So hard to leave our gorgeous little cottage today- we would have loved an extra day here. Fabulous breakfast buffet fortified us for the ride ahead (and then some). We set off feeling pretty nostalgic as today was our last long ride for the tour- so we were determined to leave no village unexplored. The weather smiled on us (cold but no rain).

As expected the ride out of Nusfjord was pretty much straight uphill, however there was an upside: 1) sensational views, and 2) we realised how climbing-fit we have become over the last few weeks.
Today’s journey was the most beautiful scenery for the trip so far – I know I say that nearly every day, but just when you think it can’t get more beautiful it does.

First stop was Flankstad, the home of the second oldest church in Lofoten, famous for its Russian influenced dome (related to something about stockfish trade). Also the site where I scared the begeebus out of the local priest ( but that story will have to be told offline).

Several km down the line in Ramberg we stopped in the small galleri of a local metal sculptor and ceramicist- his gallery was really a studio and workshop in his back garden with a beautiful rambling garden overlooking the beach – amazing to think the garden had been under snow just a few weeks ago. He was an eccentric old bird who not only told us his life story (including how he met the love of his life) but also personally walked us through the gallery and explained the meaning of every piece of work and how he had constructed it. Left there almost an hour later with no purchases but a warm fuzzy feeling that we had made his day- he certainly made ours.

Definitely stockfish territory today, all along the way we passed racks and racks of severed cod-fish heads and drying carcasses with that anchovy like smell we have become familiar with. A stunning if gruesome sight.

Lunch stop was in a cute (very Norwegian) little picnic ground in Fredvang – what we thought was going to be a small detour but ended up being over two enormous bridges.

Two long tunnels today- one (2km) we managed to avoid by taking an alternate route, but no such luck with the second one (a hefty 1.6km). Luckily it was downhill so we managed to move through it very fast- the noise is the hardest part of the tunnels, especially with heavy traffic.

Final stop in the (slightly kitsch) historical village of Sund- lets just say the 240NOK entry fee was our donation to the local Norwegian tourist trade-cake was good and well earned with all the hills we climbed today.

Arrived in Reine round 5.30 pretty tired- while the ride had been shorter than many (56km) it was definitely the most challenging climbing of any day so far. We have two nights in Reine- haven’t had a chance to explore yet but Lonely Planet tells us there is lots to do here, so will get up and out early.