By train to the Northern Lights - From Bodø to the Lofoten

I actually always look forward to trips on the water, until I realize that I can't tolerate it that well anymore. So I sat there almost motionless for 3 hours, fighting the slight nausea and waiting for the time to pass. In between, I got something to eat to keep myself busy and because I knew that I wouldn't have another chance to get anything to eat that day. However, the only vegetarian item on offer was a slice of toast with cheese - for around 6 euros. Ferry dinner. Shortly before docking, I panicked a bit because the bus I had to take left 10 minutes after we arrived - luckily it was right at the harbor. I wasn't the only one who had to get to the bus and so I joined a couple who were also frantically looking for the ferry exit. We ended up standing around at the stop for almost 10 minutes. A couple from Kuala Lumpur was also waiting there and the man was very happy when he saw the bus coming. I was also a bit afraid of being lost there, because there is practically nothing around the harbor in Moskenes. This is also why I chose Ramberg as my first destination on the Lofoten. And because I found nice accommodation there and there was a supermarket, 2 cafés and a restaurant. In addition, the bus stop was right in front of the accommodation, which I had researched beforehand. After about 45 minutes of driving, I finally arrived at my destination. Ramberg Gjestegård is actually a campsite, but there are also some cabins and a restaurant. Since it was already dark, I could only imagine what it looked like there, but I saw and heard the sea right in front of my little hut and I was already looking forward to the next day.

The following morning I was able to see the beautiful landscape around the campsite. Small mountain ranges everywhere with mostly snow-covered peaks, small houses here and there and the vastness of the sea. I was in Lofoten. I started to realize that now.

I went to have breakfast in the center of Ramberg, not far from my accommodation. Actually, the “downtown” only consists of a small shopping center with a supermarket, hardware store, flower shop, a Lofoten shop, a café and a gas station.

As I sat in the café and had breakfast, the sun came out outside. So I spontaneously decided to go somewhere. But since the buses only run a few times a day, I wasn't too flexible. On the map I spotted a waterfall nearby. And the bus there should leave in 20 minutes. Perfect. However, I only had three options for the way back: take the bus back 30 minutes later, stay there for 3 hours or walk back for almost 2 hours. Given the unstable and harsh weather on the Lofoten Islands and the acute lack of shelter, I decided on option one. It was less than a 10 minute walk from the bus stop. After a short stay at the waterfall, I had to go back to the bus stop. I then drove just one stop and got off at Lofoten Beach Camp to walk from there. There was actually a surf camp there and some brave (or crazy) people were even surfing. The way back to Ramberg was beautiful. There was a small hiking trail right by the sea and I enjoyed the nature and the sun.

After my trip I went to the supermarket to pick up a few things. Eating out here was limited and expensive. Although shopping is also super expensive. But I wanted to eat at least once in the restaurant on site, so I sat there comfortably, wrote a blog and feasted.

Late in the evening I sat or in front of my hut and waited for the northern lights. My Aurora app predicted only a 12% chance of seeing the lights. It was a starry sky, so I just had to be patient. And I was lucky. They actually showed up around 11 p.m. I ran to a place where it was somewhat dark (because the outside lights were on everywhere on the buildings around me). An incredible moment. Unfortunately, the lights weren't very intense and the light pollution meant you couldn't see them in their full beauty, let alone photograph them properly. But it was the moment that counted. The first thing I had was a whiskey that I had brought with me from home. I sat and waited for a while, because the northern lights come and go as they please.

I spent the next day primarily in the hut. Mainly I was planning my onward journey, because I was supposed to continue the next day, but I still didn't have a plan where to go. Since I had seen where there were nighttime sightings via the Northern Lights app, I decided to travel to Svolvær, the capital of the Lofoten Islands. There you could also go on Northern Lights tours lasting several hours, which led you away from the light pollution. I planned, cooked some food, planned some more, sorted pictures, wrote some blog and ate some more. The planning was really time-consuming and nerve-wracking. Because I found out that some things don't work the way I imagined. For example, there was no connection at all between Kiruna in Sweden and Kolari in Finland, where I actually wanted to go. So I had to think of a completely new route and calculate the days exactly. And Narvik was apparently smaller than expected because I only found 3 available hotels for my dates. At one point I even thought about and planned to fly to Tromsø, as the range of tours there is larger. However, I would have had to take the ferry back to Bodø.

In the evening I waited for the northern lights again. Although I actually wanted to go to the restaurant because there was a DJ playing there. But the Northern Lights were more important. And it was totally worth it. They appeared in the sky several times. Even more intense and frequent than the day before.

The next morning we took the bus to Svolvær. I'll miss my little cabin on the beach.

Kind regards 💚