Julie – Julie Stephenson

Feb 13

by Julie in About Me 0 comments

What a year! and 59 today!

What a year! I am so very grateful for so much in my life. As I turn 59 today, I celebrate! I celebrate the freedom I have to share my love with my wonderful family; and the experiences I’ve had throughout my incredibly rich and bold life. I’ve had the BEST birthday EVER!!!…

Oct 06

by Julie in Handwoven artisan blankets, Weaving 0 comments

Nourishment from my kitchen window.

With my hands in the earth I feel a sense of nourishment and contentment. The plants that I grow not only feed my, but also my creativity and inspire my weaving.

COVID has put a halt to travelling for some time, and I've recognised more consciously the nourishment that surrounds me so closely. One of my kitchen gardens outside my kitchen window is the inspiration for my latest hand woven blanket.

I feel such a deep joy to be able to grow organic food and listen to the birds and silence; and feel inspired to create such beautiful hand woven pieces which warm the bodies and hearts of others. You can view my hand woven blankets here.

Sep 22

by Julie in Uncategorized 0 comments

Navigating the COVID19 Pandemic – An undulating path

It has been a while. I want to be real; and don’t want to pretend everything is all peachy navigating the Covid pandemic, nor do I want to portray that things are all glum. I’ve been navigating an undulating path – as we all have. Since March, I’ve been living a rather isolated life. Such a difference to the bold living that I love. It has been an adjustment. The isolation. The extraction from contact and connection with others. Early in 2017 a concoction of events pushed my body past my physical limits and resulted in me being immunocompromised. Even with this, I was able to continue with care to travel aboard a Russian Expedition ship to the Arctic later that year; sail on a tall ship for nearly 2 months, then drove from Oslo, then around Scotland the following year; and in 2019 drove from Bangkok to Kyrgyzstan via Laos, China and Tibet. This year though has been tough, and I’ve needed to heed my inner voice to take care, and ride this one out as best as I can. Today was wonderful. I actually got dressed up and wore my latest modified #popspotsshawl . It was lovely to feel that I […]

Jul 24

by Julie in Penny, Uncategorized 0 comments

Penny Broke in Kyrgyzstan….

I’ve been having a reminiscing day today… being grateful for all the journeys and adventures I’ve experienced. Thought I’d revisit the completion of our last journey… with more gratitude this time wondering how the world will be from here. One of my most treasured experiences is of teaching the children who came to investigate this strange vehicle broken down beside the road.. in the freezing cold. Warms my heart so much remembering that day. We had a wonderful morning with Evgeniy who brought our reserve tyres from Almati to his home town of Osh in Kyrgyzstan for us, subsequent to having to readjust our schedule after our delay in Bangkok. Adrian from ROARR originally organised for our tyres to be transported to Almati for us as we knew that we needed spares along the way. Evgeniy is the most generous man and we’ve had the best time with him here in Osh. Penny also had an oil change and was set to go on our next adventure. We headed back south toward the Kyrgyzstan border into Tajikistan where for me was going to be the highlight of the trip, to drive the Parmir Highway and to peek across to the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan. I […]

Jul 22

by Julie in Arctic, Fine Art Photographs and Artworks 0 comments

Shortlisted for the Sunny Art Prize 2020

It is such a privilege to have my Moving Image piece 'Melt', shortlisted for the Sunny Art Prize 2020 in London. "The scope of this contemporary art prize is about sourcing the most talented artists from all over the world, both established and emerging ones, who produce ground-breaking and innovative artworks. We select artists who work with a wide range of media, making the art prize a varied and stimulating global platform to engage with critical contemporary issues and topics. The art competition is then open to everyone, regardless of location or preferred medium and theme." More information is available on the Sunny Art Centre here... and you can view my shortlisted artwork HERE. #sunnyartprize #sunnyartprize2020

