Loftens: UK Telegraph Profile, Details, Pix's, etc.

From the Telegraph in London Wednesday, July 24, they have this headline: "Lofoten Islands: With scenery like this, who needs the Med?" with this subhead: "Give the heat of the Med a miss in favour of the far-flung Lofoten Islands of Norway, where whale watching and spectacular walks await "

Among the story highlights for this part of Norway are: "They have beaches. Gorgeous, sandy ones that have been named among the world’s most romantic. The remote possibility of financial meltdown in Athens convinced me to give the Med a miss. Had I bothered to consult an atlas, I would have discovered that the beaches she had touted in the Lofoten Islands lay on the wrong side of the Arctic Circle. We had it entirely to ourselves and, yes, it was certainly beautiful – fine white sand lapped by light blue waters and backed by rolling pastures and dramatic peaks. But those peaks were still capped with snow, even in June. Nor were there sun loungers, or tavernas hawking fried cheese and bottles of cold Mythos. It is heaven for hikers. Those soaring landscapes looked daunting from afar but have been made accessible by a network of trails. Views from the water are equally beguiling. Several companies offer guided sea kayaking tours – perfect for exploring hidden coves and islets. Being on the Gulf Stream means that, despite its latitude, Lofoten’s climate is relatively mild, even reaching 20C in summer."

This profile has lots of pictures, plus many details, tips, ideas, etc., for visiting the super part of the Norway western coast.

In July 2010, we super loved our two stops in these wonderful Lofoten Islands. Here are my notes from visiting there. Plus, a few of my pictures. Lots to love and see there.

My Lofoten Island Summary: This 70-miles long island archipelago has natural surroundings regarded to be among the most stunning in Norway, with mountains, peaks, cliffs and white sandy beaches. The remote southern islands of Vaeroy and Rost are rated as world-class bird sanctuaries having nesting places for millions of seabirds along its cliffs. There are 35,000 people living on all of the islands and they are 886 miles northeast of Bergen. In November 2007, National Geographic Traveler rated the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway the third most appealing islands in the world. The Gulf Stream contributes to its seasonal fishing success. In Leknes, the sun (midnight sun) is above the horizon from May 26 to July 17 and in winter the sun does not rise from December 9 to January 4.

From Conde Nast Traveler, they have this headline: "The Norwegian Town Whose Name Is One Letter Long" with these highlights: "What about the world's shortest place name? It's hard to get much shorter than the Norwegian town of Å. The Lofoten islands of Nordland are among the most scenic places on earth. Vertical spires of glacially carved granite rise from the Norwegian Sea 100 miles north of the Arctic Sea -- but the weather is surprisingly mild, due to the Gulf Stream. Tourists flock to Lofoten every summer to scale its mountains, admire its quaint red fishing villages, and enjoy its 24 hours of sunshine."

By the way, this story notes that this village of 150 people called Å is pronounced as "aw". They also explain: "Its name is the Old Norse word for 'small river.' There are at least seven villages in Norway called Å, though the one in the Lofoten islands is the most popular with tourists."

Full UK Telegraph story at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/norway/11760158/Lofoten-Islands-With-scenery-like-this-who-needs-the-Med.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 181,608 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Here is one of our first Lofoten Islands views from a stop early during our trip driving south as we headed towards “Å". We had a rental car that allowed us plenty of flexibility to explore this great area, stop where our interests took us, etc. There is only one main road up and down, making things easy to navigate and travel in this super scenic area. Good road conditions, etc.

