Danish Doings

Thursday 17th May - Oslo

Up bright and early after a very short time between the covers. We could have booked a direct flight to Copenhagen but after the advice of one of our friends “Budgie” have decided to take the ferry from Oslo to Copenhagen. On landing at Oslo we went straight through customs without having to go through any immigration. The only disappointment with this process is that there is no stamp for the passport. We took the high speed train from the airport to Oslo Central. A very efficient and fast trip of about 14 minutes costing us 170 NOK per person.

On arrival at Central everyone was in a festive mood as it is Norway’s national day. They obviously take a lot of pride in their day as there were plenty of people in national dress. Deciding it was too far to walk to the ferry terminal with our luggage and the threat of rain a we opted for a taxi. I knew it wasn’t far and it appeared that the driver took the shortest route. The fare of about $40 however was disproportionate to the distance traveled.

The ferry is operated by DFDS Seaways and is due to depart at 5:00pm and arrive in Copenhagen at 9:45am. There was a crush of people waiting to board so we held back until the last minutes. The Kindle does come in handy when you are playing the waiting game. Our inside cabin on deck 5 is small and comfortable with ensuite facilities. Overall there are 11 decks with a pool which had mad Europeans taking a dip in the heavily chlorinated water. The pool was complemented by a casino, dining rooms and a large duty free area. Jens had told me that many of the Norwegians travel on the boat for access to the cheap duty free alcohol.

Alice and I took up a prime window position at the red wine bar on deck 8 whilst Ann and Barry braved the elements on top. Whilst they were taking photographs Alice and I were having a beer tasting of Skant beer which is a small Danish microbrewery. “Blackie” would have been proud of us.

I could not think of a better way to pass the time as we sipped beer watching the shoreline of Oslo’s fjord. Lots of beautiful houses, small islands and sailing boats as we slipped by on our 2.5 hour journey to open water. Our open buffet dinner in the Seven Seas restaurant was booked for 8:15pm. By the time we arrived for dinner the ship which is more like a mini cruise liner was pitching up and down in the ocean swell. This did not prevent me from trying most of the delicious food that was on offer.

Off to bed at a reasonable hour in an effort to catch up on some sleep. At least we picked up 2 hours as a result of the change in time zones.

Friday 18th May – Copenhagen Again

Showered and dressed by 7:00 am as we would like to be in a position to enjoy our entry into Copenhagen’s harbour. We have foregone the buffet breakfast and settled on a coffee and Danish pastry.

Alice and I were on the top deck when the ship arrived. As we approached the pool area we were traumatized by a horrific sight. A young woman in a G-string who was afflicted with severe hail damage was endeavouring to have some last minute fun in the pool.

Putting the fright aside we attempted to make our way down to deck 5 to collect our bags and exit the ship. We were like rats trapped in a maze full of scurrying passengers loaded down with goodies all heading for the one exit. Eventually we emerged from the entangled bodies and found Ann and Barry outside.

Alice found her cousin Jytte waiting patiently for us. We tried waiting for a large taxi that could accommodate us all but in the end we gave up and caught a train to the airport. The airport? But we only just arrived! This was where we had to pick up the hire car from as Ann and Barry will be returning it on Monday when they fly to Norway.

Jytte gave me directions as I once again tried to come to grips with driving on the right hand side. In Denmark there is one rule that you have to obey and that is to give way to the cyclists no matter where they are. As I found out that is especially difficult when you are on a roundabout. I only just avoided collecting an unwary female rider. We followed Jytte from Roskilde to the summer house in Ordrup without further incidents.

The summer house is in a wonderful country setting down by the Kattegat Sea. Alice and I took a little walk to look at the sea but I refrained from taking a dip as it is a little chilly at present. Jytte has prepared the house for our arrival and cooked us some nice pork schnitzel for dinner. Complementing the meal was a bottle of red, white and a Leffe Brune which is a dark Belgian beer that Jytee had bought especially for me.

Saturday 19th May – Danish Lunch

Alice is once again the last person to arise from the comfort of her bed. A little cloudy this morning and Jytte was caught in the rain as she made her way back from the bakery with a special breakfast treat of tybirkes which is a Danish pastry.

Ann and Barry have taken off for a drive and are looking for a lake where they will take a small hike. We have decided to stay at the house and catch up on phone calls with the family. Jytte has prepared a traditional Danish lunch for us to try.

Lunch consists of a number of courses where the guests graze on food and engage in conversation over the course of the afternoon. The first course is usually herring on a piece of rye bread which is followed by a nip of Akvavit and the salutation “Skol”. I was chastised by Jytte for not following etiquette by eating the herring without the aid of those universal utensils the knife and fork.

As a penance I’ll try and list all the different foods:

• Smoked eel with scrambled egg
• Frikedeller (a kind of fried meatball)
• Marinated herring and plain herring
• Asparagus wrapped with prosciutto
• Tarteletter (white asparagus, chicken , sauce in a tart)
• Roast pork with crackling and red cabbage
• Fried crumbed fish with remoulade
• Salmon infused with cream cheese and dill
• Liver paste prepared by the local butcher
• Beer and schnapps

Later in the afternoon Alice’s mothers cousin Lissa arrived for a short visit. We hope to catch up with her on Tuesday. We finished the day off with a range of cheeses with crackers and a small quantity of wine.

Sunday 20th May – A Drive in the Country

Barry and Ann have taken off to Roskilde for a visit to the Viking museum and church. Meanwhile we are taking it easy before heading off for a drive through the rolling hills surrounding Ordrup.

Our route took us out of Ordrup and through to Asnaes where we filled up with fuel. The first stop was a beach called Ellinge Lyng.

The beach is separated by a nature reserve which has a number of small lagoons with lots of birdlife. The tide was out so I dipped my feet in the water. The sun was also out and as there is hardly any wind and it would have been a good day for a bracing swim. There are many blue mussels in the water and I saw a local with rakes harvesting a few for dinner.

Next we visited a very old church in Hojby which had an immaculately kept cemetery. I saw one gravestone which was from the mid 1700’s. A number of the plots had beautiful tulips growing in them.

Gudmindrup beach was next on the agenda. There is lots of white sand and Jytte says that it has a beautiful sunset. In summer it is apparently very hard to get a parking space. We finished off with an 18 hole game of mini golf. The combatants were very competitive on this challenging course and I have been sworn to secrecy not to reveal the final scores.

