Written by Haakon, Karly, Kathryn, and Lance
Wednesday marked our penultimate day in Lofoten, and was also the day in which we had the chance to see the largest amount of the surrounding area. We began with an early bus departure in the dark and made our way along the southern coast of Lofoten.
Our first stop was Henningsvær Point, where we were able to walk around and watch the sunrise. Henningsvær Point is a very small village located right on the water, with mountains surrounding the point. It was the perfect day with a clear sky and we could easily see all the mountains around us. We were only allowed a short amount of time to explore the village, but a handful of us ventured out to the soccer field that was built in between rocks. The sky was filled with an array of pinks and blues everywhere. We took advantage of this unusually nice weather and took some great pictures of the view.
Karly and Emma pictured by the scenic mountains in Henningsvær. Photo by Ashlyn.
View of the soccer field in Henningsvær. Photo by Karly.
Our second stop was in Nusfjord, a very small village on the coast. Here we were able to walk around, and a couple of us visited a local art gallery which had prints of views from around the village and of the fjord and mountains. We ate a group lunch together at the restaurant Karoline, where we either had pumpkin soup or fish soup with some delicious bread and butter. After lunch, many of us stopped in the general store to look at merchandise and grab a quick cup of coffee before heading to our final stops on our ride.
Pumpkin soup from the group lunch. Photo by Kathryn.
The remainder of the day was split between the towns of Reine and Å. In Å, we planned to visit the Fiskeværsmuseum. In order to limit our group size when at the museum, we split into two groups, with 18 students visiting Reine first and 17 visiting Å first. As we drove into Reine, we were all shocked by the breathtaking views. Jagged peaks lining the coast jutted out into the sunshine in every direction. Much of our time in Reine was spent wandering around, admiring the fish drying racks and rorbuer. Several of us went down to the town’s soccer field where we found a ball to play some 3v3 soccer before getting back on the bus. It was truly one of the most breathtaking places to play!
Photo in Reine. Taken by Haakon.
When we arrived in Å, we began by entering the gift shop (because it was closing soon), which would have served as the store for the fishermen nearly 200 years ago. Following that, our tour guide took us into a rorbuer fitted out to look how it would have been for the original fisherman. The building had a wet area for all of the fishing gear, a dry area for sleeping, eating, and relaxation, and a hole in the floorboards for a toilet. After that, we had time to roam the other buildings on the site: a boathouse, a post office, a fish oil refinery, and more! It was fascinating to see what a fishing village like this would have been like so long ago!
Haakon and Alexandra holding stockfish in the fish oil refinery. Photo taken by Lance.
After boarding the bus, we began our long ride back to Svolvær. Unable to see the incredible views in the dark, many students used this bus ride as a much needed nap after a long day!