18. The Road to the Lofoten: From Front-Suspension to Scenic Fjords

The Road to the Lofoten: From Front Suspension to Scenic Fjords

This morning, we packed up the campsite early, loaded the bikes, and grabbed a quick breakfast. By 9:00, we were on the road, heading straight to the BMW Motorrad dealer for a much-needed check-up on my electronically controlled front suspension, which had been leaking.

The verdict? “Ride it out all the way to the Netherlands, but keep an eye on it,” they said. Oh, and no more off-roading. Stick to the asphalt like glue. If it starts getting worse, we have one last lifeline in Bodø, where there’s another BMW dealer. But fixing it there means replacing it, and that would cost a small fortune and extra time. Great.

So, we continued on towards the Lofoten Islands—a stunning chain of islands connected by gorgeous bridges, offering some of the most scenic roads you can imagine. Tomorrow, we’ll dive deeper into the Lofoten, taking two full days to explore and soak in the sights.

local woodworker’s shop where the machinery still runs on water power

local woodworker’s shop where the machinery still runs on water power

local woodworker’s shop where the machinery still runs on water power

On the way, we passed by a local woodworker’s shop where the machinery still runs on water power! They were cutting thick planks from logs—it was like stepping back in time. We also rode alongside breathtaking views of the fjords. Norway continues to amaze at every turn.

But then came the challenge of the day: finding a campsite. After a lot of searching, we finally found one that only rented cabins. Perfect! Or so we thought. We reserved one and plugged the address into the Garmin, only to realize it was 350 km south of Bodø—essentially past the Lofoten and way off our route! Turns out, two campsites have the same name. A quick call to cancel that booking, only to find out the closer campsite was closed. Fantastic.

Finally, about 40 km further down the road, we stumbled upon a camper-heavy campsite with a little patch of grass where we could set up. It’s official—we’re the only ones tent camping again, surrounded by a sea of campers as far as the eye can see.

Despite the 13-degree weather, clouds, and a bit of wind, we cooked up a delicious meal and embraced our outdoor adventure lifestyle. This is exactly what we signed up for, right? 😁

Now it’s time to brush the teeth and crawl into the sleeping bags for another night under the (cloudy) Norwegian sky.

Midnight sun

Campsite, preparing diner

Our view while making diner

Campsite, drinking a beer

Little waterfall