Svalbard: dogsledding at Trappers’ Lodge

I am faced by a yard full of excited huskies. In fact, the word ‘excited’ doesn’t really do justice to their state of near-frenzied anticipation.

The venue is Svalbard, Norway’s Arctic archipelago that is around a 600-mile flight north of the city of Tromsø at a line of latitude of 78°North, and I am about to try my hand at dog-sledding through the polar winter.

It is just before 4pm and it is dark. In fact, it has been dark all day. Around midday the sky flirted with a slightly bluer shade of black, but I don’t think I would have even noticed if it hadn’t been pointed out to me.

A year at the Royal Hospital Chelsea

Prince Harry meets the veterans

Chelsea Pensioners are a feature of London. These smartly turned out gentlemen (and a few ladies, nowadays) in their red or blue jackets are as much an icon of the UK capital as the Palace of Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral or black taxis.

Until recently, photographer Patricia Rodwell was like almost every other Londoner – generally aware the Pensioners existed, but with no clear idea of their day-to-day lives.

A chance meeting with the governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, however, sparked her interest in the place and its residents. She resolved to use her camera to record the progress of a year at an institution that can trace its roots back to 1682 and the reign of King Charles II.

10 top European festivals for summer 2012

St Petersburg: home of the White Nights Festival

There is a huge variety of summer festivals in Europe this year. Here are 10 of the best. 

St Petersburg, Russia

White Nights Festival

11 June – 2 July

www.saint-petersburg.com

The world-famous festival owes its name to the light skies that characterise midsummer nights in the northern latitudes. 

Summer visitors to St Petersburg can experience a huge variety of cultural events; with opera, ballet and classical concerts much in evidence.