Ny Alesund is a small settlement on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard group of islands. We had sailed for 2 days due North from the Norwegian coast to reach this point only 600 miles south of the North Pole. Two thirds of the island is covered by glaciers as in the picture below.
We were woken at 03 30 am by the ship's fog horn: not a good sign. However when we ventured on deck at 06 30 we were greeted by a most amazing sight of a snowy wonderland, brilliant clear sunshine and blue cloudless skies. The ship slowly sailed to where we anchored and we were tendered to the small settlement which is now a scientific centre for Arctic research.
By now the temperature was over 10C and we went back to the ship and Island Boy enjoyed a swim in the two outside pools on board Aurora in the shadow of the 3 peaks named Dana, Svea and Nora in the background. Lots of people were sunbathing!
We then left our anchorage and sailed up another Fjord where there was a glacier and pack ice covering the end of the inlet: the Captain slowly 'nudged' this ice with the bow of the ship as the photo below shows.
Then off to sea for the 36 hour sail to our next port of Tromso where we have been able to get a place on a tour of Adonia P and O's latest ship which will also be in Tromso! Currently the temperature is -1C – more like the temperatures we were expecting!
Lovely views, apart from the old man in the pool! Any chance of a map or two as our geog. is a bit lacking in this area?
ReplyDeleteI guess we could go to google maps.
did you shout 'Iceberg! dead ahead!' as the captain nudged the ice?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you are going all the way to Tromso to look around another cruise ship!!!
Scenery looks fab!