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Posts published in December 2019

FAREWELL TO FRUENE AS WE KNOW IT: New Year’s Eve is the final day for the familiar cafe before it undergoes a complete month-long upgradefinalfruene

FAREWELL TO FRUENE AS WE KNOW IT: New Year’s Eve is the final day for the familiar cafe before it undergoes a complete month-long upgrade

By Mark Sabbatini on December 31, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 33 Second

Fruene, the landmark 16-year-old cafe that is the last “untouched” space in the renovated Lompensenteret shopping center, will close its familiar space for the last time at 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve in preparation for a complete redesign expected to take about a month to complete.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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BEAR AT CABINS IN BJØRNDALEN: Governor, after abandoning helicopter chase due to weather, flies out again Sunday morning when bear seen in populated area near townbearbjørndalen

BEAR AT CABINS IN BJØRNDALEN: Governor, after abandoning helicopter chase due to weather, flies out again Sunday morning when bear seen in populated area near town

By Mark Sabbatini on December 29, 2019
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Read Time:2 Minute, 37 Second

Update 12 p.m. Sunday: “The governor still does not have a full overview of where the polar bear is now,” Gov. Kjerstin Askholt said in a prepared statement. “We therefore ask people to be very careful.”

Original story: A polar bear that visited Longyearbyen twice since Thursday before being chased away returned Sunday morning to a cabin area in Bjørndalen, about eight kilometers southwest of Longyearbyen, where The Governor of Svalbard has again deployed a helicopter with the intent of chasing it far from settled areas.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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BEAR COMES BACK: Polar bear ventures near kindergarten, school on Saturday morning before governor uses helicopter to chase it away againbearintown

BEAR COMES BACK: Polar bear ventures near kindergarten, school on Saturday morning before governor uses helicopter to chase it away again

By Mark Sabbatini on December 28, 2019
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Read Time:2 Minute, 27 Second

Update 6:30 p.m: Plans to use a helicopter to chase the polar bear to Van Mijenfjorden have been abandoned due to weather, according to Gov. Kjestin askholt. “The last position on the bear was at the innermost part of Bjørndalen,” she said in a prepared statement. “This means that we cannot fully predict which way the bear will move. We therefore ask people to be very careful. Notify the governor (emergency number 112) if you observe the polar bear or polar bear tracks.”

Original story: A polar bear that visited the center of Longyearbyen on Thursday morning returned to town at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday, venturing near Longyearbyen School  before The Governor of Svalbard again chased it into the mountains south of town using a helicopter and other vehicles.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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LANCE IN AND OUT OF LONGYEARBYEN: Ship carrying Børge Ousland and Mike Horn finally arrives after weeks of delays in sea ice, then departs from Tromsø less than an hour laterlancelongyearbyen

LANCE IN AND OUT OF LONGYEARBYEN: Ship carrying Børge Ousland and Mike Horn finally arrives after weeks of delays in sea ice, then departs from Tromsø less than an hour later

By Mark Sabbatini on December 28, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 14 Second

They were extremely eager to reach Longyearbyen after weeks of delays that saw them nearly run out of food on the ice sea and then aboard the ship sent to retrieve them, but polar explorers Børge Ousland and Mike Horn didn’t linger long when they arrived Saturday morning, with the Lance departing for Tromsø less than an hour after docking.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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LANCE LIBERATED: Børge Ousland and Mike Horn finally on way to Longyearbyen after ‘rescue’ ship stuck for two weeks in sea ice breaks freelanceoutofice

LANCE LIBERATED: Børge Ousland and Mike Horn finally on way to Longyearbyen after ‘rescue’ ship stuck for two weeks in sea ice breaks free

By Mark Sabbatini on December 27, 2019
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Read Time:1 Minute, 36 Second

The dramatic “not a rescue” retrieval of polar explorers Børge Ousland and Mike Horn may finally be nearing an end as the Lance research ship has freed itself from the sea ice north of Svalbard, where it was stuck for two weeks after the pickup of the men itself was long delayed by ice blockage.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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POLAR BEAR IN DOWNTOWN LONGYEARBYEN: Bear spotted between Kroa and Svalbardbutikken on Thursday morning before officials chase it out of townbear121619

POLAR BEAR IN DOWNTOWN LONGYEARBYEN: Bear spotted between Kroa and Svalbardbutikken on Thursday morning before officials chase it out of town

By Mark Sabbatini on December 26, 2019
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Read Time:2 Minute, 59 Second

Photo above and video below by Marie Lørup Stenshøj

A polar bear wandered through the central part of Longyearbyen on Thursday morning, leaving tracks along the main road and at popular locations such as Kroa, before The Governor of Svalbard deployed all of its resources to chase the animal south of town over Longyearbreen and out toward Colesdalen.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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IT’S JUST MORE NUMBERS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯: Svalbard warming six times faster than elsewhere, Greenland ice melting seven times faster than ’90s, says newest soon-to-be-shrugged-off studiesdarkice

IT’S JUST MORE NUMBERS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯: Svalbard warming six times faster than elsewhere, Greenland ice melting seven times faster than ’90s, says newest soon-to-be-shrugged-off studies

By Mark Sabbatini on December 11, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 11 Second

Twice as fast? Three times? Nope – now Svalbard is warming six times faster than the average elsewhere on Earth during the past six decades, according to figures unveiled only days after Longyearbyen surpassed nine consecutive years of above-average monthly temperatures.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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‘ALMOST THE ENTIRE MOUNTAINSIDE HAS COLLAPSED’: Massive avalanches reported in areas near Longyearbyen; skier near one, but no incidents of harm reportedavalanche121119

‘ALMOST THE ENTIRE MOUNTAINSIDE HAS COLLAPSED’: Massive avalanches reported in areas near Longyearbyen; skier near one, but no incidents of harm reported

By Mark Sabbatini on December 11, 2019
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Read Time:1 Minute, 29 Second

Several avalanches up to a kilometer in length have occurred during the past couple of days in the mountains near Longyearbyen, prompting The Governor of Svalbard to issue a strongly worded warning Wednesday to people on excursions.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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AIR AMBULANCES GROUNDED: Five of 11 planes have technical problems, posing ‘crisis’ for Svalbard other remote areasnofly2

AIR AMBULANCES GROUNDED: Five of 11 planes have technical problems, posing ‘crisis’ for Svalbard other remote areas

By Mark Sabbatini on December 9, 2019
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Read Time:2 Minute, 43 Second

Five of the 11 air ambulance planes used by Babcock Scandinavian AirAmbulance have been grounded due to technical and other problems, causing what critics say is a crisis whose severity is not fully realized in terms of the ability to respond to medical emergencies in Svalbard and other remote areas.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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‘THEY’RE ONBOARD!’: Mike Horn and Børge Ousland finally reach ship w/ help from fellow explorers, head for Svalbard after 1,800km North Pole ski trip with harrowing conclusionpickup

‘THEY’RE ONBOARD!’: Mike Horn and Børge Ousland finally reach ship w/ help from fellow explorers, head for Svalbard after 1,800km North Pole ski trip with harrowing conclusion

By Mark Sabbatini on December 8, 2019
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Read Time:2 Minute, 59 Second

The chilled explorers boarded the ship at the ice’s edge at about midnight Sunday, and shortly after were fed spinach soup, steak, chocolate fondue – and a buffet of questions from well-wishers and media folks with camera to record the end of an 87-day expedition whose white-knuckle conclusion involved more than just frostbitten skin.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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