One of the trips that made the biggest impression on me was my journey to the other end of the world, to the North Cape. One of my destinations was Spitsbergen, a Norwegian island located between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. The boat trip there was absolutely thrilling and took some getting used to, because in summer the sun shines 24 hours a day. Thanks to the midnight sun, it is as bright as day even at night, and I felt enchanted when I was still wide awake at 2 a.m. enjoying a delicious cocktail at the bar. But back to Spitsbergen, the northernmost inhabited area in the world. The largest settlement is Longyearbyen. It is located on the south side of the Adventfjorden and stretches along the Longyearelva river. The nature is rugged, very rocky, and spectacular with its glaciers. There are still warning signs here that alert people to polar bears, because they still live there, as do polar foxes. By the way, I caught a polar bear, but only in plush form, of course. I couldn’t resist. One of the most important means of transportation are snowmobiles, which can be found at every house. The houses are built on stilts to protect them from snow and water. Everything seemed very strange to me, as I had never seen such a landscape or way of life before. It was all exciting for me, and the huge red Santa Claus mailbox at the entrance to the village is particularly cute. Of course, I wrote a postcard to Santa Claus and posted it. There is a large mine in Spitsbergen where coal is still mined today. A journey into another world that had a profound effect on me and will remain unforgettable.
