Saturday 1st August - Longyearbyen

After a short night, we had a good breakfast in the hotel. The weather was fine and sunny. We packed, paid the bill and left our bags in the left-luggage room, ready for the two hour tour of the town and local area.

We were in a party of 14, guided by a retired army officer who was quite a character.

We had an interesting tour of Longyearbyen, then went to the mountain-top site of a solar research station, where we saw two large dish antennae.

The satellite dishes at the solar science station

Great views into the fjord and to the town in the distance.

We drove back to the town, passing the docked Silver Explorer on our way to the Global Seed Bank.

Global Seed Bank

It has a rather gaunt concrete entrance, with an illuminated art installation above the door. The artist, Dyveke Sanne, has installed a network of 200 fibre-optic cables, which produce a muted turquoise-green and white light in winter. In the summer months, it reflects polar light. The entrance leads to a tunnel that goes deep into the mountain, where the seeds are stored at sub-zero temperatures in the permafrost.

The entrance of the seed bank leading into the mountain

Our guide said that the only country in the world that had not sent seeds to be stored was North Korea.

We returned to the hotel for a soup and beer and Wendy noticed this sign in the foyer. It tells guests to ask at reception for the key to the hotel's weapons locker, where they can leave their rifles, pistols and revolvers.

Hotel Weapons Rules

We booked a taxi to visit the most northerly church in the world before going to the ship.

Longyearbyen Chuch

It has to be the only church with a stuffed polar bear next to the pews!

Down at the harbour, we boarded Silver Explorer and checked in. We saw Kate, who booked this cruise for us two years ago. Sadly, she was leaving the ship to go home. We also met two of our expedition team friends, Luke Kenny and Chris Srigley.

We unpacked our bags and then I went on deck for a beer and met a couple from Brisbane, Bob and Jennifer.

At 5pm we had the pre-tour briefing and introduction to the expedition team and the crew.

The Expedition Leader, Kit, introdung the Hotel Staff

This was followed by the safety drill and then Kit van Wagner, the expedition leader, talked about the cruise and what we were going to see.

We had drinks and canapes on the aft deck as we sailed away. There we met, amongst others, Margaret and her daughter Caroline from South Kensington, who use the dentist in the same building in Herne Hill where our osteopath, Tom Sheehan, has his practice.

Welcome drinks and canapes on the aft deck

Then it was dinner, where we sat with two ladies from Norfolk, Pauline and Jan, and a couple from Brisbane, Ingrid and Gary. We were tired and had an early night.