Svolvær and Lofoten Islands

The mystery of who is spraying the decks at 4am each day has been solved! It’s an automatic system and we spotted it while sitting in the bar last night. We were there because we were having a bit of a dinner drama. The menu in the regular restaurant didn’t look very appealing (dried salt fish, anyone?) and so we had decided to head for Arran instead but there were technical problems in the kitchen, so we were delayed longer than expected. What was one to do? Wine? Oh well, ’twould be churlish to refuse! Eventually, I manfully volunteered to see if things had sorted out there and was told, nearly done, but give it 15 minutes - why not come and sit in the restaurant and … drink wine? I texted Gabrielle and she lurched down to join me.

Dinner was not too long in being available and we began with the Crab cakes. OMFG! (as I believe the youth of today remark.) They were stunning and then we moved onto a burger for me and salmon and salad for Gabrielle. Meanwhile, things were kicking off elsewhere in the restaurant. Two strangely dressed English ladies with hats and glasses on chains, wearing voluminous attire, sat at a table, had a drink and then threw a wobbler for reasons yet to be determined. So exciting! They were reminiscent of the couture style of Hinge and Bracket, if you can cast your mind back that far. Never seen before and probably won’t see them again.

There was a massive thunderstorm as we left Finnsnes. Rain even hit our window, but without cleaning it (shame). Little boats were scampering for shelter and huge flashes of lightning and thunder echoed around the harbour. As we pulled away, a small cruiser tried to butch it out with us but we ploughed on and it dodged away.

And so to bed, only to be woken at 4am, not by the sprinklers this time, but by a previously published point of interest. It wasn’t that there was an announcement, but rather that the ship’s engines kept changing in speed and the vessel was evidently negotiating around a fairly winding narrow channel, meaning that the (midnight) sun kept shining into our cabin. This was apparently Tjeldsundet a narrow strait, 25 nautical miles long which lies between Hinnoya and Tieldy on the mainland.

The morning dawned bright and warm. Frankly, Amy, if you’re looking for Arctic conditions in Lofoten you’re going to be seriously disappointed. The temperature rose to around 23C and this is typical for this little microclimate which is also warmer in winter. The landscape here is amazing with towering peaks and tiny islets, each with its own safety light. And so we docked and disembarked making sure that our first stop in Svolvær was for a mocha at Bacalao Lounge. And very good it was too. Terrific scenery, not least the fabulous Gabrielle!

If you’re after crags and mountains porn, this is the place to be. The town is surrounded on all sides by ragged, towering peaks dressed with green and topped with unstable looking pinnacles of stone.

We had decided not to take any trips as they were all day (on a coach), eye-wateringly-expensive and we fancied seeing the lovely town on our own. The price of many trips on Hurtigruten is prohibitive. For example the Lofoten tour which was 7.5 hours including lunch was NOK 3035 which is around £228 per person for a bus tour. A walking tour lasting 2.5 hours in Ålesund would be NOK 1150 or £95! Even by Norwegian standards these prices seem excessive. To be fair, the full cruise has been as costly per day as our South America trip on P&O Aurora where we were in a mini suite. However, this cruise is all inclusive which includes alcohol and Wi-Fi so we shouldn’t complain too much! And the food is far superior.

And so we continued our walk around the lovely town of Svolvær, heading out to look at the mountains from an elevated position and then back to the church (which was shut) but which had a path leading to a small sculpture park. It’s fronted by the spookiest statue of a hiker that you’re ever likely to see. I’d just wished Charlie a happy birthday and Gabrielle had gone on ahead. There in the middle of the path was this seven-foot tall woman! At a distance it’s hard to know whether it’s a human statue or just a sculpture but up close, its eyes seem to follow you as you approach. Then there’s a marvellous mirrored photo point which provided us much amusement.

We headed back to the ship for lunch, to be reminded that they were about to turn the vessel around for maintenance purposes. Why not dock that way round to start with? That still remains a mystery. Meanwhile, we watched from our elevated lunch position as returning guests were unable to get aboard and have their own lunch as the dock was shut in order to move heavy machinery around. And then it began to rain, so we went inside to read and do our blog duties.