Photo of the day – Norwegian wildflowers

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Norwegian wildflowers are the subject of today’s Photo of the Day. Flickr user Tao, Ding took this snapshot of flowers against a striking mountain backdrop in Tromsø, Norway back in July.

I have a nostalgic reaction to this photo. It reminds me of images in early 1980s earth science textbooks, of one of those visions designed to capture a sense of the earth in its full glory. Fun fact: Today’s low temperature in Tromsø is 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or 7 degrees Celsius.

Submit your favorite images to Flickr’s Gadling Group Pool. One of your snaps might just get chosen as a future Photo of the Day.

Video: Tromso, Norway

by Elizabeth Seward on

Tromsø from Dave Pinke on Vimeo.

Anyone can go to Tromso, Norway. Anyone can go anywhere, actually–that’s what I like the most about travel. There aren’t restrictions. Get up and go if you want to go. Take pictures and make videos documenting the things you see and experiences that will, undoubtedly, mold you. That’s what Dave Pinke has done. Dave Pinke is a traveler, video-taker, all-around cool guy from New York. He’s spent much of his time over the last few years gallivanting across the globe and putting together splendid little videos in honor of the places he visits. Complete with fun clips and appropriate music, his travel videos are some of my favorite. They dive deep into his personal experiences and by the end of each video, I feel like I’ve walked in his footsteps.

Check out his video above from his trip to Tromso, Norway. His video offers some general glimpses of Tromso. Endless snow, Northern Lights, Lego creations, and plenty of food shots make this video whole. When you’re done enjoying this video, take a look at this other video we published earlier this year featuring the Northern Lights in Tromso specifically here.

Video of the Day – Slopeflying in Stryn, Norway

by Stephen Greenwood on

If you’ve watched a Youtube video of wingsuit flying in the past few years, there’s a good chance it’s courtesy of Joakim Sommer. The 25 year-old Norwegian has been making a name for himself by capturing a special wingsuit technique known as proximity flying.

If you’re asking yourself “why is he getting closer to the cliffs?!” – that’s the point. Proximity fliers like Sommer jump off the most scenic mountaintops in the world and aim to skim slopes while only meters above trees, waterfalls, and rock spires – all while capturing everything in 1080p.

This specific flight takes place in Styrn, Norway; a town of 7,000 residents that’s usually written up for its fjords and year-round glacier skiing.

For more videos, check out ‘Jokke’s’ website & Youtube channel, including a series of proximity flights dubbed Dream Lines I & II.

Polar bear kills tourist in Norway

by Kraig Becker on

A British youth group traveling in a remote region of Norway was attacked by a polar bear yesterday, leaving one dead and four others severely injured. The animal entered their camp while the group slept, and attacked the travelers inside their tents, before it was shot to death by one of the group’s leaders.

17-year old Horatio Chapple was one of 13 members of a BSES Expedition traveling along a glacier on the island of Spitsbergen, located in the Svalbard archipelago. He was sharing a tent with two other boys when the bear attacked, fatally wounding him. The animal then turned on other campers, before it was killed as well. Chapple was already dead by the time a rescue team could reach them, but the other four victims were air lifted to a hospital.

The BSES is an organization that works with young people in the U.K. in an effort to introduce them to the outdoors and encourage an active lifestyle. The group helps the youth to build confidence, while also educating them about the impact of climate change on our planet. This particular BSES expedition was part of a larger group of 80 that were spending five weeks on the island.

As the ice in the Arctic Ocean retreats, polar bears have been forced into smaller habitats, which has brought them increasingly in contact with humans. This team came to Spitsbergen not only armed with guns, but also a safety system designed to give them an early warning if a bear should approach. At this time, it’s not known if that system went off, but no one noticed, or if it failed altogether.

Two of the survivors of the attack are said to be in serious condition in a university hospital in Tromso, Norway.

Brits behaving badly abroad

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Today the Foreign Office released British Behaviour Abroad 2011, with detailed figures on British nationals in trouble overseas (read: Brits behaving badly abroad). The period surveyed: April 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011.

There are lots of interesting tidbits in the survey. British nationals request consular assistance in greatest numbers in Spain and the United States, though since both of these countries are very popular destinations for people from the UK, this is perhaps not all that surprising.

The more interesting chart in the report is of which countries see the highest numbers of requests for consular assistance per visitor and resident abroad. The top five, in descending order: The Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Cyprus, and India. British nationals abroad are most likely to be arrested in Thailand, followed by the United States.

Another interesting detail: The Foreign Office claims that 43 percent of the 18-24 set know someone who has taken illegal drugs while abroad. Aggregate drug arrests are highest for British nationals abroad in Spain (171), the United States (100), Jamaica (63), Norway (55), and Thailand (51).

The good news is that the number of British nationals arrested is down, 10 percent overall and 20 percent for drug-related offenses.

The report also tabulates deaths, hospitalizations, rapes, and sexual assaults abroad. Each of these categories saw slight movement up or down in 2010-2011, with deaths, hospitalizations, and sexual assaults slightly up and rapes down.

[Image: Flickr | La Citta Vita]