Pining for the fjords!

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Dear Blog Readers,

I’ve been so looking forward to writing this travel blog! Norway has been an absolutely unforgettable trip, and comfortably exceeded our expectations! Maybe we have lucked out with the weather and opportunity out here but I’ll lay it all out for you and let you be the judge! I may have been swayed by the numerous pianos in cafes, hotels, restaurants, and the regular appearance of a shoe horn in establishments…



Pretty much everybody we mentioned going to Norway to immediately goes where we did and recommends taking out a loan from the bank to be able to afford it - and there is no denying that it is an expensive trip, but save what you can, and it’ll be worth every penny. Flights out were with SAS as we needed to get all the way up north to Bodø so was more convenient and cost £240 each with a checked bag from Heathrow. We had a 2-hour layover in Oslo on the way there and 6 hours on the way back so made use of the lounge there.



Why Norway and specifically Bodø in the first place? Well, Mel and Matt are caretaking an artists retreat called The Arctic Hideaway for a few months so we thought it would be great to check it out as they have raved about the place since doing an initial stint there in 2019. It’s about an hour‘s ferry ride away from Bodø so we arrived to a very snowy airport on a Thursday afternoon and after a nervy wait for our suitcase (the last one to appear on the carousel and with a damaged wheel) we trudged our way to the town center which was a 20-minute walk. We’d booked in at the Radisson as it was so close to the express ferry port and fairly standard around here in price (£105 incl. breakfast). We had a little nap and then had the delight of seeing Mel, Matt and Fern who had come across for the day and took us to their favourite Bodø restaurant - Tiger Sushi! It’s really reasonably priced (£20) for a buffet-style all-you-can-eat and the food was great. Before they got the ferry back and we got some sleep at the hotel, we stopped at the local supermarket for some supplies - only £8 for two parsnips!



The breakfast at the hotel was lovely and set us up well for the day ahead. We bought the 7-day Travel Pass Nordland from the Billet Nordland app which cost £103 each but includes travel on all buses and ferries in the Nordland region. Car hire was looking to be more expensive and we figured everywhere we wanted to visit was possible on public transport, I think we just about broke even having done 3 ferry and 4 bus journeys each over the week. The ferry to Fleinvær was really smooth and picturesque, winding through the mountainous fjords and islands before sliding up to the pier after about an hour to be greeted by Matt, Mel and a very enthusiastic Fern who greeted us with a wonderful “Welcome to Fleinvær!”



They've been caretaking at The Arctic Hideaway which is an architecturally stunning set of buildings overlooking the pier, the pinnacle being the Njala, or Tower House, perched at the top. There’s a studio (with a piano!) next to the main kitchen/dining hut and then about 5 or 6 huts for accommodation. We had a lovely cosy hut down by the water with a cracking view of the mountains from the window. After settling in and playing some games with Fernie, we got acquainted with the other guests - a Dutch photographer and a couple of German musicians in a band called Polar Noir; a lovely mix! We went for a short walk behind the hill and Fern loved going sledging, she’s going to be so disappointed with the dusting of snow we’d likely end up with back home!



The following morning I woke a little early and went for a walk to take in the breathtaking views in the morning light. After a fantastic breakfast prepared by Matt and Mel, we hung out in the studio and relaxed before finding out that one of the compost bins had flown into the sea and to the bottom just off the pier earlier in the week. Matt challenged us to use my fishing skills to attempt a retrieve it so we fashioned a line and hook from one of the rods and could see the bin lying about 3 meters down such was the clarity of the water. After 15 minutes of attempts, we had a take (!) and unbelievably had managed to hook the handle. We precariously and carefully reeled it up and back to land much to the delight and amazement of all!



Still reeling from our success, we took advantage of the clear blue skies and weather to walk to the highest point on the island, about a 20-minute walk from the Hideaway. There are over 300 islands in Fleinvær, and this one, Sorvaer only has a handful of permanent homes and residents - everybody knows each other and it’s a lovely close-knit environment. After a bit of a break and some lovely food, we headed for a walk to the other side of the island for some more breathtaking views before finishing the evening in the Njala with a bottle of soju!