For dinner we walked up to the local pub which is located in the centre of the village. We sat outside as it was still quite warm. The atmosphere was like being on an English green. There was a wonderful fragrance from the apple trees that were in bloom and our conversation was punctuated by the chirping of a variety of birds. A nice meal of steaks and fish which was washed down with a bottle of white by the A.A. members Ann and Alice. The Tuborg Classic which is a slightly dark beer also went down well.

Monday 21st May – Farewell Barry and Ann

Barry and Ann are leaving us this morning and traveling north to Kirkennes, Norway where they will take a cruise down the coastline.

Alice has an appointment at the dentist this morning at 10:30am as she has broken a piece of her back tooth. We will soon see if Danish dentists charge as much as their Australian counterparts. The good news was that the dentist was able to file her tooth and that there was no decay. The only charge was a donation towards the surgery coffee machine.

Meanwhile I decided that I needed some exercise and some sunshine. Rather than go for a long walk II got stuck into mowing the lawn and trimming a tree.

After all that exciting activity we took a stroll down to the beach. The water did look inviting so we plunged in. Oh my goodness, the water temperature was so cold. After a few strokes my arms felt like lead and my head was frozen. We did not last long and were concerned that we would be colder when we hit the shore. It was the opposite as the sun immediately warmed us up.

So much energy was expended today that we decided to eat out at the local pub once again. Tonight the menu is an all you can eat roast pork which includes potato, beetroot and a parsley sauce. Two small plates were all we could manage.

Tuesday 22nd May – Roskilde Viking Museum

At the Viking Ship museum you can view the remnants of 5 original ships that were scuttled in the fjord to protect Roskilde which was the capital of Denmark in olden times.

The ships were discovered in the 1960’s and painstakingly removed by a team of archaeologists. The museum has since built replicas of the 5 ships which are fully functional. There is also a Viking workshop where they constructed the replicas using traditional tools. You can try your hand at making rope, carving wood or casting Thor’s hammer. We declined the opportunity to dress up as Vikings as I would not have looked good in a dress.

Our next stop was the Roskilde Cathedral which is included on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. The Cathedral is the burial place of the Danish kings and queens which has been continuous from 1534. My favourite chapel was for Christian the 4th who was king from 1588 – 1648. The two large paintings depicting scenes from his life added a great touch to the chapel. The other chapels were also impressive and there is an empty one waiting for the current queen Margrethe 2, crown prince Frederik and of course our Mary.

We then made a bee line for the town of Tune where Alice’s mother’s cousin resides. It was a hot afternoon and Lissa plied me with a few beers to keep me from dehydrating. Well it is a good excuse to have a beer. It was an enjoyable afternoon as we reminisced about family whilst enjoying a late Danish style lunch.

Lissa who I had met the other day remembered that I did not particularly like chicken but really enjoyed kartofler (potato) so you can guess that I had a very good lunch. We left her place a little after 19:00 and drove home to Yette’s on the tail end of what we would call a summer storm.

Wednesday 23rd May – Tree Loping at 3, Klinteborgvej, Ordrup

The morning was off to a good start as Yette was dressed in her Maroon State of Origin shirt and was ready to barrack for our team. As I am still not exercising enough I decided to lop a few trees while Yette and Alice were doing secret women’s business at the shops.

After lunch we drove north to a small fishing village called Havnebyen. The scenery along this narrow peninsula was breathtaking against the bright blue sky. This town was chosen as Jens had advised his sister Yette to purchase some Hornfisk, a local delicacy, for dinner. From what I can gather it looks a little like Garfish which my Dad used to catch years ago. Whilst in the fish shop I noticed a number of different beers from a local brewery at Holbaek. I chose a Bourbon Stout with an alcohol content of 7.5%. With flavours of chocolate, coffee, vanilla and bourbon I think that I am on a winner.

A short rest and we were off along the southern coastline to visit Dragon the oldest castle in Denmark. There were lots of cobblestones, old farm buildings and a castle that was in good condition as it now houses a hotel and restaurant. The grounds are kept in immaculate condition and there is a 9.5 kilometre walking/bicycle trail to explore.

When I logged on to the internet this afternoon I was hoping for good news and sure enough there was. With a score line of 18-10 the mighty Queensland side had defeated NSW again. I must say that after looking at the statistics we will have to improve if we are to be victorious in game 2 at Sydney. Nevertheless Alice, Yette and I have big smiles on our dials.

The Hornfisk which Yette has fried for dinner with “Nye Dansk kartofler” was delicious. The accompanying stout was also great and would have definitely received the Beer Tragic seal of approval from John Black.

Horse d'oeuvres

Wednesday 9th May - Third Time Lucky

We woke up this morning to a grey sky and snow on the ground which was predicted. From the lounge room we could see the large flakes of snow swirling around before they settled on what were bare rocks yesterday. We can also see the island out near the airport which is a good barometer to gauge whether any planes will land today. The Air Greenland web site allows you to track all the flights and our plane is in the air and running about an hour late.

One more time we pile into Jens’ car and head down to the airport. There was a big smile on everyone’s face as our Dash 7 made a perfect touchdown. We fareweled Jens who has been the most wonderful host. He has gone to a lot of effort to make our stay comfortable and memorable.

Our flight through the clouds was memorable as we managed to catch glimpses of the fijord systems, snow-capped peaks and frozen lakes. The pilots here are obviously well versed in landing aircraft on small runways. The strip that services Maniitsoq must be one of the shortest in Greenland. We ended up arriving Nuuk at approximately 4:00pm and were soon in a taxi en-route to the Nordbo Apartments. It is a reasonable apartment that just accommodates the four of us.

There was enough time after unpacking for us to venture out for some supplies for dinner. Whilst trolling the shelves of the alcohol section my eyes lit up like saucers. It was mana from heaven! There on the shelf was a bottle of 2008 Penfolds Bin128 Shiraz at the bargain price of 125DK ($22). It was cheaper than the Jacobs Creek that was standing next to it and far cheaper than the price I paid in Brisbane for the latest vintage. Needless to say I purchased a few bottles to be consumed at a later date and it felt just as good as a poker machine win. A nice taco dinner was prepared in our tiny kitchen which went down well after another day of travel.

Thursday 10th May – There Is No Nook in Nuuk

We were obviously spoiled by our view at Jens’ because our window view now overlooks a pile of dirty snow and a garbage skip. It has been snowing this morning so Alice and I are just hanging around. Ann and Barry were up and out of the apartment quite early.

They returned quite soon after they had left declaring that it was colder than an Arctic Iceberg. The wind chill has apparently dropped the temperature by a few degrees and all of our cold weather garments are now a necessity.

