Pyramiden Bar

Russians

Pyramiden, a Russian ghost town. After a long walk we find an open café !? Wodka for everyone!
Continue to Barentsburg. National day in Russia, everyone is dressed up and in a good mood. After the Barentsburg museum, we continue towards the Barentsburg Hotel, and the bar. Very nice.

Longyearbyen

11.6: Arrival at Svalbard Airport, 14:00h
Helmer Hanssen is floating in the fjord, all mooring space is occupied. We drop the luggage and go to UNIS: University in Svalbard. First to the Svalbard museum where we get a guided tour. Then to Kroa for some food, a couple of beers and socializing

Outreach cruise

7 days to Spitsbergen with politicians and business people as guests on board Helmer Hanssen, UIT's expedition vessel. (11.6 - 17.6) Daily updates when possible.

Photos: Griet Scheldeman

Easter mountains

Easter on Vengsøya

Weekend on Vengsøya

Telegrafbukta

 

 Greetings from Bert, Ruben and Peter

More Aurora pictures

Aurora Borealis movie

This was what I saw yesterday from the balcony of my apartment:

Solar Storm

Merry Christmas & a happy new year

Northern Territories Series III

Isfjorden.
Triptych, pastel on white Ingres

Northern Territories Series II

Framstrait with a touch of Munch?
Pastel on grey Ingres.

Tromsø shipyard

Northern Territories series

Theme is Northern Territories.
This one is a large pastel drawing of the coal dock in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen, called kullkaia, with its remarkable crane on a backdrop of snowcovered mountains.
Paper: 260gr Hanemühle
Format: 108 x 78 cm

Maroon dusk

Autumn II

Autumn

Ulsan International Photography Festival

Two weeks ago, I was contacted by Mr Jongjean Kang, the curator of the Ulsan International Photography Festival in South Korea. He asked if I wanted to be one of the 15 artist to exhibit at the festival this year. He had seen my pictures on my website - thanks to Camille Seaman, who tipped him about me - and was very excited about my work. Thank you Camille.

Six of my arctic pictures are showing in Ulsan right now and are being used to advertise and announce the exhibition. I like.

Wonderful autumn skies...

Picture taken from my apartment in O L Aunesgate.
Check it out at Airbnb.com, search for Tromsø.

Trip to Blåkollkoia

Norwegian summer

Flowering gardens of Fru Berg

Myrull

Eriophorum

Rostahytta

Trip to Rostahytta camp in Målselv.

Abort

Due to sickness on board, we had to cancel the trip. Sorry about that. Hopefully we will get another chance another time.

Longyearbyen

We're floating in the middle of Isfjorden in the most fantastic midnight light. All quiet.
View from the kitchen, my working place for the coming 10 days.

Off to Spitsbergen

Tomorrow, I will travel north again.
My friend and captain Geir is waiting for me in Longyearbyen on board of Ulla Rinman. We will sail on a 10-day cruise north of Spitsbergen, hoping to meet some polar bears and shoot them - on camera that is. I'm not sure we will have internet access continuously, but check this blog for a daily report from the arctic ice sheets.

Norwegian Summer

Thanks

A word of thanks to my good friend BRK, my main man who puts me on the Google-map.

Nr. 3 in line, from left

Epilog

Painting by Kåre Tveter, currently exhibiting at Galleri Svalbard

Back in Tromsø.
Next expedition will be in July: from 17.7 til 25.7, into the ice zone North of Spitsbergen. I will join captain Aasebøstøl on board the former Swedish rescue vessel Ulla Rinman. We will sail with 12 professional photographers on a hunt for polar bears. I will be "the Belgian cook" for these guys, making sure they don't starve.

Where is Rudi...

View Rudi201105 in a larger map

Kings Bay

78°53'52.36"N, 12°20'57.83"E

Kings Bay glacier.

Northern coast of Spitsbergen

West

79°50'8.62"N, 7°23'41.41"E
Heading West to take more water samples with the CTD: measuring temperature and salinity.

Another blue ice picture, taken in front of the Wagonway glacier at Magdelenefjorden.

Polar bear

80°30'51.83"N - 12°39'48.34"E
Marginal ice zone, North of Spitsbergen.
Polar bear on the horizon, nose up, sniffing the air. Kokken is frying beef downstairs, smells good indeed. The bear is coming closer and closer, it is a young one, in good shape and well fed.

Voor Frits

Magdelenefjorden

79°35'1.20"N - 10°24'14.13"E

Tonight, we sailed from the Fram Strait back to Spitsbergen and arrived at Amsterdam island, just outside Magdelenefjorden. The fjord was very foggy and ghostly.

We visited the former whaling station and graveyard at Smeerenburg, anno 1612, where British, Dutch and German whalers are buried. We went ashore with the Zodiacs and met some incredible blue ice underway.

Afterwards, we moved close to the glacier and stayed there for some hours. It is quiet, the only noise comes from the "clicking" ice: small bubbles of oxygen popping free during melting.

79°43'35.34"N - 11° 1'27.89"E
Next was a visit to another Dutch whaling station, anno 1614. There were 3 walruses lying around on the beach and farting away. And another trip to Virgo Beach with the Zodiacs.

It has been a very busy day. We will stay at Smeerenburg for some hours so everyone can send their emails. The coming days, we will sail north, into the polar ice.

Chill

Copacabana, not.

Ice front

78°50'43.25"N - 2°50'42.74"E

We are surrounded by ice and looking for a big slab to put us down with the crane. It is beautiful sunny day and quiet, the ice breaks all waves. No seasickness today.

There is a large Spanish delegation of CSIC on board: scientist, journalists, writers and filmmakers, a very interesting group. Every day, we get lectures by the participants, about their work in relation to climate change.