SYNOPSIS
our trip through the archipelago
In February 2018, in my capacity as the director of education for my bars in New York City, I was invited to give seminars in both Oslo and Trondheim in Norway, and thankfully was able to extend the trip to visit Lofoten. I spent a week in the islands in the company of Jørgen Dons, a friend of mine and the owner of a lovely cocktail bar in Trondheim. After several hours’ flight over the endless white landscape of Arctic Norway, we completed the final leg of our journey to the town Leknes in a small propeller plane departing from Bodø. We wanted to experience the natural beauty as closely as we could, and so opted to explore the islands in a camper van, rented from a wonderful company called Arctic Campers, based in Leknes. It turned out to be a great way to go, as it allowed us to combine travel and accommodation into one. Our van was equipped with a small gas camping stove and a heater for the back, which allowed us cook in relative comfort in the evenings and to sleep comfortably at night. After all, it was February, and we were in the Arctic. I will also mention that Norway's laws allow for wild camping, meaning that unless you are blocking a road, or signage explicitly prohibits it, you can camp anywhere. There were two nights when we paid a small fee to camp in a particular area, but finding a beautiful, isolated spot to spend the night was never a challenge.
With only one principle road, the E10, connecting the islands, everything was quite accessible. Three hours was time enough to travel the length of Lofoten, meaning that any interesting location we wanted to explore was never a far drive. We decided to scout the islands in sections, each day exploring the small roads in that area and seeking out interesting sights and experiences. I must say that Jørgen, who is not a photographer, was unbelievably patient with my constant need to stop the car and photograph every unusual thing I saw, and I am very grateful for that.
Our first two days in Lofoten were quite cold and perfectly clear, with not a cloud in the sky. Our first night offered the only good display of the aurora borealis on our trip, but it was more than enough. The temperatures stayed between 15° and 25°F for the week, dropping a bit below that in the night, but at no point were we uncomfortable. We cooked most nights, buying food from a supermarket in Leknes, but on a couple of occasions we ate at restaurants in the evening to sample the local cuisine. As expected, fish was readily available, and the local variations of fish soup were especially delicious. For red meat, reindeer steaks were a wonderful treat.