A lot of time was spent doing research during those summer months in Ny Ålesund. But there was also time for other things of course. There was a gym, a sauna, the option to watch videos (yes, this was before Netflix…) and a network of huts in the fjord that you could book for the weekend. But the most important place was this red building with veranda: Mellagret, the bar. Open only twice a week in the evening, but then the parties were great.

It was an exceptional place, a bar in a small community where most people know each other. This gives the place an atmosphere different from most pubs. Only one rule: what happens in Mellagret, stays in Mellagret. So no photos from the inside…