Lofoten Islands, Trollfjord and how many islands?

How many islands are there in Norway? This is a hard question to answer as there are many different definitions of an island. However, there seem to be a great many off the coast of Norway so far. A friend if mine, as well as bagging Munros and numerous other hill categories, has also been Island bagging in Scotland. I fear recommending Norway as it would take him more than a lifetime to get anywhere close. Apparently, according to Statista (https://www.statista.com/chart/15364/the-estimated-number-of-islands-by-country/) Norway has some 240,000 or so islands. This compares to between 600 and 900 in Scotland. Remarkably there is one country with even more islands. Any guesses? 

The country is Sweden apparently with some 270,000 islands although where they keep them all I have no idea. The top three countries with loads of islands are Sweden, Norway and Finland. I believe that between them they may have more islands than are available to all of the rest of the countries of the world. A bit island hoarding of them really.

Anyway Norway has a lot and we have sailed by many many hundreds of them already. The Norwegian coast is really remarkably beautiful.

And what have we been up to today. A slow, majestic sail thorough a narrow and shallow dredged channel, the Raftsundet Strait, between the Lofoten and Vesterålen Islands which at times leaves little more than a metre of depth under the boat. In the strait we also sailed into Trollfjord itself the fjord which has loaned its name to our ship. Quite skillful boat handling to get our ship up this channel and turn 360° again to exit.

Then we arrived in Stokmarkness. There is a Hurtigruten Museum here as this is where the line started 130 years ago next month. It is essentially a modern glass walled structure built around one of their older ships which has been retained as a maritime coastal express exhibition. Other than the museum there is little else to the town but we had a pleasant wander around regardless.

We will revisit the Lofoten Islands on the southbound journey stopping at Svolvær.

Tomorrow we have a full day available to us in Tromsø.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tromsø, polar pioneers and cross-dressing in the Arctic

Image
Today we had a good long stopover in Tromsø, the gateway to the Arctic. We also unexpectedly received certificates of Arctic Circle crossing signed personally by the ship's captain. Tromsø is the largest city in Northern Norway and amongst many things is home to the Tromsø Film Festival which all fellow wittitainment followers will know (hello to Jason). Our first destination was across the Tromsø Bridge to visit the very distinctive Arctic Cathedral. We then had a good long tour of the Polar Museum and learned much about Amundsen, Nansen, Wanny Woldstad and cross-dressing in the Arctic. Roald Amundsen of course is rightly famous but he also had a ferociously competive friendship with the equally adventurous Fritjhof Nansen over many years. Wanny Woldstad was a women from Tromsø who was the first female hunter to overwinter on Svalbard. She was also Tromsø's first female taxi driver. The museum also had a temporary  ex...
Read more

49 hours at sea

Image
Not much to report other than the southbound journey was a little more blowy than the northbound one.  The windspeeds varied from near gale  to strong gale (7-9) for most of the journey but the boat unsurprisingly handled the conditions well. It was however quite a rough crossing of the Norwegian Sea. A lot fewer people around for meals and generally lounging around. Sadly this included Soaz who did not managed to surface at all during this period and survived on bread and water rations. There was not too much to miss mind apart from the usual fine food. All that I saw on the trip was a clutch of russian trawlers and two more whales which I now believe to have been fin whales. However after two nights and two days at sea we have both arrived upright and safely in Tromsø at 12noon today. There is no time ashore in Tromsø this time we are only stopping to let off some passengers who are off on a bus tour. Later this afternoon we will have some time ashore in Finnsnes...
Read more

Brønnøysund and sunshine

Image
Our first day of sunshine and warmth on the southern leg of our trip. We had a bike tour of Brønnøysund booked for today which was unfortunately cancelled. So we had a good wee walk about instead. There was as usual a lovely waterfront and old town but a rather bland modern centre. The views in the sunshine were very spectacular though.  Our sail south took us past Torghatten, an island crag with a hole in the centre. As well as the usual abundance of beautiful islets and skerries.  Tomorrow is our last full day on board before we head home. This has been a fabulously memorable trip with sea, mountains, fjords, islands, islets, skerries, bridges, glaciers, whales, sea birds, polar bears, crossing the Arctic circle, visiting Svalbard, being on the northernmost point of Europe...not to mention the food, the people, the friendliness...Norway - what's not to like. 😁👍🏻🚢
Read more