Monthly Archives: July 2016

#lofoten2016 – Sweden

After the Whale Safari in Andenes we start the road back to Bergen. The Whale Safari was a nice experience, but because I am only the amateur photographer with experience in landscape photography, the picture I taken are not good at all. So sorry.

30 kilometers before Narvik start the road to Sweden and in the last moment we decide to drive through this country. It is always nice to get the new experience and see something different. It was a little bored driving along Lapland and Laponia. Straight roads without speed limit, forest on both sides and nothing else. We passed Kiruna in the night time and we take direction to south. Still the same kind of landscape. This is the post glacier landscape with millions of lakes, small lakes, smaller lakes and puddles and this is the biggest problem. When we try to stop, take the break and cook something, in the same moment attacked us a legions of mosquito. We escape to car and drive away. Massacre. This is big and wild area, nice for fishing and other water sports. Green and quiet. But only for those who know how to defend against the mosquitoes. Later between the cities Jokkmokk and Arvidsjaur we met hundreds reindeer’s on the road. Walking through the road, along the road and around. So close to us. And it was so beauty. The locals are so angry when tourist like we, stop and watch the animals. For them it is normal view. Later around coming more civilization, more small and bigger villages and cities. Ostersund was the biggest. From there we take direction to back to Trondheim. Our journey approached to the end.

Below some pictures from the road through Sweden.

Beauty Raindeer`s everywhere through the road.

Arvidsjaur, small nice city. Raindeer`s and moos wooden sculptures.

Polar Circle again, now in Sweden

Ostersund, beautiful weather at the end of our journey.

#lofoten2016 – Andenes

We drove through almost whole Lofoten islands. We drove fast and some places I saw only from the car windows, in some other we stop for short brake. It looks small on the map, but it is a long distance. From the Lofoten Cathedral to Andenes is approximately  300 kilometers. We traveled this distance in evening and in arctic summer night, Beautiful experience. Like you may see on pictures, even in bad and cloudy weather is still bright. Enough light to take a nice pictures. The distance was so long because we choose to drove through the old road on the west side on island Andøya. The new road on the east seaside is new but it is not so beauty. Through the road we pass some interesting places. Some military areas and in the village Bleik we pass the place I have to visit next time. This is the Spaceship Aurora. Tourist friendly place to take a virtual journey to the space and watch how the Northern Lights born. Deep in the night we rich Andenes. Time to sleep and waiting for tomorrows Whale Safari

I am so sorry for the next break with my blogging. The last two days it was a journey to Preikestolen. Have a nice evening

#lofoten2016 – Lofoten Cathedral

Lofotkatedralen, the present church was built in 1898. It is located in the village Kabelvåg, close to the main road, and it is no way to miss it when drive. Nice presented on the small hill. Beautiful constructed. When we were driving through it was already closed. Here is a few pictures from outside. I hope You will like it.

The last two days break in my blogging, it was because I spent this days on Geiranger fjord. When I finish presenting the Lofoten tour, I will present the rest of my vacation tours. Tomorrow morning I start the next one, three days long journey to Preikestolen.

#lofoten2016 – Eggum

Only one moment from the whole days to see how Lofoten looks like in the clear sunny day. Amazingly beautiful. The good weather is coming only for the moments. We had it in Eggum. Nice place, far from the main road. Not many people around us. Good sunny time. In Eggum we found the space. Long, long stone beach to walk through. Natural stone sculpture park and the mountains around. Beautiful place I may recommend to everyone to visit. Small parking on the ground road, silence around. Probably the most know view from Eggum including the stone rotunda. It name is Borga. This is probably some historical building, but I can not find any information about it. Some pictures are taken inside or from inside Borga. Enjoy the view and the nice weather. Next step to the island Andøya.

Lofotr Viking Museum  – #lofoten2016

In the village Borg on Lofoten is located Lofotr Viking Museum. The place where You may find reconstructed the Viking`s long house. Nice done museum with lot of attractions, including actors witch present the viking era craft. The Long house was including all everything was needed to live, especially to live in Arctic, where the winter night is so long and cold. Divided for a special places. Of course kitchen and dining part. The sleeping area. Place to perform every things needed to live and defense, warehouses for herbs, fishes, meat and all the rest. It is nice to see this logical construction. It was reconstruct from the long house discovered here from the years 500  to 950. Before visiting the long house, you may used the movie about the Viking era, but it is available only in 5 languages. After, when you take a walk approximately 1500 meters, you will see some additional attractions. Some experience at throwing ax or/and archery. And at the end some running on the Viking boat, of course you are like the oarsman’s. This is the place You have to visit necessarily. Lofotr Viking Museum

Below is some shots from it. The inside long house shots are made with the flash and looks not so perfect.

