MacGougan at Large

Notes on A Trip to Norway - 13

Reine

Reine (pronounced approximately “Rain-uh”) is a picturesque fishing village on the island of Moskenesøya in the Lofoten islands of Norway. Unlike Nusfjord, the other fishing village we stayed in, it isn’t a museum. It’s an open, working village, with a year-round population of approximately 300.

The cabins we were staying in were tucked in behind an architecturally-appropriate Circle K.

“Picturesque” may actually be an understatement. If you’re an amateur photographer feeling discouraged about your ability to produce attractive photos - don’t go out and buy an expensive new camera. Bring your old cell phone or a Brownie Instamatic camera to Reine. Close your eyes and take pictures as randomly as you like. You’ll be amazed to find out just how talented you really are.

The “money shot” in Reine is looking down at an arc of fishermen’s cottages curving around a bay towards the base of a mountain. The vantage point for this shot is the view from the bridge that leads to the village. Here’s a regular version of that shot.

Here’s a panoramic version including a photographer on the bridge.

And here’s what I suspect is a typical moment on the bridge - with a modest gaggle of tourists converging like paparazzi to get the shot.

Here are some views of the village and the waterfront.

I missed the Day Five hike because I got sick with a sore throat. Here are some pictures Linda took. Notice that there are chains along this section of trail to assist with ascent and descent over slippery rocks.

And here’s a moment that Linda found moving. Look carefully and you can see that she was looking down at a rainbow.

While in Reine, the sisters participated in an after-dinner kayak trip.

As the sun goes down, Reine remains as picturesque as ever.