My final stop on my Hurtigruten expedition around the Arctic Circle last summer was the world’s northernmost settlement: Ny-Alesund, at 79 degrees north. It was nowhere near as ominous as the vacant Russian mining town of Barentsburg, but still had a similar feel of depression. Its inhabitants probably wouldn’t agree, but I’m not so sure [...]
Photo Friday: Geirangerfjorden, Norway
August 21, 2009 By 27 Comments
Our seven-hour drive from Oslo to Geirangerfjorden was so beautiful—sunny and 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky—that we had high hopes for the coming days. Ellen had packed all sorts of trekking gear and picnic supplies for us both, with the intention to spend our entire time on the coast outdoors. So imagine [...]
Friendship Without Borders
August 12, 2009 By 29 Comments
Some people you’re destined to befriend; fate makes your meeting simply inevitable, wouldn’t have it any other way. For me, Ellen is that person. A chance seating assignment on an IcelandAir flight a couple years back resulted in five hours of ceaseless, chatty conversation. Ellen hadn’t even been vacationing in Reykjavik as I had; she [...]
