Daily life is cadenced by the polar night and the midnight sun. Life 1,000 kilometres from the North Pole would be impossible without the spectacular resources its inhabitants have access to. Its coal mine has been the boon Longyearbyen needed to obtain all the modern comforts while facing the harsh conditions in the Arctic. Welcomed by a family that has been living in Svalbard for three years, Alexandra Alévêque spent a little over two weeks discovering a daily life where wonderment constantly competes with astonishment. She starts her stay with the obligatory passage for all the city's residents: a training session on how to handle a rifle. Indeed, when venturing into the sublime landscapes of Svalbard, you are always chancing an encounter with the lord of the pack ice, the elusive and very dangerous polar bear.