The Lofoten Islands

We stayed in Andenes for three days, mostly to wait out some rainy weather. We were hoping for some sun as we traveled the Lofoten Islands.

Here is the route we covered for this blog post. Except at the tippy top we were on the west coast instead of the east. Google Maps would not cooperate.
Some campgrounds just let you park wherever you want, but in Norway there is a three-meter rule between rigs.
Of course, if you can park just anywhere, you can park right in front of everyone if you want and block their view. This irritated me, but I got over it. 🙂
Norway has some very dramatic skies, especially around sunset near the water or the mountains. The clouds eventually obscured our view of the midnight sun but this shot was taken around 11pm.

As it turned out, we didn’t get nearly as much rain as we anticipated, so we were able to get in a bit of shopping and a bike ride to Bleik, a beautiful little village with some awesome boondocking opportunities. I also got completely caught up on laundry, which makes me happy.

Many of the rest stops have artwork and architectural details. Steven took advantage of this platform to do, um, I’m not exactly sure what he’s doing.
Norway has a billion tunnels, but this is the only one we rode our bikes through. In some, bikes are not allowed, but in others, bikers have to push a button before they enter to let oncoming traffic know they are in there. I think it would be creepy to be in a really long one.
As in Ireland, we had to be mindful of free-ranging sheep in the road. We did come upon one poor guy who didn’t get out of the way of a truck in time. The truck driver was pretty shook up. Sad. These guys, however, decided to have a day at the beach.
Steven can’t resist chasing after the sheep. I think it’s the Irish in him. That pointy island out there is where all the puffins hang out.
This was one of the best boondocking sites we found (we did not stay here). The road to reach it was a little iffy but if you could get there and find a spot, it was fantastic. Just offshore is Puffin Island and there are trips out there to see the birds.

When we left Andenes, we drove the tourist route on the west coast of Andoya and turned south to make our way to Norway’s most famous islands, the Lofotens. We stopped at a little marina for an overnight only to find out the place takes either cash or VIPPS. We had none of the former and the latter is only for people with a bank account in Norway. Until now, we had not needed any cash in Norway as it is mostly a cashless society. That is super convenient, until it’s not. We scratched our heads and gnashed our teeth until finally our neighbor suggested we go buy something at the little store at the gas station up the road and try to get some cashback. That’s what we ended up doing, so it all worked out in the end.

There’s always a rainbow somewhere on the fjord!
Colorful Norwegian money, called NOK, for Norwegian Kroner. 150 NOK is about 15 euros.

We took a little detour to visit the city of Harstad primarily to fill our propane tanks. We hadn’t used much, but we figured it would be prudent to get some while we could. We moved on to an overnight stay at a little hotel/camping place. It had a lovely view but was otherwise nondescript. That’s the thing about Norway, the Norwegian ‘allemannsretten’ (pronounced ALL-eh-mahns-ret-en) gives people the freedom to roam in nature, which pretty much guarantees you can park up just about anywhere and have a gorgeous view. On the one hand this makes boondocking so easy, on the other, it makes it so hard to choose! We would come across what in anyone’s mind is a gorgeous spot, and we’re like, meh, let’s move on and see if we can find something better. How spoiled are we?!!

This is the little hotel with camping in front. On this dreary day, we decided this would be a fabulous place to shoot a horror film. Not that it was horrible, but it would be easy to portray that vibe with those big houses and cloudy skies.

Norway may have endless places to overnight, but one place they would like you not to stay is at the rest stops. But they kind of overlook it if you do, especially in really popular spots where parking is limited. We stayed overnight at a rest stop that has one of those self-cleaning toilet cassette machines. I videoed Steven putting our cassette through the cycle, which was interesting. These machines can be found in various places around Norway and are mostly free, or are a nominal cost. And they only work on Thetford cassettes, so if you don’t have one of those, you’re sh*t out of luck, so to speak. There are a couple of horror stories about folks pulling their cassettes out of the machine full to the brim with, idk what, but probably water-ish. Ours was pretty clean with no effort on our part, and by “our” I mean Steven’s.

I read an article a while back on things you should and shouldn’t do in your relationship. This guy wrote that keeping your bathroom habits to yourself was a good idea. Which is probably fine and dandy in the real world, but in ours, that ship sailed a long time ago. Anyone who lives in a motorhome will know what I mean.