Jul 19

by Julie in Fibre art, Handwoven artisan blankets, Weaving 0 comments

Wrapped in the Sahara, my latest handwoven blanket – Skeinydipping

The Sahara Desert. As a young girl I dreamt of walking across the soft warm sand of the Sahara Desert, and in one of our journeys in our vintage car I had the opportunity to realise my childhood dream. The sand was firmer than I had imagined as a child; the nights were colder; the days were far hotter; but the golden spaciousness was like something I could have never imagined. I adored and breathed in the gold of the evenings, and let my eye drift with the shifting light. I am grateful to have these memories to guide me through this uncertain time, and be the foundation for the expression of my stories. I have completed this “Wrapped in the Sahara’ blanket and it is now available to purchase in my Shop. If you would like a treasure for yourself or special friend, that will hold and be part of life’s stories; pop to my Shop at this link here.

perfect artisan gift hand woven blanket skeinydipping

Jun 20

by Julie in Fibre art 0 comments

New Skeinydipping website for my Hand-woven Blankets and wraps.

I'm very excited to have online my new Skeinydipping website. I've been weaving blankets and wraps inspired by my journeys around the world; and for the past few weeks whilst we've been doing some landscaping and harvesting such abundance in my garden; I've had the idea that they should have their own space to be shown... and in three days... PRESTO... a new website up and running showing my beautiful artisan handwoven blankets and wraps. Pop to my link above and have a look.

May 22

by Julie in Bhutan, Fibre art, Handwoven artisan blankets, Weaving 0 comments

Bhutan road-trip inspired hand-woven blanket

Memories of an incredible journey in a vintage car #roadtrip Bhutan. So many stories. Wonderful friendships. I hope my gratitude for this wonderful experience, and the love and care that my heart and hands imparted through the rhythm of my weaving; is felt as this blanket warms. You can view more of my artisan handwoven blankets here by clicking my Skeinydipping Website.

Jan 26

by Julie in Arctic, Fine Art Photography 0 comments

Melt

The Ice is melting. Sooner than we had imagined, the ice may just become a memory. Photographs from Svalbard in the Arctic.

Jan 10

by Julie in India and Bhutan in Penny 0 comments

With the roof off… Roadtrip through India, Bhutan, Myanmar

I’m so not very good at keeping up to date… and this one was years ago; but so many people over the years have asked me about our drive through India, Bhutan and Myanmar that I thought it was about time I posted this video of our 8 weeks #roadtrip in our 96 year old Vintage Vauxhall, Penny. Come journey with me and you won’t believe some of the roads we drove along!!!

Dec 19

by Julie in Fine Art Photographs and Artworks 0 comments

Morocco…memories woven.

In Morocco; sitting on an earthen floor weaving with other women… those memories are the framework for the blankets I’m weaving five years later. We travel the world in our nearly one hundred year old car, and my experiences continue to live through my expression of my artworks. I’ve recently immersed myself in weaving beautiful blankets and this one inspired by our journeys around Morocco has been so enjoyable to weave; as I recall the landscape, colours and connections I made whilst there. You can view more of my artisan handwoven blankets here by clicking my Skeinydipping Website.

Dec 16

by Julie in About Me 0 comments

An introduction….

I’ve received such lovely DM’s as a response to my last post; and many people commenting that they didn’t know I was an artist…. so I thought it was time I formally introduced myself. Over the past year or so, a few words kept coming into my mind… Curious. Creative. Living Boldly. … and those words pretty much sum up what I’m about and how I live my life… and in doing so, I endeavour to be kind, respectful and loving. I am an artist with my foundation medium in photography. As an observer I learn much about the unseen connections within the natural world. I am a creative and love working with my hands, and love flows through them. My hands are one of my gifts and I’m privileged to be able to use them as a healer. I’ve been recognised by Shaman around the world as one of their peers. From early childhood I’ve always been a maker and creator. In the past couple of years I’ve recommenced my expression in the fibre-arts through knitting, weaving, spinning; and designing motifs from my journeys for my knitwear. I’m grateful to have found the designer Stephen West @westknits […]

