Over the white landscape

We were having some wonderful days on our scooters during those last beautiful days in April.

A seal is having also good time on the sea ice. You can see Noorderlicht, a sailing boat frozen on ice, on the background.

Mars and April is also a busy time for tourist companies. We met a  line of 38 scooters, guides included. Somehow I was happy I wasn't part of them.

Glacier fronts are always imressive.

I think that seal must have one of the most beautiful places to have his breath hole.

A stone formation called Tarantellen, Tarantella in English. I quess you can see why it has got that name.

We were having a break by Mittag-Lefflerbreen, in Austfrjoden. Suddenly glacier calved and a huge piece of ice collapsed just behind us. We were far enough from the glacier front, so we weren't in risk to get some ice on us, but sea ice made really spooky sounds after collapse.  We decided to move on the other place pretty quickly.

I think mountains with stripes are really cool.

This picture is taken about glacier melt water basin. Ice is totally clear and it seems to be endlessly deep. There is really stylish patterns on the ice, which are totally impossible to capture on pictures.

Days of blue dream

We have had perfect weather here lately, over some weeks of time in April. April is absolutely one of the best time in Svalbard! Then we don't get anymore dark at night time and weather is pretty often good and stabile. I'm always feeling almost quilty if I'm staying inside during those beautiful days.

This is what Svalbard is for me: Sunshine forever.

This is what everybody is dreaming about in Svalbard:  A polar bear mummy with two cubs.

I guess this cabin is one of the most photographed, it's a trapper Hilmar Nøis old cabin in Fredheim.

A sight over Templefjorden, about 60 km from Longyearbyen. You can see a sailing boat Noorderlicht in the right corner. It's a boat frozen on the ice and it's used as a hotel.

A glacier front, a perfect place for a cup of hot chocolate and some snack.

Ice sculptures in the front of the glacier are really amazing.

Just quick visit on Noorderlicht.

It's also nice to have some activities beside driving the scooters. Here some climbing in Brattlidalen.

Foxy delight

It was raining and foggy and not actually that fun to be working outside. But then I got a furry visitor.

That small and trustful creature made the Sun to shine on my day.

An adventure on Isfjorden

We were supposed to have a nice weekend on Skansbukta. We had that - and ended up to have even two days longer trip.

Skansbukta is one of my favourite places here in Svabard. On my dreams there is always Northern Jacob's ladders flowering. This picture is from an earlier trip.

The cabin is a nice and cosy and there isn't anything to complain with the view.

For additional for beautiful views Skansbukta is historically interesting place with old remains from gypsum mining in the early 1900s.

A bearded seal was curious and he kept following what we were doing. I'm not actually sure if the dog was more interested in it or the seal was interested in us.

We crossed Sassenfjorden and went to Diabas before weather changed. But wind blew up while we were trying to sail home. We turn back when we realised that our small rubber boat was little bit too small for those waves we met. It wouldn't be that fun to end up the trip with to became involuntary members of the unpopular Puma club.

Predators around

We were planning to make our weekly walk to Varden. Before we started to walk we decided to drive and have a look if our polar bear were staying on where he used to be. But he was gone. We heard he had disappeared earlier on the morning and haven't been seen since. Mhhh... Trip to Varden isn't that long, so we left anyway. But even the walk is pretty short, we had a signal pistol and weapon with us... just in case...

On the way down we met a smaller predator. He was just curious and very hopeful if we had some food with us. But he didn't get anything from us.

Lazy days in Svea

Not any lazy days for me, but the big boy seems to have good time. He has been laying on the mountain side for a week now. It looks like he's not having any hurry for anywhere, so why he should be then moving himself. His food doesn't look any meaty but I hope he's having it enough that he doesn't decide to sneak in the settlement and get some fresh supply.

We got a little reminder that autumn is getting closer when mountains got a thin layer of snow on the tops. Picture is taken in Svea Nord. You can see the tunnel openings to the coal mine.

Good morning, Svea!

To be honest, I'm not yet totally woken when we're driving little bit before 7 am to work. But one morning I woke up quickly, when we saw a white fellow coming towards us and the town.

We got another exciting experiment when we found a nice spider on a container. Can't believe that big guy is living permanently in Svalbard! He must have got an involuntary lift from the mainland up here with a boat. I can't really say that lucky guy...

White on the fjord

The fjord got filled with drift ice.

On the other side of the fjord in Hiorthamn had a polar bear good time. It looked like he was eating a bloody dinner.

Girls having a cabin weekend

My partner wanted to feel a real summer and hear the birds which don't just scream. So I was left alone to Svalbard. But that wasn't not actually that's bad: We girls packed our backpacks and dogs and walked to a cabin and spend a weekend there. 

Rivers we're crossing might not be that big, but they can be surprisingly strong. Anyhow, it's not nice to walk with wet boots.

Tundra is now really beautiful with it's flowers.

I get always so impressed how little a human being is middle of the mountains.

I'm not sure were the dog more interested in the reindeers or reindeers interested in a dog.

She's having a really good camouflage.

Dogs and tomatoes

Recipe for happy life is pretty simple: You need dogs and tomatoes, spice them as you wish with other things you like. Shake them well together and enjoy with good friends.

A dogsledgetour in the middle of the town.

For polar dogs summertime is little bit too warm for running.

Reindeers aren't having any predators here and they are very tame. Even though we were having dogs with us they came to curiously have a look who we were.

Taking dogs out for a walk is an nice excuse for have a trip.

Our orange beauties - pumpkin flowers.

Tomatoes are also enjoying summer with 24 hours light.

We still see outside, so nothing to complain.

Beauty of spring

Lately we have had really nice spring days. Temperature has been mostly staying in some minus-degrees, which is just good. I don't fancy too much wet and slushy ground - and dirty dogs.

A bearded seal enjoing his life on the ice.

Walrus

Big boys were visiting our town.

Pyramiden

When we were already in Vindodden, was a trip to Pyramiden pretty much shorter than from the town. Pyramiden is a Russian ghost town, abandoned in 1998.

The centre of the town.

How you can guess we're in a Russian town...

Nobody is playing here again.

He's growing up beside the big (but empty) town.

Nordenskiöldbreen - the glacier you can see from the town.