LIFE IN LONGYEARBYEN

After 3 weeks in Longyearbyen we are getting into a groove of activity.  While still shocked at the price of food, we have a series of meals that are both good for us and ones the boys enjoy.  Nicole is doing a great job keeping the boys busy during a time of year when most other children are on the mainland or traveling.  The boys have regular jobs around the house, they have occasional shopping errands, and go to swimming when it is open. We try and make sure they get outside for a few hours a day to burn off energy. School starts in less than 3 weeks, so we (and especially Nicole) are looking forward to that.

Anders' daily chore of loading the dishwasher.

I have been keeping regular work hours at UNIS, although this week I was disabled by a cold for a couple of days.  UNIS is about a 15 minute walk down the hill.  I have a large office, where I have learned to be efficient during the day.  Depending on the day, I either walk home for lunch or twice now, Jason will provide the luxury of delivering lunch to UNIS and spend a few minutes talking.  UNIS, along with the Norwegian Polar Institute, is housed in an amazing building that won the runner up position for best building on the planet in 2006.  The exterior roofing is copper, the interior is wood and copper.  The hallways were designed to look like coal mine shafts that connect this modern building to the historic past of Longyearbyen.

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

Reception area at UNIS.

My office at UNIS.

Office corridor designed in the shape of a coal mine shaft.

This week was productive, with two papers from our polar work being submitted for publication and possibly an additional two news articles on the work.  The walk back up the hill after work takes me by the center of town, where I usually stop to get some groceries before heading home.  Most of the time, the town center is quiet with some common faces also doing their afternoon shopping.  Sometimes, however, there will be a large tour ship docked for the day and during these periods, the town can be inundated by an additional 500-2000 people.  I usually by-pass town if this happens and simply head home.     

The new culture center in the middle of town with a coffee shop and theater.

During the weekends, I stay home and we usually go on a hike or two.  Today we were able to get a car from UNIS and traveled west to Bjørndalen (Bear Valley).  Going there was also important for my underwater work as this is the turnaround point area for my underwater vehicle when traversing the fjord.  Getting good fixes along the coastline (adjusting the Google Earth maps is important).  On the way we visited the Global Seed Vault, a structure using an old coal mine system designed to be a repository for all the planets plant seeds. These seeds are kept at a constant 4 degrees C and maintained in case of disease, mutations, or loss.

Jason and Anders at the entrance to the Global Seed Vault.

Visiting Bjørndalen getting coastline fixes.

 We spent a couple hours hiking up the valley, had a great lunch and we saw the first Svalbard reindeer of the trip.  We gave a ride back to UNIS to a student from New Zealand and learned about her graduate work on the color of polar poppies.  After dropping her off, we headed east of Longyearbyen up Adventdalen (Advent Valley), visiting the last active mine (Gruve 7), a radar site, the northern lights observatory, and enjoying the vistas back down the valley from 400 meters off the valley floor.   

Jason and Anders next to an abandoned mine.

Summertime in Bjørndalen.

Anders and Nicole enjoy lunch in Bjørndalen.

Svalbard reindeer calf feeding on grasses, mosses and lichens.

Anders and Jason found a reindeer antler.

Largemale  Svalbard reindeer foraging along the coastline.

This week was marked by another tragedy here in Longyearbyen, the death of a tourist by a polar bear attack.  This was a group of 80 UK students and teachers (not associated with UNIS) camping out in the next fjord to the east of Adventfjord (where Longyearbyen is located).  There were also 4 seriously hurt in the attack.  I heard the rescue helicopter passing by the house that morning and I commented that it probably wasn’t good news. Given my minimal training here, I cannot understand how this could have happened if the usual precautions were taken (continuous polar bear watch, a plan if there was a problem etc.).  There will likely be more information available later.

A great shot by Nicole of the upper end of Adventdalen.

Next week I will be heading to Oslo for the Fulbright orientation, to meeting the other participants and the US-Norway Fulbright staff.  Stay online….