The trip had come to an end. From Longyearbyen it was back to a sweaty Hannover with some final glimpses of Svalbard from the plane as we were starting the trip back South.

Overall this has been another amazing and mind-blowing trip. Starting with all the different landing sites … similar, but still different; then of course the animal life – from musk oxen, an arctic hare and reindeer to walruses, whales and puffins – plus lucky us to see polar bears on three occasions. Plant life was fascinating as well – to see, what plants and flowers actually persevere and make it through in the harsh conditions up here. A real highlight then all the geological gems we were allowed to see – especially in East Greenland – overwhelmingly beautiful.

I guess, to me the highlights of the trip were indeed the geological attractions in Eastern Greenland – those formations of sedimentary rock in all those colors, nicely layered – as if build by an artist – those simply left me awestruck. The package around this actually added nicely – incl. the animal sightings – but also simply the down-times during which I made use of the amenities of the ship … it was a vacation at last. An epic journey has come to an end – and it is indeed a privilege having been a part of it – and being able to have witnessed what Svalbard and East Greenland have to offer.