Yes, There are Pies in Greenland!

Places: A trip to Greenland has been on my “bucket list” for some time and recently I had an opportunity, while on a cruise, to visit two ports, Nanortalik and Qaqortoq which are on the southwestern tip of this vast island. Both are small fishing villages of about 1,200 people with Inuit heritage living in colorful homes nestled in the hillside of volcanic rock.

While fishing and fish processing are the primary sources of income here, tourism is becoming a close second. The tourists and the locals have mixed feelings about the impact of large groups of people flooding the towns during tourist season, but both appreciate the opportunity to meet each other.

The closest town with health care facilities and amenities is Nuuk, the capital. Travel is difficult: by road it is impossible, by ship it is a 2-day trip, and by helicopter it takes several hours. As a nurse, I was concerned to learn that all pregnant women must go to Nuuk for the delivery and postpartum care, but the system seems to work!

Despite the remoteness, most homes have Internet access, and the residents are clearly a part of our global society. The teenagers we talked with are active on social media platforms. In Nanortalik, we had an opportunity to have “coffee” in a gracious woman’s home; her granddaughter served as an interpreter. When we asked where she learned to speak English, she told us it was on the Internet.

                                        

We were able to walk around both villages and attended a hymn service at a quaint Lutheran church, observed soccer fields, and even saw a basketball hoop at the high school. The one grocery store in Qaqortoq is well stocked with many of the same products we buy in our stores and there is a small section of fresh fruits and vegetables likely imported from Denmark.

The landscape is stark, and no trees grow here but we did see dandelions and familiar flowers growing along a stream. Looking out to the ocean, however, is serenely subline with the occasional iceberg floating effortlessly near the harbor. 

                                                              
People: Since most villagers speak English as well as Greenlandic and/or Danish, we were able to have conversations with the people we met in grocery stores, shops, and along the roads. We learned a lot about village life by being interested!

Pies: While in the grocery store, I immediately searched for the “bakery” section and chose the apple pie over a chocolate option! The clerk, who spoke English, told us about the pie. The crust tasted like shortbread and the filling was primarily oatmeal, sugar and crumbs. much like a crisp, with small shards of apple throughout. Pie Pal Linda and I took the pie to a nearby picnic table and devoured most of it on the spot!