Welcome! Beginning June 12, 2008 I will be an artist and photographer on the maiden voyage of the Prince Albert II. This expedition cruise will travel from London to Svalbard (Spitsbergen), an isolated arctic archipelago in the North Sea, well north of Iceland located midway between Norway and Greenland.

The journey begins June 9 with my departure from Nevada and will conclude on July 1 as I return from the freezing temperatures of the High Arctic to the Mojave Desert’s summer heat.

Due to technical difficulties, Sharon is unable to post blogs as planned. Check back after her trip for photos of what will have surely been an unforgettable adventure. Thank you!

07 June 2008

Itinerary

The Itinerary begins in London (Tower Bridge), then cruises to UK; Newcastle; Lerwick, UK; cruise/explore Shetland Island; Thorshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark; cruise/explore Faroe Islands; cruise/explore Jan Mayen Island; Longyearbyen; Ny Alesund; 4 days around the Svalbard Islands; cruise/explore Bear Island and finally a return to Tromso, Norway on June 30.

Spitsbergen is known as the Land of the Ice Bears. I have always dreamed of seeing Polar Bears in the wild and it is likely, at last, I will. The archipelago is virtually an undisturbed sanctuary for birds and other hardy wildlife. Harp, Ringed, and Bearded Seals share the icy waters with Polar Bears, Walrus, and Beluga Whales. On shore the Reindeer graze and Arctic Foxes scavenge at the foot of huge seabird colonies. It is estimated that one million pairs of Brünnich’s Guillemots breed around the coastline.

I can’t wait. But for now, I must get back to planning and packing.
Posted by Sharon K. Schafer at 4:52 PM
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