The plank

In the small settlements the plank is what it says- a plank where the hunters present their catch to potential customers. In Nuuk the principle is the same albeit on a larger scale. Large tables are decorated with reindeer, whale, dried fish and huge iced buckets filled with various and excotic cuts of fish etc.

Black plate

Modern greenlandic kitchen is probably very far from the hunters basic diet. This titilating plate contained seal on a pear gel and whale sashimi on what could be marshmallows but is lemon foam. It was tasty but I think I've had enough sea mammals for now. Now hopefully I'll get some of the offerings from land.

The good, the bad and the ugly

So much had been said in Ilullisat about Nuuk. And yes it doesn't have the same colorful beauty. But on a sunny day with snowy white peaks the city definite has a charm. The old social housing does look like a plan economic nightmare, but that is just part of the city and although ugly it has a certain charm discovering the clash between modern city life and traditional hunter culture like reindeer antlers placed proudly and prominently on the rail of the housing balcony. I've found the greenlanders enjoy ornamate decorations in their houses and in the city room also. Many a place has a sculpture or a small memorial. It's both charming and decorative.

Humpbacks

The trip to Eqi was crowned with a view of 3 humpback whales. In all humbleness it was me who noticed them among a flock of sea gulls. Unfortunately, we didn't see their tailfinns when they dived after about 5 min. Awesome creatures.

Donner ohne Blitzen

Kapow - the sound blasts like the shot of a canon or sometime thunder while fragments of ice tear off the glacier. The sound is oddly disproportionate to sight of the rushing ice. What a spectacle!

Mamartut

Ilulissat is quite small. You can walk all over the town in 10 minutes. The 4500 inhabitants enjoy the many tourists coming to see the glacier and icebergs. Mamartut is probably the finest cuisine in the place. It serves modern greenlandic food. I forgot.to take pictures of the tapas plate made with local meats and fish. This whale (mink) carpachio was however wonderful: Sweet, salt and tasty.

Blueberry toffee swirl

I learned that icebergs are not just icebergs. The ice comes in many many colors - white, blue, black, clear, filled with mud and so on. The lump slightly on the right was the most unusual and reminded me of the toffee we got at the candy baron this summer.

Mind the

City planning requires ingenuity when the ground is hardened with perma frost. Ilulissat is laying sewage pipes with dynamite. The pipes are ny the way heated with warm water and run in to the bay. Electric cables lie in metal casing on the rock. All houses have a water tank. Small lamps on the houses tell if the tanks are full or empty. Red is full. Green means empty. So no maritime significance here. The city itself is picturesque. Multi colored houses strewn over the rocks. And 2000+ sleigh dogs laying chained except for the cubs among the houses creating am atmosphere with their howling and sneering.

A room with a view

A stunning view of the Disco bay from hotel Icefjord. What a spectacular surprise to enter the room and see this. I had to sleep with the curtains open and the sunrise was just stunning. I was awestruck how the dark blue and gray gradually changed to pink, then yellow and then white. Who then minded waking up at 5 due to the time difference.

Kangerlussuaq

First stop in Greenland - beautiful but barren. The central airport in the country is slightly larger than a provincial train station and equally exciting. However, 2 hours sitting in the full but low sun was nice.

Something new

;)

First day of school

Rita and Axel have just left for school. Of Axel had his way it would have been without pen, paper and school bag. Erik started yesterday. Anxious, curious and perhaps with a little bit of heartbeat. I was allowed to show him the way to the bus stop. But I should not accompany him any further.

Me in the news

http://www.dr.dk/NETTV/Update/Forside.htm?video={14192738-FE54-4062-85B2-AE17C0701FA4}

3rd cut

A month away and the lawn goes crazy. Farmor cut it right before we got back. Today I did the 3rd cut, still leaving a lot of grass to be carried away.

Welcome back home

1 year abroad- it's pretty impressive. Erik arrived 2 hours after us. Farmor came to pick us up and waited with us. Merete and the Zuletas showed up and we had the grand greeting. Erik was overwhelmed :-)

2237

Final day. We have in large numbers - not counting small trips - driven 2540 miles or 4088 km. in the US. Add to that 300-400 km. on Iceland. Quite a bit. A now I just have to sort through 2237 pictures.

Travel lessons

No. 1 it is not enough just to check date and destination on your ticket. If you have been assigned seats and you notice that your family had been assigned the seats 18D, 19D, 20D and 21D. Do NOT wait until the airline upon for electronic check in to change it yourself. Call the airline IMMEDIATELY. Not all passengers will graciously change seat with a 10 year. Lesson no. 2 do not accept a 1 hour lay-over in Seattle airport. You may end up being driven from San Francisco to San Jose in order to get a flight that can assure the connection. No 3 arrive early but do not expect Lufthansa to have opened for check in so that Erik's trip would be on order before you leave for San Jose.

Island of pelicans

Final day of sightseeing brought us to Alcatraz and Pier 39.22 years ago I missed the crab cakes. I made up.for it this time. And they were good.

Turtle and frog to be killed on the premises

Incredible still in the US but we might as we have been in Beijing. It definitely was good some of the things we saw but what it was and what it should be hard for eluded us as none of the signs were in English.

GG

Mental note to myself: It may be sunny on the eastside of AC while cool, windy and damb on the westside. A great day out of the car. We witnessed two giant container ships racing under the bridge. It gave a tremendous perspective on the size of the bridge and the vessels. Haight street was fun with all the hippie stuff and gave the opportunity of supper totally without deepfry.