Page 70 - PROTAGONIST-120

A sign outside the Longyearbyen airport with the distances from other cities

explorer of an icy satellite of Jupiter. For a slower pace, rora borealis, which due to the extreme latitude spreads
absorbing every detail of the panorama, you can opt through the entire dome of the sky, not just over the
for an exploration of the narrow valleys around Long- portion immediately over the horizon, as in many oth -
yearbyen on dogsleds pulled by huskies: even a slight er Scandinavian destinations. During the summer, it
snow squall reduces visibility, and the caravan of sleds, would be a sin not to take an adventurous cruise on the
as in an abstract painting, magically becomes a surreal MS Nordstjernen as far as Northwest Spitsbergen Na-
line of black patches on a white field. Before departure, tional Park, beyond the eightieth parallel (2,900 euros
don’t miss the romantic experience of sleeping for at per person, four days). This is not just one of the world’s
least one night in a cabin isolated in Arctic nature, like most beautiful sea routes, amidst fjords, bays, and age-
the cozy Nordenskiöld Lodge, equipped with a sauna, old glaciers that plunge into the sea, but also the only
reached by way of an hour’s journey by snowmobile way to reach such a remote latitude on the open sea.
(only for visitors who purchase a private expedition). The trip is highly recommended to those plagued by
At night, with a bit of luck the sky lights up with a thou- what we might call “the Barentsz syndrome”: an insa-
sand shades of phosphorescent green: this is the best tiable thirst for the North, venturing into the most fro-
place on the planet to enjoy the phenomenon of the au- zen, mysterious, and uncontaminated realms.

68 Travel Protagonist