Dec 14

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Fields # 2… hand-woven blanket…

My journeys are always a source of inspiration and foundation for my artistic practice as well as the way in which I live. This is my second hand woven blanket- Fields #2 . We drove in a 96 year old car through Thailand, Laos, China and Kyrgyzstan on our way to London; and the fields were the core of the lives of not only those who lived in these rural communities; but for those also where the crops were delivered and exported to. . I spent weeks observing the fields and those who worked in them. As we travelled it was difficult to post updates due to time constraints as well as censorship; and although my intention was to ‘catch-up’ when we arrived home… I’ve found myself diving into my artistic practice and have immersed myself in weaving these beautiful blankets. . I’m using wool from my collection, and found that I start with an image/theme in my mind; then do a quick gather of yarn and then just start weaving without any fussiness about colour choices. It seems to have all just flowed without much thought. I then hand stitch a small motif as a symbol which represents the theme of the artwork. The […]

Dec 10

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Soooo enjoying weaving!!!!

As an artist, all my creative expression is founded upon my experiences. Our recent journeys through Thailand, Laos and China have inspired a series of blankets I have hand woven using the most beautiful indie dyed wool from my collection. Seeing so much weaving in the rural areas, and participating in my weaving class with @theweavingsisters inspired me to recommence weaving which I havent done since I was an adolescent… quite a long time ago! I’m so enjoying my 48″ or 120cm Rigid Heddle Loom by @ashford_wheels_looms . I don’t have any podcasts playing. No Audio or visual programmes in the background. I am accompanied only by my thoughts and the sounds of nature outside my studio. It is such a lovely space to be in to weave meditatively. Here are my first two blankets inspired by the fields along our journey. You can view more of my artisan handwoven blankets here by clicking my Skeinydipping Website.

Oct 21

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Kyrgyzstan ..fabulous camping… Penny broke and our journey to London is over

We had a wonderful morning with Evgeniy who brought our reserve tyres from Almati to his home town of Osh in Kyrgyzstan for us, subsequent to having to readjust our schedule after our delay in Bangkok. Adrian from ROARR originally organised for our tyres to be transported to Almati for us as we knew that we needed spares along the way. Evgeniy is the most generous man and we’ve had the best time with him here in Osh. Penny also had an oil change and was set to go on our next adventure. We headed back south toward the Kyrgyzstan border into Tajikistan where for me was going to be the highlight of the trip, to drive the Wakhan Corridor. I felt a sense of freedom after leaving China and the cold air and Max and I were both really excited. I started singing crazy songs into the blue sky. We had a couple of options for the night – Homestay or camping. We had our camping gear with us and it was only going to be about -6 or so at night… so I was secretly scouring for a campsite that was close to our proposed destination for the night. Max was a […]

Oct 20

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Kashgar… the lady with the red apron…. then on to Kyrgyzstan

Poached quince in a yellow bucket was being squished in the dark hands which reveal a tough life. The lady wearing a red apron and dust coloured headscarf reassured me with her smile that it was ok to eat… and all my sensibilities left me. Into the pulp on the plastic bag covered plate she sprinkled walnuts, chickpeas and sultanas; and then big dollop of thickened kefir yoghurt which was scooped from a nearly empty plastic jar under the table on the dirt; and then finished with a drizzle of honey which was scooped out of the honey pot with the yoghurt spoon! Big breath. At this point I was praying to every higher authority …Jesus, God, Buddha, Allah… that I wouldn’t get sick. I had been so diligent for the whole journey, and until now had not once been affected by errant bacteria..so this was it… do I… or don’t I???? I decided to dive in and try… and to top it off ALSO try a rice parcel which was wrapped in leaves and steamed… thinking that it was wrapped and hot it had a better chance of being safe to eat… but I didn’t count on the lady […]

Oct 16

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Silk road to Kashgar…. well…. a rough dirt one to there but extraordinary!!

