Arctic Circle Adventures

Arctic Circle Adventures

Getting slack. Have two ports to report in this post. The first, Tromso, is a large city surrounded by snow capped mountains. Alas the weather was cold, wet and windy. We ventured out hoping for another hop on hop off with no success. We tackled the local bus service to get to the cable car up Mt Storsteinen. Not many people around and with foggy pictures taken between showers we escaped as soon as possible. The plan to walk to the famed Arctic cathedral was withdrawn with a desire to be warm and dry on board, our priority. 

Another sea day. Sleep, trivia, choir and reading the extent of the agenda. The pattern of sea day then port is suiting our travelling needs at this point. Spotting spouting whales the highlight of trivia, certainly never our scores!

Yesterday was the much anticipated Longyearbyen. I have been tracking the temperatures of this northern most island port for twelve months. Only since we left home did it register any above zero 'summer'  days. The Princess Patter claimed it is the 'world's northern most town' though our cruise director refused to call it neither a city nor town but a 'settlement' so as not to be had for misrepresentation! It has been a coal mining town for some time but this is soon to be stopped and is winding down from a peak of six mines to now only one operational. Scientific research and tourism are the focus of the present and future. With no rain nor wind we were not as cold as at Tromso, but we were certainly dressed for the occasion. We walked the settlement and marvelled how anyone could chose to live permanently in such an isolated place with all it's challenges, not the least being the long days and then permanent nights.   

We took up residence in the scenic Tahitian Lounge for the afternoon and stayed for sail away. The fiord, with it's perfect summer snow capped mountains, created the ideal edge to the smooth Arctic seas. The mountains would be completely lost if they were totally covered in winter snow but the black contrasting exposed rock give them dramatic form and definition. Some low cloud in the afternoon lifted and revealed a fresh dusting of snow. Summer in the Arctic Circle!

Another sea day today. The 12 o'clock report announced that it was 2 degrees. Then add the windchill!  Keeping the curtains open in the cabin for the view is one thing but it also lets in the cold. The northern point of mainland Europe tomorrow - North Cape.