Quite an exciting start to the day: on our final approach to the dock during breakfast, killer whales were spotted off the starboard side of National Geographic Endurance. After tying up at the dock, we set out to explore Reine, known as the cod capital of Norway and centrally located in the Lofoten archipelago.
In the morning, about half of the travelers and explorers aboard National Geographic Endurance set out for a photo walk. We took photos as we explored the details, architecture, landscapes, and wonderful flowers around town. Some agile guests headed for a steep hike, which offered excellent views of the picturesque town surrounded by the sea.
Our first impressions of the town were of the nearby RV park. It was fun to see fellow travelers exploring this wonderful archipelago in small, sprinter-van sized campers with license plates from all over Europe. We explored the cod drying racks with abundant salt on the ground. To our surprise, small white flowers were growing out of the salt-laden ground. When we arrived in town, we noticed the turf roofs and many red buildings on stilts over the ocean. We also noticed a few Tesla electric car chargers throughout town as well as the electric infrastructure put in place for more chargers in the near future. Throughout this voyage, we have noticed that Norway is making a valiant effort to adopt electric car technology.
The whole landscape was truly like a postcard: towering granite mountains above town, blue skies, calm seas, and puffy clouds. This was a great place for a photo walk, and it offered a great introduction to this wonderful archipelago. We look forward to continuing our journey south along this fascinating coast. Tomorrow, we will officially leave the Arctic by crossing the 66th parallel of latitude and thus making an official transition to the next phase of our expedition.
