Arctic05 – Days 1 and 2

DAY ONE – THE BIG DAY – 10HOO

=> Check in of all our lugage at Brussels airport : 1OHOO
Small stress among our 2 friends : avoid having their bags weighting more then 20kg/pers…otherwise, a fine could be easily given….yes, we have already experienced it during our previous expedition to Svalbard…we don’t laugh with some airlines companies…
“Bonjour Mademoiselle”…a smile…a look…speak with a mix of dutch and english…present briefly our polar project…that was it, “simply in the pocket”…no fine : great.
Anyway, based on the photographic gear we were transporting and knowing that we were heading for Svalbard, this “pretty lady” understood that we were aiming for an expedition up North…
Let’s be honnest, Patrick was charmed by her…
Hopefully, will she make a sign on their inernet site as he gave her the address!
He doesn’t stop talking about her. 

=> 15 minutes later – Check of their luggages :
As always, Fabrice has to be deeply checked at the border, « Mijnheer – bras en l’air (hands up)….s’il te plait bien… (please) » …yes…his shoes and belt are with light metalic pieces…  Still, he did take them off already before the control…
Briefly, is Fabrice made of metal as the signal was still ringing?
On the other hand, what was funny is that the instrument entrust to them by the Royal Belgian Observatory wasn’t checked at all by the security…as it looks strangely enough like a “small bomb”…Please, don’t worry…we have received the needed authorizations.

=> Last SMS sent to our friends and relations…take off for Copenhagen (11h25)
Free tax shops : Eh, it’s in fact Patrick’s birthday on the 02/09/05….to celebrate it on the sailing boat, he decided to buy his favourite bottle of champagne “Lanson” …in order to share it on board with his mate Fabrice and think about all of you…

=> Heading Copenhagen (14h25 – 15h20) – Oslo (17h00) – Tromso – Longyearbyen (21H00)
Few sky’s pictures were taken by our 2 friends …the blue horizon is splendid at more then 4.000 meters above ground…with white clouds below…which gives one the impression that the ice-pack is also in the air…

Patrick had a nap during the flight thinking about the beautiful things he will discover in Svalbard (or was he still thinking about Brussels, about the things which keeps him there alive…or at this unknown SAS employee he meet at the check-in of Brussels airport) ?
On his side, Fabrice was writing on his laptop an article on “the differences between the ice-pack and iceberg)  

=> Arrival in 20 minutes at Longyearbyen – Svalbard
After some persuasive talks with the flight captain, Patrick received the authorization to take pictures from the plane cockpit in its descent and landing phase towards Longyearbyen airport.
Landed at 9 o’clock in the evening, the weather was chilly – mostly cloudy and with a pretty strong wind…this will give them a hard time on their sailing boat expedition if it happens too…
Once the airplane touched ground, joy and happiness appeared on Fabrice’s face. One step outside, his long hair was being taken by the wind around his face.
Patrick step outside of the plane in the cold with his usual shorts where even the locals with humour told him that “this is not allowed here ”

=> Bedroom – walk – restaurant – sleep
Outside, the wind is really blowing mad…they are already thinking about their reaction once they will be on the sailing boat…let’s dream in our sleep.

Good night, see tomorrow dear friends

DAY 2 – A FIRST TASTE OF SVALBARD

As their sailing expedition is only starting on this Wednesday, they decided to dedicate their next 3 days to different local tourist activities:

Barentsburg heading,typical Russian mining settlement.
On the way, seals were laying at ease on pieces of ice and observing us…here is already a first taste of what they will discover along their expedition.
Once in Barentsburg, what a contrast to observe that this mining settlement is unchanged since the Staline’s administration period…
Suddenly, an unexpected group of white whales was seen in the fjord….For locals, it’s rather unusual to see belugas at this time of the year swimming in the Svalbard’s sea…magic souvenir.