Norway: two days in Ã…
As soon as I read there was a place called Ã…, I knew I had to go there. Then I did a little research and found out it would be kind of a pain in the ass to get to, what being all the way out at the end of the Lofoten Islands and all. Was I being silly, choosing a destination solely based on its name? I did a little more research, decided it really would be worth visiting, and called to book a rorbu there for two nights. A rorbu is a traditional wooden fisherman’s cottage, and the Lofoten Islands have many of them. I think they’ve pretty much all been converted into tourist housing, and more are being built (at least in Svolvær – I don’t think we saw any new buildings in Ã…).
Our rorbu was right on the water, with a fabulous view. The furnishings were a bit rustic, but completely livable. The kitchen was small but manageable, and we made all of our meals there. The one restaurant in Ã… was closed for the season, but there were a few open restaurants in the nearby towns (a couple kilometers’ walk away). Ã… also had a general store (open for a few hours a day), two fishing-centered museums, and two hostels (also closed for the season), in addition to many rorbuer for rent. Upon arrival I felt a wave of panic about being stranded somewhere so remote for two days (no beer and no TV make Homer something something…), but the feeling passed and I was able to relax and enjoy.
We spent our time in Ã… exploring the village (OK, this part took about 10 minutes, walking slowly), admiring the view (which changed hourly thanks to variable weather conditions) from our rorbu, and hiking. Our hike took us past a couple lakes and up into the mountains, offering up gorgeous ever-changing views. Definitely worth the trip!
Sidenote: in addition to being an adorable fishing village, Ã… is the last letter in the Norwegian alphabet.
