Norway

We went to Svalbard to watch the total eclipse of the sun. The atmosphere was as clear as you would want it to be, but the weather was cold!  It was  minus twenty degrees Celsius, and even with hats, gloves, scarves, long underwear, etc., it was still cold. However, seeing the eclipse was great.

I experienced a new adventure with my shunt and hydrocephalus after staying in the Snow Hotel in Kirkness.  The Snow Hotel is basically an igloo, you sleep in an enormous cotton pillow case inside a military grade thermal sleeping bag on top a block of ice, inside your ice room.  When I awoke the next morning, I felt very dizzy.  I wondered if the below freezing temperatures had somehow changed or froze the settings of my adjustable shunt.  After gathering up our sleeping gear we went to the breakfast room which was at regular temperature.  Once I had been there for a while (less than 15 minutes) the dizziness dissipated.  It was very strange.  I haven't yet found any professional literature on adjustable shunts being at below freezing temperatures for extended periods of time, and the effect it may have on them.