Sometimes it's good to get far away from everyday life. For decades I have wanted to visit the #lofotenislands off the coast of northern #norway. Last Monday, a regular day, with no paid work planned for the week, the opportunity arose for me to head north. I grabbed the chance! A few hours to pack and get to Oslo airport, and I found myself on early Tuesday morning heading northbound. A brief stop in #Bodø, a six hour sailing courtesy of #Hurtigruten, #Nordnorge, with dinner at the Captains Table, and I stepped off the ship at #Svolvaer late evening. A few minutes walk from the pier and I checked into the stylish Thon Hotel Svolvaer. It felt as though I had stepped into another world. I had heard many times how windy the Islands could get. The weather made a mockery of the dreary forecast, as I woke to a calm sea and dry weather. The clouds that hung low over the mountains only added to the spectacular landscape. Having walked for some hours, drinking in the views and photographing my assignment, I had time to hop on a battery driven silent Catamaran that toured #Trollfjord. I heard that it may be possible to sight the magnificent White Tailed Sea Eagle #Haliaeetusalbicilla. Had I seen one or two I would have been ecstatic. The fact that I saw over 30 was quite unbelievable. Both males and females, at one particular point we counted 16 sitting and flying in between two islands. It wasn't only the bird life that was captivating. The clear blue green waters were home to a huge variety of fish and a surprise visit from several porpoises and sea otter. Combined with friendly banter, delicious food (fish especially), fresh air, breathtaking scenery and a real feeling of getting away from it all, as I made my way home, via the tiny airport at Svolvaer Helle, on a #Widerøe turbo prop island hopper, I felt blessed to have finally ticked the box marked Lofoten. This was, I hope, the introduction to many journeys north, to discover more of these enchanting Islands. #lofotenislands #northernnorway #emmastrandbergbooks #widerøe #hurtigruten #seaeagles #nikond850 #landscapephotography #amazonemmastrandberg #thonhotels #svolvaer
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