11 Sep 2012 – Goodbye Lofoten

Fri: starting from Mortsund, heading to E10 towards Svolvær side-tracking via Utakleiv/Hauklandstrand and Unstad where we had a picnic lunch by a charming tiny white chapel on the outside but actually a shed inside!

Svolvær pop 4,185 is located on the island of Austvågøya. Other than the massive fishing industry, tourism is becoming increasingly important. Sheltered by the mountains to the north and west, the Svolvær area has less fog and experiences somewhat higher daytime temperatures in summer than the western part of Lofoten, but the same mountains also create more orographic precipitation on rainy days.

Storvågan in Kabelvåg is the Lofoten Museum (an excellent museum) where you will find fishermen’s shacks, mountains, ocean,  weather – and really old history. When walking along the shacks of Nyvågar, you’re virtually passing along paths of some 6000 years of mankind and sea history. 

http://www.lofoten.info/article.php?id=385

Great to meet up with Dag Kajander after 30yrs. He is quite a local celebrity producing his own CD and writing children’s book, Cod & Tod.

Boarded Hurtigruten 1700hrs and sailing off 2000hrs towards the south; docking at Stamsund and Bodø, Took a seasick tablet after the Haddock dinner and did not feel anything crossing from Samsund to Bodø…

Sat: after the Arctic Circle, Ørnes, Nesna, got off at Sandnessjøen for a walk and hot dog, Brønnøysund/cold & wet and everything was closed. KK got off at Rørvik but we stayed on board.

Sun: arr 0630hrs bright and early in Trondheim. After full breakfast on board, then headed to Nidarosdomen and a short walk about in town. Nice to catch up with Anne for 20mins with tea on board and KK nearly missed the boat!! The sailing continued docking at Kristiansund where we got off to join a bus tour driving  on the 5.6km water tunnel with the deepest at 250m connecting to Averøy

A wonderful stave church, Kvernes Stavkirke/1300s. Yummy Bacalo/klippfish at Bjartmars Favorittkro*** and drive on the 8km + 8 bridges Atlanterhavsvegen to Molde to catch the Hurtigruten.

Mon: Ålesund, Torvik, Måloy, Flore and finally arriving into rainy Bergen 1430hrs…

Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them – William A Ward