I spent the rest of the morning in the ship’s sauna, to warm up again; over lunch (and after the second group had made it back to the ship) we moved locations once more – leaving Krossfjorden, into the Kongsfjorden and then on to Ny-Ålesund.

Ny-Ålesund is a former coal mining community, established in the early 20th century. Mining continued until 1963, from when polar research took over. Today the community is home to ~120 scientists in summer and ~30 during winter – with research stations from various countries.

For us things were quiet comfortable here, as the ship was mooring right at port – so getting ashore was as simple as a walk down the gangway. We made our way through town, then on to the former zeppelin pole (for that bit under protection by our polar bear guards) and back into town for more exploration and a chance for a bit of shopping in the local souvenir store and using what are likely the Northernmost public toilets on the planet.