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Norway 2007: The Islands - Vesterålen and Lofoten |
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Saturday 9th June: Brustranda - Moskenes - Bodø (80 km) |
Northern Norway lies above the Arctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle is defined as the lowest latitude at which the sun is above the horizon at midnight on the Summer solstice (the longest day of the year).
The further north you go, the more days in the year with midnight sun.
At Svolvær, in Lofoten, the sun does not set between 28th May and 14th July.
Further north at Nordkapp the sun does not set between 13th May and 29th July.
The best light for landscape photography is at dawn and at dusk.
Most tourists (ourselves included) visit Lofoten at the time of year when there is no dawn or dusk.
Does this matter? The scenery is so good that this is 'point and click' photography. You point the camera anywhere, click the shutter and you have a great picture.
Early morning on the east side of Vestvagøy
Early morning on the east side of Vestvagøy, heading towards Leknes
On the island of Flakstadøy the clouds break up to reveal amazing mountains
A small cyclist in a grand landscape on Flakstadøy
Sheep graze peacefully in front of the church at Flakstad
The village of Reine is considered to be the most scenic place in Norway
The village of Reine is mostly built on small islands
Fish drying racks at Reine
There is no spare space on the vehicle deck of the Moskenes - Bodø ferry
Looking back at Moskenes from the ferry to Bodø
Arriving in Bodø after a four hour crossing from Moskenes
Karen's diary:
It was a pity, as always, to leave our comfy cabin but fine weather beckoned. It was only 8 degrees outside so we dressed warmly - only to peel the layers off again when the sun hit us. Soon we had to leave the beautiful, quiet minor road and rejoin the main road at Leknes. From there it's not far to the end of Vestvagøy, where it is necessary to ride through an undersea tunnel to the second-last island, Flakstadøy. The tunnel is 1800m long, and steep (fast down, slow up) but there was almost no traffic.
This island is a beauty. The road twisted and turned; sometimes we had a fierce headwind, sometimes a tailwind. We rode around bays and fjords, across high, windy bridges, and each view was more beautiful than the last. We were surprised by white, sandy beaches and turquoise water. I'm not surprised that Lofoten is so famous. We visited the lovely village of Ramberg and then crossed another bridge to the last island, Moskenesøy. We rode through the magnificent town of Reine, where we marvelled at the sheer, stony peaks that pointed like spearheads into the sky. Too soon, we arrived at the ferry terminal at Moskenes, where we had plenty of time for lunch. It took a long time to pack all the vehicles onto the ferry.
There were so many motorbikes, we could hardly find room for our bikes and by the time the cars, buses and campervans came on there wasn't room to move. The ferry-crossing back to the mainland took over three hours - flat calm the whole way. It was sunny but surprisingly chilly on the deck. The final stage into Bodø was interesting - the huge boat has to find a passage between many islands, and the mainland is very mountainous. We did not explore the city but went straight to the campground, an easy ride on bike-paths. Our cabin is rather rustic but quite cheap - I think it's the last one left.