We all met up for breakfast and then each went their separate ways to explore this part of the Lofoten Island chain. We headed straight for the local laundry to catch up on a pile of washing that has accumulated over the past ten days, the last time we had washing done. We have found that trying to do laundry in your bathroom, when you are only staying one night, is very difficult as there is no time for it to dry. The result is, we pay exorbitant local laundry prices!
As we drove out of Svolvaer to find the laundry, we went through the side streets with their pretty coloured wooden houses.
We dropped off the laundry and drove a couple of kilometres to the small fishing village of Kabelvag. This village is famous for the fishing fleet that docks here during the winter months, leaving by April. The town has a very pretty wooden church, but, as we have found so often on this drive through Norway, it was locked.
Kabelvag is a very attractive little fishing village and we started exploring it by driving down to the sea. We had great views across the fjord to the mountains in the distance, which made a good backdrop for me and our trusty Landcruiser.
I particularly liked this photo taken by Wendy of two mountains, each covered by cloud, that made them look like smoking volcanoes.
A view towards the harbour of Kabelvag.
While we were enjoying the scenery, two air force fighter jets flew overhead. As they went towards the mountains they dipped down and flew between them! I managed to take a photo of one of them as it climbed on the far side of the mountain.
We drove back into Svolvaer and went down to the harbour mouth where there is this statue of a woman, waving goodbye (or is it hello?) to the sailors of Svolvaer as they left or returned to the town.
We drove through the centre of town and saw this statue of someone called Jens Steffensen, who died in 1961. I must look him up on Google to see why he is honoured. In front of the statue is the building housing the Lofoten War Museum.
At lunchtime we decided to try a local bar called Bacalao which is the name for salted and dried cod.
You see the cod being dried everywhere, either on the giant racks the fishermen build, or just a few fish hanging from the window ledges of houses.
Kenny and DeeAnne joined us for lunch before we drove back to our hotel, crossing the bridge to our island.
The Rica Hotel.
At 6pm, when it opens, we are going to the Ice Museum which has beautiful ice carvings. I'll post some photos either later today or tomorrow, when we are aiming to drive all the way down the archipelago to a place called A. This is the best spelling I can do, as the Norwegian name of the town is a letter 'A' with a small 'o' on top of it. The barman in Bacalao told us that we should see puffins there. I hope so, as I love these colourful little sea birds.
As promised, here are a few photos from our visit this evening to Magic Ice, the Ice Museum. Wonderful ice carvings and drinks served in ice glasses! As you can imagine, certain members of the group had a ball!!
A rack of ice glasses. Yes, they are made out of ice!
The bar, made of solid ice, where the drinks are served in the Ice Museum and where the temperature is kept at minus 6 degrees Celsius.
One of the fantastic ice sculptures. This one of a man rowing a boat.
Finally, an update on the saga of Eric's window. After leaving Alta without the replacement window because it was stuck in Oslo, Eric had it redirected to Svolvaer. Well, yesterday Eric heard from the hotel in Alta that it had just arrived there!! It looks like Eric and Lynn will have to complete the journey with the perspex temporary window that Eric made and fitted. So much for DHL service!!
1 comment:
Oh how I love Google: Jens Steffensen was originally a fisherman and construction worker. He was Member of Parliament for Nordland county between 1934 and 1957 , Mayor Bo in a short period in 1945 , and deputy mayor between 1934 and 1941 . He was chairman of the Norwegian Fishermen's Association 1937 -1 941 and in 1945 - 1951 , and chairman of the Norwegian Fishermen's Sales Organisation between 1952 and 1961.
Steffensen was a famous but controversial fishing politician. In 1951 the leadership of Labor in order to liberalize the law trawler . The Fishermen's Association, with Jens Steffensen in the lead, there was strong opposition to this, and Steffensen managed to mobilize a majority of the Labour Party's parliamentary group against the proposal. The proposal, however, was passed with support from the bourgeois parties. At Fishermen's Association national convention later that year saw Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen , Fisheries Reidar Carlsen and LO -chairman Konrad Nordahl that Steffensen was not re-elected as Chairman of fishermen.
You picture continue to amaze me every day! Pictures never give anything justice, so I can only imagine what it looks like in person! I love the ice glasses. Did Wendy enjoy a nice cold glass of white wine in hers?
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