Much to my disappointment, yesterday’s prediction for improved weather was completely wrong. Cloud remains an ever present eye-sore over the Svalbard landscape, producing the odd spot of rain, and in doing so, shattering my illusions of escaping the rain from both Australia and England! The wind has also picked up considerably, bringing the temperature down with it – what temperature it is I don’t know...but I do know that it is cold enough and windy enough for me to cry and shiver constantly whilst outside. I could easily resolve this problem by staying inside, but then I couldn’t take any outdoorsy photos could I? Needless to say, I endured the Arctic weather to snap some shots; my subject, the Arctic Terns that attacked me a few days previously. These birds are so quick that it proved rather difficult to get a good shot, but my patience eventually paid off. Well worth the threat of frost-bite (I exaggerate) to snap these birds fishing on the shores of Longyearfjord.
This evening we had a scheduled social event, which our programme simply described as a “wilderness evening”. I was hoping that this would somehow involve being outdoors, enjoying the Arctic wilderness, despite the wind and threat of rain. Boy was I wrong! Instead, we travelled 5 minutes by bus down the one of very few roads in Longyearbyen, into Adventdalen, towards a place with a dog yard and a few huts. Our “guide” tells us that this is on the edge of the wilderness...I don’t consider being 5m from a road, with views of a mine, wilderness. Nevertheless, a pleasant evening was had enjoying a lecture on Svalbards history in a wooden hut, complete with fire and lanterns; very cosy.
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