{"id":6171,"date":"2009-07-24T06:53:40","date_gmt":"2009-07-24T11:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=6171"},"modified":"2009-07-25T16:04:31","modified_gmt":"2009-07-25T21:04:31","slug":"longyearbyen-svalbard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/longyearbyen-svalbard\/","title":{"rendered":"Longyearbyen, Svalbard"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We forgot to post this when we were in Svalbard and are sending it along now.<\/p>\n
Longyearbyen is the administrative center for the Svalbard Islands. A former mining town, it is remaking itself as a tourist center and doing well. The “marina” consists of two floating docks, to which yachts raft in various formations. We’re rafted between Southern Star<\/em> (a 1970s era maxi) and the Halberg Rassey 46 Indigo<\/em> .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The buildings are a mix of historic and new, with a distinctly industrial mien.<\/p>\n We’re told that the tourist business is year around. Late winter is the favorite time for many with a combination of snow, northern lights, and the beginning of sunlight. This is undoubtedly a more beautiful view when the ground is covered with snow.<\/p>\n This sign says a lot about the traffic problems. The building in the background houses (amongst other things) a wonderful museum below that copper roof. The display which caught our attention was a recently found rifle, with a stuck cartridge, belonging to a trapper who went missing some years ago. He and his two friends became polar bear fodder.<\/p>\n Check out the cool shopping bags, available from the local market (the middle bag which has a different provenance).<\/p>\n Downtown Longyearbyen has two supermarkets, lots of tax\/duty free shops, along with a similar variety of businesses that you would expect to find in any small town – except this one is at 78 degrees North.<\/p>\n Walking into the market made us feel right at home. These signs are not infrequent in Arizona.<\/p>\n Wine and beer are heavily taxed in Norway, but not in Svalbard. Linda and friend Joe check out the selection. It is a long walk back to the boat, which limits acquisition volume.<\/p>\n A lovely summer day, the sun is shining, and it is a warm 40F (5C). Time for an ice cream.<\/p>\n Or maybe just hanging out and chewing the fat.<\/p>\n How about this for local color?<\/p>\n Can you imagine the business plan which came up with this concept?<\/p>\n Music festivals are big in Longyearbyen. Maybe we’ll come back for some blues and northern lights.<\/p>\n Isenfiord, in which Longyearbyen resides, is full of glaciers and spectacular mountains, which adds to the local color. On the other hand, the power plant burns coal, leaving a dirty film on boats and the rest of the area.<\/p>\n Twenty four hours of this civilization is enough for us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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