Day 2 (friday 19 february 2010) - Bodø - Svolvær
In Bodø the sun is shining and the sky is clear. We'll son get used to this climate which will stay with us all the days, except the last one. Perceived temperature is quite cold, some said that it's around -20 °C...however, it's ok and we walk to the tourist office in the city center. Opening hours during the winter, generally all around Norway, are very limited, so be sure to check before the departure. Unfortunately, this could not be enough...in fact, the tourist office is closed in spite of the written opening hours. Luckily, the nice and welcoming hall is opened, as the ferries' ticket-offices. We leave the baggages in the boxes, paying 50 nok for 24 hours. A kind old man approaches to us, asking if we need help. Ok, we have to debunk a myth before going on: norwegians, generally speaking, are not reserved or cold, but they are shy, which is different. Once you break the shyness, or in case of need, they are very kind and friendly! It's not unusual that if you are in the middle of a street trying to find your way with a map, some will voluntarily stop and ask if you need an help. Obviously, everyone here speaks english!
However, in the end the old man drive us on the top of an hill which dominate the city, a wonderful panoramic viewpoint you cannot miss to start the tour in the North! Up there, the North expresses itself through a cutting and cold wind....but the landscape and the sun let us to forget about the rest.
After exploring the surrounding, we start to go down following the road to the city center, where apparently there is nothing interesting to see, at least in the winter, so we have a look around in the shops. It has been a challenging decision, but in the end we decide to have lunch at Peppes Pizza, a norwegian chain which is everywhere in Norway: take some norwegians, put them making american-style pizza. The result, I'll be honest, is not so bad, but prices are high, as almost everything here.
After a quiet afternoon in Bodø, we take the ferry at 18:00 pm (162 nok, http://www.torghatten-nord.no/) to the Lofoten: it's comfortable, stable, and in time. We place our first foot on the Lofoten's ground at 21:35 in Svolvær. You can forget about big cities, crowded centers, traffic jam and cars. With less than 5000 people, Svolvær is one of the biggest city on the islands. And this says everything! City is desert, street lamps light the empty streets, the atmosphere is really enchanting.
The lights of a kiosk still opened contrast with the rest. We stop in the shop to ask how to reach our accomodation, which should be at walking distance from there. While we are walking we notice something in the sky, a kind of band, similar to a light cloud, almost invisible, blue colored. It's so weak that we have been in doubt for a long time, but in the end we realize that it was a northern light, even if almost invisible! Unfortunately it lasted for few minutes, and we didn't have the time to arrange everything and search for a good observation point to try to take some pictures. Well, it's not so bad, it's an invitation to come back in Norway in the future, hunting the northern lights!
Sjøhus camping is one of the cheapest accomodation in Svolvær, and it has a lot of wooden houses comfortable and suggestive, located on a sea canal. Moreover, almost all the cabins and houses of Lofoten are equipped with a kitchen, and this let us to prepare a good italian dinner, avoiding restaurants and sandwiches. Bon appetit!
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