Michel Rocard, Ambassadeur des pôles

April 16 – On our way back from Barneo, meeting a few friends at Longyearbyen airport, waiting for their turn to go to the North Pole (they will take the same Antonov plane we landed with): Michel Rocard, ex-Prime Minister of France and now Ambassador for the Poles (he was signatory of the Antarctic Treaty and is a key player in the protection of the Arctic), Laurent Mayet (his advisor), both invited to the North Pole by the Russians. Also got a chance to chat with Jean-Bernard Schmidt (fellow venture capitalist and adventurer - at right on photo), who could not be part of our earlier expedition but will now join Ben, our guide extraordinaire, in Barneo for his own turn at reaching the pole (with friend Patrick de Giovanni).