When I said that Norway is nature’s paradise, I meant it. 😉 This entry is part 1 of my experience in Lofoten Islands in the Nordland region two summers ago. Lofoten is an archipelago famous for its majestic fjords, picturesque scenery, dramatic mountains and peaks and rich wildlife. It lies in the Arctic Circle, making the northern lights possibly visible in winter and the midnight sun up in summer.
Norwegians are pretty laid back during holidays. They wake up later than normal, which doesn’t apply to me because of my body clock. Breakfast usually involves brown and white bread and pålegg, ie, ham, different types of cheese, jam, berries, boiled eggs, etc. After having a nice breakfast, we headed on to the boat for a couple of days’ boating and sightseeing. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, so I just tagged along excited and enthusiastic. I have read about Lofoten in magazines, especially on the plane, but I really had no idea if it would be comparable to my beloved Philippine islands.
The first few hours of boating was amazing! I saw ice-topped mountains with such amazing shapes. It was summer but the breeze felt cold yet very refreshing.
So, we’ve discussed in my Norwegian trinn 3 class the importance of extending economic prosperity to the countryside. Inspired by the Swedes, the Norwegians has been making lots of effort to build good public tranportation from the cities to the countryside, so as to prevent people from leaving their livelihood and to make the rural areas attractive to live in. A good example would be this bridge connecting two islands in the Lofoten archipelago.
I failed to get the name of the small Norwegian village where we stopped by for some toilet break. I did take some photos though, and I remember us having some ice cream there as well before hopping on the boat again.
We had lunch pretty late that day, but it was fine as we had a really delicious meal. We docked on Austvågøya island, to a nice fishing village called Svolvær. The town of Svolvær is the administrative center of the Vågan municipality in Lofoten. It is 2.33 km2 in size and economically dependent on Northern Atlantic cod fisheries, fish farming of salmon, construction of water transport infrastructure, and power plants.
We looked but failed to find an accommodation in Svolvær. Everything was sold out! So we hopped on the boat again and after 30 minutes, reached Sandvika Camping. It’s a beautiful, beautiful place – an ideally perfect travel destination and camping site! It offers great views of the Vestfjord and the mountains surrounding it. It has apartments and cabins, most of which have a toilet and kitchen and free WIFI. Fishing equipment can be rented or purchased there as well, and according to its webpage, museums, aquariums and galleries are located within a 2 km radius. We were 6 adults and 2 children, so we stayed in an apartment. I also saw many campingvogns and bobiler. Visit here to see the rates.
As it was summer, the sun almost never sets. So late at night, I decided to sneak out and do some hiking. There was a cliff behind the apartment, and so, up I went. I’d never regret that! I felt free and excited and amazed and inspired seeing God’s creation in front of me! It was like being in a Land Before Time movie. 😉
It was just a little bit sad because I did not have anyone to share that moment with. I felt super free and independent though. 😉 But now, things will be more interesting as I have my husband to share my travels with. ❤ Up next, the continuation of my Lofoten experience. 😉 Cheers to nature’s paradise!
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