On Sunday morning we were greeted with “WAFFLES!!” from Fern for breakfast. Norwegian waffles are slightly flatter and less dense, often enjoyed with brunost which looks like a block of brown butter but you shave off slices and has the aftertaste of a tangy cheese. It’s an odd one, but goes really well with jam on waffles! One of the highlights of the Arctic Hideaway is the wood-fired sauna which sits next to the pier we caught and landed the compost bin and with a short stairwell down to a point to dunk into the icy cold arctic sea. It takes a few hours to warm up after a well-monitored stoking but once up to a toasty 75C we were ready to get in. On the first day, our bodies were going into the fight or flight response as we entered the cold water but by Sunday, we’d braved it enough to jump off the pier! The hot/cold transition felt amazing and we really couldn't get enough of it!



After a solid 2 hours of sauna/sea fun, we had a tearful farewell to Matt and Fern who were heading back to the UK. The following morning, we had a quick breakfast before boarding the 10am ferry back to Bodø. We had another smooth crossing and whiled away a few hours in the town centre and a library with one of the best views to distract you from reading your book. We got a grilled cheese from the adjacent cafe called Papir, not quite as good as FortyFive mind you! We were heading to the Lofoten Islands for a few days so needed to walk about 20 mins along the seafront to the ‘ferjkai’ to catch the 16:45 ferry to Moskenes. Before coming out, we knew our Nordland pass wasn’t valid on this ferry - but that’s only the case if you’re driving on (as it is a car ferry), if you’re just walking on then the ferry is free! We got seats at the very front and enjoyed the sunset views as we cruised along toward the Lofoten Islands. There were some food options on board for dinner and we were soon in the small town of Moskenes on the southern tip of the islands at 8pm. It was a short wait for the 731 bus to turn up and take us the ten-minute ride to Reine where we had booked a wonderfully cute rorbuer for a couple of nights.



Rorbuer were traditionally small fisherman's cabins dotted across these port towns along the islands but have now been converted into accommodation for tourists flocking to the area. We were seeing it at a relatively calm off-season having been told the peak summer season (across June to August) being fairly unbearably busy. Unsure of food options, we’d done a supermarket shop in Bodø before coming out and our rorbuer had a little kitchenette for us to rustle up a basic meal…longing for the spread put out in the Arctic Hideaway!



I seem to be making a habit of waking early here but I don’t mind as I can often get out and get some great photos wandering around the town and finding my bearings having arrived at night. Reine is truly spectacular, like your quintessential Norway postcard of a fishing town dwarfed by a huge mountain. We decided to take advantage of the travel card and get the bus down to the southernmost tip of the islands, to a town almost comically titled, A. It’s about 20 minutes away and as we got off the bus we walked further south along a wintery snow-carved footpath to the peninsula. Although windy and cold, the endless views made up for it, and we had the whole area to ourselves which felt both isolating and magical at the same time. We trudged back through the snow and into the town centre which had a little museum going on taking you through the old fishing huts, fish oil manufacturing hut (eurgh), post office and even a traditionally laid out home. A is fairly unique in Lofoten, not just for its name and location, but also because it had two competing fishing families where normally each town would have one family ruling the fishing roost.



After about an hour and a half, we hopped back on the bus that brought us here and headed back to Reine. The buses here are really comfortable - more like a National Express coach at home, and seemingly always on time, albeit very infrequent so you need to do your planning on the Reis Nordland website for up-to-date timetables and avoiding either a long stay, potentially overnight, or a very expensive taxi ride to get back to where you need to be! Once back in Reine, we had a lovely kannelboller (cinnamon roll) and coffee at the (only) cafe in town called Bringen. Afterward we took a look at the sauna/hot tub option at Catogarden but it was never going to match what we’d experienced at the Hideaway (and nobody seemed to respond to my emails asking for more info on booking them), so we gave it a miss. Instead we enjoyed a lovely walk along the pier near our rorbuer before heading out to Reine View (a lookout point as you come into the town centre) - complete with numerous photographers, tripods and even a drone! On the way back we stopped at the Tourist Info which had a nice little shop, an art exhibition and a small coffee area (doubt it’ll put Bringen out of business!).



After cooking up some burritos for dinner, we eagerly kept an eye on the Aurora app which was really useful in telling you the chances of getting to see the Northern Lights in your location. We’d been fortunate on one of the evenings in Fleinvaer to see them but the ones in Reine were truly spectacular. Initially, we struggled as the town centre is actually very well-lit but as we headed out to Reine View and then back down to the pier, the light pollution subsided somewhat and we were treated to nature’s unbelievable display. We struggled to sleep properly, buoyed by the excitement of seeing more, and we had moments throughout the night that we could watch them from the comfort of the rorbuer.



