Wednesday 21 September 2022--Dismal day; I'd stay in, but I don't want to do that two days in a row. It's not a really good day for the drive I was thinking of yesterday, but it's the day I have. It's about an hour to Fiskebøl, at the northern end of Austvågøya, where I catch a ferry to Melbu, on Hadseløya. Another half hour from there to Stokmarknes, where I stop for a look around. It's pretty rainy now, which dulls my curiosity. The big thing here is the Hurtigruten Museum, complete with a 1950s-era vessel. Don't feel like going in...I'll probably regret that later. Across the street is Hurtigrutens Hus, a cultural center.

Cross the bridge onto the larger island of Langøya and drive on to Sortland. With a population of about 10,000, it's three times the size of Stokmarknes. It has a Burger King! I have a kebab at a local shop instead.

Leaving Sortland, I cross the bridge to Hinnøya, the largest island in Norway outside of Svalbard. The junction at the other side is the farthest north I've ever been, a hair over 68.7°, about 170 miles north of the Arctic Circle. I turn south and start the long drive back to Henningsvær. It hasn't been a very fruitful day. I've seen some scenery, I guess. The weather gets really miserable on the way...that's how my last night in Lofoten is going to be.

As dull as I felt on the drive, I'm comfortable and cozy in my apartment in Tobiasbrygga, looking out over Henningsvær's dark rainy harbor with a beer in hand. Just be. It's been a good week, on the whole; a few down moments are inevitable. I'm sorry to be leaving.