We left m/s Polarlys at Svolvaer on the southern part of its coastal voyage (journal under Arctic Circle. We had two nights on the Lofotens and we both hope very much to be back.
This is not cheap but it is really super food. There is meat for non fish eaters but the fish is marvellous. Both smoked cod roe and cods' tongues make excellent starters and between us we had baked cod, a sort of half dried cod and halibut with a deep-sea fish that nobody could translate. Whatever it may be, it was delicious.
Orange parfait and the chocolate confection, a sort of cross between a cake and a souffle were just fine.
Everything is cooked to order and it is no hardship to wait in the cosy dining room hwich was once a busy warehouse.
Three things call for attention. The first is the Trollfjord to which there are boat trips in the summer when the southbound Hutigruten ship also passes through - hopefully not at the same time because it is unbelievably steep and narrow. it is banned except in the summer because of the danger, particularly in Spring, of falling rock.
The second is the tremendous mountain scenery. I had heard of the Svolvaer Goat, a massive rock promontory with two bits between athletes and perhaps lunatics jump but I had imagined that this stood alone. In fact there are several wonderful ridges with masses of snow.
The third is not really a natural wonder but is the connected island where the rorbuer are situated. I had never imagined from my reading the terrific volume of cod hung out to dry with scaregulls apparently being quite effective. Then there are the ex-warehouses and fish-processing centres. There is a long mostly constructed promontory into the sea with a statue on a small island at the end where it is said that a hwale can often be seen. I am sure it can but it did not come for us!
I am not cheating in submitting something called train and connecting bus as natural wonders though we certainly had no idea of this beforehand and of course it is the coast, mountains and inland lakes which constitute the natural wonders.
First I have to remark on another wonder, the efficiency of the transport system.
You can tsart on a bus from Leknnes which arrives at the car ferry quay in Svolvaer - where we started - just in time for the car ferry which is met by another bus to the little town of Ulsvåg where another bus from narvik has just arrived to continue the journey to Fauske where there is about twenty minutes to the overnight train to Trondheim. This is literally all like clockwork.
Now for the natural wonders. The mountains on both sides of the sea - Lofotens and mainland are great but for us the highlight of the trip was the busride from Ulsvåg to Fauske through tunnels and by frozen and some melting lakes at considerable heights with snowy peaks all around. This is a spellbinding treat for which you probably cannot prepare.
I include the train itself because every time I looked out during the night there was something which made me want to do it by day some time.