Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, March 28th, 2025

Sadly no views of the Northern Lights on this very short trip to Svalbard but absolutely stunning views of the vast Spitzbergen wilderness as we turned on take-off and made headway towards Tromsø, the most northerly city on the planet. Miles and miles of rolling snowy wilderness, jagged peaks and blue waters. An aisle seat on the Norwegian flight meant no photos.

A quick turn around, after having to disembark in a snowy Tromsø for passport formalities, and then back on to the same ‘plane with a different crew to make haste to Oslo’s Gardemoen airport to make the connection to the Sleazy Jet flight to Manchester.

Lasting memories of Svalbard are the sheer vast emptiness of your harsh surroundings although I’d get cabin fever if I visited in the winter during the long Polar Night or during the near four months of Midnight Sun.