Lindblad/National Geographic Cruise on the Resolution to Svalbard, Norway
Svalbard is a group of glacial islands halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. It's so far north that in winter the sun doesn't rise for more than 3 months and in summer it never sets. After WWI, the allies gave Norway sovereignty over the archipelago with the provision that all nationals in the Svalbard Treaty should have equal rights to live and work there. So the islands are extremely diverse with 55 different citizenships, about 3,000 residents many who are environmental scientists, biologists and other researchers. Coal mining is continuing until 2025 because the Soviet attack on Ukraine caused energy prices to spike.
I flew Detroit to Newark, New Jersey to Oslo, Norway. Left Detroit on Saturday, June 10 and arrived in Oslo, Norway on Sunday, June 11, at 8:30 am (7-1/2 hour flight New Jersey to Oslo). Beautiful sunny day. Learned a lot from our guide who picked us up at the airport and took us to Thon Bristol Hotel in Oslo (35 minute drive). This will be the furthest north I have been, further than the North Cape on Norway’s main land (Hurtiguten Cruise in Norway trip with George in April, 2019)
Maybe a visit with Santa Claus on the North Pole next time? 😂
Some interesting facts from our guide about Norway
100% hydro electric with help from windmills & geothermal
40% of all cars are electric only ever 8-10 cars sold are electric and after 2030 you will not be allowed to buy anything other than electric cars, and all infrastructure (subways, buses, street trains) will be running on electric power or hydrogen.
Coastline of Norway is full of fjords & inlets in and out of the Atlantic. Longest Fjord cuts into the mainland 205 km
If you wanted walk the entire coastline from the south to north Norway including the islands it would be equivalent to walking the equator twice!
Good welfare system, health bills, surgeries, all free. Pregnancy and delivery free, women get a year off with full salary. Norway wants you to make more babies.
Education - All tuition is free - you only pay for books and living expenses
Gas price is $8 a gallon today! Diesel a bit cheaper
Max speed 110 km per hour - stiff penalties for speeding, don’t drink & drive - 2 weeks in jail and loose your license for 2 years.
Passed a 550-600 yards long indoor skiing arena
Saw an Islamic mosque - Ahmadea (from Pakistan) - waiting for the (9th) next avatar (5,000 believers here in Norway)
Monday, June 12 we flew from Oslo to Svalbard - 4 hour flight
View of the National Geographer Resolution from our plane
Svalbard Airport is in Longyearbyen, a small coastal mining town on Spitsbergen Island, The town was named for John Longer, a businessman from Michigan, who began mining there over 100 years ago.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
We stopped to see the seed bank - more than 930,000 varieties of seeds stored in the vault. It's a safety deposit box holding the world’s largest collection of agricultural biodiversity in the permafrost on Spitsbergen, the largest island in Svalbard.
Starting our cruise to islands in Svalbard
My home for the next 9 days - Cabin #607 on the NG Resolution
Expedition Crew going to check out our first landing
Red Phalarope
Cook's Nook Dinner - 8 courses
Special dinner for groups of 12 - I was scheduled to dine on our first night
This subspecies of reindeer is native in Svalbard where it has lived for at least 5,000 years, and has become well adapted to the harsh climate.
Gray phalarope
Fortunate enough to see some whales
Cool reflection of the glacier
We saw and heard part of the glacier calving
Ship staff came out on a zodiac to give us all a choice of hot drinks!
Enjoying a hot chocolate with Bailey's - yummy!
First sightings of polar bears - unfortunately only seen though binoculars from the ship. Photos were taken by a fellow passenger with better equipment & talent.
So, needless to say, I still have to find a trip where I can see a polar bear with my own eyes 😁
Crew preparing for the Arctic Polar Plunge
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I survived the polar plunge! |
If we all knew this before our polar plunge, we probably would have backed out!
The hotel staff had the pastry chef make a chair out of chocolate to represent the chair I broke while sitting at dinner on my trip to Antartica on the National Geographic Explorer in November, 2022. What a work of art! My dinner group enjoyed the dessert and we had lots of laughs!
Back on land in Svalbard
We visited the replica of the cabin where the discoverer of Svalbard, Willem Barentz, stayed during the winter of 1596!
Area near the camp is a sled dog training area
We walked through town and had our lunch before leaving for the airport
We were all excited when we saw the reindeer at the beginning of our trip in the wild - but here right in town we were able to get up nice and close to the reindeer. The males develop large antlers from April to July and shed the velvet antlers during August–September. Males lose their antlers in early winter. Females develop antlers starting in June and they are usually good for a whole year.
New York City view from Laguardia Airport - heading home
Almost home
View of Gordie Howe Bridge in progress on the Detroit River
The end of another great trip! Can't wait for the next one!
I'm so fortunate to have been able to experience this trip to Svalbard.
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