Above the Arctic Circle and in the Midnight Sun

An hour's flight from Trondheim and already we could see from the air how stunning the Lofoten islands would be.   

We flew north and if you know Melbourne is at 38˚south, then Lofoten is 68˚north and is above the Arctic Circle (don’t get pedantic here GLS). However, it has a more temperate climate than the fjord area.  Its light for 24 hrs and now the sun has finally come out; it’s a permanent fixture in the sky.  Very strange and messes with your sleep pattern unless you have sleeping masks which we do.

We are staying in the small town of Kabelvåg at a summer hostel/hotel which is run as a school for 9 months of the year (for college aged kids who ‘study’ surfing, skiing).  Surprisingly, it’s proved to be a really comfortable spot to stay with a communal kitchen to cook dinner and they serve an excellent breakfast with smoked salmon, trout and other usual breakfast fare.  Here we’ve met other travellers of varying ages from Germany, Switzerland, France and Holland and it’s lovely to share our daily tales of each other’s feats or discoveries – language issue provide hilarious moments.  

Kabelvag

Kabelvag Cathedral.  Cathedral???

Lofoten is a group of islands connected by bridge or tunnel. It’s remote with craggy mountains everywhere.  It’s full of quaint fishing villages and even has a 24 hour golf course but here, the scenery dominates everything.

Hurtigruten coastal ferry - Norwegian icon

Golf course at Hov

However, it has been over-run by the grey armies of Europe and Scandinavia, mostly travelling in large motor homes that dominate the narrow roads and creep over the centre line causing gasps of horror, mostly from me.  Mark prefers facing trucks and buses – they’re better drivers.  These homes have everything – bikes, kayaks and even a dog or two.

We’ve spent two days driving through the hamlets and one day, hiking a nearby peak. 

Heningsvaer

Surf's up at Unstad - it was but waves were tiny today

We picked a perfect day for the hike - a cool breeze and sunny skies.  The deal was that this was the sort of 'walk' suitable for children, 3km each way and up 380m – we’d done a harder walk in Balestrand.  Ha! The brochures lied. 

Mark & I walked through spongy undergrowth, mud, rocks & dirt tracks before we reached the ascent. We saw no others, just their footprints.   Once we started going up, the path quickly changed to rock hopping.  Even the goats gave up the goat.  We passed a small number of folk (mostly German) but hey, where were the kids they promised (? ! !)

Do we have to keep going?

It appeared we had taken the very steep route.  Again, Mark promised me cappuccinos and, would I like fries with that!!!!   We reached the top after about 2 hours walking and the 360˚ views were stunning. Once again thanks Kitty for loaning us the walking poles.

Svolvaer is below us

The views were worth the climb

I could see the easier path down the other side and after a bite of lunch some oohs & aahs, we took this gentler path.  There were some kids taking this rocky path but they were speedy and quickly left us behind, despite the risk of toppling.  My knees we beginning to ache but I had little choice but to walk on for the next hour. 

We were up there!!!

When we finally reached the main road neither of us was too pleased to realise it would be another 4km to walk home.  What to do?  It was a Sunday, no sign of a bus.  So we decided after much procrastination, to hitch a ride whereby, who should pick us up but the young cook from our ‘hostel’.  We’d actually spotted a few hitch hikers and decided that it was good practice to pick them up in the future – so if you hear of 2 Australians missing ‘on tour’ that’d be us.  Magnesium was on the dinner menu to cure the cramps.

On our many drives around Norway you can’t help but wonder about the effect of almost 24 hours of daylight and huge amounts of sunlight on the vegetation.  The profuse flowering at this time of year is beautiful to say the least and even the weeds look luscious and dare I say, pretty.  You can see the locals out whipper snipping and mowing often but usually on a ‘ride on’ mower.  Tulips do wonderfully in this climate with cold winds and sunny days.  

Lofoten is famous for cod fish, cod liver oil made popular in the 50’s/60’s for health benefits and mackerel.   Just about any town you drive to has racks of fish drying in the sun – up close they are smelly, ugly and scary looking things with little sharp teeth.  Some is exported to Africa as a delicacy but Mark suggested they use them for ‘voodoo’ ceremonies (I’m not gullible). 

Drying cod on huge racks

Today we drove to the end of the islands of Lofoten, to a town named Å (pron O), stopping at every turn for photo opportunities at Reine, Nusfjord and Ramberg (white beaches).  The 2 hour journey took considerably longer but this didn’t matter, we had our lunch with us and could stop just about anywhere and it was a photographer’s paradise.

Fishing cottages at Reine - expensive accommodation

White beach at Ramberg

At Å

The town’s bakery is famous for its cinnamon buns and this is where we once again, bumped into a couple who are following us all around Norway – they’ve stayed in 4 or 5 hotels we have frequented.  They were American and not ASIO agents. 

We tried to catch the midnight sun but fate was against us.  The perfect day we were too tired after our hike and the next “night” we had minor car trouble and didn’t want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flight to catch the next day.  The car turned out to be a switch malfunction.  Nevertheless, the sky was bright and coloured to an impressionist’s palette.

The Lofotens have been a highlight with a little hard work to reach them, but it has been worthwhile.

Cafe by the water, Svolvaer

Now to Oslo, where I will be formally presented with my senior’s card in the hall where they hand out the Peace Prize – rather have the latter.