Pretty nice view for an overnight and a toilet cassette clean, right? We were kind of giddy at having our cassette cleaned.

As we reached the Lofoten Islands, our planning had paid off. We parked up in a lot near Henningsvær in brilliant sunshine across from an impossibly blue fjord. Henningsvær is actually built across several islands, so we walked across the bridge to visit the little fishing village, which is also a bit of a tourist trap, as are much of the Lofotens. Henningsvær is a prime example of “If you build it, they will come.” Its most famous attraction is the soccer pitch at the end of town, which has become very famous thanks to a few dramatic drone shots. Tourists stream through town just to go see it, including us. It’s a fine soccer pitch, which is surrounded by stocks where cod are hung to dry during fishing season. It’s a cute little place and in my opinion, definitely worth the time to visit.

We took a bit of a detour drive before parking up for the day. The fireweed in this area is about done. Can fall be far behind?
Typical Norwegian sight. There are thousands of these little red cabins along the fjords and lakes that folks use while fishing. Or in some places they are now Airbnbs.
Many churches in Norway are made out of wood, and they seem to be sited prominently on the edge of town near the water. On many ferry rides its the first thing we see arriving and the last leaving town.
On the way to Henningsvær every square inch of land that was available was occupied by some kind of vehicle. We thought for sure the lot we were headed to would be full, but as most folks don’t like to pay for parking, it was fairly empty.
We didn’t even try to find a boondocking spot among all these people. And these are locals, not tourists. This road in particular was extremely popular with fisher folks and athletes.
These are the stocks where the cod are hung to dry during fishing season. They are all over town, as Henningsvær is primarily a fishing village in the winter, and a tourist town in the summer.
Arriving in Henningsvær. You can see the little marina that separates two of the islands.
“If you build it, they will come.” This pitch is for amateur play only, but it has gotten a lot of attention. There have been a few professionals who have come for promotions and a couple of commercials filmed here. It was a brilliant idea for the community.
Isn’t this lovely and quaint?
Steven took this photo of Henningsvær from the hill above where we were parked for the night. You can see Bijou off to the right of the photo. The Norwegians build beautiful, swooping bridges.
This was the view out our front window from the parking lot. Not too shabby, eh?
More of the Henningsvær surrounds.
Still plenty of room for others to come and park. I don’t think it ever got full. But look at that view!
In this dip between mountains we got a gorgeous sunset.

At this point in our travels, we were still above the Arctic Circle where it was possible to see the midnight sun. Even though our next stop, a beach along the Norwegian Sea in Eggum, offered us blue skies late into the night, we were about a week past when the sun would actually just kiss the surface of the water and bounce right back up. So we missed it, but oh well. It was still light out, as dusk to dawn was just a couple of hours apart. And the sunset was quite stunning as it hovered forever on the horizon before dipping below.

This village displays typical Norwegian house colors. I love the red, gold and blue colors the best.
We didn’t know it at the time, but Bijou got a primo spot on the end. We could see over all the hills and no one could park in front of us. Well, one guy tried, but the camp lady ran him off. And she waited until there were few places left for him to go. hehe.
There were lots of great hikes from this campsite in Eggum, so we took off on one that was about five kilometers into the next village by way of a cliff edge. I’d say we made it about two-thirds of the way before things got crumbly and wet and we turned around.
It was a gorgeous hike, though. If I had had my sticks with me I would have gone further, but I didn’t, so that was that. This is not the part where we turned around, this was the easy part.
Rest stop.
This is another example of how art is just a part of the landscape in Norway. Along our hike we came across this sculpture by Swiss artist Markus Raetz. It’s a head looking out to sea but what makes it special is, as you walk around it, it changes from right ways up to upside down. It’s a fascinating illusion.
As you can see from the top photo and these, we had a fabulous sunset. The sun just languished on the horizon for the longest time before it disappeared below the horizon. It was way past my bedtime so I was glad to see it finally go. 🙂
The whole campground was outside watching the sunset. Steven took a million photos of it and I took a million photos of him shooting the sun.