An historic seaport and cod fishing center is Nusfjord a few miles east of the main south-bound road in the Lofoten Islands. It is one of Norway’s oldest and best preserved fishing villages (fiskevaer). Here is one of its buildings and its harbor. There is also a cod processing building with various visuals to see for that historic era. The old Fish Oil Mill is used for exhibiting items from the Fish Buying Station or fiskemottak. They show a film called “The people and the fish”. The mill was built around 1910. Here fish oil was produced from fish liver. The fish was retrieved from the Buying Station then, transported by rowboat to the mill. Cod liver oil was a very attractive export product, used in industrial production and for medicinal purpose. We also got some great pictures of its birds perched on a large rock, etc. You can see more details from this website:

http://www.nusfjord.no/EN/nusfjord/index_new_eng.html:

B]We went to the end of the road in the Lofoten Islands along the scenic Norway Coast. This is a charming village called “Å”. In their alphabet, this “A” has a small “o” above the letter. Simple name for a charming fishing town! We had box lunches from the ship and dined on a picnic table on the wooden dock. This was our view with the busy and noisy birds. From Gravdal to the SW end of the E10 highway, it is about 38 miles. Not a long, long distance. Very good and interesting road conditions, bridges, tunnels, options for stopping, scenic drama, etc. Parts of this highway is known as King Olav's Road. Until the 1990's, Å was mainly a small fishing village, but recently tourism has become the main economic focus.: [/b]

Here is an example of the soaring rocks/mountains and dramatic scenery in the Lofoten Islands when we did our DIY drive south and then back on the Lofoten Islands. Nice? This includes one of the curved beaches about a mile and a half east of Ramberg.:

Here are some of the many wooden racks for fish drying on these islands that we checked out during our drive south in the Lofoten Islands.:

Near the main E10 roadway in the southern part of the Lofoten Island is this historic Flakstad Kirke church that was built in 1780. It has a Russian design/look as certain of its materials were donated by those from that country.:

Also, if the Lofotens are of interest, check out this profile with lots of pictures from the Huffington Post in March earlier this year titled: "Norway's Lofoten Islands: A Photographer's Dream"

It is at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-outbound-collective/norways-lofoten-islands-a-photographers-dream_b_6810938.html

Among the highlights are: "The Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway are a magical location for any photographer. The jaw-dropping fjords, snow capped mountains, and quaint villages create a fairy tale like atmosphere. Because of the far north location, this incredible backdrop is draped in a soft, arctic glow for 4-5 hours during the winter, which grants photographers ideal conditions for shooting." Many nice winter pictures are included.

Here is more from our second stop in the Lofotens:

Svolvær offers the atmosphere of a harbor, small town and art community simultaneously. The town has become something of an artists’ colony, attracted by its great “light”. It has picturesque cabins on stilts and weathered wooden racks with drying cod. Considered as the capital of the Lofoten Islands, it is on the south coast of Austvågøy, facing the open sea to the south with mountains immediately to the north. The most famous mountain, Svolværgeita, was first climbed in 1910 and has its goat-like horns. It is 1,867 feet high. The town population is 4,400. The rugged and bleak countryside around Svolvær has attracted both tourists and artists, one of whom is Karl Erik Harr, whose paintings feature scenes of the area. His most famous painting, "The Battle of Trollfjord" and can be seen in the County Hall. The towering island mountains of the Lofoten Wall stretch for more than a hundred miles along Norway's coast. Sheltered by the mountains to the north and west, the Svolvær area has less fog and experiences somewhat higher daytime temperatures in summer than the western part of Lofoten, but the same mountains also create more precipitation on rainy days. Its cod fishing season is between January and April. These age-old, sea-going traditions are preserved along with some of the fishing wharf buildings. Latitude: 68.2333°

Below are a few pictures from this part of the Lofoten Islands.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 113,034 views for this posting.

Framed by two building in main Svolvaer, here is a viewing of a major peak overlooking this key town in the Lofoten Islands.:

This is a sampling of the boats in the harbor at Svolvaer.:

As we departed Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands on a perfect, sunny day, these are two of the green, tree-covered mountains rising up from the sea that we saw with the small out-islands in the foreground.:

From the New York Times website this morning, they have this headline: "6,000 Miles North of Hawaii" with this subhead: "There’s a thriving surf scene in Norway’s Lofoten Islands, where the waves are cold and the air is colder."

