Jeff: Lofoten Part 1

So we got to Lofoten at 6am and we drove around somewhere to park up for a quick nap. We did struggle at first which was a bit scary as we have heard that Lofoten is full of motorhomes but once we turned around we found somewhere (before we got grouchy) parked up and jumped back into bed until 9.30 and then felt human again. We grabbed some breakfast and decided what to do with the day as it was lovely and sunny. We decided to head to a beach to start with which is supposed to be Caribbean looking and I can tell you it didn’t disappoint! The sea was a stunning blue against the white sand and with the sun shining it was the place to be! However the one BIG difference between this beach (Rambergstranda) and the Caribbean is the temperature of the water, it was freezing! Rich decided he wanted to get in quite early and I wasn’t ready so I let him while I chilled out with my book and then after about an hour I said I was ready but told Rich, much to his annoyance, that he had to come with me! So we had a lovely little swim then headed back to the van to warm up and have some food. We then headed north on the islands to a place that we planned to park up for the night, as we were slightly concerned about potential spaces with the number of motorhomes and then we got the bikes out and headed to the trail head for the walk to Kvalvika beach. We then started the walk which involved a fairly steep climb up and over 170 meter hill and then descended onto the beach. Now I may have, wrongly, told Rich this was an easy hike so we were both only wearing trainers rather than hiking shoes. The hike was no where near a hard hike but several parts of this hike were climbing up and down loose gravel sections or boulders so needed grippy shoes which Rich really didn’t have (mine were at least slightly better).

The walk took us just less than an hour each way and the beach was beautiful with the surrounding cliffs and with the crystal blue sea. As we reached the beach we spotted sheep who were having a nap on the sand, which was nice and warm underfoot, but they must have got a little hungry as they headed up the hills shortly after we arrived to eat some grass. We decided not to have a dip this time but did put our feet in and it was pretty much the same temperature as the beach we were at earlier in the day.

After spending a bit of time at the beach we hiked the route back and got on the bikes back to the van. There was some coming and going with other vans for awhile but in the end the spot was fairly quiet and there were only two of us in the area which has reassured us a little that while it has been really busy, its starting to calm down.

The next day we got up, had a run and then headed into Leknes to service the van and pick up some groceries before we did a hike up to Offersoykammen which involved a 436 meter climb and is again a moderate hike. It started off with a very steep climb to get going (so steep Rich and I decided we needed to find a different way down, as it didn’t look fun for the people we saw trying to get down it) and we reached the lake that is around 250 meters and all was going well. However as we continued up the clouds were coming in and the rain started but we continued on (I have to say this was probably my fault as well, we were almost there) and we finally made it to the top where we could see nothing. We soon turned around and started down the hill as fast as we could but it was no good, we were soaked and battered by the wind. We got to almost the lake level and it cleared up, although the wind was still blowing a gale. We continued down and managed to get to the bottom, via a slightly less steep trail and headed back to the van for hot showers.

Once we were showered and dressed we headed out for dinner! Yes we are actually going out for dinner in Norway. It’s a farm owned by a vegan and they have a weekly pizza night where a number of guests can attend and eat pizza for three hours. We got there first and settled in with our welcome drink and got chatting a little to the owner who was from Copenhagen with an Iranian/Russian heritage. Pretty soon other guests arrived and it turned out there were 22 of us from all over, although the majority were Norwegian (who spoke English).

Parsa (the owner) talked us through the evening which involved making 8 different types of pizzas (and then some extras with the remaining dough) and sharing them around the table. He made at least three of each pizza to ensure everyone got a slice but some pizzas he made more of, especially those that go down really well. First it was light one with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and oil which I have to say was one of my favourites as it was really light and fresh. He also added on a parmesan topping which he makes himself with different ingredients but includes brazil nuts and this is when we had an issue as one of the guests was allergic to brazil nuts but hadn’t told him. He quickly realised after eating a slice and asked what was in the topping and then explained he was allergic and asked if the owner had any antihistamine as he didn’t have any on him. Parsa didn’t have any and said he could call the local doctors and get an appointment set up but luckily (being the daughter of a nut allergy dad) I have learnt to carry a range of antihistamine and so Rich ran to the van to get the strong ones and we gave him one and he was fine for the rest of the evening (we also gave him some day time ones to carry with him for the rest of their trip). After all that excitement we went on to a marinara which he explained is what pizza makers make for other pizza makers as there is nothing to hide behind as it’s only a tomato sauce and garlic and basil. It was really nice. We continued on with other pizzas, including a mushroom one with tiny local pickled onions (I gave my mushrooms to Rich – which he later announced to the group that I hated mushrooms and bananas), one with beyond mince, jalapenos, kale and lemon -which doesn’t sound like it would work but it really did and was Rich’s favourite. Around half way we had an interlude where some of the guests, who knew the owner as they were local, gave us a rap (in Norwegian) about the economy which others found very funny. We did have some nature to contend with during the dinner as the wind was quite powerful and the gusts would threaten (and often did) take the plates (recycled fibre paper plates), cans and anything light off the table forcing people down the one end to try and catch them. Some people didn’t seem to learn though and it was often the same plates flying down the table. Rich and I added bottles to our plates and when the gusts where in full force we just held them for a second and managed to get through the night without losing our plates.

