Lofotens II

July 18 we continued our drive on the E10 up the Lofoten chain and its scenery, incredible even in windy, rainy, cloudy weather, stopping briefly in Svolvaer for email and shopping. Here we received the welcome news that our $14,000 “deposit” with the Germans had been refunded, as we requested upon leaving the EU, and wired to our US bank account. What a relief!

At another mini-maelstraum down the road I went fishing again with a new new lure (15NOK at Svolvaer Maritime Supply). I made a fine cast into the maelstraum, from bridge pilings between the two islandss...with high hopes. But, alas, the line was not attached to the reel (factory defect?) and my line and brand new lure disappeared into the turbulent depths. Fish 3, Mark 0. Perhaps I'll buy new line and lures in Scotland next month. We paid $15 for my rod and reel and set-up at the Kathmandu store in Auckland last December. The lures and line will exceed that. Is this what is meant by sunk costs?

As we drove further north in Lofotons, toward Narvik, the question arose of where we would go next. Our relatives in Brussels will be out of town when we pass through, so we have “gained” a day or two from there. At length, the northering instinct prevailed, and we decided to drive on to the North Cape, the Nordkapp, as Europeans call it, the northernmost point of Europe. It is a major destination, and we wanted our RV to display the same Nordkapp sticker we have seen on others. We had dinner at a rest area and drove and on, into the “night,” stopping about 10PM at yet another rest area.

View across the channel from our campsite, first night in Lofotens

Lunch first day

Fish racks and peaks, typical scenery

Ditto

Another village and mountain face

Arctic white sand beach; yes, there were people on the beach...

Another sand beach on the Atlantic side

Reconstruction of Viking chieftain's long house, built on original foundations

Arctic ferns

So many of the houses and other buildings have grass growing on  the roofs,
I have wondered how they mow it

Question answered!