What's Green about Greenland?

sailing along an inside passage

In a previous blog, we mentioned the barren rocks and absence of trees ... the ice cap which covers this entire land stimulated our guide in Iceland to say that the two countries should exchange names. His country
is not nearly as icy, and it is treed and green!
At least around the fringes, this is definitely a green island - and that is what the original  European settlers saw when they first arrived. The country was re-settled by Europeans in the 1700s after the first colonists (brought by Erik the Red in 986)  vanished from the land around 1500 when the ice age recapitulated.
Our impression is based on two different images - that of the ancient, riddled, wrinkled old rocks and the green rounded hills which can also be seen ... the secret of their green-ness lies in the many beautiful species of moss and lichens - all with different shades of green.
Although we have been alone in each of our anchorages, there are usually a few Greenalndic folk racing by in their small boats several times a day. All around on the hills and mountains are signs of man's settlement.

green mosses and lichens 

Claude