After that we continued with more pizzas including a raspberry one with basil which was great and totally different. We continued on for a couple of hours and eventually most people became full then it was time for a dessert of cloudberries (a favourite over here but they are little berries which are slightly sour) with some vegan cream/foam and fresh edible flowers followed by freshly picked camomile tea.

All in all it was a great evening with a completely hippie vibe – I should say Parsa did not wear shoes the whole time and was very passionate about everything – and we would do it again. It did cost us £55 each which before the evening we thought was a little expensive for pizza but afterwards we totally understood it and would recommend it for anyone coming over here. Plus most of the guests weren’t vegan so you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy it!

We camped at their farm (as did some of the other guest -who were in tents) but it the wind never died down so we were glad for the van as I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a tent!

The next morning we got up and it was a bit grey so we didn’t fancy a hike but we decided to go and check out the coast and hoped it would brighten up. we headed first to Hauklandstrada which was a lovely looking beach and we got out of the van to walk along it, when it started to tip it down so we jumped straight back in and had breakfast. Once we had finished it has stopped raining so we tried it again and this time it was dry so we headed out along the beach and dipped our toes in the water. We carried on and found a coastal trail which was flat so we decided to walk it, now we did get some looks as we had flipflops on our feet when other walkers were in hiking shoes but it was a lovely easy path and before we knew it we had walked about 3km so we decided to head back to the van before we pushed our luck with the weather. Once back at Jeff we headed off to the next beach, Unstad beach which is surfers paradise and watched a couple of surfers having a go. We watched for a little while and then headed to the surf shop who advertised the best cinnamon rolls in the world (and did a vegan one) and as they are my favourite I thought it was only right. We got there and got one (at £7.50 each we were sharing one!) and ate it in the garden, and I have to admit it was a good one. We then headed back to the van but on the way back we saw our worst nightmare. A couple had obviously tried to turn their van in a driveway and reversed out too far and reversed into a ditch with their front wheels only just on the road and the rest of the van at a 45 degree angle in the ditch. It was a rental van so at least it wasn’t their prized possession like Jeff is to us, but they were going to need something heavy to pull them out. We couldn’t help as have limited towing options and the angles to pull them were very difficult so they would need either a tractor or a recovery truck.

We headed off to our next destination which was Henningsvaer, well a car park outside the town for Jeff, while we cycled into the town. This involved crossing two bridges with large hills but we both managed it fairly easily. And we had an explore of the town with its quirky shops and old buildings before heading back to the van for dinner and an early night.

The next morning we walked to the trail head to climb Festvagtind which is a 540 meter climb to get stunning views over the town. Again this wasn’t an easy climb and the start is a lot of scrambling over large boulders before getting to loose gravel. At around 150 meters there was a lake and options to walk up other smaller peaks and once we had walked around this area to see what was nearby we continued up the hill. It was a continual climb of around 45% gradient with a mix of boulders to climb over and loose gravel but we made it up to the top and completed the last scramble to reach the pinnacle ( I didn’t stay there too long as it was windy and exposed/airy). We climbed down a little (also allowing others to go up there) had an orange then started on the climb back down. We had to take it slowly but we managed it faster than some of the other descents recently, partially helped as we bought our walking poles for the first time but also partially because we are getting the hang of these descents. The views from the top were great as you could see the network of bridges which linked the town to the mainland and also see the surrounding islands. Some of the areas looked like the Caribbean again and made you want to get in the sea.

Once we got back to the 150 meter level we decided to have a cool down in the lake and popped on our swimsuits and gently got in, we were the only ones brave/stupid enough to get in so we had the lake to ourselves (with others asking if it was cold – it was!). After a short swim we climbed to one of the smaller peaks to get some more views of the town before heading off to descend the last bit of the climb and head back to the van.

Once back in the van we had some food and headed off to Slovaer which is the largest town on the islands to have a little explore but also do some research about one trip we want to take. We headed to the tourist information and to some of the trip organisers but didn’t really get a full answer, before exploring the little island (linked by a bridge) off the town and popping to the supermarkets for some bits (given that tomorrow is Sunday meaning no supermarkets will be open). Afterwards we headed into the middle of the island where there were hiking trails and lakes to park up for the night in peace and quiet.

The next morning was the usual early morning run before we headed to an official and paid camper stop for the day and night because we have to clean the van and do lots of washing and have lovely long hot showers. We stayed there all day and managed to get it all done early before people arrived later in the day. We celebrated with a nice G&T in the evening (as we are at an official stop) overlooking the sea enjoying the beauty of the Lofoten isles.