If there is one place on the Lofoten Islands that is famous for its beauty, it’s Reine. That’s where we headed next. In a normal tourist season, Reine is one of those places that is constantly crowded and parking is at a premium. It’s a place we probably wouldn’t stay long, but as it happened, there was plenty of room for everyone. We paid for one night at the overpriced, no service parking lot (meaning electric, there was a free service area at the other end) with great views, and then we found a gorgeous free spot for the next two nights. We literally could not believe our luck, but that’s how it went for us in Reine. The town looks cute from a distance, but once there, it is not all that. It’s the views of the surrounding mountains both from town and from the upward hikes that are absolutely stunning.

Reine, yet another typical Norwegian village.
Also a fishing village with lots of stocks, or racks from which they dry the cod.
I beg to differ. As soon as we got a milkshake, Steven and I defied the rules and did some serious ass sitting in Lofoten.
How cute is this little church? It sits in the center of Reine.
Little red fishing cabins, which are now rental cottages. Reine is one of the most touristy towns in all of Lofoten, and maybe all of Norway. Personally, I think it would be fab in the winter. It is still above the Arctic Circle, but the westerlies keep it mostly ice free.
Iconic view of Reine from the bridge leading into town. There is a very popular hike up into the mountains above Reine that offers an incredible view of the village. Google it. We thought about taking the hike, but there is so much negative press about how the trail is degrading from all the tourists and how parking is impossible, we just crossed that off our list.
Sunset in Reine from our window. This is the first night in the paid parking lot. Gorgeous!
You can see behind this little house where the motorhomes are parked, that’s where we spent the night. This is a free service area that offers water and dumping. Norway is totally set up for motorhoming, with free camping everywhere and service points like this one. It’s wonderful.
This is the free spot we found after we left Reine. We were on our way to the village of Å, but when I saw this space I whipped in and that was it for the day. We had a lovely down day just writing (me) and drawing (him) and snacking and sipping wine and generally being sloths. Such a perfect day. We ended up staying here two nights.

From Reine, after our first night at the free place, we left to visit the fishing village of Å, which is at the very end of the islands. It is quite lovely as a preserved, quintessential Norwegian fishing village, but the parking facilities left a lot to be desired. We literally squeezed Bijou into a regular parking space and took off to see the sights.

I actually got into this spot before the guy on the left. He waited for me to get in then he followed. My gosh it was tight!
The beautiful fishing village of Å. So, you see that little wingding over the A. That makes it an O sound. So it’s really the village of “Oh”. But if you have an ‘O’ with a line through it, that makes an “A” sound. It all makes my head spin.
The water was a lovely teal color, which looked beautiful with the red cabins.
At the harbor, looking back at the village.
We hiked up the hills above the village. It started raining so it got a little slippery on the rocks, but we made it just fine.

From Å we drove back to our boondocking spot overlooking the Norwegian Sea and to our utter disbelief our spot was still available! This was a far cry from the full-to-the-brim parking lot while visiting Å, we were so happy to be back at our free and relatively quiet overlook again. The next morning we drove about four kilometers and got in line to board the ferry for Bodø. Goodbye, Lofotens!

We managed to snag the same overlook view of Reine for a second night and, as you can see, that’s no easy feat!
We got up early to catch the 7am ferry to Bodø. Three hours later we were parked up in this lovely spot, the parking lot behind a gas station. It was perfect for our needs, it even had showers and laundry. Oh, and a bakery within walking distance, as witnessed in the photos below.
My man and his pastries.

And, as promised, here is another portrait drawing from Steven. This, of course, is musician Willie Nelson. When we were first dating, we listened to his album “Spirit” all the time. This image was drawn from the cover of that album.


Next Up: Yet another Tourist Route!


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31 Comments

  1. Dave & Lesley

    We were so disappointed to be turned away at the Norwegian border, but the way you write your blog and the most fabulous pictures, makes me feeI as if I have been there with. Thank you I really enjoyed it. The only trouble is I now want to go again…

    1. 2chouters

      You know, I think about you guys a lot and what you missed out on. But I also find myself a bit sad that we didn’t get to see more of the Baltic states as you are now. Of course I think we got the better deal, but still. I know you’ll make it to Norway some day and your experience will be fab! 🙂

    1. 2chouters

      Remember a while back I said I bought two dresses in Tallinn? Guess what colors they are? Norwegian red and blue. Eeeee, so pretty! I just can’t see Norwegian colors in Arizona, but you could start a trend! 🙂

  4. Carmela M Gersbeck

    Your blog is one of my favorites! The writing, photography, and artwork is stunning. Norway looks awesome. I was there while on a cruise, but it isn’t anything like driving through in a caravan. Safe travels and I can’t wait to read the next installment!