The landscape changed again from Zanda to Rutog. It was so dry. Rock was exposed. Prayer flags shivered in the cold wind on the tops of the passes. Snow was shrouding the surrounding mountains as we drove in cool sunshine in the sweeping valleys. The geology of this area was extraordinary. Time folded and eroded in the rugged landscape. The Tibetan Antelope looked healthy and strong…and so did the herds of cashmere goats…. surprisingly, because the vegetation seemed to be sparse. The road was good. Recent tarmac which had been prepared by a different operator than a few hundred kms further south! This stretch we could travel about 80kms/hour on, but much more slowly on the hairpin turns which we are always very careful with. My job is to always keep an eye on the digital map on the iPad mounted on the dash…and let Max know when a hairpin is coming up… and also look for the exit-side of the hairpin for oncoming traffic. “Looks clear. Yes”…. is always a good call from me… but occasionally – “ Stop, Truck on our side!”, is a call Max doesn’t like to hear! Penny was running really baldly – coughing and spluttering ….and […]

Oct 15

by Julie in Bangkok to London, Uncategorized 0 comments

Himalayas… Dribble castles… ancient ruins…. Tibet

Time to leave Qomolongma, but the Himalayas remained our companion to the left of us for many days. Sometimes for hours on end the snow capped peaks shouldered our route northwestward toward Kashgar, where we have a few days planned. The landscape was constantly changing. The valleys became wider and slopes softer. Harvest season was nearly completed and the hay which had been drying in paddocks for several weeks, was now being brought in to be thrashed. Nomad dwellings provided by the government lay blocked in strips in small communities along the roadsides. Autumn mutton hung on display to be sold as the seasonal source of protein. Nomads and their children gathered in groups to skin and butcher the sheep. Dung was being gathered and stockpiled to use as fuel for heating and cooking in the harsh cold winters. Construction, concrete, construction. New power lines were being constructed alongside a regional road to join the 219 to Kashgar; and regardless of the terrain, the large silver stands had to be installed. Huge flying foxes are used to transport some of the materials to the sides of the mountains, and sometimes donkeys are used to carry materials… even buckets of concrete […]

Oct 05

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Qomolongma; Mt Everest; Visit to Base Camp

I was excited. The alarm went off in the dark and I popped on the rice-cooker we purchased in Bangkok. This rice-cooker has been a God-send! Lately I’ve been cooking in the morning whilst we are packing up – buckwheat porridge, sultanas, and sliced fresh apple; for when the small rural hotels don’t provide breakfast. Brilliant! Who would ever think of travelling with a small rice-cooker?!?! Penny had a substantial layer of frost on her black cover and it glistened as the sun rose and we packed her up ready for our drive to Everest Base Camp. Porridge consumed – and off we went. It wasn’t far down the road before we encountered our first of four checkpoints for the day; two of which were police ones, and the other two ticket ones. Recently there has been an increased number of police checkpoints throughout China, and we encounter on average 3 per day, where our guide provides the paperwork with our passports; car registration, drivers license, and appropriate permits for each region. We drove west passing through small villages where the barley harvest was in full swing. Rising from the river flats Penny navigated 42 hairpin curves on the way […]

Oct 04

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Off Piste… Sheep and ancient texts….

Tibet is so rich. The culture, landscape, and the Tibetans are so friendly. I love waving to people as we drive by; and nearly always I’m met with such vigorous waving in return. I have to admit that at times I’m brought to a little wave of tears when I wave to someone working in the field, and they return a wave with such generosity and joyfulness. Our days start early and leaving Lhasa and heading northwards – construction was evident. Newly constructed roads; bridges; cement plants; stacked concrete blocks; trucks filled with gravel; power plants; solar energy plants – everywhere eking into the rural landscape there seemed to be construction and development. The expansive plains and soft hillsides with freshly harvested grain gently rose in elevation and soon we were amongst the clouds and snow reaching our highest elevation of 5,440mts. It was so lovely seeing the yaks grazing on the pastures, but to learn from the nomads that they are unable to graze in their traditional highlands any more is disturbing. It seems like we’ve entered sheep territory and I was so delighted to see so many sheep. Their minders stood guard in the cold wind and bright sun […]

