Lofoten Travel Diary Day 2

08/17/2007

Summary of Travel Points:
- It's probably better to pass through Narvik quickly on your way to Lofotens. Though make sure you do all the essential shopping there.
- Bus ride from Narvik to Svolvaer takes some time, but it's worthwhile. You should book a place in Svolvaer in advance, since you will be arriving there around 22:00.
- We stayed at the Lofoten Rorbuer which was very pleasant and affordable. I would spend the long distance charges and call to book rather than email.

Woke up surprisingly refreshed to the listing and jerking of the Narvik train. Out the window all the trees are stunted, giving the landscape a miniature quality. Even the passing cottages look as if the Travelocity gnome had settled his family by the pooling lakes. Crossing from Sweden into Norway, the landscape transforms dramatically from rolling lakescape into deep fjords. (Didn't think that through the window photos would work too well here. sorry.)

An hour later, having not passed any border/customs review, we're standing outside the train station in Narvik. Maybe it is the overcast sky or the sudden shock of being transitioned away from Stockholm, but we are ready to head out of Narvik tout suite. However, two significant points to make:

1) Narvik is the last outpost for any of your more complex shopping needs. Thus, if you have not brought a water proof jacket, waterproof pants, or water proof socks, purchase those items in Narvik. The expense is VERY worthwhile, if you plan on enjoying the outdoors in Lofoten.
2) Here you will get access to some helpful tourist information for the Lofotens. Since it will be late when you hit Svolvaer, you'd might as well pick some info up to read on the bus. Norwegian Kronor also available here.

Narvik: stopover to everywhere else?

Tali purchases a Gortex jacket. We buy beer and food since it will be 21:50 when we hit Svolvaer. The bus to Svolvaer takes 5 hours. Student fair is half price. The bus driver fails to mention that round trip tickets are cheaper than paying each way separately. He is nice to switch my single way trip into a round trip ticket. The bus route bends along a winding highway and we get our first glimpses of what's to come.

The Lofotens, seen here from Vesterland.

The bus makes stops on the Vesterland islands before boarding a ferry at Melbu, which takes us across a channel to the northern most Lofoten island of Austvagoy. As the bus zooms through the narrow fjords towards our destination in Svolvaer, a thought, 'nothing I can write can adequately describe what I'm seeing without sounding trite or melodramatic.' This is the part of that everyone will have to see for themselves.

Several bus stops in Svolvaer. We take the first one located beside the grave yard that lies directly below the "Svolvaer goat." Our inn or "Rorbuer" is conveniently located near the stop. We marvel at home the owner managed to snag the name "Lofoten Rorbuer." Good marketing. And an even better price (200 NOK per person/night is about standard for late season). The owners Ruth and Torbjorn show us to the corner room, which contains five beds separated into two rooms. Kitchen area, bath and shower are shared. Mushrooms and pasta sauce bought in Narvik serve as our dinner as we contemplate going out. But the Svolvaer night life will have to wait.