The Lofoton Islands are the prettiest little green islands rising out of
the North Atlantic I’ve ever seen. Yes, I said the North Atlantic.
Well beyond the Arctic Circle in Norway, these gems are a great place to fish and relax and soak up the
Scandinavian lifestyle—in summertime.
Thus, I was quite surprised to run across an article in the Independent (UK) about traveling to these
islands in the dead of winter when they turn into “living ice sculptures.” Journalist Linda Cookson
braves the cold weather to pen a marvelous piece
about the stark white beauty of my favorite little green islands. Her piece is mesmerizing. She writes about
the subtle shades of different colored snow, the eerie reds and greens of the aurora borealis, the “gorgeous
silence” of the frozen landscape, and the 100 kilometer long barrier of ice called the Lofoten Wall.
Cookson spent, what I would assume to be some very cold nights, in a traditional rorbu—a wooden hut built upon stilts on the edge of the water.
With steep snowy mountains behind her, and the North Atlantic in front, she aptly described her stay as being caught in
a fairy tale.
While cold weather journeys such as this are not for everyone, the careful reader will note that Cookson
doesn’t once mention anything about being cold in her article. I’m guessing she’s either part
penguin, or works for the Norwegian Tourist Board. Nonetheless, she
still makes me want to pay a visit to the Lofoton Islands in the off season, cold weather be damned!