Nuuk which is the capital of Greenland is beautifully situated at the entrance to one of the world’s largest fjord complexes. The Danish priest and missionary Hans Egede founded Nuuk in 1728. With 16,000 inhabitants Nuuk is an Arctic metropolis with a university, cultural and research institutions and government offices. There are very different living environments from vibrantly coloured homes to concrete block monstrosities that were constructed in the 1960’s. The latter have seen better times and I wonder how much longer they will stand testament to an idea which was to improve living conditions but may have failed in the long run.

Alice and I ventured out when the sun poked its warming rays through the clouds. The wind was still blowing and as a result it was still bloody cold!  We headed down to the waterfront to investigate the exhibits of the Greenland National Museum. Trip Advisor have rated the museum the number one attraction from one attraction in Nuuk.

Seriously, the exhibits of ethnography, archaeology and art were well laid out and definitely worth a visit. The highlights for us were the mummified remains of some Inuit’s, kayaks and the umiaq boats which were made from drift wood and skins.

Santa’s post office is supposed to be located on the pier but all we could find was an old red mailbox with some graffiti. No Christmas presents for us this year! We then wandered along the shoreline to an old church and then ascended a steep hill that afforded us some great views of the surrounding area. At the summit there was a statue of Hans Egede which we hid behind to escape the blustery, freezing wind. After braving the wind and the cold all afternoon it was a pleasure to return to the warmth and sanctuary of the apartment.

Friday 11th May - Winter Wonderland

Woke up this morning to a heavy snowfall that has covered the entire area. There is not much point in venturing outside because my blood does not have enough anti-freeze ingredients to ward off the cold. We are just sitting around killing time playing solitaire or updating photo files. Amazing weather for what is supposed to be spring.

Lunch has come and gone and still the snow keeps falling. We will have to eventually go out to purchase some food for tonight's dinner but no one is rushing. The walk down to the supermarket required Alice and I to negotiate slippery ice, ankle deep slushies and the spray generated by passing motorists. It is not as cold as yesterday but walking in this type of weather is a little hazardous.

During the evening there was an improvement in the weather and a bright blue sky showed off its colour. Barry and Ann decided on a walk whilst we curled up in front of the television. Into bed at a reasonable hour as tomorrow we say goodbye to Greenland.

Saturday 12th May - Iceland

Barry was up at the crack of dawn and hiked to the top of hill adjacent to the apartments. We are all ready with time to spare and are standing around waiting for the taxi that I booked for 8:00am. It is Murphy’s Law that whenever you are on time for a taxi, the taxi does not front.

Barry managed to flag a brand new BMW taxi down and we were soon on our way to The Nuuk International airport. Check-in was as usual smooth and hassle free. Now all we had to do was kill time before boarding.


There are no “Big Jet Airliners" (Steve Miller Band, I think) departing from Nuuk. We are on the pride of the Air Greenland fleet, the DASH 8 with a crew of three, seventeen passengers and baby.

This would have to be the least number of passengers traveling on an international flight that Alice and I have ever encountered. As we hurtled down the runway and then into the stratosphere I reflected momentarily on the time we have had in Greenland.

Apart from not seeing the Musk Ox at Kangerlussuaq and the cancelled flights due to fog our expectations were fulfilled especially in Sisimiut and Iillusiat. Nuuk was a little disappointing but the inclement weather played a big part in our time there.

The vista from the plane window provided us with a good view of the mountain ranges as well as the fjords but that soon disappeared as we headed for our cruising altitude. Touch down at Keflavik airport, Iceland is about 2 hours and 40 minutes away where we will be greeted by Karl who is the son of one of Ann and Barry's friends.

The trip from the airport to the hostel “Our House” in Reykjavik takes about 40 minutes. Karl is giving us plenty of information as well as the use of his 4x4 for the next four days.

That previous sentence had so many fours I thought I should sing for he’s a jolly good fellow!

We have terrific rooms in the hostel (10000ISD night) with access to a coffee machine, sauna and full kitchen facilities. The only downside is the shared bathroom facilities and pity the poor person that follows me into my house.

Ernesto from Spain who is the caretaker has given us a raft of information of places to visit, where to stay and also a rough guide itinerary.

Our heads were swimming with information when he started to give us some clues on where to eat. It was around 8:15pm and I could her Alice’s stomach grumbling which means we had better eat soon or else!

We settled on the Icelandic Fish and Chips café which is located down on the waterfront. After getting lost and asking directions we finally found the façade that proclaimed we had arrived. I could not get the door open and assumed that they had finished serving meals.

Looking at Ann and Alice’s face I thought I was finished. A couple of diners were exiting so I burst through the doors and asked if they were still open. To my surprise and obvious relief they stated that they were. We were soon seated and in no time flat we were eating grilled Haddock and Ling fish.

The girls had a Pinot Gris from Chile, Barry a ginger ale and for me a bottle of Gull beer. The food was excellent and the bill worked out at around $50 per couple. Our walk back was uphill and even though we were finished for the evening there were throngs of Icelandic’s of all ages heading out for a night on the boards in this cosmopolitan capital. You could say it was all downhill from here! Oh and the rain had stopped so it was a great finish to the day.

Sunday 13th May – On Tour With Barry

Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland) is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík with the surrounding areas in the south western region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population.

Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.

Our plan for the next four days is to explore the South Coast and the area where all the tourists congregate known as the Golden Circle. We were up pretty early and hit the road at around 8:00am.

I was giving directions and soon had Barry heading out of town in the wrong direction. When reading a map in Iceland you have to remember that they drive on the right hand side of the road. Barry recovered brilliantly by executing an illegal U turn on the main highway, route 1.

Our first stop was the Pingvellir National Park. Pingvellir became a national park in 1928 due to its historical importance as the site of Iceland’s first parliament, as well as the special tectonic and volcanic environment. The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region, the biggest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon. This also causes the often-measurable earthquakes in the area. You could say we had one foot in America and one in Europe.

We continued along the Golden Circle route to the Geysir. Barry must have been drowsy after all his driving as he found out the yellow roadside markers in Iceland are flexible.

This area is full of tourists as they jostle up the path for a glance at the Great Geysir erupting. Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 metres in the air. However, big eruptions can be infrequent, but we managed to see ours blast a few metres into the air.

My turn to drive and it was off to a “Foss” which means waterfall. Our destination is the Gullfoss one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometre above the falls it turns sharply to the left and flows down into a wide curved three-step "staircase" and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m deep. Barry reckoned it was like a smaller version of the Victoria Falls.

