AMP’D Blog Guest Post: Matteo Selci

After 10 days spent in a "quarantine" hotel in Oslo and a bunch of Covid Test, we are finally at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, the last step before the beginning of our field activities. After we landed, it took me just a few minutes to understand where I am and think "WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE!!!!".  High white picks, a beautiful fjord, and multiple lines of coloured houses that follow the side of the hill. A week ago, the sun has come back after four months of darkness. The town is completely covered by snow, and the temperature is around -20°C, perceived as -30°C. The air is so cold that less than an hour spent outside is enough to make the eyelashes and the beard completely frozen. However, low temperature and flowing wind didn't put our spirit down, so, yesterday we moved to visit a glacier called Larsbreen to enjoy the incredible landscape visible from there, and it was gorgeous. 

Anyway, our time in Longyearbyen is about to end. Tomorrow in the early morning, we'll head to Ny-Ålesund to start our work. I am grateful to have experienced some days here in Longyearbyen, and I hope it is just a goodbye.
Twitter: @matteo_selci