Re: [Paddlewise] Arctic Sea Kayak Race, Norway

>From: Dan Hagen <dan_at_hagen.net>
>To: Niilo Alhovaara <nordic.seakayak_at_bigfoot.com>
>CC: Paddlewise <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net>
>
>> Arctic Sea Kayak Race is a five-day late summer event arranged
>> (almost)
>> annually since 1991 by sea kayak enthusiasts of the Vesterålen 
islands
>> in
>> northern Norway.  ...
>
>I strongly recemmend that paddlers visit this area if you ever have an
>opportunity to do so (even if you can't make it for the race). The
>Vesterålen islands are among the most beautiful in the world, with
>spectacular mountain scenery and crystal clear water. I must confess
>that I am not unbiased (since my family is from the Vesterålen 
islands),
>but it really is an incredible place.
>
I third this endorsement of the Vesterålen islands, and, at the risk of 
stiriing up provinical rivaleries, suggest that if you have the chance, 
you paddle from the Vesterålen islands out through the Lofoten Island 
chains. Almost every nook and cranny that can be landed has a village of 
some type, but Norway has a very civlized law, wereby you can camp even 
on private land so long as you are not in direct view of a house, and 
you do not damage the land. There are also Rurbo (spelling?). Orginally 
these were rough fisherman's bunkhouses that were rented to summer time 
visitors. Today they range from pretty authentic, to buildings more like 
Chalets, with proportional rents. They are usually have kitchens, so you 
can cook your own catch of cod or mackreal (eating out in Norway is very 
expensive, and the food is not usually better than you can make yourself 
- the exception being the seal stew which is served at an inn the 
Lofotens which has been around since the Middle Ages (the inn, not the 
stew!).

. 


N49°16' W123°08'

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