Continuing on our exploration of discovery Barry sent us up a road that was not on the itinerary. The result was that we came across an historic church at Skalholt. Barry and Alice went inside and had a minties moment when they interrupted a choir practice.

Along the way we were stopping for Ann to take photographs especially of the beautiful Icelandic horses. We are traveling through beautiful countryside with panoramic mountain ranges as a constant backdrop.

One more stop before trying to find a hotel and that was at Seljalandsfoss which is one of the most famous waterfalls of Iceland. It is very picturesque and therefore its photo can be found in many books and calendars. This waterfall of the river Seljalandsá drops 60 metres over the cliffs of the former coastline. It is possible to walk behind the waterfall however Barry and I did get a little soaked as a result. The sun must have been in the right position as we were treated to a beautiful rainbow.

At around 8:00pm we arrived at the picturesque seaside village of Vik. Alice and Ann managed to snare a room at the Lundi Hotel which also had an attached restaurant (19000 ISK).

The dinner menu only had a few items and it was going to be difficult for Ann and Alice as Icelandic Horse was on the menu. We chose entrees that included trout and cured horse. Judging by their smiles the girls despite their initial ambivalence really enjoyed the horse. The mains were local lamb and “char” which was a pink fish. Alice and I eat out a lot and we both agreed that this was the best meal in terms of flavour and presentation that we had eaten in quite a while. Barry and Ann both agreed with our verdict.

Monday 14th May – James Bond Movies and Andre the Seal

A good sleep in after such a long day yesterday was well deserved. We continued our drive along the coastline and Barry made a couple of detours to check out the black volcanic sand and unusual rock formations that form part of the coastline.

Steady driving was the order of the day as the wind was really blowing. There were frequent sections of sand being blown across the road with visibility being cut down to less than a hundred metres. One would have thought we were driving across the Nullarbor Plain.

Our destination was a glacial lake called Jokulsarlon which has been featured in two James Bond movies “A View To Kill” and “Die Another Day” as well as “Tomb Raider” and “Batman Begins” -- in addition to the reality-TV series Amazing Race. It is considered as one of the natural wonders of Iceland.

The highlight for us was the multitude of seals that were cavorting around the lake in search of a herring dinner. They presented a picturesque parade as they swam amongst the ghostly procession of luminous blue ice-bergs. We decided to pass on the amphibious boat tour as we had been spoiled in Greenland.

It was starting to get late but we wanted to stop at the Skaftafell National Park before heading back toward Vik. Our aim was to walk up to the Vatnajökull glacier which is easily accessible from the national park. It is Europe's biggest glacier and the 3rd biggest in the world. We have not seen many trees but there was plenty of Birch and quite a few bird species. Barry is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to birds and is able to point them out for us.

It was getting late but you are easily lulled into a false sense of security due to all the light. We decided to cut our journey short at this tongue twister “Kirkjubaejarklaustur”. The girls have chosen a farm stay called Geirland Hotel (18000 ISK) which is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by a wall of mountains. It is a working farm where they breed Icelandic horses but they best beware the eaters of horse flesh! I would have slept with the blinds open just to enjoy the vista but alas the sun is still up.

Tuesday 15th May – Slow Drive to Hvolsvollur

Another slow start to the day but I guess that was due to last nights’ lodgings. We would all recommend this farm stay but suspect that you would have to book when the weather warms up.

The wind is still blowing a gale but at least we have great blue skies. Not even out of the valley before we stop to photograph sheep and take a walk through a field for a look at a waterfall that was not even on the map. It is obviously cold here as the whirlpool at the base of the falls was full of ice.

Ann was keen to photograph the black sand beaches so we headed off to Dyrholaey.  The rock formations, scenery and birdlife in this area are extraordinary. Basalt pinnacles rear out of the water like sentinels guarding the beach from the marauding waves. The cliffs are pocketed with caves which provide nesting opportunities for the birds. Fine black sand littered with small round pebbles formed the beach. Out on the water there was a flock of Eider ducks and also a lone seal that spent most of its time submerged. Walking back to the car into the headwind was a challenge as we felt that we were being sandblasted. Even with my short hair I was picking out small granules of grit.

Just up the road we stopped at another beautiful waterfall named Skogarfoss. This waterfall is fed by water coming off the Myrdals- jokull (glacier). We all took the stairs to the top of the fall. The walk up was not only like a stair master workout which we all need but it also gave us a great view of the coastline and farmland that stretched out below us. At the base of the falls you had to be careful from falling ice that was hanging like stalactites from the cliff face. It was so cold in here that the grass and lichens were covered in ice. There is also a museum that has traditional turf houses but decided not to enter as the day was drawing to a close.

As we were driving up the highway we decided on a whim to stop at a volcano museum. We were treated to a 20 minute movie about the April 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier which disrupted international air traffic for days. The film concentrated on the disruption to the local farmer’s lives and how they overcame this adversity. The museum is owned and operated by the farming family and judging by the look of the farm now they have recovered fairly well. They also helped us by checking ferry times and accommodation up the road near Hvolsvollur.

The farm stay that we were looking at looked great but we decided not to stay as unfortunately due to a lack of bookings the owner decided to let the chef have a few days off. Back into down we drove and took a chance at the only hotel in town which had two tour buses parked at the front.

Two rooms (18500 IISK) were available and we were soon seconded in our lodgings. I was about to strip off when I noticed that there were pensioners outside my window. Our room overlooked the front entrance and as a result the smoking pensioners congregated here. We chose a local pizza place for dinner as it is dangerous queuing with pensioners when there is a buffet dinner on offer. Our choice was good as the 16 inch pizzas were not only as big as a wheel rim from a 4x4 but delicious as well.

Wednesday 16th May – Blue Lagoon

Last night on a punt I tried to book some accommodation at the Blue lagoon. Much to my surprise and to our bank accounts chagrin they had one room left at 32500 ISK ($258). The cost is not as bad as it looks as it includes admission to the Blue Lagoon, towels and dressing gowns which would normally cost 88 euro. Barry and Ann have generously agreed to drop us off a little after midday so that we can get full value from our purchase. Bedda at Our House has also not charged us for our late cancellation of our room.

Barry and Ann were up early and ready to roll after breakfast. Unfortunately, I was delaying them as I had to make several trips to "the office" as a result of last night’s jalapenos. We were on our way just after 9:00am and soon passed the hamlets of Hella and Selfoss.  Our route encompassed a new road that ran along the coastline between Eyrarbakki and Grindavik. It was a great drive with the mountains providing a great backdrop. The colours and textures of the rock and sand made us feel like we were driving in the Australian outback.

