Norway 22 | FindPenguins

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Trip start
June 19, 2022
Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Oslo harbour
June 18, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Arrive in Oslo on Saturday night, it is warm and sunny, so head to the harbour for a drink to watch boats and beautiful people at play. It is expensive but this is Norway.
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Vigeland Park
June 19, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Vigeland Park, an extraordinary collection of sculpture, all created by the celebrated Gustav Vigeland.

Vigeland devoted 20 years to the project of an open exhibition of his works, known as the Vigeland Sculpture Arrangement in Frogner Park. The Vigeland installation includes as many as 212 bronze and granite sculptures, all designed by Gustav Vigeland. The sculptures culminate in the extraordinary Monolith, with its 121 naked figures struggling to reach the top of the sculpture.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
The man with the flowers
June 19, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
We had 40 minutes to wait for a friend and while we were waiting, we spotted the man with flowers. He was stood in the centre of a large tarmac apron with a bunch of flowers in one hand. For half an hour he paced up down, but who was he waiting for?

Were the flowers a form of ID so someone would know who to approach? A first date? For his mother? Maybe even he was just a delivery man holding the flowers for someone to collect before going down on one knee?

We thought the mystery would never be sold as our friend was due any moment, but he messaged to say he was 20 minutes late.

20 minutes, he glanced at his watch for the first time. 25 minutes, he began checking his phone. 30 minutes, his pacing became more frenetic, each length a little longer, and he moved to the centre of the apron so as to be seen better.

31 minutes, our friend messaged to say he'd be there in 2 minutes.

33.5 minutes, a blond in black walked through the park gates, and approached the mn with the flowers. They hugged, he gave her the flowers, and they walked away. Worth the wait!Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Oslo ski jump
June 19, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
A large concrete structure ugly, dominating the sky line and hugely impressive. You've seen ski jumping on tv, this puts it in perspective. It is huge, and the thought of flying off this vast structure on skis into the night sky. Wow. I don't want to do it, but I would love to watch it.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Barents Hut
June 20, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
Somewhere for tourists to visit while waiting for their ship. Huskies o play with, a bit of history and some hot tea and welcome respite from the biting wind. A bit of history of Svalbard. Coal mines. Large 'Husky farms' and a few passing reindeer.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Lilliehook Fjord and glacier
June 21, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ 🌧 3 °C
First stop on the cruise. Long briefings about polar bears and AECO done, we took to the zodiacs for a couple of hours. The glacier is massive and spectacular and we saw a few small calvings. But no wildlife apart from a few birds.

Walk up a nearby hillside past some old oil drums and twisted metal, the remains of a wwII German weather station that was bombed by Norwegians.

Sharing a meal table with young (?) UK couple, Richard and Amy, vets from Liverpool way. Good people, on honeymoon.

First impressions of the trip an Ship.

The ship seems excellent in choppy seas, very Littleborough, and is also excellent cruising through ice.

Expedition manager, Howard, has been doing this A very long time. He's climbed Everest and many other interesting trips. Yet he is not inspirational in any way. Dull monotone voice and similar outlook. He speaks like Marvin, the paranoid Android. But without the depressing side or the humour.

He maybe very good at managing the Expeditions but you need more than that when running a trip for paying passengers. And so far his trip matches his personality.

Food on board is adequate. Suffers from comparison to Ponant.

Covid protocols are very half hearted. Sort of thing you should either do properly or not at all.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Not good
June 22, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
Slept very badly last night, fee ache and have sore throat. Called Dr to ask for Covid test. Was told to go to medical room ( not good protocol). Fairly perfunctory rapid test. Negative. I don't believe it.

Didn't feel like joining zodiac trip so went back to bed. Dr called at 11 to do PCR test ( why change mind?). Pcr positive. Caroline negative, so we have to spend 5 days in isolation in SEPERATE cabins. Eugh.

Caroline did join the zodiac. Seals and walruses.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Ice pack n bear
June 23, 2022, Arctic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C
Stuck in my cabin. Running out of podcasts to listen to, as we chug somewhere along the north coast of Spitsbergen. We enter a channel that runs between a small cluster of islands, Sjuoyane islands. The channel is full of broken sea ice but the ship was built just for this, and presses on through.

Marvin announces that there is a bear somewhere in the distance on the ice, so we will stop a while. The sun puts in a rare appearance but I can't see this alleged bear. After a while the GM inches forward and the bear comes into view. It is still a long way away, but I can get a reasonable sight through the binoculars. Over the next hour the bear moves from about 11.30 to 9 o'clock ( position wise )and approaches to withn about 50 yards, despite the racket coming from 2-3 nearby cabins who don't seem to grasp the concept of noise scaring wildlife.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Storoya
June 24, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C
A lot of sea time to get here. Arrived but then announced there was nothing ashore to see, and cold, so no reason to stop.
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Who knows
June 24, 2022, Barentsz Sea ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Nordaustandet
June 25, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C
Very flat calm. More birds here, walrus haul out.

Sailing north through the Hinlopen Strait, clear blue skies, huge snow and ice fields, mountains, icebergs, and Marvin suggests everyone take a nap as we might see some whales later! Spend 23000 to come to a beautiful, rarely visited spot, and be told to sleep?

Very bright sun, and very warm eveningRead more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Hinlopen side fjord
June 25, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
Moored up for the night in dramatic fjord.bright sunshine, hope it lasts overnight. Dr says if no symptoms I will be allowed out to play on Monday.

Aussie ladies next door tested positive in mass test, no symptoms bu she and her husband both got 5 days inside.

Convinced the ship we should get out cocktail and canapés too. Not sure it was worth it. Tequila sunrise, some Berry juice and courgette with?Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
All night sun
June 25, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C
Streaming sunlight, very war sun, by far the warmest temperature of the trip.

It is 11.23 at night
Now 12.30. Spent 30 minutes outside in shorts.
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Sundmeset
June 27, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Went ashore after long wait in mudroom. Then waited on beach for further 15-20 minutes. Frustrating.
Decent walk , a couple of reindeer nearby, polite bear poo, lots of tiny flowers. Cut slightly short by polar bear sighting.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Dolleritnesset
June 27, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Good site this. Bit of history- The Pomol people, bit of scenery and lots of wildlife. Big walrus hal out, reindeer wandering around all very the place and a lone Actic fox that considers this his patch.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Hornsund
June 28, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C
Woke up to news of a humpback, we both a couple of quick glimpses before it dived. Scenery a bit more spectacular here, or maybe it is just that in places the clouds are higher and the sun is poking through.Read more
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Norway 22 Powell Ettinger
Beluga grave
June 29, 2022 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ 🌧 6 °C
Ashore to see an old Beluga whaling Station. Between the wars used to net the beluga before butchering ashore. 4 kms walk, lots of flower interest.
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Trip end
June 30, 2022