Evening in Lofoten

Day 9: Lofoten

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Early in the evening, we made a brief stop in Svolvaer. This picturesque harbor overlooks the Vestfjord. Our one hour stop gave us just enough time to walk around his fishing village before returning for dinner.

Svolvær

One of the world's largest seasonal fisheries takes place in Lofoten. From mid-February until the end of April, Lofoten is full of life. The Arctic cod migrates from the vast, nutritious areas of the Barents Sea in its millions, en route to the spawning grounds near Lofoten to continue the species.

Arctic Cod

Hurtigruten's Classic Coastal Norway Voyage offers the opportunity to taste regional food each day of the trip.   Today's menu included locally caught arctic cod.  There's nothing like fresh fish caught that same day and prepared for dinner.

Svolvær is not just a center for fishing. In the winter streets are full of skiers on their way to the winter sports center, as well as artists who flock here for the local scenery, the colourful street life and, perhaps more than anything else, the light. Lofoten’s outstanding nature has inspired and attracted artists for years, leaving Vågan with the highest number of established artists and one of Northern Norway’s most important art communities, with galleries and museums almost everywhere you walk.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Svolvaer
Norway's Coastal Kitchen





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Coming to America

America in Images

As the 4th of July holiday approached, we scanned through our photo archives for a few fitting memories from past trips.

These images were captured during one of our cruises out of New York.   Just imagine what the immigrants who were coming to America thought as they saw Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. 

Statue of Liberty

On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated.  It was later designated as a National Monument in 1924, restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986, and in 2011, underwent a renovation of the 125 year old pedestal and the 200 year old fort base from which the statue rises.

A gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States... The Statue of Liberty is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

 Sailing in or out of NY Harbor is something you should put on your bucket list if you haven't already done so.  Some cruises that you could select include trans-Atlantic voyages, Bermuda, and Canada / New England itineraries.

What Images of America come to your mind?

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday for #FriFotos and on Wednesday for #FoodTravelChat!   For some thoughts on the 4th of July, see our previous blog post:

Land of the Free Because of the Brave

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Taste of Vesteralen

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Just north of the Lofoten Islands and the Arctic Circle, the archipelago of Vesterålen reaches out westwards from mainland Norway and into the Atlantic Ocean. Since our ship was Hurtigruten MS Vesteralen, we had to sign up for this optional excursion.

Harstad - Trondenes Chruch 

Our tour started with a short sightseeing jaunt through the streets of Harstad before traveling by bus to the Trondenes peninsula. The first stop was at Trondenes Church, a white medieval church, one of North Norway's premier cultural heritage sites from the late Middle Ages.


Trondenes Historical Center


Set in historical surroundings on the Trondenes peninsula, just outside Harstad center, is the Trondenes Historical Center.

After visiting the interior of the Trondenes Church we walked along the pathway to the center building. The sun glistened on the water and snow making for some great photo opportunities.

Once inside the building, we visited an exciting exhibition complete with sounds, smells, and original objects from the region throughout history from the Viking and Middle Ages through today.

Hinnøya Island & Crossing Gullesfjord by Ferry

Our bus tour continued across Hinnøya Island, where we viewed beautiful fjords, steep mountains, and large fertile agricultural fields. We continued through the winding roads until coming to the ferry boarding location.

Our bus pulled onto the ferry, we unloaded, and went upstairs to a cafe where we enjoyed a hot drink and some freshly baked cakest.  It took about 30 minutes to cross the Gullesfjord by ferry, and then we drove off to continue our tour.

Sigerfjord to Sortland 

The tour then continued along the Sigerfjord to Sortland. We stopped at a scenic overlook and then proceeded through the region, where we rejoined the ship. This was a very enjoyable excursion.

For those that opt to stay onboard the ship instead of touring, the island groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen offer some of the most stunning scenery you see during the entire coastal cruise. The Lofoten region is renowned for its natural beauty with steep mountains, wild nature, and small, picturesque fishing villages. The daylight sailing route through the Lofoten Islands is a highlight for many of Hurtigruten's guests.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Harstad
Trondenes Church
Trondenes Historical Center
Hinnøya Island
Gullesfjord by Ferry
Sigerfjord to Sortland





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Trollfjorden and Raftsundet

Beware of Trolls!!

After rejoining our ship following the Taste of Vesteralen tour, we sailed through narrow fjords of the Lofoten region.

Sailing though Trollfjorden,  we were so close that we could almost reach out and touch the mountainsides as our ship sailed past. If you follow in our footsteps, be careful: Don’t wake the trolls!

On deck we admired peaks such as Trolltindan (3,428 feet above sea level) on one side and Blåfjellet (3,274 feet above sea level) on the other, while the captain calmly maneuvered the ship into the 328-feet-wide mouth of the fjord and turned around a few miles farther in.

All the while, we were hoping that the old Norwegian tale still holds true: That the trolls won’t wake for a thousand years, by which time our ship will have since sailed away.

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Trollfjorden carves inwards to Austvågøy from the west side of the 15-mile long Raftsundet, a very narrow sound between Austvågøy and Hinnøya. Here, Hurtigruten sails between the ports of call of Svolvær and Stokmarknes.

Additional photos can be found on our Norway Shutterfly page

Raftsundet & TrollFjord





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