After departing Grindavik I thought we would be driving for some time before we reached the Blue Lagoon. Imagine my surprise when the turn off appeared after a few minutes driving. After checking in we took the five minute walk to the geothermal spa for some self-indulgence.

The lagoon is a pool of geothermal seawater from up to 2000 metres deep. When you enter the lagoon you are enveloped by the warm blue water. There is more to it than just dunking yourself in warm water. Alive had a 30 minute water massage and I looked cute in my mud mask of silica. There is also a waterfall for a good free massage as well as a sauna and steam bath. Our 3.5 hours passed quickly and we would have to give the whole experience thumbs up.

Back at the hotel we are bathed in sunshine and looking out on our own private moss covered lava field. To cap it off we are sipping on a fine wine prior to hitting the hotels mini geothermal spa which becomes available at 8:00pm. It will be an early night as we have to be up at 4:15am for our flight to Oslo on Iceland Air.

Stranded in Sisimiut

Friday 4th May – Shoveling Snow

It is a bright sunny day so Barry and I decided to get some exercise by shoveling the snow that had accumulated on Jens’ verandah. I must have appeared a little strange to the locals standing out there in my shorts and with no footwear. It was a big pile which must have taken us over an hour to move. Underneath all this snow there were two frozen carpets which are now thawing out.

More exercise was required so we donned some warm clothes and went for a walk into town in an effort to find the tourist shop. We found it opposite the museum but unfortunately it was closed as today is a public holiday. Barry and I wandered the streets for another hour and just enjoyed the serenity of the walk. The inlet below the house is still frozen but you can see that it is starting to break up with the warmer weather.

A nice beer in the sun, some lunch and I was ready for a lie down. Jens had other ideas and rang the mobile number of the tourist office. The manager agreed to meet us at 3.15pm so Barry, Ann and I (Alice rested) hightailed it to the office. We quickly arranged a 4 hour dog sledge ride (1050DK per person) which would be ready to go at 4.00pm. Jens had recommended that we go this afternoon as the weather forecast for tomorrow was predicting rain.

Our sledge was bigger than the one in Ilulissat and as a result more sturdy and comfortable. Sixteen Greenlandic hounds were straining at their harnesses and ready to shoot down the gentle slope with their beasts of burden (great Rolling Stones song) Barry and David. They were soon into a comfortable gait as they sauntered and farted their way over the frozen lake. I cannot believe that they can still run with the rope that tethers them to the sledge between their legs. The snowmobiles were heading in another direction and our handler Johannes told us there was a ski lift over there.

After about 40 minutes we pulled over to give the dogs are rest. Another dog sledge was approaching so Barry decided to get some video footage of the action. There was plenty of action as both sets of dogs became excited. So excited that our team took off in pursuit of the other dogs and left Barry and I stranded on the frozen lake. We could hear the handlers abusing the dogs and after a few failed attempts they stopped them at the other end of the valley. We thought it was quite hilarious as we crunched our way through the slushy snow.

Some of the lake has thawed slightly and there are areas of icy surface water. This does not worry the dogs as they plough straight through as if it wasn’t there. What does worry them is the steep hills that they must pull us up. When we look back down the valley it is hard to believe how high they have taken us. There is some respite as what goes up must come down. When we are on the down slope Johannes throws a rope over the front runner which acts as a brake to slow us down. At the halfway point we are afforded a magnificent view of the second fijord which is still frozen. Perched on the edge of the fijord we can see huts that the locals use for overnight stays in the wilderness. The fishing and hunting are supposed to be very good in these parts.

The trip back was much faster but still highly enjoyable. Grey clouds are staring to roll in and that has lowered the temperature. Our feet are getting colder and we are glad that we did not book a longer trip. Back home by 8.00pm and the little women have prepared us some open sandwiches and hot tea and coffee for dinner. A little red wind and it is off to bed.

Saturday 5th May – Rain and a Cancelled Dinner

Jens has correctly predicted the weather once again as this morning we have rain. This has given us the opportunity to relax and catch up on emails etc. Barry is having trouble with his emails and to ease the frustration has gone for a long walk.

We were going out for dinner tonight to sample the local fare at the Sisimiut Hotel. When Jens rang for a table he was informed that they were completely booked out for the next two nights. How can this be so in a small town like Sisimiut? Jens said the food was good but surely not that good! It turns out that they have been booked out for a couple of months as this is a time when the locals are celebrating their children’s confirmation. Looks like we will cater dinner ourselves which is not disastrous as the local shops have plenty of good tucker. The only problem will be whether we have enough wine to last the next two days. The answer is yes as Ann and Alice have come through with a big supply.

Jens and I have decided to have a sporting afternoon and are flicking between the Giro Italian cycle race and the FA cup final. I went for Liverpool and alas was disappointed when the full time score was 2-1 to Chelsea. I never thought I would watch the FA cup live during daylight hours let alone in Greenland.

Sunday 6th May – Crazy Words

The weather this morning was not as predicted, no sunshine but instead plenty of cloud. It was a good morning for just hanging around and drinking coffee. After lunch the others decided to take a hike to the museum as it was open from 1.00pm. There is a fine collection of older buildings with some good exhibits especially on the construction technique of traditional kayaks. Ann and Barry spent quite a while exploring all the museum had to offer.

As I did not want to view the trappings of the museum I set out about twenty minutes later. Down on the Corner (A great Creedence Clearwater Revival song) the local fisherman was selling the catch of the day. The catch would not have appealed to most Australians as slabs of Seal including the stomachs and intestines would upset our delicate tum tum’s. I finally caught up with everyone and convinced Alice to walk to the shops with me. Along the way we saw signs on shops that just do not sound right to an English ear. A couple of prominent names were “Boghandel” (book shop), “Slut Spur” and so many names that have the word “Fart” embodied within the name.

Prior to checking out the shops we continued on to the Cultural Centre which Jens had recommended. It is a beautiful new building with a coffee shop that overlooks the still frozen lake. Alas, the centre was closed for the 6th May. Spring has well and truly arrived as the snow is now melting very fast. There are rivulets of water cascading down every street. The snow mobiles are being covered with their summer tarpaulins and the boats are being serviced in readiness for another fishing season.

At the Brugsen store we purchased a large pork rib roast and of course red cabbage for dinner. Jens was excited of the prospect that we would all get to sample a traditional Danish dinner. He gave Alice instructions on how to get the best crackling for the roast. This entailed having the pork (heavily salted) upside down in a small quantity of water for the first 20 minutes at 220 degrees. The roast is then turned back over and cooked at 180 degrees for an hour depending on the weight and then increase the temperature for the last 30 minutes. Alice was a little doubtful about the water but followed the instructions. The result was a perfect roast with a superb crackling which was completely consumed.

