– AN OCEANIC ADVENTURE
LOFOTEN If it is possible to fall in love with a place, Lofoten is top of the list.
Lofoten. There is no place like it. A couple we know told us last summer “We have criss-crossed the USA many times and travelled through India by train. We have been all around Asia and visit- ed Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam more than once. Why didn't you tell us just to go to Lofoten?”
There are still many Norwegians who have never been to Lofoten. This archipelago in the sea west of the city Bodø is admittedly somewhat remote. Thanks to the Lofoten fisheries and the Europe- an cod trade, Lofoten is actually one of Norway’s more cosmopoli- tan areas. The Italians know it, so do the Spanish, Portuguese and French. In recent years, more and more Norwegians have realised why international magazines, newspapers and visitors are so fascinated by Lofoten. And when Norwegians finally do go there, along with adventurous Europe- ans, it is an almost bitter-sweet experience, but because it disap- points, no – because it overwhelms, and because they did not take the opportunity to come here sooner! That is how magical and majestic Lo- foten is.
to Stamsund are struck silent with awe as they come face-to-face with the mighty, several mil- lion year-old mountain, Lofotveggen. Rough and jagged, but drenched in patterns, shapes, and a kaleidoscope of colours. The mountains here have an extraordinary, bewitching green tint. The white sandy beaches, the turquoise or blue sea, the green mountain ridges, the orange sun in the sky, Lo- foten exudes such bright and rich colours that you just cannot bear to look away.
With
Hurtigruten you will visit 34 ports along the beautiful Norwegian coast.
On the way to Svolvær you stop in at the Viking Museum in Borg. You see hamlets and fishing vill- ages, all built up around the cod fisheries, and you notice that the scenery could be taken straight out of the epic movie trilogy “The Lord of the Rings”. You pass picturesque bays nestled in beau- tiful fords and flanked by steep mountains. You see an sea eagle flying over a small weathered house, people fishing or someone who has stopped their car in the
middle of the road mesmerised by the sight they are now trying to capture on camera. And every- one you meet is just so proud that the landscape they love has become world famous.
It is a cliché to use the term “love” about a place. But in this case it is allowed. This is love at first sight, and a love that just grows stronger with time. And you find yourself asking, as lovers do: When can I see you again? How can I return as quickly as possible?
Travelling northbound on our ship, the first meet- ing with Lofoten is a dramatic one. Many visitors
Being in Lofoten on a sunny day is a bit like having found a tropical island paradise – only it is in the Arctic. Where else in the world can you play golf on an 18-hole course in the middle of the night in summer, with the sea and the midnight sun as spectators? Lofoten is without a doubt, one of the most achingly beautiful places on the planet. Come and see for yourself!
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