Pinga in Fall colours

When the fall arrives the ban on unleashed dogs disappears and Pinga thrives.

Stave

Stave close to Bleik (see previous post) - there are even fewer inhabitants and is situated on the more exposed side of Andøya, towards west. However; paradise-like conditions occur ever so often.

Beluga Boats

On a recent visit in Fleur de Lyshamna in Van Keulenfjorden in Spitsbergen we visited the site of what once was a Beluga fishery adventure. These fisheries were ecologically insustainable and luckily it ended before the population of this magnificent High Arctic whale were were depleted. Today you can experience Beluga in the fjords of Spitsbergen. They come swimming in groups along the shores. If you're lucky they twist their head (unique feature for the species) and takes a look at you.

Kicksled

A perfectly functional vehicle in Tromsø in wintertime. In Norwegian its name is Spark.

A Roald Amundsen day in Tromsø

Today, we had typical Tromsø winter weather. Snow dumped down in mild temperatures. This makes most people wet and miserable (unless you are a skier, or a long gone legendary polar explorer in bronze).

Fast ferry to Harstad

I took Hurtigruten from Harstad to Tromsø on friday. On our way we met the fast ferry going in the opposite direction in fantastic winter light.

Hunting the Light

Sailed from Tromsø to Bergen this week. Fantastic light - forget the midnight sun and all those things we've seen a million times.

Weekend in Havnnes

Havnnes is an old merchant place where fishermen have been delivering fish for centuries. Archeological findings proves this to be a dwelling place as old as 6000 years. Havnnes is situated on the island of Uløya and you need to take a short ferry ride to get there. The total number of inhabitants is about 55. This a fantastic place to retreat. You can rent a house for about 100 Euro that sleeps 6. When we arrived it was even lit up in the fire place and we could start relaxing immediately. You can also rent a boat if you like to tempt your luck with the fishing rod or you can go the easy way of buying a dried, tasty fish at the grocery store. This is a great place that will never become over-crowded - it's you, the locals, maybe a few Czech fishing enthusiasts, clean air, magnificent views and the occasional sea eagle.

Ice Cutting in Tempelfjorden, Spitsbergen

This is the highlight of my winter. I took part in a logistic operation with Spitsbergen Travel. The task was to cut out ice-blocks from glacier ice. The best spot for this was about 60 kilometers out of Longyearbyen. In February the light is fantastic.

White Sea - Russia

I was just stuck in a hotel in Moscow. Bad luck, but at the same time it gave me an opportunity to re-live yesterday. I had a memorable day on the Northern Dvina River. Together with my Russian friends; Olga, Vladimir, Jury, Natasha and Anna I had the pleasure exploring the borders of the White Sea. It made me feel like continuing an ancient tradition of keeping up the good relationship between the Pomor People and Northern Norway. Mayor of Patrakeevka; Petr Ivanovich Kopytov (you see him in the only portrait below) had a first class, number one welcome in his village, that's for sure. In excitement I took a few pictures...

About South Georgia in Islands Magazine

In the March 2007 issue of National Geographic Islands Magazine there is a story about a trip I attended as an Expedition Leader last year. The writer and photographer is my good friend Jad Davenport and the article is made available here with his permission. Download the PDF here or click on the Islands Magazine front page (to download). I know that many of my readers have been to South Georgia, so this may lead to many a recognizing nod. Enjoy.

Architecture Svalbard

Longyearbyen is becoming a place where modern high tech and architecture goes hand in hand. The new university is an excellent example. The new part of the university building is designed by Jarmund/Vigsnæs AS and have been nominated to the prestigious Miles van der Rohe-price. This is the European Union price for best contemporary architecture.