Monday 7th May – Kangerlussuaq or Sequestered in Sisimiut

Today we are on the 10:40am flight to Kangerlussuaq and Jens is shuttling us in convoys to and from the airport so we can avoid paying a taxi fare. We are checking in early and then returning back to Jens where we can wait in comfort.

This was the world’s fastest check in which must have totaled all of five minutes. There is a fair amount of low hanging fog this morning which may result in our flight being delayed. All that means is that we get to spend more time with Jens who has been a fantastic host to all of us.

Airports can be quite fun if you are going somewhere but in our case the prophecy about being delayed has eventuated. We are stranded in Sisimiut until tomorrow as the fog instead of lifting has become a real pea soup. At this stage we will be flying out tomorrow at 11:10am, we hope!

We now have to cancel a night’s accommodation in Kangerlussuaq and hopefully whoever is on reception will check the emails. I always like to reconfirm any bookings that I make via email to ensure everything is on track. Luckily, that I checked for our two nights in Nuuk as they had lost our records from February due to a flooded office. Jens, using his mastery of the Danish language was able to get them to reorganise the booking and as a result we are now in a larger apartment for the same price. Now all we need is for the fog to lift.

Every fog has a silver lining as we are now able to have dinner at the Sisimiut Hotel where we can sample the local delicacies. Dinner time rolled around and at 7:00pm we were seated around our table with a view of the melting roadside snow. It was a set 2 (315DK) or 3 (345DK) course menu which included fresh local caviar, seafood bisque and of course grilled reindeer. The food was exceptionally “plated”, to many master chef programs at our house, and tasted great.

A few nice wines complemented the food and we then finished off with a Greenlandic coffee that was prepared at our table. The waitress has a gas flame which she uses to heat the glasses as she pours in the ingredients. First it is a finger of Kahlua, a finger of Whisky, coffee, whipped cream and the piece de resistance a finger of flaming Grand Mariner. It was so good that Ann wanted a second but Barry said NO as he did not want to carry her to bed.

There is always a good taxi driver story out there in the naked city and tonight was no exception. A taxi was ordered from the hotel and it duly arrived with the sound of crunching gears and carrying the scars of previous encounters. Jens gave him the address and one would expect that in a town of 6000 that a taxi driver would know his way around. A bad assumption as he was soon checking with his base for directions. Jens told him not to worry as he would show him the way. We lurched out of the driveway with the gears protesting and a driver that could barely see over the dashboard. Jens then proceeded to give him directions that included hand signals that would have made a point duty policeman proud. The driver responded with a big toothy grin and nodded his head in understanding that reminded me of Manuel from “Fawlty Towers”. We were soon home and had a good laugh about the experience. A few more fares and he may become a competent driver.

Tuesday 8th May – Pea Soup

After last night’s excursion the intrepid travelers did not bounce out of bed. There really was not much of a hurry as the fog is again like a pea soup and probably worse than yesterday. We checked in our bags nice and early as it pays to be optimistic when you are faced with this type of situation. The flight has already been delayed another 2.5 hours. It is hard to believe that we will be going anywhere today but you never can tell. At around 11:00 am the fog lifted and it looked like we would be on our way later in the day.

Jens received a call at 1:00pm from Air Greenland and it was not welcome news. We had been bumped from the flight as they needed to transport all the passengers who had the connecting flight to Denmark. We did however have a guaranteed flight for Kangerlussuaq at 10:00 tomorrow which of course would be subject to the weather. This would not be suitable as the following day we have to travel to Nuuk which would not leave us any time for an excursion. After some discussion we decided it would be best if we could get a flight to Nuuk later in the day.

Jens worked his magic with the staff at Air Greenland and before you could say up, up and away we were booked on a flight to Nuuk. The only downside is that we have to travel via Ilulissat. For those who want a laugh check out a map of Greenland and check out our flight path from Sisimiut to Nuuk via Ilulissat.

With the change in plans we needed Jens to work his higgery jiggery and find us some accommodation in Nuuk as we will not be arriving until 9:00pm if we are on time. The Nordbo Apartments have a room for us and will leave a key for us at the check in counter at Nuuk. The ever thinking Alice has gone to the shops and we will have a nice cup of soup with some cheese and biscuits when we arrive. That is a far cry from last night’s meal but much appreciated.

Unbelievable! The weather here is great but at 7:00pm we received the news that once again our flight is cancelled due to bad weather at Nuuk. I’m starting to think that we may be jinxed but as Jens says the weather up here can change so quickly. We are now booked on a direct flight to Nuuk tomorrow at 7:25pm and the forecast for tomorrow is snow. Who knows what will happen but we still have a few days before our flight to Iceland. We are all keeping our fingers crossed.

Kawaku Air Goes to the Dogs

Saturday, 28th April – Boat Day

With all the sleep we have been getting it is no wonder we are waking up way before the crack of dawn. A good strong brew and a couple of catch up calls via SKYPE (great reception) and we were off for a walk.


The temperature is a bracing -3 degrees so the four of us a rugged up tighter than an Egyptian Mummy. We had to be careful in some sections as the ice underfoot was extremely slippery.

After crossing the bridge we followed the concourse of the bay up to the dog camp. There were a number of bright colourful boats that were nearly submerged beneath the snow. They are in hibernation just waiting for the spring thaw when once again they can motor out to sea.

Barry, ever adventurous was climbing up and down the snow drifts. I think he wanted to know how far he could sink into the snow without being stuck.

It is about 9.30 and there is no one about. Jens reckons no one is up before 10.00 especially on a Saturday. The only noise we can hear is the crunching of our boots, cawing of the ravens and the howling of the dogs as we approach. We were nearing the crest of the hill when we saw a couple of guys hitching up the dogs for a journey. They informed us that they were off for an overnight trip in the wilderness.

We finished up at the local supermarket where a hot coffee warmed us up. Barry and I pooled our supply of Danish coins and bought a bottle of red and a couple of beers. Jens in the meantime arrived like an angel of mercy and transported us back to his lodge. A great walk!


After lunch Jens drove us to the outskirts of town where the annual couple’s dog sled race was to take place at 1.00pm. It seemed like the whole town was there to cheer on their favourite team and we were privileged to be sharing this moment with them. It felt like we were at a frozen version of the Birdsville races. There was a truck selling hot coffee and hot dogs that were being freshly cooked on the Webber.

