2023 Flight back to Copenhagen
Our day of departure from Ilulissat has arrived. We were picked up from the hotel by shuttle bus shortly after 8:00 a.m. and taken to the airport. There our plane was already waiting for us:
Then we went back the same way we had come. First we flew south back to Kangerlussuaq. Here is one last view of the Ilulissat Fjord with the rising sun:
Our Airbus 330-800 was already waiting for us in Kangerlussuaq:
From there we flew a good 4 1/2 hours south-west back to Copenhagen. The plane took about 1 hour to cross Greenland. Here is a view of the beginning of the Greenland ice shield:
The Greenland ice shield is gigantic and in some places up to 3 km thick. Some of the ice at the deepest points is more than 100,000 years old. The ice cores obtained from there contain important information about what happened during this period. The air bubbles trapped there allow detailed investigations of the atmosphere over the past millennia - a real treasure for research.
Arrival in Copenhagen
Due to the time difference, we arrived in Copenhagen at night after a pleasant flight (with a delicious meal on board). Here it was 10°C, a good 20°C warmer than the day before. This time we had booked a hotel in the city center.
After collecting our luggage, we took the metro into the heart of the city. We arrived at our hotel shortly before 11 p.m. Unfortunately the weather was bad, it was raining. The Scandic Kødbyen hotel is very large and modern. Kødbyen is the former butcher’s quarter of Copenhagen, where many trendy restaurants are located.
After a quick nightcap in the bar, we fell into bed tired after the long day of traveling. Tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. we have registered for breakfast and will then explore the city once again.
November 7th - 8th, 2023 - Copenhagen
As planned, we stayed three nights in Copenhagen. It was a huge contrast between the endless vastness and remoteness of Greenland and this turbulent city. Unfortunately, the weather was very mixed. Overall, however, we really enjoyed Copenhagen. Finally, here are a few pictures from there:
November 9th, 2023 - Homeward departure
After a final breakfast at our hotel, we took the metro back to the airport. The return flight was without any problems. Our daughter was already waiting for us in Düsseldorf to pick us up.
It was a very impressive trip. The vastness and remoteness of Greenland is indescribable. Life there is so different from what we are used to. All goods have to be transported there by ship or plane - weather permitting.
The local food is practically exclusively fish and meat. In fact, the Inuit used to live exclusively on these. However, they did not suffer from vitamin deficiencies such as scurvy or rickets, as they also ate the intestines and skin components of whales and seals, which were rich in vitamins C and D.
As our guide Simone told us, the people in Ilulissat are sometimes completely cut off for days and have to manage every situation on their own. The local hospital in Ilulissat only has limited capacity and can only provide basic care. Seriously ill patients have to be brought to Copenhagen by plane, which takes at least 6 hours even under optimal conditions.
Shortly after our departure, the polar night begins in Ilulissat in December and lasts a good 6 weeks. 6 weeks without sunlight - that is simply unimaginable for me.
In contrast to this was the vivid and lively Copenhagen. All in all, the trip made us curious about further trips to the northern regions. And by the way, we now have the right clothes for more trips into the cold. So Iceland and northern Norway are at the top of our wish list
to perhaps experience the Northern Lights once again…