Christmas in Svea

We celebrated Christmas in Svea. The work in the coal mine isn't stopped even for big holidays. But even though we were having a quite normal work days there were sense of occasion in the air. We were about 100 people who gathered together for to enjoy christmas dinner. At our working place amount of ginger breads made sure that we didn't lack taste of Christmas on our coffee breaks.

God jul!!!

Glædelig Jul!

Merry Christmas!

Hyvää joulua!

С Рождеством !

Linksmu Kaledu!

Froehliche Weihnachten!
Joyeux Noël!
Feliz Navidad!
สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส

White Christmas

We have got a good amount of snow lately - and a good storm as well!

Our dog needed to wait outside while I was shopping, but actually he thinks it's ok.

The market place got totally filled with snow.

As usually, we got a bad weather around Christmas time. That's getting almost a tradition. We managed just to get to Svea and then a storm took over Svalbard. Now we're stuck in Svea, but that does't do anything as we are supposed to be here anyhow. But that's worse for those who have been planning to spend Christmas with their families. Many people have needed to renew their plans because even a flight to mainland got cancalled.

Darkness over the town

Last week there were a fire at the power plant. That could have given severe consequences to the town but luckily everything went fine. But a week after we loose the power on the town because of other problems at the power plant.

When all the town got dark we were "forced" to have it cosy at home.  But that was just fine for us because we actually didn't need at that point of time any electricity.

It looked cosy at the dark town. People found their candles and windows were lightened even thoug there were not electric power.

Snow enough

Google was remindeing about beautiful skiing weather in the mainland.

We are also having some kind of skiing weather - just bit darker and kind of limited here in Svea. A chrismas tree by the canteen is already delighting our everyday.

We got today to Svea as normally. But that was also the only flight which have been today. All the other flights has been cancelled because of snowing. It has been snowing, snowing and snowing all day. But that I don't mind about - it can be snowing as much as it ever wants! It will be sunshine and skiing weather also here, after the while.

Free week with busy paws

It was nice to come home from Svea and spend a week at the town. We had again some ekstra doghairs laying around when our dogs sister was giving her company to us once more. But she wasn't just giving her company: She was also doing some work for her food. That she didn't mind at all - she just loves skiing trips and working as a sledge dog. My own dog isn't that keen on pulling but he can be always following the others. What could be better than take to dogs out in nice cold weather and enjoy the darkness, spiced with the luminous moon light and dancing northern lights?

Our dog spend hours outside just for looking what's happening in our street.

Full moon was giving magical light over the quiet town.

A helicopter tour to Svea

We got a helicopter tour to Svea instead of our normal flight with a small aircraft.

The safety belt and hearing proctetions with radio on and then we were ready for a pleasant tour over the mountains.

An ekstra pair of shoes and doghairs

We had visitors last week. One of them was two footed and two of them had four paws each and for addition nice furry coat. It was nice to have life on the house - and maybe not that nice with endlessly amount of doghairs floating all around.

Our two-footed visitor came while we were still in Svea. As we have got dark time here we wanted to give her some "illuminative" welcome to our empty house. Even though it was little bit early to put Chrismas lights on we did that. She didn't have any problems to see which house was ours!

During that week we got lot of new snow - and that's something we like! I'm already dreaming about a good scooter season and even nicer skiing trips. 

Cars by Unis (The University Centre in Svalbard) were getting totally snowed down.

We had also a little workshop for to get some winter decorations. Somebody could think there are kids living in the house!

Our four-pawed visitors were mummy (right) and sister (middle) to our own dog. The owner of them is taking care of our dog while we're in Svea. These two dogs are very easy going and well trained so it was just a pleasure to have them on our house.

Svea in twilight

Now it's the latest change to check that we're having all of our equipment placed there where they should be before darkness and drifting snow is covering everything.

We are still having a short twilight at the daytime. Sky at the south side is having a hint of reddish colour - there is Sun somewhere there!

Mountains are glowing nicely with the mystical blue light we're having.

Dark time is taking over

Twilight time is getting shorter and shorter day by day. But we are enjoying the rest of the light as long as it's possible! Even though life is darkness is little bit unpractical it's also having it's beautiful aspects as well. What could be more beautiful than starry nights with northern lights?

The town is looking cosy with it's lights.

