Let’s start by talking about food in the Lofotens. It seems that as soon as the Summer season is over (that being the end of August), most of the eateries shut up shop until well after the cold season ends. We were a couple of days too late to eat in the Lofotens.

In our quest for some hearty Scandinavian fare, or let’s face it, any edible fare, we drove to the little village of Å (pronounced oh! - like you're surprised) which is at the southern most tip of the islands and where the E10 highway comes to an abrupt end. Nothing was open, including the bakery that was well-known in the area and which we were salivating over. After a mild panic, we drove to Reine and to our delight, did find a little grocery store which was open. The shopkeeper pointed out a little cafe across the road which opened daily at 10:00am. It was our lucky morning! Gary couldn't get there fast enough. We had a breakfast of toasted sandwiches and fairly decent coffee. This was to be our local for the next couple of days. 

After we got through our food fiasco, we spent our days exploring the many picturesque towns, villages and landscapes of the Lofotens. 

Here are some of our highlights:

• The whole of the Lofotens is known for its stockfish. These are unsalted cod, hung out to air-dry in the cold climate. We saw hundreds and hundreds of wooden racks (unfortunately without drying cod at this time of the year) populating the countryside. The sea off the Lofoten coast from January to April has been a cod-fishing area for a thousand years. The cod arrive here to spawn. Once caught, they are dried on these wooden racks. The Lofotens are the only place where the climate permits to dry the fish in a traditional, natural way, which not only preserves them perfectly, but also allows to retain their full nutritious value. 

• Hamnøy is a real fishing village! So much so, that we did our laundry in a building where fishermen were scaling and cutting and gutting up fish late into the night. Not only did this building have a couple of washing machines and dryers, but it had huge sinks and counters and massive box freezers filled with fish. 

• Henningsvaer is a cute little village with a couple of gift shops and cafes (which were all closed).

• In the cosmopolitan town of Leknes, we ate one of the best pizzas ever.

• Nusfjord - as the name suggests, is located on a beautiful fjord. Seriously cute houses, vintage stores, silver shops, and a group of rorbuers are some of the sights to see here. 

• The beaches of Ramberg and Flakstad are quite beautiful.

• Unstad Beach was another great find. Situated in a little valley between two mountain ranges and huge grass fields, it is the perfect spot for amazing scenery and surfing! Apparently, the high waves and strong winds make for perfect surfing conditions, as does the average water temperature of 7 - 9°C. On our visit, we saw a number of surfers in the water. The beach is home to the world’s most northern surf school - Unstad Arctic Surf. The surf in the area draws professionals from around the world to experience the “Arctic aloha”.

• Lofotr Viking Museum is a must-see in the Lofotens. It is based on a reconstruction and archaeological excavation of a Viking chieftain's village on the island of Vestvågøya. It is located in the small village of Borg. In 1983, archaeologists uncovered the Chieftain House at Borg (På Borg på Vestvågøya i Lofoten), a large Viking era building believed to have been already established around the year 500 AD. Three years later a joint Scandinavian research project was conducted at Borg. Excavations revealed the largest building ever to be found from the Viking period in Europe.

• Magic Ice - We visited the world’s first ice gallery and bar when we got to Svolvær. It is situated right beside the Hurtigruten port. Housed, appropriately, in what was once a fish-freezing plant, this is the ultimate place to chill out at -6C with a drink to warm the spirit. The 500m2 space is filled with huge ice sculptures, illustrating Lofoten life. Admission includes warm clothing and an ice glass of nordic wine.