Brisbane but originally studied at Liverpool University, like Diva did.

The Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland was too choppy for Tai Chi but nothing like the early part of the voyage. Early on Saturday, exactly one day late, the coast of Greenland came into view. Snow-capped mountains. New territory, just as the early explorers saw. But their vessel was nothing like the Silver Whisper.  The Arctic Chard (TSH) and fragrant lamb curry (Diva) were especially good last night.