Late on September 22, 2025, two of the busiest airports in Scandinavia, Copenhagen and Oslo, were forced to shut down for several hours after large drones were spotted in restricted airspace. Flights were diverted, passengers stranded, and authorities are...
Norway: The Land Of…Chlamydia
You step off a train at Oslo Central Station and are met with a towering billboard. The ad showcases Norway’s beautiful nature, but features the following text: Welcome to Norway! The Land of Chlamydia. That’s not a typo or a...
Longyearbyen to Stockholm via Tromsø on SAS
It was time to leave Longyearbyen and I was very sad to go. That said, the weather had turned decidedly chilly, with a cold pelting rain greeting us on our final morning. One other tidbit on Longyearbyen: no one...
Where to Eat in Longyearbyen
On a remote island in the Arctic Circle halfway between the northern tip of Norway and the North Pole, where do the ~2,000 residents go out to eat? Would it surprise you to know one restaurant has a wine cellar...
Exploring Pyramiden with Two Armed Female Bodyguards
There was one thing I did not mention in my earlier piece on Pyramiden: there are polar bears roaming around. America is not the only home of gunslingers: in Svalbard and particularly on Pyramiden, you don’t go outside without a...
Why Pyramiden is a Must-See (Photo Tour)
Let’s play a game of imagination. Imagine a thriving village bustling with hard working men and women who have left the comforts of home to serve the motherland in a far corner of the world. Imagine a formal dining...
Fascinating Soviet Hotel Experience on a Russian Island in Norway
While most people just spend a few hours touring around the mostly-abandoned Russian mining settlement of Pyramiden, you’re invited to stay the night. That’s what I did. After the mine closed in 1998, the island’s population sank from over 1,000...
A Boat Trip to an Abandoned Russian Mining Island
The highlight of my trip to Svlabard was an overnight trip from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden, a near-abandoned Russian mining settlement reached via boat. I booked with Arctic Explorer because it offered the better schedule, though other companies offer full...
Why I Chose Airbnb in Longyearbyen, Norway
For months I had a room reserved at the Radisson Blu Longyearbyen Hotel for about $270/night after taxes. But in the end, I cancelled it and went with an Airbnb rental. One, Lucky decided to book his trip to Longyearbyen...
Introduction: A Scandinavian Summer
As much as I love solo travel, exploring the world with others represents many of my best travel memories. Last summer I traveled to Scandinavia with my Uncle Bill, who I have mentioned before in this story on why...
