We wake again to gray, drizzle and exhausted kids but manage to roll everyone down to the dining room for our Norwegian breakfast of cereals, fresh bread and a myriad of fish and cheese toppings. By 10:30 we make our ways on our bikes and begin pedaling up the windy coast. The weather can and will change in minutes so as we watch the wind blow East we know that the clouds will likely turn to sun and visa versa throughout the day.
Valentina and Lorenzo are cruising up with Kirk, Luca gets quickly defeated by the heavy winds. I hear his whimper turn to a cry, his cute little face gets all scrunched up in pain so since I can’t fix “it”, I begin a round of 20 questions and he gets to pick what I will guess for (living thing or not) which immediately helps him gets his mind off the tough stuff. He stumps me with rocket ship, telephone pole and kangaroo. This little game is a great one to pass the miles and by the time round three is finished were are done with 10 KM and have met up with the group.
The next leg of the trip takes us up towards Gimsoy; we stop along the way at a mirror sculpture by NY artist Dan Graham, facing the mountains and the sea and whose angles distort all reflections. I later learn that Dan has had a long time fascination with reflective surfaces. The kids are jazzed about this great find and could have spent most of the morning here making faces and watching their bodies contort into a variety of shapes. At first, the sculpture does not appear to be present in a material sense, but rather as something that captures light and images of the surrounding landscape. With its reflective, concave panoramic walls, it is no less than a feast for the eye
We move on pedaling a lovely rolling road to towards Gimsoya. Luca is doing better now that he has removed some layers and rejoined the group so I ride ahead and Mauro takes the rear. In Lofoten you can watch the weather come and go. The sky goes from clearish to cloudy and soon it begins to rain. Our snack stops arrives just in time. We have a snack stop of cookies, nuts and dried fish which Valentina calls Norwegian beef jerkey. Devin loves it. I pass and opt for cookies.
We let the rain pass before crossing a long, sweeping bridge connecting one island to the next. Kirk, Lorenzo, Valentina, Jim, Angie and I take the extra loop to Gimsoya while Luca, Devin, Mauro, Joyce and Sandro head on the main loop to set up the picnic. As we start out along this tiny road following the massive fiord, the sun pops and everything begins to sparkle. It’s a glorious road that, with its farms, field of wildflowers and massive peaks to our left and right remind me of Switzerland but enough comparisons to other places– this is Lofoten, a tiny, remote place at the top of the world blessed with incredibly gorgeous big views for everyone. I belt out a few Sound of Music tunes, an ancient cycling ritual of mine in response to roads like this that make me feel totally ALIVE!
We take a break at a gorgeous sandy white beach with expansive 360 degree views. The sand is hard-packed and perfect for riding. Kirk takes the first spin but rides too close to a sea bird’s (an Oystercatcher’s) nest and we watch as the birds dive bomb him with their long orange beaks. The rest take to the beach to play, biking in every direction, enjoying the new sensation of riding in the sand and through the water just where the water breaks. No hands. No problem
I am thrilled to watch Lorenzo, the sometimes road cycling skeptic, pedaling carefree along the beach jumping rocks and going through the water. The more he (and all kids) appreciates these small, joyous moments on bike, hopefully the more he will begin to see riding on two wheels as a source of ultimate freedom and fun. It’s one of those special tour moments that will last in our minds forever (and if not I have taken plenty of pictures to jump start our minds back).
We take a few group photos and hop back on the bikes to reunite with our group on the road to Stamsund. Sandro has picked a perfect spot for a picnic but it starts to rain again and we take cover in and around the van as we munch on bread, cheese, potato salad, fish, pate, carrots, peaches and chocolate for desert.
After lunch we head along the coastal road. The sky breaks again and turns from gray to a glorious blue. This flat and gently rolling coastal road is 20 miles of absolutely spectacular scenery, a road I wished never ended and one I hope to do again someday. Definitely makes my top ten list of the world’s best roads! Last year I had done ridden it at 1:00 AM under gray skies. To our left and across the sea are a range of peaks that zig zag across the horizon all the way to Hemingsvar where we had come from that morning. To our right, a wall of green mountains whose forms continually morph and change. In the foreground, farmland, rocky outposts and yellow and white wildflowers galore. I continually take pictures, each one better than the next. A gentle tailwind only sweetens the ride and helps keep the group together.
As we approach Stamsund with about 10 more KM to go, Devin and Angie hop in the van and the others ride ahead while I hang with Luca in the back. He has done 30 miles and I am very impressed; he is tired and wants to be finished. I have not drank enough water and have a massive headache from not drinking enough water (too busy looking!) so we both push through and support each other.
