LOFTHUSGÅRD horse farm
February in norway
Horse Farm
trondheim
I spent one day exploring Trondheim, a pitstop my way farther north. This city is beautiful, the traditional architecture charming, the coffee delicious, and I spent the night in a tiny house.
Couch Surfing
Norway is an expensive place to travel and high prices lead me to the pages of couch surfing. A friend who I had met while traveling in South America had encourages me to check out this website for almost a year, and finally I reached out to a young woman living in Trondheim to ask if I might sleep on her couch for two nights. She replied right away with a very warm and concise, “yes, please come.”
Arriving In The Arctic
After a 17 hour train journey I was welcomed into the Arctic a spectacularly fire-red sunset. I boarded the ferry heading to Nordskot where I was picked up by a name Jesper. During the ferry ride the epic sunset had turned to black night and I arrived at my destination in the darkest of darks. I met Jesper, we loaded into a motor boat and headed out into the darkness towards tiny lights glistening somewhere in the distance.
We were heading to an island called Manshausen, the place I would call home for the next two months. Jesper parked the boat and helped me through the snow towards a large wooden house where I met my colleagues. We shared beers and hot dogs by the fire until interrupted by a spectacular show of northern lights, green and purple. I had no idea where I was, but morning light would reveal a landscape that would steal my heart and soul.
Manshausen
For March and April I lived and worked on a tiny island above the Arctic Circle. The Island is home to a collection of boutique cabins and I worked in the hotel’s restaurant. Spending the end of winter here was life changing. I fell madly in love with living between the mountains and the sea.
Nordskot
A traditional fishing village adjacent to Manshausen, a five minute boat ride away when the sea is calm. With a population of just 56 this village is the definition of quaint, surrounded by three beautiful peaks and home to a large population of sea eagles.
Lofoten
Grøtøya
Another Island in the local archipelago and home to some hardy folk who live there year round and some summer homes. The island offers insane views of the dramatic Lofoten Mountain Range, to the northwest, stretching out into the Norwegian sea.
a Field Trip To Helnessund
Astrid and Jesper were heading to Helnessund, a village southeast of our island, to pick up a motor boat that had been in the shop for some engine troubles. They invited us along and we decided to make a day trip out of it. We bundled up for the ride there, piled into the boat and headed south through the archipelago of islands.
Returning to Mansausen
Leaving Norway was very sad, and the melancholy lingered on even as I continued traveling through Europe. I was in the middle of a hike in the Slovenian when I received an message from Astrid. She offered me a job at Manshausen through the rest of the season. Of course, I accepted and returned at the end of June when the midnight sun was shining brightly.
It was a summer to remember, and perhaps most spectacular of all was the opportunity to watch summer turn to autumn, and then for winter to come once again.
Bodø
A place I was often passing through: to catching a flight, a ferry ride, or sorting out tax information for work. Most of my time spent in Bodø was at a cafe called Bable where drip coffee includes re-fills and they have a pretty good cinnamon roll.
Naustholmen
Our neighbor to the west, another island in the chain of archipelago stretching along the mainland’s coast. Owned by another Norwegian explorer and ledgend, Randi Skaug, who was the first Nowegian woman to summit Everest. Her resume also includes the seven summits, impressive kayaking along the Northern Norwegian coast and skiing expeditions in Norway and Greenland.
Fishing In Vestfjord
One evening after a long day of work, the chefs and I decided to go fishing. Suited up we took headed south through the archipelago of islands, heading towards the open sea. I wasn’t really interested in fishing, was more so along for the journey. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Flatøya lighthouse
Every time I drove from the mainland to Manshausen I took note of this lighthouse. It seemed to always be basking in sunlight, especially in the evening, a beacon of light beckoning to be visited. One day the stars aligned, the seas were calm the wind null, most importantly there were no guests on the island this evening so all my colleges and I were off for the night.
We loaded into two motor boats and zoomed across the seas towards the lighthouse, our objective was a sunset dinner though non of us could have guested just how beautiful this evening would be.
A Gallery: The White House
As my time in norway drew to an end, I began taking a photograph of the white house everyday in an attempt to ease the melancholy I already felt. Pink skies or blue, high winds or still, reflection or sometimes at a slightly different perspective.
Måløya
It took me until October and the visit of my eldest sister to finally visit this island. Tom kindly delivered us to Måløya for an afternoon hike and then picked us up in the boat after a few hours of exploring.
Engaløya
After my summer job ended I spent a week visiting friends who were house sitting a traditional Norwegian homestead. We spent daylight exploring the island and the evening staying cozy.
engaløya, Norway
sweet friends invited me to come stay with them for two weeks. they were house sitting for a friend of the island in her beautiful traditional norwegian home.
the days were getting steadily shorter, but our days were magical. We spent the few hours of light out exploring, hiking, visiting beaches, walking the dog and ice skating. dARKNESS WAS SPENT MAKING AND EATING CAKE, READING AND WATCHING DOCUMENTARIES.
A Sneak Peak Into my final days in northern norway
Engaløya, Norway