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you so much for your kind words. We appreciate you taking time to let us know you are enjoying the blog. I know what you mean about it not being the same from a cruise. We took a cruise to Alaska and didn’t see much of the true Alaska. It is so worth taking the time to see it on your terms and go to the places you want to see instead of having it catered to you by a cruise line. It is a completely different experience!

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you, Nina. It is spectacular, to the point of weariness, if that makes sense. Be rested when you get here because Norway will take every ounce of energy you can muster and more! Amazing place!

  7. Nickie

    Oh, sigh … is envy one of the seven deadly? Too bad, if it is. I’m envious of your trip thru Norway! Your photos are breathtaking, the islands a wonder. Lucky, lucky you guys to travel in Scandinavia. (our turn next?) Absolutely amazing pic of Willie, zowie!

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks, Nickie. Why don’t you just start planning a trip and immerse yourself into all things Norway. I swear I could do it again next year, but I’d get here even earlier! Signs of fall are everywhere now, so all good things must come to an end. Sad. 🙁

  8. Jodee Gravel

    Being able to stay along the water in all of these beautiful and quaint places is wonderful! I love seeing Steven Be the art instead of just making it :-)) Those red cabins everywhere are so pretty – the paint must be special to withstand the sea air and extreme cold. The dramatic skies, long sunsets, and especially the Reine sunset are magical. Your selfies are adorable, you both look healthy and happy – miss you bunches!

    1. 2chouters

      There are a few interesting reasons why the houses are painted red. First, red used to indicate wealth and social status, and it has now become a tradition. Second, since most houses are made of wood, red paint emulated brick, also a status thing. And, third, red paint is made with iron-oxide so it’s cheap! The more you know…. 🙂 We miss you guys, too!

    1. 2chouters

      I can tell you that we hit the wall about three days ago. Steven has so many photos to go through he can’t even keep up. We finally got to the point where we said, “How many more photos of a beautiful fjord do we actually need?” Norway has worn us down!

  10. Tracy Perkins

    I loved the sculpture that looked two different ways. Amazing. The fishing village was also really lovely. Thanks for taking the time of make these posts. It’s a ton of work when you are traveling so much but we all really appreciate it ❤️

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you, Tracy! I know you know how much it takes to put one of these posts together, so thanks for taking time to let us know you are enjoying them. All encouragement is helpful! 🙂

  11. Jane Stilgenbauer

    Are any of all those little islands inhabited? Can you “motor” out to any of them with a picnic lunch? And tell us about the pastry Steven is eating – looks like the topping is a frosting covered with coconut , what is the base and is the middle lemon curd or a custard type? My community has over 50 different cultures , social clubs and churches. Our annual festival is The International Festival – no carnival rides or games – but booths selling their food specialties. There’s a stage for you to watch dancers in native dress as you sit in your lawn chair eating Phillipine pancit and a cantaloupe drink , Eastern European cabbage roll, scotch shortbread, sweet potato pie, etc. We all have learned to appreciate where we all came from. And that explains my interest in the Norwegian pastry. Love all your pictures and commentary and how you “roll with the punches”. Thanks for sharing.

    1. 2chouters

      Connie, that sculpture was amazing. Steven actually did a 360 video of it but once back in Bijou he realized he had actually turned his camera off instead of on, so he didn’t get anything. Grrrr! We were too lazy to walk back out there and get it. Maybe one of these days you will be there and can do that walkaround! 🙂

  14. Vernon Hauser

    Norway , come for the Fjords , stay for the sun sets . What a wonderful place and your photos and blog do it justice . A trip of
    a life time for most and thanks for sharing . As always some where during the blog you make me smile and then chuckle .

    1. 2chouters

      All I can say is be sure and talk to your banker, it’s very expensive here to eat and drink. We had to give it up for a while, so thank goodness for all those packages of beans and rice we brought with us from the states! 🙂 Seriously, I hope you can plan and take this trip, you will love every second of it! Let me know if you have any questions!

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