Oct 01

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Higher and higher..5,000mts elevation in Tibet

Higher and higher and higher into the cloud and snow we went! What an incredible time we’re having. I can’t keep up with journaling because the days are so long … and to be honest sometimes quite gruelling…. but today is a quiet day in Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region … so here’s a snippet of how the past week has been. We decided to take the roof off as we left Deqen, even though it was drizzling a little. The thought of driving ‘lidded’ amongst the imposing mountains was just not an option. We put our snow wet-weather gear on, and chose to suck up the cold and moisture, to have the opportunity to be able to enjoy the spectacular geology and landscape of the Lacang Gorge, which is the beginnings of the Mekong. It was a little daunting driving along the narrow roads with large conglomerate river rocks ready to rock and roll down at any time. Max was quite relieved to be passed these areas of overhangs, as we could see rumble slides constantly along the road. Pockets of green terraced villages made opportunistic use of any flat land upon which to grow their crops. Bridges leaped […]

Sep 23

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Into the clouds toward Tibet….

Hi julie Starting with another wet day, from Lijang to Shangri La we decided to take the motorway rather than the slippery mountain-road heading north on our way to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan Province in China. The road construction was evident throughout the day with a quite an extraordinary sight of a four lane suspension bridge being built for the new expressway to Shangri La across the river gorge of the Jinsha river which becomes the Yangtze further downstream. Tiger Leaping Gorge is the third deepest gorge in the world, and the legend goes that when the river is low, there is a rock in the centre which was used by a tiger to leap across the gorge. Regardless of this fable; it’s just an incredible experience hearing the swirling water rage down between the steeply rising mountains. It is so awesome, that thousands of tourists visit each day; and the buses streamed in, one after another; offloading umbrellas with two legs underneath scurrying to view the raging torrent. Many had shoes covered in brightly coloured plastic covers making the steep staired descent…. and a much more labored ascent unless you chose to negotiate a price to be […]

Sep 23

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Construction, Crops and Climbing,,,

Into China now, and what a marked difference from Laos. Our border crossing was seamless, but it was apparent immediately that rules and regulations must be adhered to. After I was processed via the passenger lane at the border I went to Max and Penny at the boom-gate and had a friendly conversation with the border guard and hopped in Penny. My bad. I wasn’t supposed to do that, and it was indicated to me that I needed to get out and walk 5 metres ahead; when I was then allowed to get back into Penny after passing through the entry gate. Max and I realized immediately that our casual Australian disposition needed to be sharpened up a bit here. There was a four-lane highway north of the border, a marked difference to the rough dirt roads in Laos; and also now with lots of Police border checkpoints. Construction littered the landscape and huge grey concrete pillars grouped across the land. These fortresses are the roots of the proposed new highways and railways which connect China to neighbouring countries. The surrounding mountains were covered with rubber plantations, with several National Preservation Parks however, where there are Asian elephants in […]

Sep 23

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Laos ..a land of kind people in such extreme conditions….

Long, hot, fabulous days on the road from Northern Thailand; through Laos and now in China…. and I’m playing catch up with my Journal broadcasts and it’s late after another big day so I will try and do a brief round-up to give you an idea of how we’ve been going and what things I’ve seen along our Journey. What and full week it’s been. After leaving Chiang Rai we headed north-east to Luang Namtha. The rice fields became more prevalent and regardless of the increasing poverty, colours were everywhere. Buildings. Clothing. Motor-bike tyres were wrapped in metallic packaging to protect them from perishing in the sun. Umbrellas in all shapes, sizes and colours created shade in the oppressive heat. From Luang Namtha we then went to Luang Prabang…. 313kms each way so I could participate in a traditional weaving class with The Weaving Sisters. We had planned to return to Luang Namtha after a one-night stay in Luang Prabang, so that we could be relatively close to the border in preparation for our China entry on Tuesday 17th September. It took us 9 hours for those 313kms to Luang Prabang across incredibly treacherous bumpy road for many sections, […]

Sep 12

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Heading north… colour, rain and hair-pin turns….

