Iceland, Greenland and Plastic Forks

And the clouds cleared briefly…Greenland below

As airlines go, Malaysian Airlines is one of the world’s best – good legroom, good individualised entertainment, good food, good service. Although I do want to know why, when they give you a chunk of steak to eat, they also supply you with a knife and fork so fragile they would bend if you poked at melted icecream. The meat was tender, yes, but then so was the cutlery…

There was a chocolate dessert to die for out of Sweden though. And you don’t often say that about airplane food, do you?

Greenland: summer lakes

If you discount the plastic tableware, I wasn’t Noramlyed, not once. We arrived on time in Newark, New York, after 22 hours (via Sweden) in a full plane. Yay, MAS.My first views of Iceland. Note the sheets of ice slipping out from between the two peaks.

For me, the most interesting bits were looking down on Iceland, which I had never seen before. Unfortunately, there was a lot of cloud, and more still when we flew over southern Greenland later. Iceland: the range across the middle in the photo is topped with both snow and cloud. If you look carefully, you can see glaciers spilling down the slopes into a settled valley.

I still remember an earlier flight (alas, I didn’t have a camera) when we had brilliant weather and I saw the brutal black cliffs of Greenland plunging down into the startling blue of the north Altantic. Dazzling white patches of huge ice floes and icebergs drifted on that deep untramarine…

This time the scenery was much more muted by cloud and haze.

A town in Iceland, surrounded by farming land

And did I get much work done?
No, not really. About one quarter of book two readied for copy edit is all.


Comments

Iceland, Greenland and Plastic Forks — 5 Comments

  1. Great pictures Glenda, you were lucky to get them. Who's camera, hubbys?

    No noramlying at all, incredible. So how did you manage the steak or did you just leave it?

  2. i've been reading your blog from time to time and i must tell you how much i admire the way you put things together (definetly one thing is because u r a writer urself)…. practically useful for both who would like to get some insight on many things in life and of course for the english learners… TQ to Dato' for introducing your blog…Enjoy ur great time in US- NFB

  3. Unfortunately when I flew from the UK to the US yesterday I was in a middle seat so I didn't get to see Greenland at all – we followed much the same route except my flight was headed for Chicago, and then a couple of hours later a second flight to get me to Philadelphia. I'm presently in a suburb between Langhorne & Newtown just north of Philly, but I got to see a landscape between Chicago & Philly that had to be the inspiration for the Shiver Barrens. Sadly I don't have Google Earth on my netbook or I'd see if I can find out where it was precisely but it had me fascinated (and cursing that my camera was in the overhead locker and I couldn't get to it).

    Is it as hot in Virginia as it is here today (high 80s to 90s)?

  4. NFB: Thanks for dropping by!

    Barb:
    Hope you had a grand time with family in the UK..and it's a real stinker today here – 90 plus and sticky with it. Come to think of it, feels like home.

    Which way are you flying home?

  5. I am heading home via Dallas (24 hr stopover) and LAX (8-hr stopover) where I shall watch people, or more likely find a coffee shop that has drinkable coffee and work on the ms I have with me.

    I'm in a different part of Philly now – west I think, Ardmore – and I have been reliably informed the ridges I saw were the Appalachian (sp?) Mountains.

    I leave Philly tomorrow morning and will be back in Oz on Friday morning – fingers xx'd customs & immigration will not be a pain about the jute bag I bought at a National Trust shop (and fully intend to declare!) so I don't miss my connecting flight to Cairns.

    I will be very glad to get home, although I have had a fantastic time. I'm really looking forward to my shower at home, no matter how much I complain about it – at least I know its quirks!

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