(Post 2 of 5) Haakon Sandvik grew up in Longyearbyen. His mom, Anne Lisa Sandvik, is known as “Mother Svalbard,” and she wears a golden pendant of the islands around her neck Many of the young people we have met here come for the outdoor lifestyle of glacier travel and dog teams, but Haakon is…
Our Journey
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(Post 3 of 5) It would be impossible to profile Longyearbyen without talking about tourism, and we wondered what the tourists themselves were talking about. These three are from France. When I asked about their trip they became very upset about seeing the sled dogs. “We are scandalized by the conditions,” they told me. “This…
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(Post 4 of 5) Back on the trail of #meetthenorth (check previous posts) we attended a service at Svalbard Kirke this morning led by pastor Leif Magne Helgesen. The clean beauty of the church surprised me; wood panels and gold paint welcomed us Leif was raised in Madagascar by missionary parents, and he’s been in…
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(Post 5 of 5) The trail to Platåfjellet leaves from behind the church in Longyearbyen. It’s one of Pastor Leif’s favourite walks. In less than an hour you reach the ridge above town. A little further, and the magic starts.
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Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Oh boy. We met lots of people today. So many that we are home at 1:30am and thinking about moving to Longyearbyen. Look at Eric working the angles. More soon from the land of blinding 2 a.m. sunshine.
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Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Some days . . . #meetthenorth is about northerners and northern life. Our goal is to get to know the Arctic through the people who live here by following their lead. We ask them who we need to meet and where we need to go. We listen and we act. Some days we’re in the…
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Longyearbyen, Svalbard
(Post 1 of 4) We met Timon at a favourite hangout out for Longyearbyen’s guides. Over burgers, he told us why he loves Svalbard so much. When he came last year, to visit a friend, he didn’t know a thing about the place. “On my way up, I read the in flight magazine, and it’s…
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(Post 2 of 4) Timon helps take care of a dog team at the public dog yard in Longyearbyen. They had a work party today, so Eric and I helped clear up the garbage and check the fences. Dozens of dogs share two-storey fenced accommodation and their handlers come to clean, feed, run and love…
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(Post 3 of 4) Spring time in the dog yard. Want a ride in the cart? It’s work before play. Jenny picks up an impressive amount of dog poo. And then meets Miriam. Check out the next post.
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(Post 4 of 4) Miriam gives the dogs some exercise pulling a fancy new dune-buggy dog cart. She’s working on a PhD in marine biology; she studies the tiny animals that live in sea ice. Out on the track, she calls after the dogs – go! stop! left! right! At one point, they leave the…