Being on the road again is just fabulous. I had forgotten though how absolutely exhausting it can be; in a noisy old car in the heat, humidity, rain, traffic, cramped conditions and at times treacherous road conditions. I do though so love driving along in an open car smelling cooking rice wafting from within the small thatched shelters; the damp smell of dark wet forests; pork fat rendering in blackened woks; rainforest blossom. Our first day was hot, but seemed to brighten the colours of the buildings and glistened the gold of the temples, Wat’s and statues of Buddha. The school buildings and fences were often pained in purple and adorned with flags. Buildings in blocks are differentiated by paint. Giant colourful statues of animals stood on display along the roadside. I could understand the roosters, deer, rabbit, tiger, pig, cow…. because of their reference in Buddhism, but I just couldn’t get my head around the significance of a giant statue of a giraffe or Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo. We passed through so many check points along the road north close along the Myanmar border, and came to a section where every 100mts was a soldier with an automatic […]

Sep 06

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

Bangkok … in a holding pattern….

We’re on the road again for our next adventure… well not quite. It’s been quite a while since my last broadcast and life’s been pretty full since last year. Max and I had the most wonderful time driving around Scotland including the Outer Hebrides and the Shetlands in March and April; I participated in many classes at Edinburgh Yarn Festival; then I returned home and had some skin cancer treatments, which included a skin graft using some of my forehead to make a new nostril. How cool is that, that surgeons can do that kind of stuff and the body heals so beautifully! I am so grateful. Healing is quite a miracle really hey? So… now we are in Bangkok preparing for our planned adventure driving in Penny our 1923 Vauxhall from Bangkok to London. . 22,000kms and 16 countries. 3 months. We will have a guide for our 29 days in China, but other than that we are on our own and winging it along our proposed route. We left Brisbane on 23rd August and on Monday 26th we went to the Freight Company to accompany the representatives to the port to collect Penny. We […]

Sep 03

by Julie in Bangkok to London 0 comments

The next journey begins….

Well… our next journey begins. Bangkok to London via the Tibetan Plateau in Penny, our 1923 Vauxhall. This will be a remarkable experience travelling; making new friendships and enriching existing ones; learning about myself and the world in which we live. 22,000kms… 16 countries… 3 months. I hope you can follow our journey over the coming months and I will share when I’m able to.

Aug 23

by Julie in Knitting 0 comments

Images speak for themselves…

I think these images speak for themselves.. Pattern – Samen by Stephen West. @westknits

Aug 23

by Julie in Knitting 0 comments

So enjoying knitting!…

I love using my hands. Knitting. Being creative… … and living Boldly. This brilliant design is ‘The Doodler’ by Stephen West @westknits. So grateful to be feeling so good.

Aug 08

by Julie in Uncategorized 0 comments

Memory Melting…

Wandering, walking on the earth of Iceland, memories flashed. Earth. Stone. Sea. Ice. Breath. Memory. Dreams. Experiences of places of lifetimes past. Future reflections. Time melting.

May 21

by Julie in Scotland 0 comments

Journey pants! #marledmanialeggings by #stephenwest

I do a lot of journey-ing and on our last road-trip around Scotland it was COLD! We drove through snow and lots of rain and in an open car exposed to the elements it was pretty extreme. I knew I needed an extra layer so I knitted these fabulous #marledmanialeggings by the incredibly talented #stephenwest and used only wool which was produced in the areas we drove through. I knitted them on our trip and wore them in the latter weeks. I’ve called them my ‘journey pants’ because they remind me of the fabulous places we visited on such a wonderful journey through Scotland. When we were taking these pics, Max said something which was really really funny…. I can’t remember what exactly… but now I reflect upon how much fun we have together and how important it is to have a partner who brings out the best in each other. My companion is loving and kind; is fun to be with; is generous and warm hearted; and I feel so grateful to be able to share our lives together.