We see the town in the distance but in his 7 year old eyes it never gets closer. We hit a head wind as we go around a corner and he looses it. Luckily the wind died down as the roads dips into the bay. We see Kirk ahead waiting for us, just in time to talk Luca through the last 5 KM to our rorbur on the sea. It’s our longest day and everyone is beat. We calculate that Luca has done 40 miles and Valentina and Lorenzo have done 50, the longest they have all ever ridden. I am super proud and they are surprisingly upbeat and positive.
We go to dinner at the Skjaerbrygga in Stamsund. The adults have an appetizer of finely sliced whale meat and delicious fish soup while the kids eat pizza and draw. Midnight light or not, bedtime comes easy.
The next morning we are off to the Viking museum and Ballstad as our final destination. We all head out along the coastal road and you can tell that wind is going to be a challenge as we ride hard and go slow. Luca is quickly defeated but then we go around the bend and the wind is at our back and life is good. Valentina is riding strong; Lorenzo is still tired from the ride the previous day. We hit a long climb and Luca makes it with only a slight whimper near the top. At the bottom of the hill is Leknes where we stop at an Esso gas station to use the restroom and buy large bars of chocolate.
For the 13KM ride to the Viking museum, the road is busy but we enjoy a huge headwind that makes the ride super fast, easy and fun. As mac addicts with a creative drive, conversation between Jim and I flows quite easily as I teach Luca how to shift down, pedal hard and catch momentum of the wind. He does and catches Lorenzo and Valentina easily.
We make it to the Viking museum with plenty of time for lunch before our English tour at 1:30. The hands on, dress up and play exhibits keep the kids engaged for almost two hours.
By 3:00 the wind and rain has picked up and Jim and I search the gift store for warmer clothes. Jim emerges with a complete Norsk outfit of sweater, hat, gloves and socks and defines a new cycling look that would never pass in the US but will saves the day for the 30KM of challenging weather (30 mph wind and rain to be exact) that we hit for our ride home. Only Jim, Mauro, Kirk and I opt to ride the strong headwinds and gentle rain. The rest pile in the van and get a well deserved shuttle back.
The winds die down and the sun sparkles the wet pavement as we approach the sea arriving at our destination, passing the world’s largest mural, a delightful seascape by Norwegian American artist Scott Thoe. Scott, who has fallen in love with this island, has his wonderful gallery in Stamsund. Drenched but happy we pedal to our rustic rorbur on the sea.
Thirteen kilometers take us two hours, an average of 8 miles per hour thanks to 30 mph winds. Hot showers soon followed by cold beers, fish soup and warm bread at our cozy restaurant make cold beers, fish soup and warm bread put us back in synch with the universe.
The next morning after our route rap, we pile into a small fisherman’s boat for a 40 minute trip to Nusfjord, tucked into the base of stunning fiord and considered one of the most typical Lofoten villages. We roam around the small town and meet the local calabrese silversmith who bears resemblance to Salvador Dali.
We head the road down and pedal through and up the fiord passing a massive mountain wall that is the backdrop to Lake Storvatnet. I ride the hill with Luca and as stresses about the climb, I attempt a quick geology lesson, have him look at the mountain’s layers and tell him that the formation of the earth is like piles of pancakes that over millions of years get hurled up to the sky to form mountains. Not sure if he got it the concept but he made it up the hill like a champ. The sun pops again in full glory as we enjoy the descent down the other side.
For the remainder of the trip we pedal on the E10, an incredible road (they all are I guess) that winds past sandy beaches, small villages and along the shores of the massive fiords connected by long sweeping bridges.
We stop for a delicious picnic lunch on a dock in Ramberg. During lunch a curious fisherman bikes towards us, stops to pump up his tires and shows Sandro the bike he got for his 79th birthday, a shiny blue cruiser.
Back on the road again we begin the second half of our ride along the glorious Selfjorden Fiord towards Reine. I stop continuously to take in the views and to photographically capture the experience of this magnificent landscape.
We regroup in Sund and as we cross the bridge the sun hides behind the mountain and the landscape turns gray. We convince Luca to hop in the van so we can pick up the pace and move along to our final destination, the tiny village of Tind. He is not happy about this. Lorenzo and Valentina are riding stronger than ever before and I am very impressed—no complaining just riding strong, getting along and enjoying the views— a 360 shift from the year before. Cycling parents, there is hope for your fledging offspring who you think will never get it!
