Cold coast, pointy mountains, polar bear
Spitsbergen, main island of the Svalbard archipelago. ©Robyn Mundy
Procrastinating about writing, I was seized yesterday with the urge to back up my computer, RIGHT NOW, THIS VERY MINUTE. In the process of tidying-up I lingered over images, including these, photographed last season on a flight from Tromsø in northern Norway, to Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard Archipelago.
Looking across to Hornsund on the south-west coast of Spitsbergen. ©Robyn Mundy
I’ve been flying to Spitsbergen since , the small ice-strengthened ship I work on, set off on its maiden voyage in the year 2000. It’s a rare reward to look down upon this wild place and gaze across its breadth. And you know it must be good when the pilot manoeuvres the plane so that both sides can gain a clear view.
This icy part of the world earns its title: Svalbard translates to cold coast, Spitsbergen, to pointy mountains. Svalbard is also territory to a large population of polar bear. To encounter this mighty animal roaming across its foraging ground is a heart-pattering thrill of any voyage.
A female polar bear foraging on pack ice in north-east Spitsbergen. ©Robyn Mundy
writing the wild
Love your photos Robyn. Such beautiful scenery, and great picture of the polar bear!
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Thanks, nature-lover Sue! 😊
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Beautiful photos Robyn. What a destination – Norway is on my list 🙂
Love Wendy
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Nice to see your name pop up, Wendy. Yep, Norway 🇳🇴 is a top destination. I bet you’ll get there. Robyn xx
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also timely because svalbard was just in the news as Russia was objecting to a NATO meeting there. Amazing what we can manage to fight about!
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Hey, Rotting Post. Yes, it’s hard to make full sense of the objection.
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Beautiful bear portrait Robyn!! It was a privilege to visit this beautiful part of the world with you and Gary in 2015, an experience I will never forget! 😘
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Thanks Jenny. It was a fantastic trip and also good to know that you have more icy adventures ahead!
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Wow! Thank-you for sharing these great photos, Robyn, they’re a timely reminder that we do indeed live on a planet of breathtaking beauty. And thank goodness for writers who procrastinate! 🙂
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Thank you, Marlish; I’m with you on the beauty of the planet. As for writerly procrastination, here’s hoping it amounts to some mysterious process of creative energy readying to burst onto the page!
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Love the pictures, Robyn. Spectacular! How lucky you are to experience this cold coast and pointy mountains, with polar bears thrown in for good measure!
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Thank you, Colleen. Ooh, and your Italian Journeys website looks fantastic. Those images of sugo di pomodoro are positively mouth-watering!
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