It may not be the Alaskan Iditarod race but all seventeen contestants were raring to go on their 30 kilometre race. The dogs were howling in anticipation as their handler’s struggled to hold them back as they waited for the starter to drop his flag. With a shout they were off in a frenzied dash down the snowy slope to the canyon situated well below us. A couple of teams were left stranded as the dogs became tangled in the harness. This did not deter them and they were soon on their way as they quickly disengaged the straps that were wrapped around the legs of the dogs.

While we waited for the intrepid racers to return we amused ourselves by throwing snowballs at each other and watching the numerous snowmobiles traversing the valley floor.


After about 90 minutes a little roar went up as the first of the sleds came into view. There were two of them and they raced neck and neck up the steady incline to the finish line. The noise of the crowd spurred them over the finish line.

I don’t know who won the close race but the winners and their sled were hoisted high in the air in recognition of their victory. The dogs were rewarded with a feed of seal meat. They then rested panting from exhaustion on the snow.

A great afternoon made more memorable by the fact that we had sun and blue sky. So hot in fact that Alice and I received a small dose of snow burn.


Jens was there to take us back to the comfort of his house where we relaxed over a few wines. In between us all keeping Barry awake with frequent nudges to the ribs, Jens with a little help from Ann, had prepared a sumptuous meal of roast shoulder lamb. Barry was more impressed when it followed with a huge serving of nuts and nougat ice cream.


At 8.00pm Jens drove us down to the wharf to catch our ferry to Iillusiat.

We are travelling on the Sarafaq Ittuk which is the premier ship of Arctic Umiaq Line. It is not a large ship but it is rated as an A1 icebreaker and very suitable for these waters. This is the first trip of the season travelling north beyond Sisimiut.

Our compartment for 4 passengers is much smaller than I expected. It is about the same size as a 4 berth train compartment. There are clean towels and sheets with an outside toilet and shower. As it is early in the season there are not many passengers on board but in keeping with it is a small world we met a young Aussie guy from the Gold Coast who is having a quick break from his university studies in Iceland.

We waved to Jens who was standing on his balcony as the boat quickly left Sisimiut behind.


Alice and I were ready for bed but Ann was like a school girl ready to go on her first date. She was armed with her camera and was excited at the prospects of shooting icebergs. I think she came to bed when the sun disappeared at around midnight.

Sunday 29th April – Ilulissat Icebergs


There is no stopping her as Ann jumped out of bed at about 3.00am. Barry followed dutifully at around 4.00am. Meanwhile Alice and I slept the night away and finally woke up at 6.00am. We are seeing plenty of ice in the water but the crew has ensured us that to quote Bachman Turner Overdrive “You ain’t seen nothing yet”.


We had a great breakfast at the canteen and at around 8.00 we docked at the town of Aasiaat. It is a small township and I suspect the ship is a vital lifeline for this community. More passengers disembarked than boarded so the ship is quite empty at present.

As we travel north we are seeing more and more ice. It is hard to describe the different shapes that the wind and sea have sculptured out of the huge blocks of ice. There is an incredible amount of icebergs floating around us and at times it appears we are hemmed by mountains. When the sunlight bounces off the icebergs the ice blue colours really jump out at you.


Ilulissat is situated on the coastline of Disko Bay and the Jacobsen Ice Fijord. As a result the icebergs became more prevalent which meant that our tiny ship was constantly altering course to avoid them. Occasionally we would hear  loud crunch as we ground our way through some tight situations. In one instance we had to plough our way through a large expanse of sea ice to reach some clear shipping water.

Does anybody know the collective noun for icebergs? A crush or possibly a melt of icebergs! With all this going on we were constantly out on the open deck admiring the special scenes that were playing out in front of us. We could only last about 15 minutes at tops before retreating back inside to the warmth of the heated lounge area.


We eventually broke clear into some open water and arrived Ilulissat about one hour late at 2.30pm.

Our hotel pickup for the Icefijord Apartments (2334.38DK or $400 for 3 nights) was waiting for us at the dock. The apartment’s area reasonable size with cooking facilities. Barry and Ann have the best view but they have a couple of issues with faulty appliances and fittings.

Jens' friend Fleming dropped around to see us and gave us a few clues on what to do and where to go. He has kindly offered to take us for a hike on Tuesday evening and then for a meal at his house which was unexpected but totally appreciated.

Alice has cooked us all an evening meal from the groceries that we previously purchased from the Pisiffik Supermarket. The only trouble is there is no wine as it is illegal to sell it on a Sunday which is very similar to Vanuatu. Ah well, we can do with a night off. Ann and Barry have hit the hay early to catch up on last nights missed sleep.


Monday 30th April - Arctic Antics


We headed off early for a rendezvous with Fleming at his office at Polar Oil.

After coffee we piled into Fleming's half cab and headed off towards a hiking trail that he had recommended. All good plans come unstuck as on the way he spotted the local pastor of the historic church that he had just pointed out.

Plans were quickly changed as Christian the Pastor has agreed to give us a tour of the Church of Zion. The inauguration of the church took place in 1782 and was funded from the sale of whales and animal oils. It measures 22.9m x 11m and the construction materials are made of heavy ship timber from Norway. The church has a pipe organ and a painting of the last supper that was drawn by a Dutch artist in the 16th century. Christian was very affable and entertained us with local stories, jokes and an explanation of the Greenlandic language.


Our next stop was the local museum which is mostly dedicated to the Danish polar explorer Knud Rasmussen who was born in this house. Rasmussen was famous for documenting what is known about the Inuit from Greenland to Canada. There are some interesting exhibits including a 1933 film that was produced (Palo's Wedding) by Rasmussen and featured local Greenlandic peoples. It is definitely worth the 35DK entrance fee.


After lunch we booked a couple of tours and caught up with Fleming who drove us to the start point for our hike. The walk is a 3 km circuit that starts at the sea edge and follows the sea cliff to the ice fijord and then back over the hill to a point on the outskirts of town. The views were spectacular which meant there were plenty of photographs taken.

With spring time here we could see the moss and lichen starting to appear from beneath the blanket of snow. Small icicles still managed to cling from tendrils like stalagmites reaching for the earth below. We followed the yellow markers all the way to the ice fijord and were greeted by enough ice to fill a trillion eskies for a lifetime and a freezing Arctic wind.