Much of this story, with some great video and picture highlights, is about the Lofoten Masters surfing competition that is billed as the world’s northernmost surfing competition. This story notes: "Since the 1990s, and especially in the last decade, enhanced insulation in the suits has opened some of the most frigid reaches of the world to surfers seeking isolated adventures, craggy nature and uncrowded and unexplored waves. Residents of some remote locales have begun wrestling with the complicated balance of welcoming larger numbers of surfers while keeping pristine settings safe and unspoiled. Unstad, population 15, is among the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago that juts like an arthritic finger from Norway’s west coast into the Atlantic, more than 100 miles above the Arctic Circle."

This article brings back wonderfully nice memories from our visiting the amazing Lofoten Islands. The writer also notes: "In autumn in Unstad, when the valley flames with the gold of birch trees against the red of the houses, there are often more sheep than people on the beach. The waves rumble like subway cars, foaming on white sand and rounded rocks that, from a distance, resemble a colony of seals."

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/sports/surfing-unstad-norway-lofoten-masters.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 44,341 views for these postings.

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the posts and lovely photos of Lofoten, I also read the article about the very chilly surfing in the NY Times the other day - something different and very interesting.

Would you please add the link to the Conde Nast article you quoted in your first post so that folks can read it if they wish and also to satisfy copyright requirements - I know it was just an oversight.

Thanks and glad you got a chance to see this beautiful and remote village. Cheers.

Hi Terry, Thanks for the posts and lovely photos of Lofoten, I also read the article about the very chilly surfing in the NY Times the other day - something different and very interesting. Would you please add the link to the Conde Nast article you quoted in your first post so that folks can read it if they wish and also to satisfy copyright requirements - I know it was just an oversight. Thanks and glad you got a chance to see this beautiful and remote village. Cheers.

Appreciate the follow-up from Colleen. From the Huffington Post and Conde Nast Traveler in late June 2014, they had this headline: "The Norwegian Town Whose Name Is One Letter Long". Had it in my file, but tried to save space and did not copy all of the details when doing that later post.

Yes, the Lofotens are very special!! As a former U.S. Ambassador to Norway told me before we did our 2010 visiting there, these islands are where the "elite" from Oslo and other locations in Norway go in the mid summer period for their vacations, having summer homes there, etc.

Full story at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/conde-nast-traveler/the-norwegian-town-whose_b_5543879.html?utm_hp_ref=travel&ir=Travel

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 218,038 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Thanks Terry -

We still need to have that Conde Nast link up in with the quote in your first post, for proper attribution to the source - thank you in advance!

:)

Thanks Terry - We still need to have that Conde Nast link up in with the quote in your first post, for proper attribution to the source - thank you in advance! :)

Below is that link to Conde Nast. With Huffington Post, where I had seen this article, I had their story link, but I assume that you want the original, original source. Not something linking to the Huffington Post. Right?

For story headlined: "Norwegian Town Whose Name Is One Letter Long"

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2014-06-30/a-norway-maphead

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 204,552 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

For those seeking interesting and different locations, this weekend's New York Times Travel Section will have this headline: "52 Places to Go in 2017" with many different ideas for adventures to be considered for the future.

Here is one story option and highlight of special interest to us: "Lofoten Islands, Norway: Adventure and art-inspiring landscapes in the Arctic. This archipelago, a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Oslo and more than 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle, is an idyllic haven for outdoor adventurers and artists. The craggy mountains that drop dramatically into cobalt waters make it a favorite with hikers, cyclists, kayakers and a growing number of surfers. The same striking landscape is popular with artists who turned cod factories into galleries for contemporary art, ceramics and photography. New hotels like Svolvaer Havn are opening to accommodate the growing number of visitors, while perennial favorites like Thon Hotel Lofoten have undergone renovations. And with more nonstop flights from the low-cost carrier Norwegian Air, it’s all that much easier to get to Norway." Yes, we super loved our time here and it is great to see this spectacular area getting the attention and praise it deserves.

