Wednesday 24 / 4 / 2019
Helsinki, sunny, clear sky, +18 (!), wind speed 4m / s, visibility 23 km, length of day is 15h 22min. My Helmer Hanssen adventure starts today. Here. On ferry deck in Katajanokka. It is unbelievably warm day in Helsinki. Feels like going for summer trip, even though spring is not in full swing yet. Only bushes started to have little tiny leafes last day or two and willows are in full bloom. I am sitting on the deck, ferry to Stockholm is just about to leave. It is 17:15 and we are turning our faces towards sun, eyes closed and smile. No small talks about how beautiful weather it is, people’s faces say it all.
Thursday 25 / 4 / 2019 Stockholm, sunny morning, partly cloudy afternoon, high point +17, low point +4, chance of rain 10%.
It was very sunny and summery when we arrived to Stockholm. But wind brought clouds over the city and before I caught night train to Narvik I felt almost chilly without jacket. It is definitely spring time in Stockholm, one step ahead before Helsinki. Blooming cherry trees, mating birds. First mosquito seen in Moderna Museet!
Friday 26 / 4 / 2019 Umeå – Kiruna – Narvik – Tromsø Sunny day, again.
I woke up in Swedish Lapland, snow is partly covering mires. But surprisingly not as much as I thought. I am in the train, maybe one hour after Kiruna. I can see from window on the right side, but also on left side, mountains. There is not much of movements in landscape. No people, no houses, no animals, no flying birds. Trees are much much smaller, they look like having hard time, real survivors. Stones, sun, heather, heather color. Sudden change in perspectives and scales make me bit dizzy. Overwhelming scales. Sun is strong, eyes are hurting, that makes me sleepy. It is little bit like time machine. After 18 hours in train we arrived to Narvik, it is about +15. Few hours more by bus and we arrived to Tromsø, it is about +13 but chilly breeze blowing up here.
Saturday 27 / 4 / 2019 Tromsø, open sea Sea temperature +6, air +9, windspeed 7m/s, clear sky.
It is morning, sun is shining and I am sitting next to Roald Amundsen statue, Tromsø. First greens and flowers seen – like coltsfoot or snowdrop. I would like to learn more about arctic birds and winds next weeks. It is 11:30. I am here, on board. Leaving from harbor around 13:00. Bright sun on deck, everyone enjoy, but also keep saying: Do not get use to this steady sunny weather, it is totally opposite from usual! Brand new world. Now I am getting really overexcited. One impression over another. I feel like I need to close my eyes and breath. Because all has been literally breathtaking so far. Warm sunny day, sea is still. It is quite abstract to imagine all research processes on vessel after only few hours. I am puzzled. Slowly collecting small pieces together. And I am sure I will be puzzling whole trip and asking silly questions, and that is (hopefully) just fine! I am like sponch, ready to absorb. Plaster for seasick makes me sleepy. And switched me to dream mode for next few days. Orca family on horizon!
Sunday 28 / 4 / 2019
Open sea. Sea temperature +7.3, air temperature +6.7.
We crossed sea shelf and had suddenly almost 3 000 metres to bottom of the sea. Another sunny day in row. People are excited to start in first station. Seaglider was released to water and now its living on its own for next days. We will pick it up before we go to Svolvær on 6th of May. I saw another orca group on horizon and floating island of birds next to our boat.
Monday 29 / 4 / 2019
It is maybe first time I am connected to wifi since we went off shore. I need to write this quick before connection collapse once again Sünnje asked me to write something for Stressor blog and who knows when it will be possible to post it. Probably when we are closer to land. At the minute we are on open sea, more then 200m under boat. It is Monday 29th of April, 9 o’clock in the morning. Sun is shining, sea temperature +5.7, air temperature +5 degrees, water is pretty still, only 1m high waves. Half of the group is probably still sleeping because they had night shift on previous station. Others are preparing for next station. It has been sunny, warm and still weather so far. I am trying to listen, hang around and learn. Because there is so much to learn from everyone on board… and everyone out there, in the big big blue.
Michaela Casková Artist-on-board