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Other entries in Å i Lofoten

Lofoten Islands

In Stamsund on the Lofoten Islands, I stayed at a super friendly hostel run by a former fisherman. The building is a renovated large rorbuer (fisherman's hut), with the only common area a country style kitchen and bunk rooms above and around the kitchen. The kitchen opens out onto a deck over a small harbor, with racks of drying cod across the banks. I met a fun Swisss couple riding thier bikes from denmark up here (taking ferries and buses, too), a group of French girls and two Dutch college students.

After a night trying to block out the dull light of an overcast night above the artic circle, we woke up to a very wet morning. I teamed up with the Dutch girls who decided to rent a car. We drove around the islands, skirting the edge between the precarious steep slopes and the rocky coasts. We visited Hennigsvaer, the reportedly most hip & artistic town in the Lofotens. But all we found were the characteristic red stilted houses and headless cod bodies hanging in every available open area. I was so glad to be able to drive around these islands, though. The best entertainment on the islands is unarguably the landscapes and the views around every corner. The endless combinations of rough granite rock, mysterious blue waterways, snow nestling in the ripples of the peaks, and sprinklings of green vegetation here and there. Not to mention the small communities we pass periodically and the cod racks holding the economic future of the islands.

That evening I made my way via the only bus heading to the end of the islands that day to Å i Lofoten and the best accomodation I had the entire trip. I rented a renovated rorbuer (fisherman hut) right in the center of town, next to the Stockfish museum, for just me for the same price as a hostel bed! He normally charges $100 a night and I paid $25. A perfect birthday present for myself!

In A I took a great and super muddy hike along the lake behind A the next morning. Watched the kittiwakes on thier nests and gazed out to the distant islands. On my actual birthday I rented a bike and rode 10 km to Reine, voted the most scenic place in Norway (I don't have a clue how they decided that). It was a great day for a ride and I enjoyed the different view from slow wheels and with wind in my face. In Reine I came across some rorbuer that had not been renovated. Peeking in the window and seeing the layout among the rusting stoves, yellowed newspapers, and neglected clothing provided more insight into the history of the Lofotens than the museums and books I'd read. Plus, I found a glass net buoy as my birthday present to myself.

When i returned to A, I went straight to the Stockfish museum and learned more than I ever thought I would about the history and current state of the cod industry. The curator was also the owner of my rorbuer and one of the most friendly and proud individuals I've met. He is a Lofoten native and used to work in the cod industry, packing cod for export. But he switched to tourism during lean fishing years. His brother has continued the family's participation in the industry. A perfect example of the trend I've noticed in so many places I've visited- the move from a natural resource- (fishing-) based economy to a tourism based economy.

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