Norway - Last Day in Lofoten

August 26, 2014

Moving on from Kvalvika, we drove around a few of the islands in the central Lofoten area.  Passing near Ramberg, we thought we were in for a cold, rainy day, but as we continued along the coast, we found that thick clouds were just poking in to a few of the fjords, creating bad weather in a few very specific areas, but once we emerged, we found more blue skies and sunshine.  After two days in tents, we decided to get a cabin for our last night in the Lofoten Islands, so we took advantage of the kitchen and actually cooked a nice taco dinner for ourselves.

(A small boat hut along the fjord near Flakstadoya.)

(After a few days of mostly granola, power bars and peanut butter sandwiches, I was dying for some nutrition, so I opted for the salad bar at the super market with lots of peppers, chicken, cheese and lettuce, and I was quite happy with my choice.  Those that know me realize that I don't always opt for the healthy choice, so I was proud of this.)

(Trolls are popular in Scandinavian culture, so I took a picture with this guy outside a tiny tourist shop in the area.)

(The thick clouds poking into the fjords stayed behind as we drove along the coast, offering blue skies and sunshine for most of the way.)

(Another set of typical houses in the area, backed by a huge fjord and one of the thick clouds coming in from the ocean.)

(This spot was amazing, so I decided I'd get a picture of myself there as well.  Having Craig along also helped to get good pictures of myself without having to try to set up the timer or wait for another passerby.)

(Some random flowers along the road, passing by numerous fjords en route.)

(As the clouds were rolling in, I hurried down to the first part of Haukland beach for some pictures, though the clouds seemed content to stay away from the beach itself.)

(Haukland offers beautiful white sand and clear water, but again, it's incredibly cold, so it's best viewed from the shore and not in the water.)

(While the weather at Haukland was perfect, a one minute drive though the tunnel at the base of this mountain to Utakleiv beach resulted in a completely different environment.  This mountain serves as a barrier, keeping one beach sunny and clear while the other side was cold, windy and completely covered in thick clouds and mist. With the tunnel bridging the two, it was amazing to see the stark change only sixty seconds away from each other.)

(A typical vacation hut along the waterfront.)

(Taking advantage of the kitchen in our huts, we opted for taco night with a few supplies from the local grocery store.  Tacos plus fjords...hard to beat that combination.)