Good morning sunshine!

When we woke up this morning a blue sky and bright sunshine were waiting for us. What a day!!!

Our first landing took place at the Ukrainian station Vernadsky, formerly British and called “Faraday” then. We were allowed to have a look around the inside and outside of the base and saw the different research offices, the radio station, the hospital and the fitness room. Many passengers said: “oh – here I also would like to stay for some time”. But certainly it was not because the fitness room is so well equipped but most surely because of the wonderful bar that we found upstairs! Nicely decorated with bras of different sizes (we wonder who the owner of the XXXXXXXXL one was!) and with an apparently never ending stock of delicious self-made vodka, it seems indeed the place to be in winter time!



In the afternoon, we went ashore on another great landing site: Petermann Island. Surrounded by fantastic scenery, we once more could entertain ourselves with observing penguin behavior. Many fluffy gentoo chicks were around and also some blue-eyed cormorants, young ones and adults. On the other side of the island the view to the iceberg alley was stunning.

With this photo we greet the Indian Hill Elementary School in Cincinatti doing a project on Antarctica!

But the day was not over yet: in the evening FRAM passed the Lemaire channel again – this time in beautiful light and nice weather conditions!

And now, before we definitely can go to bed, there is the famous ice and fruit carving happening in the Observation Lounge. Our very talented crew shows to the speechless audience how they make the most amazing figures out of a block of ice or with a couple of fruits and vegetables.