I catch the wheel of a couple of fully loaded English bike tourists and cruise with them to next rest stop. A quick snack of nuts and cheese and we descend into Hamnoya, past Reine, Moskennes and finally to our rorbur in Tind. That evening we pedal down the road 1KM to our restaurant, Marem Anna where we gather around a long wooden table and enjoy another wonderful meal. The delicate appetizer arrives, tiny crawfish with a single scallop and a seasoned breadstick followed by a deliciously seasoned, buttery fresh haddock steak garnished with potato salad and sautéed vegetables.
For desert three single scoops of vanilla ice cream floating in fresh strawberry sauce. The portions perfectly satisfy my strong cycling appetite. We hear that Spain is playing Holland in the final rounds of the world cup but there is no TV to follow the waves of screaming that are occurring all over the world. By the time we leave we hear that Spain is victorious and will go into the finals to be played this week. Buenas Noches Lofoten!
MORE great pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48084728@N02/sets/72157624484411250/http://www.flickr.com/photos/48084728@N02/sets/72157624484411250/
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Lauren on Jul 5th, 2010 in
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After 12 hours of hugely uncomfortable but uneventful plane travel we arrived in Bodo, the small city from which all ferries leave to Lofoten, the small island that took my heart away a little more than one year ago. The airport of Bodo is small, my favorite kind. Within minutes we collected our luggage and were out the door, on a bus and heading into town to catch a 3 hour ferry. We were starved and the kid’s exhaustion from all night travel was setting in and raising its ugly head in the form of whining, crying, fighting and refusing to move any farther until food was supplied. We dragged our feet and luggage to a restaurant on the main drag and had mediocre pizza and salad. After plane food and a terrible night, they will eat anything.
We hop on the 3:00 ferry but just after we board we realize that it’s the wrong one so screaming we sprint off and board the ferry that is next to ours. Once we get on the ferry it does not take long for us to settle in. Lorenzo falls asleep while Valentina and Luca listen quietly to their IPODS. I read a bit then discover that the ferry has internet and I catch up on some emails. Soon sleep overtakes me too and I let it. We arrive in Moskennes at 7:00 and our local guides Kirk and Roger are waiting to take us to our red rorbur overlooking the sea. Rorbu are a typical accommodation in Lofoten. The rorbu, literally meaning “row house” are cabins, once used by local fishermen, are simply restored and idyllically located between the fish landing station, quayside buildings, fish racks and other traditional, local buildings. Here, everywhere in Lofoten, you have the sea on one side, and the the spectacular Lofoten mountains on the other.
We drop off our luggage and walk to a Marem, a small, cozy restaurant overlooking the sea. The choices are limited, the prices are high but the dishes are flavourful. Luckily our waitress was Italian and could translate the Norwegian only menu. Mauro and I had a delicate Haddock steak with mustard sauce. The kids enjoyed very large burgers on thick, hearty locally baked rolls. After dinner we strolled back to our cabin and tried to settle down. Between the bright Northern lights, jet lag and general excitement over our new abode, no one fell asleep until at least 2:00 AM.
The next day we let the kids sleep in until 12:00 giving me some time to catch up on organizing months of photographs. It will take me most of the summer to work on this project during travel downtime but its gotta get done. By late afternoon we were on our way to Reine, Sandro’s base of operation. We tried out our bikes, enjoyed waffles and a bit of metalworking with the local blacksmith. Then, for the highlight of the day, we took an hour kayak trip with Kirk into the bay at the beginning of the Fiord. The water was glass like making the rowing easy. Luca, who took a six-week kayak and swim course at the Boys and Girls club rowed like an old pro. I watched in awe at all of us in this beautiful place so far from home. What a spectacular place.
After kayaking it was back to our rorbu and to dinner in the town of A (yes the name of this town is one letter, but pronounced “O”) where Ghana and Uruguay were playing a semi final round of the world cup. Ghana lost. Some were crushed. Others were not. That’s the way it goes in World Cup competition; At the same time, a bike race about to take off from the restaurant. The annual race called Insominia, leaves at 11:00 and cover 250 KM across Lofoten and cyclists ride throughout the night. Not a huge field of riders but tightly dressed in warm layers and ready for a “night” ride under the midnight sun. We walk home and for the second night we are buzzed from the bright lights and energy from the day. Kids rest reluctantly but thanks to audio tapes slumber overcomes all.
