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Disembarkation day. It was an early start, cases outside the room by 7am, out of the cabin at 8 am and ready to head onto the bus around 8.40 am. A quick tour to Camp Berantz before being dropped at the airport.
To be honest, none of us really knew what Camp Berantz was! Or why we were going there. But I have to say it turned out to be quite a special moment.
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Just about everyone we were with on our Hurtigruten’s ‘Circumnavigating Spitsbergen – In the Realm of the Polar Bear’ trip with wanted to see a polar bear. Well, of course, thats one of the main things you visit for.
But it’s definitely not as easy as you think! You can say that about most wildlife of course, it plays to its own tune and if you spot anything in the Arctic, especially in the ocean, then you are very privileged.
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What’s the first thing you think about when planning a trip to the Arctic? Most probably, will I see a Polar Bear?
What’s the second thing you think about? Which of the many trips should I go on and which am I and my party best suited to?
Both are very good questions.
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Very excited to hear that our film ‘It’s time to act. NOW’ has been nominated for another short film festival – Germany this time.
All you need to know follows and if you haven’t seen the film yet, then you can watch it here – it’s only 2 minutes!
We hope it’s a film that will keep giving – to those organisations that are already working on protecting the Antarctica and all that is in our Southern Ocean.
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A powerful advocate for the environment, a guardian of cultural heritage and a catalyst for change, all describe ‘Polar Art’ to me. When someone captures the stark beauty and profound significance of the Artic and Antarctic regions, it’s not just an artistic endeavour.
May seems to be the month for ‘Art Trails and ‘Open Studio’s’ across the UK and I reconnected with a fellow shipmate from our trip to South Georgia and Antarctica, Polar Artist Helen Young, at her Open Studio event as part of the Oxfordshire Art Weeks.
Come with me as I recount the experience of what I can only describe as a quintessential British garden party but with substance, in the depths of stunning countryside that is Oxfordshire.
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Finding a gift shop in a 5 star hotel that has something different, local – well British at least – and perhaps if you are lucky enough, sustainable, is pretty rare I have found. More often than not you find expensive, generic brands that leave you with a sense of blandness and lack of creativity!
Keely van Dam, has brought something special to Chewton Glen’s gift shop. Shaped somewhat out of our experiences during the COVID pandemic, where small local independents came into their own as we took those early steps back into shared spaces, she delivers a totally different experience for guests and visitors….
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Seaweed may become another ‘thing’ for me. But in all seriousness it’s fascinating to dive into these topics, but even more fascinating to uncover local stories that are supporting this welcomed shift we are seeing to a better appreciation of our surrounding nature. This beautiful illustration of Cornish Seaweed by Rachel Akerman, is definitely to be appreciated.
But it’s more than that. This shift – I am hoping – may help each of consider what small changes we might make that will have less impact on our planet and that nature.
Let’s head to Marazion, a coastal town in Cornwall….
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Chewton Glen is a glorious and luxurious place to stay, set in 135 acres of beautiful rolling grounds.
Would it surprise you that what excited me most was a tour around their waste management area by their very informed Deputy General Manager, Raymond de Toulouse Lautrec? Probably not by now…. just to prepare you for my ‘bin’ conversation!
But what’s this about the bees? My Dad was an avid gardener and I have fond memories of helping him tend our good sized garden of vegetables and flowers as a little girl. Everything was grown from seed, kept from the previous year. Plant cuttings and vegetable gluts were shared with neighbours as were gardening tips on what to grow with what to keep the bugs in check. Everything that could be was composted. He taught me all I know and his presence is always with me when I garden – not surprising, so many of my plants are from him!
My conversation with the Estate Manager, Darren Venables stirred those memories and really got me thinking about all that Darren told me he was trying achieve….
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Think you can’t make a difference on a personal scale? Think again.
There’s this group in a relative small community of approximately 800 households, on the outskirts of the city of Winchester, Hampshire that is quietly getting on with something that is producing what I would describe as significant results.
I want to shine a light on the changes they are effecting , see if it can be replicated throughout the country…
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Hands up who knows the remarkable story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s voyage to Antarctica on the ship Endurance? It’s the one that took place in 1914 on his endeavour to attempt the first land crossing of the Antarctic, from the Weddell Sea through the South Pole to the Ross Sea.
Remember the part where Shackleton and his men are stranded on Elephant Island? He takes a lifeboat with Frank Worsley, Tom Crean and three others battling treacherous seas and ice for 16 days and 800 miles before reaching the ‘wrong’ side of South Georgia, with mountains between them and the whaling station that could provide the help to rescue his men…
Read moreZodiac cruising in the stunning Yoldiabukta #Spitsbergen The #ice cracked the sun shone but read our #polarbear adventure in my latest icy writing here: https://bit.ly/3Wpu9MG
Choosing a polar expedition cruise can be a challenge. My latest icy blog - well more about seeing #polarbear than #ice ! This might help or watch the video
https://youtu.be/zzisoGg0Knk
Zodiac Cruising in the Arctic, Circumnavigating Spitsbergen in the...
What's it like to go on a zodiac? Will I be able to get in and out of it easily, I have a knee replace...
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Beautiful #Burgerbukta in Spitsbergen held many secrets in its icy bays. Huge #glaciers #seaice & #BelugaWhales #whales #Spitsbergen
Read my latest icy blog: https://bit.ly/3Wpu9MG
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