Lofoten

When Rene boards the Hurtigruten (there are about a dozen ships, this one is called Richard With) I am already awake, so why keep sleeping until ten? So I just start off as well.

Vesteralen is very quiet at 4:30 in the morning and so I have a couple of sleepy hours before the human part of the world wakes up. There are lots of birds chirping and whistling. A very big eagle (with a white tail) circles above me!

Unfortunately, the weather decides to give me a solid shaking and it starts to hail again. 5 centimeters fall in no time and the road is covered with snow and ice.
I cycle for about 100km today until I reach the village of Melbu on the most southern tip of Vesteralen and take a Ferry to Lofoten.




I sleep right next to the Ferry terminal (Fiskebol) in a deserted building. The next morning, the weather changes and the sun comes out. It is impressive how much this changes my morale!!!
I ride along the coast on a narrow dirt road until I reach Laukvika, a sleepy little fishing town. Here I have lunch directly on the pier and in the sun - ahhhhh.

Lofoten is such a fascinating place that takes your breath more often than you actually manage to breathe in and out. Who hasn`t been here should definitely put this on the agenda of one of their next trips!

Later, in Henningsvaer (very pitoresque, to use this nice french expression :) there is a lot of fish drying on wooden skeletons in the sun. This fish is famous on the coast of northern Norway. One of the fishermen gives me a bite to try - you eat it just like this... very chewy... but real tasty. A good snack - way better than whatever MARS, KRAFT or NESTLE have to offer.




No, this is not dried fish, this is juicy fresh salmon with boiled potatoes and green asparagus. Yummy and cooked on my camping cooker. Who says you have to suffer while riding around the world?

:)