Well I guess I can start with the fishing, fishing boats, goat mountain, the midnight sun, the darktime and the bluetime, island living, fisherman cabins, hurricanes, and wild seas. Wild and untouched lands, and mountains where you can see forever from the top. But what we are really famous for is our food. Lots of fish. But then this is an island in the middle of cod country. My friend Inger is heading south today for the winter. I won't see her again until April or May, so I decided when i was taking her to the boats, to leave extra early and go for lunch. You see I had in mind to give her a lunch so she won't forget where she comes from. So off to Svolvær we go. We had fish soup and fish cakes sandwiches. The 2 things people from Lofoten are proud of and is sold all over the country. But we had them fresh from the pot. As we ate, we watched the fisherman bring in new loads of fish, shrimps and muscles, knowing they had already done this same trip early this morning. But theres a tradition to eating these 2 things. First you have to eat outdoors. 2nd, you have to have a blanket wrapped around you, compliment of the waiter. 3rd you have to have the outside heaters on. 4th and most importantly you have to have a view of the sea harbor, so you can appriciate what you are eating and where it comes from. Our famous lunch. Fisksuppe and Lofot Fiskekake Ohhh its so chunky and so rich and a thick soup. And homemade fish cakes, that scream, Fresh!! But most importantly, the view, to relax and just enjoy good food and life! We are outside, just behind a wind break, it is raining,,, and gasp!! a few snow flakes have fallen.
What a lovely thing to do for your friend Inger Biita. I'm sure she'll remember her day with you for a long time to come. The food looks absolutely delicious and the views are amazing. I'm off to put our evening meal on now as you've made me feel rather hungry.
What a special gift and loaded with tradition. I would like to be your friend too, Biita. Enjoy your winter. Gardengater
Isn't it great to have traditions? We had family traditions while the boys were growing up. We made up our own. It must be nice to have island traditions that apply to other people too. I love your views. All of them that you post are wonderful. I wouldn't be able to live with your cold though. I would have to go south for the winter, too. Would you give me lunch? The fish soup looked wonderful. dooley
Thanks Bitta for allowing us to join your meal.It looks wonderful.I know your friend will really miss her friend .What a send off you gave her.
Thanks all, She was so happy and full for a very long trip to the south. I just couldn't send her off with out a last hurrah!
I need fish soup so bad! *drooling* Your lunch looks delicious. I'm certain your friend Inger will enjoy good food wherever she's going, but food always tastes better when shared with a good friend or two. Lovely harbour!
That was a very nice thing you did for Inger and yourself. You will have these memories forever. The place that she is going, what will the temperatures be? And what are your winter temps? The food looks and sounds delicious. And the traditions for eating the food are special, especially for the whole country to follow. Thanks for sharing your meal and traditions with us. Always love your posts.
I am not a big fish fan....but those soup bowls are cool. The sandwich does look really good. I guess the difference would be how the fish is cooked and the fish cake appears to have been pan fried...that I could handle, I love fried catfish. Guess if I ever get to visit Norway I will have to be sure to pack my deep fryer and a bag of corn meal
Thanks all, My friend is going to Tønsberg and Larvik for a few weeks, then off to Spain until spring. She will be in the high 80's F. or 29-32 C. I on the other hand will be around -10 to 0 C. or 0 to 32 F. Kind of not fair, lol, but we love the winter sports, and we can't find that in Spain. lol.
You guys sure know how to see a friend off! Very impressive...and the view is just icing on the cake, so to speak. It's all looks like such a good experience. I'm big on tradition too, BTW. BTW Biita.... don't be fooled by Spain's climate--when I lived in Granada I discovered that there is a great skiing culture up in the Sierra Nevada mountains just a couple of hours away. It's beautiful up there. Maybe you should go and visit her this winter.
Toni, we have corn meal here, so no need to pack any,,,lol. Or i have a grinder, we can grind popcorn for fresh corn meal. lol. Sjoerd, She is down on the tip of Spain, looks out and the next stop is Morocco? i think. We were heading to Spain this yr, then off to the Canary Islands, but remember when i said "family issues" were running rampant here. Yeah, thats not gon happen this yr. lol. Who knows!
Ahhhh... when you say the southern tip of Spain, you mean Tarifa or Algeciras, I expect. I have stayes at several campgrounds there in the past with great vistas; however, I have a feeling that your friend will perhaps rent a chalet or something. It's certainally more comfortable. It is lovely in the south of Spain ... wherever it is. If not this year, I hope that you will make it someday...a word to the wise: it gets VERY hot down there in the summer.