We wake to a gorgeous morning of pure sunshine. We head to the other side of the island to meet the Pohl family—Jim, Joyce, Angie and Devin who we will share our week here in Lofoten. Meeting them face to face after many emails and phone calls is a treat particularly when I discover they have been loyal fans and have been collecting our annual Ciclismo Classico brochure AND saving it on top of their refrigerator since 1990, when I illustrated all the places we went to rather than use photographs. Now that makes me smile.
Our hotel, the Nyvågar Rorbuhotell is set into a quiet bay stunningly simple and lovely, a renovated grouping of boat houses overlooking a quiet bay and stunning mountains. Open your door and you are on a dock. Take five steps and you’re in the water. My kids love it and do not want to leave. Valentina settles in as if she has been there for weeks, Lorenzo learns that dock biking can be fun.
The Nyvågar Rorbuhotell is a rorbu cabin hotel built on the foundations of the medieval town of Vågar, the first town community of North Norway. This area still retains some of the atmosphere of old. Here you can experience Lofoten Museum, which is built around one of Lofoten’s largest and best preserved village owner houses, as well as Galleri Espolin and Lofoten Aquarium. Life at Nyvågar is oriented towards the sea, and the spacious fisherman’s cabins are of a high standard with a high level of comfort. I love our rorbu cabins built on two levels, decorated in light colors.
We meet to review the trip, have a snack and take a warm up ride on our bikes to Svolvar and back. The light is stunning as it whirls in and out of the clouds. In Svolvar the kids are doing wheelies in the main square and bouncing over steps while parents savor a large latte and some salty peanuts. The attempt to do a wheelie becomes a theme throughout the trip. There’s lots of excitement and chatting as we pedal home to our rorbu cabin on the sun filled dock. Sharing a love of travel, food, adventure, fun and bicycling, our families are instantly compatible. It’s going to be a great week! Our dinner that evening is consistent with our accommodations, elegant yet simple: Fish mussle soup with salmon. Halibut with a bit of black caviar. Baked potato. For desert Panna Cotta. The basic description does not do justice to how the delicate flavors coated our palate. The dining room décor is rustic and cozy with old photographs and artefacts from Lofoten life a sea filling the room. The meal was a
Day 2:
Happy 4th of July! We wake up to a drizzling rain which allows us to try out all our new rain gear! We get off to a slow start with Kirk in the lead and the kids following him like a Pied Piper. We ride along a bike trail that parallels the main road. We are surrounded by lush mountain walls of green. The rain tapers off as we approach a 200m tunnel but rather than ride through it we take the gravel trail that goes over the mountain. It’s mostly hard packed but with enough loose rocks and incline that Luca reaches the top crying “ I am going to die.” Fully surviving he reaches the top to his cheering squad of Lorenzo, Valentina and Joyce. His tears dry and his confidence booms.
We take a group photo with the hazy mountains and sea behind us and head down the other side. I teach Luca and Angie not to sit on their bottoms but to lift their bodies and let the bike roll over the rocks. At the bottom we bike to the sea and a lovely sand and rock beach where the kids play, climb and collect shells until our snack of—cheese, nuts, crackers, hot chocolate, sliced banana, chips and sliced carrots—are ready.
Fueled we ride the last 10 KM spectacular zig zagging miles along the sea and over two arched bridges to Henningsvar, the largest fishing village in the Lofoten. Gorgeous coastal
Twisting through sidestreets we arrive at our hotel, the Finnholmen Brygge and walk upstairs to the dining room and common area that’s warm and lined with long wooden tables where the kids have already made themselves comfortable. We relax, award them orange fanta for their hard work then ride back into town to search for lunch. We find the perfect spot, the Henningsvar Climbers Café, run by the NorthNorwegian School of Mountaineering www.nordnorskklatreskole.no. We know it’s got to be good because we find our guides there sipping a beer. The smell of hot soup, savory sauces fill the warm air. We order lasagne, pasta carbonara and a salad with chicken which we split and is plenty for all of us. A local beer on tap washes it all down just right.
We continue wandering around this charming fishing village by bike including side trips along docks, around boats and into galleries based out of musty smelling old barns filled with hand made wool hats, scarves and mittens and seafaring stuff from long ago. The rain picks up again and we head back for hot showers and some downtime before dinner. It’s July 4th and like most years we are celebrating where no one else does so we have a humble toast to our great country and dig into our fresh fish soup. No chance of Fireworks here—it never gets dark!
My life has revolved around cycling for as long as I can remember. My company Ciclismo Classico, the bicycle tour specialists, is now in its 20th year and inspires people of all ages to embrace cycling as an inspiring part of their daily lives. - Lauren Hefferon (AKA Bici Pazza)
