Page 11 - 2003 SVALBARD, NORWAY

The ship was built at the direction of Fridjhof Nansen by a

Norwegian of Scottish ancestry, named Caller. What a stout ship it
was too. Its specially constructed hull of 18 inches of oak covered

with greenheart wood withstood 3 expeditions to the Arctic and 1
to the Antarctic, often being caught in the ice for years and yet

never breaking up. After Nansen had used it, others took it on
various voyages of discovery as well & its mightiest adventure
took it to the Antarctic with Roald Amundsen in his successful race

for the South Pole.

Our welcome dinner and get acquainted “mixer” took place in the
Theatercafeen Restaurant in the hotel & was delicious to people

who had not eaten in 12 hours. We had cream of asparagus soup
and then roast beef with carrots and turnips (shades of Iceland).

We avoided the potatoes and the bread and left well before
dessert was served.
Now we are back in the room getting showered and ready for

what we hope will be a good night’s sleep before we get back on
an airplane to fly to Longyearbyen & the M/S Endeavor.