I read that doctors in Scotland are prescribing a walk in nature to people afflicted with mental illness, diabetes, heart disease, and stress, amongst other conditions. Science says that going for a walk in the wilderness is good for us. And there are plenty of stories about people who find, to their surprise, that it’s …
*Photo by Julian Idrobo, Creative Commons I used to live in Australia’s tropical north where it’s so hot and humid that you long to swim in the dazzling blue sea. But you’d be wise to resist the temptation unless you wish to share the experience with saltwater crocodiles. What I didn’t realise, until I flew …
One of the things I particularly like about Greenlanders is their propensity to just drop by. Now and then, on a Saturday afternoon, or a Sunday morning, the doorbell rings and one of our lovely Greenlandic friends can be found at the door, having just decided to pop in while they were out for a …
My eyelids flickered in the grey November Copenhagen morning. It seemed too dark to be waking. Then my focus fixed on the red numbers of my bedside digital clock and I sat bolt upright. “$&@#!” It was past seven. My flight to Greenland departed at nine. I was about forty five minutes from the airport …
Last week, my husband was out fishing on a fjord close to Nuuk. When he was ready to return home, he turned the key in the ignition and nothing happened. The engine had failed. There were no boats around. Being still close to Nuuk and fortunately within mobile reception, he called the police. Explaining the …
A few years ago, a friend wrote a blog post posing the question of whether Danes are friendlier in Greenland than they are back home in Denmark. From my perspective – having lived in both places – I’m pleased to say that they are. Despite being part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is a …
People say that no matter what the debate in the Greenlandic parliament, the politicians always end up talking about fish. Fishing dominates Greenland’s economy, accounting for about 90% of the revenue. This is a bad position to be in, in a changing climate, as the Government of Greenland well knows. And thus, they are looking …
Warm winter jackets come out at this time of year. On a busy morning commute, the bus to town could be filled with sixty people, all wearing an expensive down jacket. There can easily be more than twenty thousand dollars worth of fur-lined winter jackets on one bus. On the hands, or in the pockets …
When you sail into Nuuk fjord, it looks big. A wide expanse of water opens out in front of you. But sailing south of Nuuk, unless you looked at the map, you would hardly know that Ameralik Fjord is there. Passing the rocks that curve landward, you wouldn’t know that the rocky hills don’t simply …