The following morning we said goodbye to our lovely little hut and caught the 9:20am bus out of Reine and stopped off after about an hour in Leknes. The wind must have changed direction or the fisherman had decided to start hanging out the skrei (cod) on the drying racks dotted around the town as it smelt a lot more like the seaside than before! I’m quite jealous of the bus drivers getting to have this as their normal route - I’d be too busy admiring the view than the road! After a 15-minute wait in Leknes, we were on our way to Kabelvåg. After about an hour, we stopped in the centre of this sleepy town and had a decision to make - either we get another bus to Henningsvaer or we enjoy a walk to Skarungen. Given how nice the weather was, and having already done nearly 3 hours of traveling in the day, we decided to do the latter and stretch our legs. Skarungen is on the adjacent peninsula called Ørsvågvaer and we found an unbelievable sauna and hot tub combination that we were able to have to ourselves for 350 NOK each (about £30) and worth every penny. The views were incredible, the dunk into the sea was refreshing and the combination of hot tub and sauna to warm back up again was blissful. The hour and half spent there went in a flash and we went back to the hotel lobby, which included an extensive gin bar, to enjoy a drink whilst coming down from the high and before the walk back to Kabelvåg.



Compared to the rorbuer at Reine, we’d booked a much cheaper one in Kabelvåg called Tyskhella which was fairly disappointing in comparison. For starters, we had minimal correspondence with the hosts, eventually needing to call to find out even which room we were in! Despite being fairly quiet occupancy-wise, we were put on the ground floor with somebody in the rorbuer above us where we could hear everything. They seemed to be up and walking about every second so we decided to go out to the (only) restaurant in the town centre called Brygga and had a nice meal. We got the assistance of the waiter and a couple of locals to help us decide whether we risk the 5:40am bus turning up on time and making it to Svolvaer in time for the 6am ferry or whether we get a £20 taxi. The latter was preferred so we booked one online and were up promptly up at 5:30am in snowfall to make it for the ferry back to Bodø.



Thankfully another smooth crossing and the 3-hour journey went by quickly - Laura taking full advantage of the three-seat configuration into a makeshift bed. Once in Bodø, we had a nice breakfast in Papir as we waited for Mel’s ferry to arrive from Fleinvaer having coordinated our final couple of days to spend with her showing us the sights and sounds of Bodø! We were debating going to Saltstraumen which is famous because it is a small strait with the strongest tidal current in the world. At the peak tides, it creates amazing maelstroms and a truly unique vantage point from the iconic bridge that crosses the strait. Unfortunately, the tide times and bus times didn't align for us so we had to give it a miss this time around!



We’d booked a room at the Ramselt hotel which is highly recommended - the staff were lovely, fantastic breakfast and gorgeous view from our room on the top floor (#1321). We dropped our stuff off and headed for a hike out of town and up to the television aerial overlooking the city. We were hot by the time we got there so needed the snow and wind to cool down, but what a view we were treated with! We watched the ferries coming in and out, and tried to get our bearings with orientating ourselves around the surrounding mountain ranges.



Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a drink in the room as the sun was setting before heading out to Pangea which was a cool little restaurant serving a decent set menu for 450 NOK including delicious prawn tacos, steamed bao buns and Korean fried chicken plus a lovely dessert. We woke to a lovely sunrise and leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading down to the pier opposite the library where a sauna has been set up to get our final fix of the holiday. We’d booked an hour at Pust for 225 NOK each which flew by but we managed to get plenty of dives and swims off the pier in the time given. After a bit of shopping and a lovely toffeeballer at Mel‘s favourite cafe called Berbusmel, we headed back to the hotel to play on their own Shufl board in the lobby. After watching the sunset from the comfort of the room, we had a last supper at Tiger Sushi having bookended our holiday perfectly (missing Fernie and Matt this time around!).



Our final early start getting the 7am flight out of Bodø, this holiday has truly been magnificent! We’ve definitely lucked out with the weather but can honestly say it’s been one of the most memorable and rewarding trips that we’ve done. Memories for a lifetime and certainly an insatiable longing for a sauna with a snow-tipped mountainous sea view for months to come I suspect!





Tink & Laura

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