One day you wake up in your own bed in your cozy, chatty town on the countryside of the Netherlands. And that same evening you wake up in a world so rough, it feels like the perfectly precise 3000 km in between, are not nearly enough. Fore this has to be the North Pole already, or Alaska. Or any other area in the world where nature completely owns you, until you get so uncomfortable that you decide to build up your life elsewhere. Chased off by nature. Roughly said, that is where I am now, the north pole. Or perhaps I should not be too dramatic and say, the North Cape. Those of us familiar with the Nordic countries will probably have heard about the most Northern point of Europe; the North cape. A massive flat shaped rock, turned into one of Norway’s most successful tourism hotspots? That’s the one, and fun fact being; it is only 2000 km away from the actual North Pole. Right now, I am closer to the North Pole than to my hometown, so basically I feel like I can say, I am at the North Pole now. Because if I look around me at this very moment, all I see are mountains rising up with flat walls so steep not a single bush dares to root. And even though halfway March its green-brown rocks become visible, the blinding, everlasting snow still covers the walls like a silk blanket. And the mountains close in on me, with the freezing crystal waters of the fjord at my feet, here in the tiniest village I have ever visited, the world’s most Northern fishing town; Skarsvåg
If you Google Skarsvåg, you will be informed that it has about 60 residents. That, is a lie. It is only 13 during winter time, when the darkness has a firm grip over the area, closing the curtains in front of the sun for a solid 3 months. Yet when these curtains rise, the sun makes up for its absence by hanging around above the town for about 3 months, in summer. Where the sun go, the people go, so in summertime, Skarsvåg has around 60 residents. An absolute record. This tiny town thrives on the exact image we have of the source of the Norwegian wealth; fishery. The cod fish is the absolute pearl of the area, hard-working fishermen sail in and out of Skarsvåg every day, and returning with a catch of 500 kg fish, to them is disappointing. The fish factory next to where I stay, processes around 3 tons of fish on a single day, with only 15 staff members. If I wasn’t already impressed by the hard work of the fishermen, I am now. It is very entertaining watching the little boats race in and out of the fjords, they have become my main source of entertainment as they are the only moving thing around here. That and, the seagulls, I swear those birds are everywhere. Name me a place in the world where you have been that does not have seagulls, I dare you. Or if you think so, throw a piece of bread and see how long it takes before they come out of the blue. But it is not only seagulls that are smart enough to spot the fishing activities going on around here, I have also seen some surprisingly tiny puffins flapping their short wings insanely speedy, standing constant guard.
Before I tell what exactly I am doing here, let me finish of my top 3 Nordic animals that I spot on a daily base; seals. Yes, I did not yet get a great look at them, but their smooth, shiny backs break out of the water surface on a regular base, and when lucky, I see their surprisingly big heads popping up to carefully take a look around, although they can never do that for long until for some mean reason the seagulls start diving in on them. Okay, there is actually one more animal I have to add to this list, and it can replace the seagulls as they are not exactly Nordic animals, but ‘I am everywhere where I can bully people’ animals. These animals we call the real Vikings of Norway (no offense) because they are, on the beautiful Nordic island Mageroya where I find myself, the ones in charge. They were once the feared enemy of not only each bottom fish, but also the fishermen, and now they are the pearls of the fjords; king crab. Having been here 2 weeks and having them in my backyard, I can easily give a whole lecture about them, but I will stick to the fun facts for now; the king crab was brought in only 60 years ago by Russians, as some kind of ocean-experiment. This experiment wasn’t successful at first as the nets and bait of all fishermen were absolutely destroyed by the massive scissors. When word got out about how tasty the king crab was, the hunt began. And so did the moneymaking, because king crab quickly became a typical elite item on the menu of fancier restaurants. And luckily for the fishermen who first suffered from the plague; there is no hunting restriction on king crab, because they have been invading, ruling, and overpopulating the fjords like nobody ever did.
The king crab is, as mentioned, in my back yard, as well as the classiest item on our restaurants menu. Because for the next 6 months, I will be living and working here in Skarsvåg, at the tourism information point. I work for an adventurous company called The North Cape Experience, as the name says; it thrives all about providing you with a pure, authentic experience embracing the beauty of life on the most Nordic part of Europe. After 2 rough years of Covid, as an almost graduated tourism student, I hope to be a valuable intern for the company. One of the things we offer and that I am allowed to ‘host’ myself, is the king crab show. And that is where we head to the pool in my backyard filled with a decent group of red king crabs, the once so feared monsters of the fjords that eventually became the golden rescuers the fishermen desperately needed when cod fish stayed absent from the fishing waters. These ocean spiders that first seemed to be the possible end of almost all life in the fjords, have now created a market so valuable that we are talking about millions per month. So the so called ‘red army of Stalin’ has now become a valid explanation for Norway's welfare. The ones we currently have are about 3 kg, meaning they are worth about 200 euros. But seriously, they make great pets too. I have learned to lift them out of the water in a stress-free, harmless way, so people can have a look at these impressive animals while I tell my fun facts to the crowd. If you want to hear the full story, you will just have to come visit the colorful, tiniest village in Northern Norway, also known as the Northernmost fishing town in the world, closest town to the Northernmost point in Europe. Convincing enough?
If not yet, then let me continue the sales pitch, let me tell you more about daily life in this tiny fishing town. It is a gem for photography, with rough rocky landscapes and feisty fjords closing in on you. The emerald, icy waters are home to a never-ending list of whale species, amongst which my favorite; the killer whale. Funny to say killer and favorite in one sentence, but it is true. Hop on a boat and experience not only the mesmerizing excitement of spotting the biggest mammals of the ocean, but also find yourself emerging in a cloud of birds you will not easily find, from the cutest puffins to the king of the air; the sea eagle (seagulls guaranteed). Inhale the purest, coldest air, as if you are breathing in a fishermen’s friends (quite the funny, suitable wordplay) and exhale all negativity that will seem so small, where nature is so big. If besides all that watching massive seals resting on fascinating rock formations that geologically can be hard to explain, is not adventurous enough yet, you can also join, or even rent your own boat, to go fish one of the largest and rarest fish species a fisher dreams of, in these pearly fjords. Fair chance that you snatch a soldier from Stalin's red army on the move, as well. Oh and a not unimportant plus, in winter time you are almost insured to be seeing lady aurora perform her colorful dance in the sky for you, amongst the starriest skies you dreamed of. If sun is more your thing, come enjoy this fairytale town later, when reindeer take over, when the sun watches over us 24/7 and charges the battery of all life here to the fullest, including yours. I can promise you, Skarsvåg might be so still, but it will make you feel more alive than you’ve ever felt before.
- It's an amazing life
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