Official Visit to Svalbard
 

Yesterday the King was on a private visit to Tromsø, after he had a better dinner he decided to walk back to the hotel, he was accompanied by the (republican) mayor of Tromsø and the former minister of fish as well as the head of the Police in Tromsø

Pic and article, he looks in great shape, and in the background you can see his AFAIK only female aide de campe
http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/t...nmark/1.436946

The King and Queen today starts a two day official visit to svalbard to open a research park and take part in Svalbards 100 anniversary, here is the program

26.4 Official visit to SVALBARD DAY 1
11.00 Arrival at Svalbard airport –Longyear
12.30 Lunch with Sysselmannen
14.40 Visit to Longyearbyen School
15.30 Opening of Svalbard Research Park
20.00 Dinner in Svalbard Research Park

27.4 SVALBARD DAY 2
10.00 The King and Queen visit Kongsberg Satellite Services AS – Svalbard
11.00 Walking tough the streets of Longyear-town
11.15 Memorial and the mining monument
13.00 Lonqyear-town local government gives a lunch – Spitsbergen Hotel
15.40 Press Meeting
16.25 “Folkefest”
19.00 Departs from Svalbard Airport – Longyear

Acording to NRK news, Queen Sonja rrived already before the weekend and has been on private vacation, theKing arrived by place today
http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/ko...cle1294409.ece

Here is the wikipedia page on Svalbard to read more on this beautiful Island and the most Nothern city Longyearbyen (Long Year City)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard

Celebration underway

King Harald and Queen Sonja were in Longyearbyen on Wednesday to help the capital of Svalbard kick off its centennial celebrations.
The children of Longyearbyen's day care center welcomed their royal guests with flowers, flag-waving and song when the Norwegian monarchy arrived at the Governor's Square in unusually mild weather.................
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/lo...cle1294540.ece

Photos from Aftenposten of the new research park and and the university centre
http://img275.imageshack.us/img275/3...393185h0pr.jpg
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7...187h1ja.th.jpg

More from Svalbard, on her private visit Queen Sonja has been dog sleighing and wandering in closed mines, according to herself she was crawling on her knees, pretty sporty for someone who is soon 70. Sha said she wanted to return as soon as possible
aftenposten.no