Using a polarizer in bright sunlight

I thought I knew enough about polarizers from reading about it. However, it was in this recent Walhalla trip that I really learned to appreciate what a polarizer can do while taking pictures in bright sunlight. Here are some examples with and without a polarizer. With a polarizer, notice the bluer sky, more saturated colour in the rust and the leaves, the greater detail in the shadows, and the absence of shimmering in the water. (Pictures below are in this sequence: first without polarizer, then with polarizer)