#lofoten2016 – Shots from road

After visit some places in the most known Lofoten area, we are driving to Andenes. Through many other places with so nice views around. This is the place where if you turn around, everywhere is something interesting to watch and take some pictures. I am not sure for many locations than I named it shots from road. The next step, and tomorrow post will be from the Lofoten Viking Museum. But today, I think the second picture is interesting. The third one present the road E10 prevented from falling stones. It looks nice too. I hope You enjoy all the pictures. Have a nice evening.

#lofoten2016 – Sakrisøya

So close to Reine, along the road E10, just before Hamnøy is very small islad named Sakrisøya. And this is the most authentic place in the most visited part of Lofoten. Nothing to say, just few houses on the right side and the local food store with little restaurant on the left side. Most of people passing away this place on his road to Reine or back. Because I am photographer, only amateur, and I see, we stop here. The first strong coffee, and some shopping.The owner or owners, they care about this place, is still looking like the fisherman`s small settlement. Not village just settlement. Almost all buildings in the dark orange color. And of course the mountains around. Take a look on the map, and of course on my pictures. Sakrisøya.

#lofoten2016 – Reine. Our next step.

So, this is beautiful place, but…. I think this is the most killed by touristic place. The whole Reine it is just the houses to rent for tourists, little food shop, two petrol station and at the end close to the pier big parking for Campers. The houses looks nice, renewed, painted in red, but the rest it is just disaster. The biggest disaster is the camper parking. Long time ago someone wanted to make this place nice, now, everywhere around laying some parts of everything. Cables, wood, stones, steel rods. And of course thousands of people. Some of them coming for a while, to take a photo or selfie in the most known place in Lofoten. Some walking round looking for the rest of authentic fisherman village, all the rest spend the time in fast food. This is Lofoten and Reine today. I love Northern Norway after this visit, I will be back here many times, but probably I will never visit again this place. Maybe I will climb the mountains around. This seems to be a nice adventure. Like I wrote it yesterday, I vote for the option to limit the touristic. This is me….

Below is the few pictures from Reine, enjoy it…

Maybe You are agree with what I think, maybe not? will be nice if You write Your own opinion in the comment below.

#lofoten2016 – Å i Lofoten

At the end after long road, now I will present places I visit on Lofoten. At the first time Å i Lofoten. We enjoy this place in evening. This is the end of all roads. After short tunnel is the parking, at most occupied by campers. From whole Europe. From Germany and Netherlands to even some from Russia. Nice international company. Our mini camper Nissan NV200 is small and easy to find place for it. After some supper, the firs walk through the small village. Å i Lofoten, like the other places in Lofoten, was the small fisherman village. And it was a nice. Now, all the nice small fisherman houses around harbor is a rental houses for tourists. They are everywhere. and it is not quiet place. It is a two different ways to understand this. Some are so glad and satisfied, because tourists means the money, the others think how to stop the mass touristic, because it kills the nature and natural beauty. I am in the second option.

This some shots from Å i Lofoten

#lofoten2016 – Fourth day

Yesterday afternoon after Bodø weather change. Now is cloudy, wet and colder. The mountains looks beautiful and mysterious. This is the view I love a lot.

Quickly after morning coffee we reach Narvik. Because the weather, I plan to visit this city later in the back road. But because the II World War memorial was so close to our road we visit it just for a moment. It was important battle, I wanted to see the Memorial. There few other places around Narvik with the Memorials, but this is the most visited and important.

Quotation from my best lyric author. Derek William Dick – FISH:

“On the news a nation mourns you unknown soldier, count the cost
For a second you’ll be famous but labeled posthumous
Forgotten sons, forgotten sons”

And so, after Narvik is straight road to Lofoten. This day journey to the end of the road in Å, was just to watch for the possibilities and interesting places to visit tomorrow. We are a little tired after four day in the car and we need some quiet place and moments. On the picture is like we meet the Lofoten on the first day. #lofoten2016 – Fourth day

I am so glad You are still with me, Please place some comment below. how you like it. #lofoten2016 – Fourth day