After our time in Husoy, we drove six hours south onto the start of the famous Lofoten Island chain; any quick google search of must-see places in Norway includes this group of rocks jutting into the Arctic Ocean. Here you find crystal clear blue water, white sand beaches created by arctic waves and mountains that seem to rise straight out of the sea.  Known for their rugged beauty and rich fishing history, the Lofoten islands had always been on our list, but we put them later in the year to allow the hoards of tourists to clear out first.

As we drove south on a spectacular day, I kept having that dazed feeling you get when you walk out of a movie theater into the bright light.  Every kilometer we traveled had scenery which was new, different, bright and fresh; I kept rubbing my eyes and blinking to make sure it was real. You could spend a lifetime between Senja and the Lofotens and never hit all the peaks, see all the beaches, or run all the trails.

The first few days on the Lofoten Islands we spent in the second largest city of the islands, Svolvær where the airport is located.  We had rented an Airbnb, run by a charming retired Swedish woman, who had opened her basement “to give herself something to do”. We were all figuratively and literally like kids in a candy store in Svolvær. There were cappuccinos, bikes paths, ice cream shops, and endless rocky beaches. We only barely scratched the surface however, because it took us hours to leave our place with its sauna, garden, and sun-drenched yoga deck. We also got late starts after coming back from long morning trail runs.  Svolvær’s walkable beautiful town blessed us with cloudless skies, changing fall colors and the fun of being in a city for the first time in over a month.