Svalbard to Italy - Watts up with that?!
After 5 tough weeks whizzing around the Arctic island of Svalbard, I'm now taking a much needed family holiday (does sarcasm work on a blog post?!) in the Italian Dolomites, having stopped off in Venice for a couple of days with my brother Tom to break up the journey. I can't quite believe I was ever on Svalbard, having now been back in slightly more habitable environments for just over a week. Just after finishing my last post my brother Tom joined me up at 78°N to make the most of some free Svalbard accommodation (on my floor). Luckily, after some intense days in the field, I had the Friday off so was able to join Tom for a stroll up a nearby hill. Unfortunately, I was rifle-less so walks had to stick within the safe confines of the polar bear signs. To refuel after a photo filled walk, we stopped off at one of the two cafes in Longyearbyen for a bite to eat. That evening was the weekly Friday gathering, so Tom and I joined a group from my course for drinks in t...