The Brunch of Champions

One year ago today I was on an AirGreenland flight from Copenhagen, Denmark to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland for one of the most significant adventures of my life. I love the Danes. Shortly after take-off we were given a Tuborg and smoked nuts. The flight attendant laughed when we added Airborne to the mix; one last boost for the immune system before hitting the ground. Quite the combination.

You never know what kind of food you're going to get on planes these days, especially European airlines. Yes, we actually got food and good food at that. Our brunch was a lovely tray of dense, dark, delicious brown bread, cheese, cured meat, eggs, veggies, a meat patty, a decadent chocolate brownie and bite sized Tuberlones!



Once on the ground at Greenland's busiest airport in Kangerlussuaq, we set out to explore the meager offerings of  the small village. The chance we took on a bottle of Shiraz at the grocery store didn't turn out so well, it would've made a nice vinegar though. Good thing we also bought some Greenland Pale Ale as a back-up, it was quite tasty.



The small pizzeria,  across from the airport, had limited space, even more limited hours but numerous selections. We had a lot of fun chatting up the owners and a couple from Switzerland before taking another chance, Musk Ox Pizza. This one paid off big great story here.

When the grocery store, museum and pizza shop closes there isn't too much else to do but hike. It was 10:00 but that wasn't a problem since the summer sun doesn't set in Greenland. While finishing our dinner, we picked a mountain and set out for a "short" trek. The views of the country side were stunning. If you look closely at the following two photos you can just see Russel Glaciers. Our first glimpse of the "big ice" was exhilarating. I was filled with anticipation knowing that in the morning I would not only venture to see the great ice-caps up close and personal, but sleep at their base for the next six days. I dream of many things but I had never dreamed about plane food, until then. While the meals in camp were great (more on that later), I found myself thinking back to that last plane meal more than once. One of many firsts for me on this amazing trip.

Pizza On Top Of The World

I am back from my Arctic Adventure! I can't wait to share more about my trip to Greenland but I am still digesting it. That being said:

In previous blogs I've shared my love of pizza with you and couldn't wait to write about the pie I ate in Kangerlussuaq. Kangerlussuaq is the hub for international flights into Greenland because of it's large runway and decent weather. Even though it's home to an International Airport, Kangerlussuaq only has a population of about 600 in the winter, 1000 in the summer. Dining options are fairly limited so when I was told about the small, take-away pizzeria just across the street from the airport, my expectations were fairly low.

The pizzeria was only open a couple of hours for lunch, and a couple of more hours for dinner. At least there was outdoor seating; two weathered picnic tables on the narrow porch. The Turkish/Danish owner was very hospital and offered a long list of pizza possibilities.


Wanting to try food from the region, we asked about the Muskox. The chef wasn't a fan saying it tasted like sheep. Not recalling having ever eaten sheep we inquired more, finally asking, "is it gamey". Response with arms flailing: "sheep, sheep; you know, baaaahhhh baaaahhh". Does the guy to the right look like any 'sheep' you've ever seen? We gave up and with a baaaahhhh baaaaaahhhh, and ordered the majestic Muskox.

Since the pizza joint only sold pizza and the neighboring grocery store had been closed since 2:00, our only option for wine or beer was the airport bar; we wandered over, ordered a couple of Tuborgs (Danish beers), asked for glasses and took them back to the pizzeria. It was obviously a laid back place.

We shared a picnic table with a couple from Switzerland, traded travel stories and inspected the Muskox Pizza. It was delicious! I was surprised by the nice thin crust; delighted by the flavorful cheese and enjoyed the heavy dusting of oregano. Oh, and the Muskox was amazingly mild and tender.

I can't imagine you would ever find yourself on a layover in Kangerlussuaq but if so, the pizza is worth a walk across the street....if you are lucky enough to land while it's open.