I was reasonably warm but my extremities were close to frozen. Alice's nose was so red that it could have been likened to Rudolph's. We trudged back over the hill and thankfully it provided respite from the wind. The snow was so thick on the ground that we could not see the guiding yellow markers but we could see the local cemetery which meant we were close to the end of our hike. Ten minutes later we had reached the end which was near where all the Greenlandic dogs are kennelled. Two lovely Greenlandic girls were feeding the dogs and they brought over two new born puppies who had just opened their eyes for us to pat (Jemma and Telissa would have loved that).

We dropped into the supermarket to purchase the wine we missed out on yesterday. A new shipment must have arrived as there was more food on the shelves and it looked like the whole town was in there. We wanted to stay because it was so warm inside after what we had just been through but Ann had a fish curry to cook for dinner tonight.

The wine sales here must be slow because the majority of vintages are quite old. For example Ann purchased an Australian Chardonnay from Yellowtail which was a 2005 vintage.


A good dinner, good wine and a few laughs about the days adventures and we were off to the land of nod.

Tuesday 1st May - Sailing Among the Icebergs


It snowed last night but today we have some sunshine and hopefully not much wind. Ann and Barry have gone off for another walk while we have lounged around over a leisurely breakfast.

Alice and I took a stroll around town and ended up down by the harbour. We descended a long flight of steep wooden steps and then stepped out onto the frozen part of the inlet. It is like a frozen graveyard for all manner of boats that will come back to life when the spring thaw begins. Walking on a frozen expanse of sea water is something quite alien for citizens of a sunburnt country unless of course you hail from Tasmania. There were plenty of fishermen going about their business and it was a pleasure just wandering around observing daily life in Ilulissat.

After lunch we traipsed down to The World of Greenland office where we were transported to our boat for a sail amongst the icebergs. (500DK per person) On the way down to the office I noticed that the local radio station was running a bingo game at 6.00pm with a prize of 20,000DK. Apparently bingo rules everywhere on the planet.

Our small boat was perfect for viewing the icebergs as we were able to get up close and personal with them. The size of them range from small to incredibly large. It is difficult to describe the myriad of shapes and the beautiful colour but I am sure that Ann and Alice have captured their beauty on one of the many photographs that they have taken. The weather was perfect as the sun was shining and there was hardly any wind and all too soon our 2.5 hour tour was over.

As we pulled into the dock we could see Fleming waiting for us. He took us on another short hike which gave us a different perspective of the ice fijord. At the view point he produced some shot glasses and a hip flask of Jack Daniels and toasted our stay in Greenland.

He is a real raconteur and he entertained us with hunting stories, local lore and the history of the area. After the walk we adjourned to his house which overlooks Disko Bay for some dinner. His wife Elsa had prepared a traditional Greenlandic dinner of Reindeer soup which we all agreed was delicious. After a really great day Alice and I hit the hay but the ever adventurous Ann and Barry went for a late evening hike.

Wednesday 2nd May - Dog Sledge Day

We have to evacuate our room today by 9.30am so they can prepare for incoming guests. This suits us as we have a dog sledge (1860 DK for two) outing planned for 10.00am. Would definitely recommend the apartments as a place to stay. You may not have the view that the hotel gives you but we are central to everything and have good cooking facilities.

Greenland time must be like Island time as the dog sledders had not arrived by the appointed departure time. A quick mobile call confirmed that they had gotten the time wrong but they would be there in 30 minutes as they had to harness the dogs. We headed back to the office and the girl in charge offered us some seal skin clothing, rent free, for the sledge ride. Alice quickly agreed and the rest of us followed suit. The seal skin coat and boots were sooooo warm that they warded off the cold with ease.

The dogs arrived with tails wagging eager to transport another group into the wilderness. Our team had 13 young dogs which needed some guidance from our experienced handler. Barry and Ann had 14 dogs that were better behaved than our lot.

We were soon on our way and as we raced downhill our team endeavoured to pass a fisherman’s sledge. One of the more interesting sights is watching dogs piss and poo on the run. Amazing! The beauty of it all is that there is no one else around and the only sounds you hear are the sledge blades running on the snow and the panting of the dogs. The speed that you reach is quite fast and on a couple of downhill runs we had some air.

I was in awe of our physical surroundings but more so with the strength of the dogs as they pulled us up some steep inclines. On one downhill section there was some steep drops which resulted in Ann jarring her back. Even though she is in some pain she is soldiering on. The route took us through open areas of snow, across frozen lakes and into some narrow gorges and chasms. Our half way point was a location called Aaallaniarfik which is a few kilometres inland on the ice fijord.

The return journey was less taxing but there was one incident that bears mentioning. We had just finished our rest break and as I was boarding the sledge the dogs decided it was time to go. I was floundering on the sledge like a Dart on the beach at Double Island Point as the dogs headed down a steep incline. Alice did not manage to board so she hitched a ride on the other sledge. After my Keystones Cops (Google them) effort I eventually managed to get myself upright and enjoy the even faster downhill trip. Meanwhile the guide was abusing the dogs and was trying to  get them to stop.

This eventually occurred when he managed to turn them onto an uphill slope. At that point Alice re-joined us and we continued on our way. One dog was in a tangle and he reeled him in like a huge fish and hoisted him on the sledge. After a few minutes he untangled and threw him off the sledge as if he was an undersized fish. The snow in the face, biting wind and farting dogs made for a great trip.


We went to a local restaurant for lunch where the girls sampled smoked (uncooked) halibut and the boys indulged in a Greenlandic Musk Ox burger. These were washed down with a bottle of Erik the Red lager from the Nuuk brewery. The verdict on this gourmet tucker was a definite thumbs up.


The end is near for our time in Ilulissat and we have all had a great time. We are at the airport and as everyone has checked in the plane has decided to go early. I like this type of flying. We all have a window seat and as it is sunny there is a magnificent view of the ice fijord and the icecap.

The flight was only 40 minutes and was worth every cent that we paid. Jens who can track anyone via the internet was waiting for us when we had finished taxing down the runway. Back at the Jens Palace we are nibbling on cheese and drinking some nice cheeky red wines. We were also given a Danish education from Jens on the correct etiquette for building an open sandwich.

Thursday 3rd May – Sisimiut Siesta

A day of relaxation is the plan for today. We all hung around the house until after lunch before heading off for a walk into town. We visited a local craft shop and the girls managed to walk out without buying anything.

There was a little light snow (Ann is wearing a sun cap) but the sun is threatening to break through the cloud barrier. The snow is beginning to melt and I think that within a few days the snow around the town will have disappeared.

Up at the local shops we have stocked up on the requisite supplies required for the afternoon happy hour. Our feet are up, the wine is flowing and Jens is preparing some roast duck for dinner.