Summer night, falling stars

A something in a summer’s noon —
A depth — an Azure — a perfume —
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer’s night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see —

Emily Dickinson

Port Lockroy, a touristic Thule in Antarctida

Port Lockroy (Lat. 64°49'S, Long. 63°30'W) is a natural harbour on the Antarctic Peninsula, situated on Goudier Island.


After its discovery in 1903, it was used for whaling and British military operations (Operation Tabarin) during World War II and then continued to operate as a British research station until 1962.

Port Lockroy has been fully restored to its 1962 condition when it was closed. The buildings were renovated in 1996 by a team from the British Antarctic Survey and since then opened to visitors during the Antarctic summer.

The Trust operates the site as a ‘living museum’, by the proceeds of a small gift shop. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Antarctica


The restored Base’s two buildings are the boathouse and the Bransfield House (accomodation for the summer crew, post office, shop and museum).


The main base building, Bransfield House was the first permanent British government building on the Peninsula, and has been much modified over the years.
Mail is picked up by a passing ship and delivered to the Falkland Islands, where it is transported to England.
The museum itself was pretty small. It used to be a research station that housed a maximum of 9 people.

Port Lockroy is a beautiful 800m-long natural harbour offering shelter and a secure anchorage to large vessels. Port Lockroy is surrounded by beautiful landscapes of mountains, icebergs and bays, frequented by antarctic fauna.

Arctic Summer

The Arctic summer is a short but intense burst of life. For just a few months, the harsh climate of the Arctic relents. The sun shines day and night. And in come the birds Snowy owls live on the tundra and hunt during the day, unlike their cousins, the great horned owls.The arctic summer is a time of brightness and life.

Snow and ice clear to reveal a landscape of colourful tundra and bright alpine flowers on the shores of clear blue, iceberg-strewn fjords.

A visit to the Azores - São Miguel Island

Ponta Delgada, the main town.

A Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores islands have volcanic origins.

Lagoa do Fogo

Cryptomeria, the Japanese cedar, is a conifer extensively grown for its timber; the large trees here reach 70 m and cover the extint volcano hillsides:

Hot springs are mostly located in the center of the island. São Miguel has several stratovolcanoes, the largest of them Sete Cidades, Fogo and Furnas.

The Terra Nostra Garden, fed by hot sulphuric springs:

Tropical forest? No, just a local Nature Park.

Hydrangeas are considered to be a symbol of the archipelago and decorate roadsides:

The Northeastern coastal road has the best panoramic sights of cliffs and sea.

A brief time out

I will be in the Azores islands in vacation, starting tomorrow. No posts than, for a week or so.