Among other great places highlighted are: Botswana, Madagascar, the Great Barrier Reef, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Sedona, Athens, Madrid and Budapest. Some of these locations we have super enjoyed visiting, but there are lots more wonderful places meriting future attention. It's great doing this exploring and considering other interesting locations for the future. Love reading these various stories about nice options to consider!!

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/travel/places-to-visit.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftravel&action=click&contentCollection=travel&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 165,786 views for this posting.

From the Travel Section of the London/UK Sunday Times this morning, they have this headline: “top writers on their holidays in 2017” with one of these highlights being about the Lofoten Islands.

Their experienced writer noted: “Imagine an Arctic beach: bright white sands, sheer cliffs on every side, ominously dark water lapping the shore, with not much between you and the North Pole. That’s the Lofoten Islands, in the far Norwegian north. Lofoten in summer is all about kayaking in the fjords, hiking, fishing, eating whale carpaccio, lounging by the fire in your fisherman’s cabin and staying up with the midnight sun to drink wildly expensive lager. This is troll country: deep waters, thick boulders and hearty local Vikings. It’s a bit of a schlep to get there, flights and ferries, but soul-cleansingly beautiful and utterly worth it once you do."

These highlights bring back wonderful memories from our visits to the scenic Lofoten Island during our July 2010 cruise along the western coast of Norway.

Full story at:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/travel/the-sunday-timess-top-writers-on-their-holidays-in-2017-znnd9xrc8

THANKS! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 228,611 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Wonderful info on the Lofoten Islands. Thank you all.

Wonderful info on the Lofoten Islands. Thank you all.

Appreciate this above nice follow-up. Yes, lots to see and do in this amazing area of Norway From Conde Nast Traveler earlier this year, they had this headline: “13 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Norway's Lofoten Islands” with these highlights: “It's not exactly easy to reach the Lofoten Islands, but you won't regret making the effort. Once there, you'll find clear blue waters that rival the Mediterranean, craggy mountains that rival Iceland, and enough edgy museums and fishing villages to rival...well, just pick any Scandinavian hot spot. Yet while Lofoten's sites may draw some comparisons, the beauty here is truly unparalleled: think colorful fishing villages, majestic fjords, and frozen beaches dotted with surfers.”

Here is another story highlight included with these wonderful visuals: "The phenomenon of the midnight sun (when the sun doesn't set for several weeks during the summer) affects places south of the Antarctic Circle and north of the Arctic Circle—and that includes the Lofoten Islands. The event resembles a dreamy sunrise or sunset, giving you 24-hour viewing access to northern Norway's striking landscapes from mid-May to July."

Full story at:

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/13-photos-that-will-make-you-want-to-visit-norways-lofoten-islands

Below is the link to our latest travel world adventure. This most recent trip features our first visit to Southeast Asia, including doing an initial river cruise. Fun!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.! Just completed a Jan. 21-Feb. 20, 2018, first adventure through Southeast Asia with stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before traveling all over Vietnam and Cambodia. This includes seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 31,175 views. Lots of interesting pictures!! See more at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

From Conde Nast Traveler magazine, here are just three of the 13 pictures featured. All of these visuals brings back nice memories of an amazingly wonderful region of the world.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

From CNN, the cable TV news network, three days ago, they had this headline: “Lofoten Islands: An Arctic beach vacation” with these highlights: “Northern Norway may not spring instantly to mind for those planning a beach vacation. Yet the golden sands of the remote Lofoten Islands draw photographers, surfers and backpackers from the world over. A road trip along the narrow roads of Norway's Lofoten Islands inevitably takes hours longer than planned. Around every bend there's another breathtaking vista, an even more dramatic mountain, or yet another fishing village of red wooden huts that just begs to be explored. While the islands are best known for their spiky landscape, idyllic waterside villages, Northern Lights displays and world-class hiking, it's the beaches that are the biggest travel surprise.”