We're making us visible in the dark time. It's hard for drivers to see pedestrians in the darkness so both of us is using reflective vests when we're out.

Welcome winter

When we came from the holiday in early October was Svalbard covered already with white snow. Winter time had arrived. The sun was shining last time on mountain tops at 26th of October. Next time we can see it at the middle of February.

Now the polar night has started, and also the "official" time of cosiness. The most tourist have disappeared from the town and everyday life is calming down. It's time the find the candles and enjoy the glass of red wine with no hurry.

Zip zap

To have a long hair, to use environmental (and user) friendly shampoos and working with coal mining industry isn't a combination which is working fine. Something needed to be changed and I chose to change a lenght of the hair. Now I'm having again short hair - even though not that short I have been used to have.

4000 km

We had once more a trip to the mainland. In this time we rented a car in Tromsø and then we were having free amount of kilometres on our use. It might suddenly sounds like three weeks would be plenty of time to do whatever, but we found out that we didn't have time to reach everything we would have liked to.

We rented a Toyota Rav4 which was actually pretty nice car to be driving on Nordic curly and partly mountainous roads.

Here is a proof we have been under the Polar Circle.

Our furry companion was travelling in his cage and he was totally happy with that. He thinks his cage is a cosy and safe place to be. I think it's safest when everybody in the car is having their own safety belt. 

Autumn is actually pretty nice time to be travelling. I really enjoy to see all of those different colours in nature.

Colours of autumn

During this summer we haven't been spending so much time in Longyearbyen. If we haven't been in Svea we have been travelling. But now we're having a complete week in the town. It has been mostly cloudy, but we also got a glimmer of sunshine - and then tundra was showing it's best autumn colours.

It's also otherwise getting a feeling of autumn. The best sign for that is we're getting dusk. It's not anymore many days and we'll get first time a real dark time at the middle of the night. And after that we're getting fast towards a polar night.

Sommer is still continueing

But not in Svalbard, in Danmark instead. I was working in last work period two weeks and that gave me two weeks free afterwards. And that was totally enough to go and get a change to feel real summer.

I'm not too keen on big airports, but sometimes they can give surprises. I really like a quiet corridor connecting international flights to domestics in Kastrup airport in Copenhagen.

For sure our dog had a good time on his holiday.

That we were doing as well. What could be better than enjoy Danish summer in a holiday house beside a sea?

You can't really have a summit tour in Danmark, but this was the highest point we got.

Little bit sightseeing must also been included on a holiday. We were visiting Den gamle by, a town from the last century.

And he was following us nicely where ever we went.

One more week in Svea

Usually I'm working on 7-7 work schedule, meaning that I'm working seven days in row in Svea and having after that seven days time off. For to make the holiday plan to work in our department I'm working now one period on 14-14 schedule, meaning that I'll be here in Svea two weeks on and having then off two weeks. Majority is working 14-14 because that makes possible to travel to the mainland on free periods. It's not that attractive to be traveling with one week off periods because you're loosing always pretty much time just for travelling. People can select self if they want to be working 7-7 or 14-14.

 We're getting always a cargo boat on my working period over that time when the fjord isn't frozen.

I can't lift containers, so that work is for others.

Instead I can handle smaller things.

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.

An invasion of tourists

A usual view from our small kitchen window is like that:

If there is suddenly something which look like a new apartment house it's a reason to think to stay inside the house or have a mountain trip. On those kind of days there isn't much fun to be going to the town - there is everywhere thousands of tourists!

This boat is Costa Deliziosa, which is having a capacity to have around 2800 passengers. The ship is 294 m long, so our harbour is looking pretty small when it's laying beside it.

Sometimes cruise ships are coming in strange times, but that doesn't matter. Everything will be open whatever time when there is a big cruise ship on the harbour.

Hiorthhamn

They are ready for a trip. When you're first on the boat you can be quite sure you'll be with.

Hiorthhamn is on the opposite side of Adventfjorden, you can see Longyearbyen on the other side of fjord. Mountains avens were flowering beautifully.

There need to be done something when a survival suit is leaking. It's not that fun to get wet. Plastic bags are holding clothes dry under the survival suit. This is maybe not to safest way to cope with a leaking survival suit, but at least it holds your clothes dry - for a while anyhow.

When a dog is looking like that after a tour, it has been a good tour.