May 16

by Julie in Uncategorized 0 comments

Driving in the snow!!! Open vintage car style!! haha

North of Glasgow the sky became white… the windscreen became white… and our lips became blue!! It was COLD!! … but oh so so much fun!!!

Mar 09

by Julie in New York 0 comments

Happy in New York

New York was wonderfully cold and a lot of fun. Many of my regular readers know how much I love the snow, and whilst we were there for the week or so; NY had two of their biggest snowfalls. It was magical. And yes - cold. I was snug though in all my beautiful warmies I've knitted. You can see more of my knitting journey on insta - @skeinydipping I'm feeling very content right now. Max snapped this pic of me whist we were snug in a small cafe in Greenwich Village. I was so happy sitting there with Max, knitting a Shetland hap for our following journey to Scotland touring in our vintage car...and looking out to the flurries of snow. We did a lot of walking and exploring of the city, and I feel so fortunate to have seen so many places now that I've seen in the movies.. hehe. Saw lots of items with I (heart) NY... and I would have to agree. I did love our visit to NY.

Dec 04

by Julie in Arctic, Arctic 2018 0 comments

The Ice….and the blue!!!

The Ice…. How beautiful the ice was along the west coast of Svalbard where I sailed aboard the tall ship Antigua. The glaciers calve and purge forward huge chunks of ice, cracking and splashing into the sea.. meandering in the wind and waves until they melt and become part of that in which they float. The crevassed face of the glaciers are extraordinary, with the blue and turquoise colour of the ice just so incredible. This blue ice is caused when snow falls on a glacier and is compressed and the air bubbles are squeezed out. The dense ice of the glacier absorbs every other colour of the spectrum except blue – so blue is what we see! The crystalline structure of the ice also scatters this blue light making it the most exquisite turquoise I’ve ever seen. The world around me was blue. Every minute the tone of blue changed. The water was blue. The sky was a blue I’ve never experienced before. And the ice. Ice was blue… and black! As the glacier surges forwards, the gravel, silt and rock embeds in the glacial ice and becomes suspended in the frozen mass. The black […]

Nov 23

by Julie in Arctic 0 comments

Geology ROCKS!!! … hehehehe… Mountains of Svalbard.

Yes… I know that is a silly pun… hehe…but for those who’ve known me for some time know I’ve often collected little stones on my journeys… because I just love rock… and the geology of Svalbard is astonishing! The geology of Svalbard ROCKS! hehe We were never so far from the shore that we couldn’t see land… and there is little vegetation covering the land, so the geology of Svalbard was always on show. Even when covered by snow, the underlying formation and structure of the mountains could be seen. I don’t know what it is about rock and mountains that intrigues me and I get so excited to see. I’m just thinking now about how many people climb mountains… and it surely couldn’t be just for the challenge. I wonder how many photos of mountains are posted on Instagram every day??? I don’t know what it is about big rocks and mounds of rock that captivates so many of us. It certainly captivates me!!! My high school knowledge of rock formation facilitated my recognition of some of the types of rock and it was exciting to see how the igneous and metamorphic bedrock layers and Triassic […]