A wide number of options for and observations of the scenic Lofoten Islands are offered. This includes: "The islands enjoy an oceanic climate far milder than their latitude would suggest. In fact, the temperature is most often compared to that of Seattle or Quebec City, which lie 20 degrees farther south on the globe. Locals make the most of the climate anomaly by heading to the beaches on sunny days, yet with ice-cold water and few facilities it doesn't attract the typical beach-seeker. Backpackers, hikers, photographers and surfers are the new Lofoten tourists."

Full story at:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lofoten-islands-beaches-norway/index.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 231,206 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Here are four of the visuals used to illustrate this profile by CNN. Look good and interesting?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

TLCOhio Terry in Ohio. Visited the spectacular Lofotens in this past July. Photos bring back memories.

Noticed at the bottom of each of your posts that you have a link to a CC board with description of other places you have traveled. Want to sail around Cape Horn of South America and am especially interested in Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords and glaciers. Have you traveled there are do you have any posts? Thanks.

TLCOhio Terry in Ohio. Visited the spectacular Lofotens in this past July. Photos bring back memories. Noticed at the bottom of each of your posts that you have a link to a CC board with description of other places you have traveled. Want to sail around Cape Horn of South America and am especially interested in Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords and glaciers. Have you traveled there are do you have any posts? Thanks.

Appreciate this great follow-up and good question. YES, do have sailing around Cape Horn and doing around Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords on our future, to-do list. Have previously spent some time in the late 1980's in Argentina doing Buenos Aires and Mendoza, etc.

But, in a little over month (Nov. 13), we depart for Athens and doing a 20-day sailing with Oceania to Dubai in making our first visits to the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan/Petra, Middle East, etc. Then, next summer, for our first time, we will be seeing the Western Canada Rockies, Vancouver, Alaska, etc. After that on our priority list is a first-time for visiting Galápagos, etc. Just need people to send money and/or arrange for me to get commissions as my posts inspire your future travel plans. Or, need to win a big Lottery for more money to explore the world.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Finished June 2017 sailing on the Silver Spirit from Portugal to France along the scenic Atlantic Coast, plus great pre- and post-cruise experiences. Now at 25,393 views. Many interesting pictures and details on history, food, culture, etc., from my live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Thanks Terry in Ohio. Enjoy your travels. We are looking at the Viking Jupiter Santiago to Buenas Aires cruise for January or February 2020 but have not yet booked.

Thanks Terry in Ohio. Enjoy your travels. We are looking at the Viking Jupiter Santiago to Buenas Aires cruise for January or February 2020 but have not yet booked.

We have never sailed with Viking, either on their many river ships or their newer ocean ships. BUT, we would consider them for the future. As always with us, it is about the itinerary and the value offered in doing that potential sail.

Another trade-off and/or challenge for this part of the world is just doing this southern part of South America and/or whether to go "all the way" in exploring Antarctica. Lots of questions and options??!! With Antarctica, many of the options for there are not cheap and you have some risks as to the weather and sea conditions during such an adventure. It's fun to research and consider future options!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting, dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 42,746 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

From the Travel Section of the London/UK Daily Mail two days ago, they had this headline: “Stunning aerial images taken by true masters of drone photography” with these highlights: “Tobias Hägg took this shot at sunrise, positioning his drone over the small village of Reine in the Lofoten archipelago in northern Norway. He says during winter in the Arctic you 'have the golden hour all day, which means you get a better chance of capturing the perfect light and rich colors on the mountains'. The photographer adds that Lofoten is famous for its clear blue waters, which 'make it look almost as if you are in the Caribbean.' ”

Full story at:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-6234519/The-stunning-images-new-book-Masters-Drone-Photography-Ammonite-Press.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 213,405 views for this posting.

Here is that image from this UK publication. Interesting view and angle?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see this picture larger/better!)