Northern Norway: Frozen Lakes + Emerald Skies

Northern Norway: Frozen Lakes + Emerald Skies



Rugged
peaks, turquoise seas, contemporary design and arctic
temperatures; Norway provides a never ending source of nourishment
for mind, body and soul.

We began our road trip at Manshausen, an environmentally
conscious resort on a 55-acre island in the Norwegian Sea owned by
celebrated (and downright badass) polar explorer, Børge Ousland.
The cabins, which hover a few feet over the Arctic waters, are
characterised by their floor-to-ceiling windows and minimal
contemporary architecture which emphasises the raw beauty of the
surrounding landscape at every opportunity. Falling asleep in our
warm bed watching the vibrant auroras dance across the night sky
and waking up to the muted tones of the adjacent island just before
sunrise painted everything pink was nothing short of magic. As we
mourned the end of our stay over our last breakfast, Børge teased
“If you learn to fish and weld I’ll let you stay forever…”

As we continued to travel up the coast, the peaks got higher and
the fjords deeper, while the days got shorter and the temperatures
lower. We made photo pitstops more often than we seemed to be
driving and it was as though the sun was in a constant state of
sunrise and sunset. We wove our way up the coast and through the
fairy tale Lofoten Islands where majestic peaks loom over miniature
fishing villages, all the way to Tromsø where we officially entered
the Arctic Circle.

One night in Lofoten, after watching the Northern Lights from
our balcony, we put on every layer of clothing we could and
ventured out to a frozen lake that we had hiked by earlier in the
day. Just as we got our tripods and cameras set, a cloud engulfed
the sky and it began to snow. The once clear and reflective lake
was white within seconds. A loud cracking sound interrupted the
snowfall and we sprinted off the frozen lake as fast as our legs
would take us, but the brief silence except for the sound of each
flake settling on the ice, was a symphony I’ll never forget.

Norway’s intersection of the rugged natural elements of the
environment, and the minimalist design elements of the
architecture, created a stunning space for wild adventure, peaceful
meditation, and everything in between. Now, time to start those
welding lessons…

@likethecolor |
tealthomsen.com

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