Nov 20

by Julie in Arctic 0 comments

Walking the tundra, riverbeds and rocks…

I was conscious of not walking ahead of our guide, but enjoyed taking steps alongside; often quietly without words. I felt like an explorer. I loved every step of the tundra across the rocky, spongy, icy terrain. I dreamed as a child that I would walk across the tundra, and after my first hikes in Greenland, something sparked within me a yearning to continue taking steps across this frozen landscape. I loved meandering along the trenches of the watercourses and wished the day and the gullies just kept going. I quickly found a rhythm of walking without actually looking directly down to where I stepped – even with my knee not completely strong again I felt a comfort in my stride. I was able to casually scan as I walked and so many fascinating things intrigued me; the geology, plants, animal remains, historical archaeological artifacts, the snow, the ice, the waves, the light. Everywhere I looked was interesting. Walking the land helped me to construct in my thoughts the environment and circumstances early explorers and settlers had to contend with, in the times of early exploration; with those times but a speck on the timeline of Svalbard’s […]

Nov 06

by Julie in Arctic 0 comments

Glaciers.. what are they saying in Svalbard?

I heard a thunderous cracking and deep rumbling boom. Where was the splash? My eye searched for the plume of misty water rising from the huge chunk of ice falling from the glacier front… but I couldn’t see anything. I missed it this time, but often I saw this immense fissured, white expanse of ice expel chunks and pillars into the freezing waters of western Svalbard. The groaning, cracking roar is unforgettable. The glacier has a voice as it pulses and surges being drawn by gravity toward the sea. In slow motion, the falling structure of ice slides and crumbles into an engulfing, expanding, rising wave that itself has created. The huge displaced chunks of ice bob randomly behind the radiating wave that expands slowly away from the glacial front. Every piece of floating ice in the path of this rising arc of water has it’s turn to move and reposition on the near freezing water, and their sploshes answer in response to the recent glacial fracture. For me there’s something magnificent about witnessing a glacier calving. I know that the increase speed of progression of glaciers especially in the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard is likely […]

Nov 02

by Julie in Arctic 0 comments

Sailing a tall ship in the Arctic – the Antigua

It’s the wind and waves. The wind and waves determine the way we journey on the tall ship Antigua in the Arctic waters of Svalbard. A Force 8 gale was predicted for most of the following week… so the wind and waves were already penciling in our journey as we boarded the ship in Longyearbyen in Svalbard. I’ve been anticipating this journey for 18 months … and as the crew cast off the thick yellow rope from the mooring in Longyearnyen… if felt quite surreal feeling the gentle movement of being on the water again. I love the ocean. I feel comfortable there. I feel more land-sick returning to land than sea-sick on the ocean. I did however have a hefty supply of fresh ginger and ginger tablets – ‘just-in-case’. I’ve now returned from this incredible journey to the Arctic and have my ‘land-legs’ back, and I’m back on the grid, so I would like to share some my experiences in the Arctic; and follow with our journey from Oslo to London in our 1921 Vintage car – Rosie. I’ve always loved boats; and so does Max! I helped my dad build one as a child… […]

Nov 01

by Julie in Arctic 0 comments

Into the Arctic – Happy days!

The Arctic… The sea… the cold… the ice… the snow… the skies!!!!! Aboard a ship…. with my camera … and my bestest friend Max… Happy days!

Sep 22

by Julie in Arctic 2018 0 comments

Abandoned Soviet town – Pyramiden

Lenin still maintains a protective and proud gaze over abandoned buildings alongside the Nordenskiöld Glacier at a place which once held such hopes for prosperity and prestige. Pyramiden has a very interesting history, hinged on the history of the Svalbard region. Beginning around the 17th century these surrounding Arctic Islands were used as a base for whaling and walrus trapping…. btw… The Longyearbyen museum gives a fantastic account of the timeline for the history of this region. By the beginning of the 20th century, the need for energy for industry was a high priority and coal was found here and became a valuable resource – for a period. Up until then, this archipelago belonged to no one nation and was freely used by many countries with no main governance. That changed in 1920 and the Svalbard Treaty was established by Norway, the United States and Britain; granting Norway the sovereignty over the region. The Soviets were preoccupied with their own civil war and were disgruntled at not being included in the process… but due to the way the Treaty was drafted, it left room for other countries – 40 in fact; to establish commercial interests in the region. In the 1930’s, […]

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