Friday 30 June

We pack our bags and check out early before breakfast and enjoy our last bit of Arctic sunshine on deck. At the Farewell Meeting we are introduced to the Captain and all the staff who sing us a farewell song. We are all presented with certificates for crossing 80 degrees north and I get one for my Arctic dip at 3 degrees C. 
We leave our bags at the hotel and I manage a bit of retail therapy while Mum goes on a floral forage. We both buy aqua blue fleeces as worn by the Hurtigruten guides. Probably more expensive than at home but a lovely momento. I manage to lose my precious red bobble hat and have to run back to the shopping centre where miraculously I find it on a chair. We have booked a walking tour from the hotel which we are told involves fossil hunting by the shore with a polar dog trained to sniff out fossils. As it turns out it is inland up a steep and rocky, often snow covered valley and the dog, a gorgeous Greenland creature is just there for a walk and crashes out asleep in the sun as soon as we arrive. We are given heavy rock hammers and no other instruction. I can't do it all and in fact am not terribly excited about the prospect of finding a fossil and without my glasses I can't see much anyway. Still the sun is out and it is nice to have some fresh air and Mum is thrilled to find a Svalbard poppy. We complain to the hotel that we were misinformed and to give them their due they refund the money. We are late for supper and have to slink in with our tail between our legs. In fact we have an enjoyable meal with the 2 Alisons who are the only other English people on the tour and laugh about our disappointing afternoon. It is nice to have a room in which to shower, repack and while away the evening / night before we start our overnight journey home at 00.30am

Thursday 29 June

We wake as we approach Lillihookbreen glacier: a really massive cliff of blue ice tumbling into the sea. The water is like glass and there are icebergs and blocks of ice floating in the still waters. As we watch some ice melts from the glacier wall and plunges into the water with a loud crashing sound. This is known as calving. Black legged kittiwakes lie in wait for the fish and plankton that are disturbed as a result. We board polarcirkel boats and get nearer to the 6km cliff of glacier dodging the icebergs. The brilliant blue ice is a result of different oxygen concentrations and refraction of light. We treat ourselves to a beer on the deck enjoying the stunning scenery. 
After lunch we pass Cadiopynten: a cliff on which hundreds of birds are nesting: black legged kittiwakes, gillimots, little awks and even some puffin. There is much noise and a lot of guano. We are not close enough for good photos.  We land on another rocky and sandy area in Mollerfjord where there is a small one roomed shelter for travellers known as Lloyds Hotel. Despite the 5 stars painted on the outside it makes our cabin feel quite spacious. We see 6 Svalbard Reindeer but they are a long way away. Mum finds a few more wild flowers and is on her knees once more. 
After an early supper on board we arrive at Ny-Alesund, the northernmost town in the world: more picturesque than Barentsburg although the sunshine helps. With a traditional mining history and now an active research station the houses are wooden and brightly coloured. The evening light is beautiful on the fresh green tundra and snow capped mountains and fjords behind.

As we are leaving we get the closest view so far of several Blue Whales with puffs of spray and enormous glossy backs and fins just emerging from the sea. So exciting.

Hot chocolate and Danish Pastries in the midnight sun.

Wednesday 28 June

I wake feeling much more human and pleased to have survived the night at sea. We enter Magdalenefjorden and are very excited to see our first blue ice and glaciers tumbling into the ocean. Reflections in the early morning sunlight with a cup of tea on deck. We are a little apprehensive about our first landing and transfer in Polarcirkel boats. However we manage to negotiate the gang plank and land at a beached area close to the glacier. There is a pile of massive walruses, groaning and bearing their tusks. We are even lucky enough to see a group of them swimming. Mum manages the rocky terrain very well and is excited to find 2 more varieties of Saxifrage. She is down on her knees with her magnifying glass of course. She has seen 8 species of Svalbard wildflower so far, only 157 to go! 
Back to the boat for lunch and some sightseeing from the deck. Another launch to land at Sallyhamna and some more rock scrambling and wading through snow. We are nearly attacked by Arctic Terns who have nests in the rocks. We see ancient and more modern whalers' cabins, blubber ovens and a polar fox trap. We know this is polar bear country as we see some footprints in the snow and a large poo full of hair and a tooth suggesting that a large male bear had eaten a cub. We choose not to take a photograph and as our Aussie friend pointed out it would be a "shit photo!" At the end there is an opportunity to swim in the Arctic waters so of course I feel I have to represent Team GB.  It is nearly freezing although we don't have to break the ice to get in. I haven't got a swimming costume so manage in my pants and a t-shirt which seems like a good idea until I emerge and it is completely see through. At least I still have the remnants of a Sardinian tan. Back to ship for a warm shower. We don thermal suits and find our way to the bow from which we scour the horizon of the frozen inlet of Raudfjoden for signs of a polar bear. In vain. We enjoy our supper much more this evening without the imminent threat of storm and sea sickness. At 9pm we cross 80 degrees north and celebrate with cheers and a free glass of Champagne on the aft deck. In the evening sun we follow the edge of the ice flow but sadly still no sign of a polar bear although more basking walruses. The sea north of here remains frozen all year round. Next stop the North Pole!
There are glimpses of a Blue Whale from the starboard side but it is shy and no chance for photos. 

Tuesday 27 June

We have set our alarms early which I regret. Breakfast is an impressive array and we try to get our money's worth. We are collected by Timon for our guided tour of Longyearbyen. We learn that you never die on Svalbard or at least you cannot be buried as you can't dig deeper than the perma frost and the soil above it moves bringing anything that is buried to the surface. There is no midwife here so in fact you can't be born here either. We visit the local multi denominational Church and see the coal mines and colourful buildings and a road sign warning of polar bears. We visit the museum and learn about the geology, the whaling and coal mining history and see some stuffed wildlife. We board our ship Nordstjernen (North Star) and find our cosy cabin. Just as well we know each other well. Buffet lunch and a cruise out of the Isfjord to Barentsburg, a Russian mining settlement. By now the weather has closed in and it is very cold, grey and damp. This adds atmosphere to the somewhat dilapidated Soviet style buildings, some old and ruined, some new and brightly coloured. We have a tour and then warm up in the local brewery (the northernmost brewery in the World!) with a half of Barentsberg ale. We are entertained with a local performance of Russian singing and dancing which is impressive although the darkness did allow for a bit of shut eye. We return to the boat to hear warnings of rough weather so we start our sea sickness pills with much trepidation. We stay docked for supper and start to share a bottle of wine (390 kronas = £39!) We plan to make it last a couple of nights! Battening down the hatches we have an early night.