An early start to get the train to the airport and head further North. Our destination is Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands, known as one of the most beautiful spots in Norway.
The flight from Oslo to Bodø gave us beautiful views of the snow capped Islands on the West Coast of Norway. Boats and ships were dotted between them, and occasionally we could see little villages on the waters edge. I always wonder what people do when they live in such isolated spots. 
From Bodø it’s a 25 minute flight to Svolvær on a little Dash8. Touch down was on a snow covered runway, and baggage was dropped in a little drive through garage. A unique experience!
The Lofoten Islands are recognised as one of the most picturesque places in Norway. Svolvær is a little old fishing village in the with a population of about 5000 people. The local fish is cod, which is dried on large racks for 3 months and referred to as ‘stockfish’.
Today, Svolvær is primarily a launch point for people who want to explore the islands, hike the surrounding mountains, go fishing, kayaking, and see the sea eagles. The large hotels in the town show just how many people must be here in the Summer months to make the most of the midnight sun!
We are now far enough North that the sun is ‘down all day’. There is ‘Civil twilight’ between about 9:30-2:30 which means that the sun is between 0-6 degrees beneath the horizon. It was a clear day, and knowing that we had limited light, we headed straight out for a walk around the town. These photos were all taken around 1-2pm…
As soon as it’s dark our body clock kicks into dinner and sleep mode. It’s quite strange to see people in restaurants having dinner at 4pm, and the streets are empty. Nevertheless, the supermarkets remain open until 11pm?!?
Tomorrow we’re off snow-shoeing in the surrounding mountains… there could be a snowman or two to be made!
Cheers, M & theBunch x
Svolvær Temp: 0-2, wind 10km/h
Light: Sun down all day. Civil Twilight 9:23-14:34
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