Frans Houtman and his wife Marijke explored the Lofoten Islands for ...
NORTH
Norway
due
Frans Houtman and his wife Marijke explored the Lofoten Islands for years until they upped sticks and made it their dream home. Frans explains how Harley® stole them away from Langedijk in Holland HOG® 67
“This area is the jewel of Norway and it still surprises us every day”
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
68
HOG®
In 2003 Marijke and I were entangled in the Lofoten Islands, a northerly island group off the coast of Norway. We spent 19 years together as seafarers, during which time we sailed abroad a lot, primarily in Scandinavia. After professionally organising sailing trips for almost 20 years, we wanted to make a change: we sold our sailboat and made the final move of emigrating to Lofoten. I had my first experience on a HarleyDavidson® motorbike when I was around 10 years old, in 1963. At that time, there were two brothers in their twenties living in our neighbourhood who owned a Duo-Glide, and every now and then they would take me for a spin. Only eight years later, at the age of 18, I borrowed 2,000 guilders and bought myself a red WLC made in 1943. It was on this WLC that I got my licence. By the time I moved in with Marijke in 1978, I was the owner of a Super Glide®. I also bought a fully stripped-down WLA from 1942 that had been taken to pieces and stored in a box. Together, Marijke and I restored it in a spare bedroom, eventually putting it on display in our living room – which our neighbours found a little odd. During this period, Marijke also passed her test. I soon changed my profession (social youth worker) to skipper in the sailing and charter industry, which is busiest during the summer months and sadly didn’t leave me with any time to go out riding. This resulted in us selling our Harleys, so instead we bought
Norway
a sailing ship from 1906, which we also restored. In 2010, we both fell in love with Harleys again during the Nordic Harley Days® meet in Svolvær. We got the jitters again from seeing all those Harley® motorcycles rock up. By that point, my wife and I had not ridden motorbikes for 28 years. In the spring of 2011 we took part in an organised tour of Route 66 in the US: the Four Corner trip. Then, at the H-D Nord-Norge dealership we ordered a Road King® and a Sportster® and began riding in some of the most beautiful areas of Scandinavia in the Lofoten, Vesterålen and Ofoten islands. This area is the jewel of Norway and it still surprises us every day. You ride through an impressively varied landscape of steep, snowy mountains, narrow twisting roads and all the while facing the North Atlantic Ocean. After every turn you will be surprised again with a totally different view. The fishing villages are beautiful, with their picturesque harbours, stockfish racks that are full of character and colourful ‘Rorbu’ – red, wooden houses on stilts, which were once inhabited by fishermen. The most interesting tour on Lofoten is certainly the route from Laukvik (where we live and where our guest house is located) via the narrow, winding E10 to the archipelago’s most westerly point. It takes around four hours (or six if you stop to take photos of the scenery), with a return trip the following day along other narrow roads and through captivating harbour towns. The five largest islands are connected to each other by a series of bridges and a tunnel. The most impressive sights are the steep mountains (which bring the peaks of the Alps to mind), which are laced with fjords and hemmed in by the sea. The Lofoten Islands are truly Norway’s hidden pearl, full of indescribable beauty. We wanted to share our enjoyment of riding here in Lofoten with others, so we now organise a small Harley-Davidson tour each year with up to eight participants. We just cannot get enough of touring around these uniquely exotic islands on our bikes of choice – a Heritage Softail® Classic and a Street Glide® Special. I’ve been married to Marijke for almost 40 years, and when we get on our Harleys, smiles immediately break out across our faces. We enjoy every moment of riding in such a stunning area of natural beauty. As we ride along, we chat to each other using communication devices in our helmets. “Look to the right, a sea eagle!” Marijke will call out, followed shortly after by: “On the left, an elk next to that red house!” The experience of riding a Harley here together never ceases to amaze us. HOG® 69
Norway
due
Frans Houtman and his wife Marijke explored the Lofoten Islands for years until they upped sticks and made it their dream home. Frans explains how Harley® stole them away from Langedijk in Holland HOG® 67
“This area is the jewel of Norway and it still surprises us every day”
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
68
HOG®
In 2003 Marijke and I were entangled in the Lofoten Islands, a northerly island group off the coast of Norway. We spent 19 years together as seafarers, during which time we sailed abroad a lot, primarily in Scandinavia. After professionally organising sailing trips for almost 20 years, we wanted to make a change: we sold our sailboat and made the final move of emigrating to Lofoten. I had my first experience on a HarleyDavidson® motorbike when I was around 10 years old, in 1963. At that time, there were two brothers in their twenties living in our neighbourhood who owned a Duo-Glide, and every now and then they would take me for a spin. Only eight years later, at the age of 18, I borrowed 2,000 guilders and bought myself a red WLC made in 1943. It was on this WLC that I got my licence. By the time I moved in with Marijke in 1978, I was the owner of a Super Glide®. I also bought a fully stripped-down WLA from 1942 that had been taken to pieces and stored in a box. Together, Marijke and I restored it in a spare bedroom, eventually putting it on display in our living room – which our neighbours found a little odd. During this period, Marijke also passed her test. I soon changed my profession (social youth worker) to skipper in the sailing and charter industry, which is busiest during the summer months and sadly didn’t leave me with any time to go out riding. This resulted in us selling our Harleys, so instead we bought
Norway
a sailing ship from 1906, which we also restored. In 2010, we both fell in love with Harleys again during the Nordic Harley Days® meet in Svolvær. We got the jitters again from seeing all those Harley® motorcycles rock up. By that point, my wife and I had not ridden motorbikes for 28 years. In the spring of 2011 we took part in an organised tour of Route 66 in the US: the Four Corner trip. Then, at the H-D Nord-Norge dealership we ordered a Road King® and a Sportster® and began riding in some of the most beautiful areas of Scandinavia in the Lofoten, Vesterålen and Ofoten islands. This area is the jewel of Norway and it still surprises us every day. You ride through an impressively varied landscape of steep, snowy mountains, narrow twisting roads and all the while facing the North Atlantic Ocean. After every turn you will be surprised again with a totally different view. The fishing villages are beautiful, with their picturesque harbours, stockfish racks that are full of character and colourful ‘Rorbu’ – red, wooden houses on stilts, which were once inhabited by fishermen. The most interesting tour on Lofoten is certainly the route from Laukvik (where we live and where our guest house is located) via the narrow, winding E10 to the archipelago’s most westerly point. It takes around four hours (or six if you stop to take photos of the scenery), with a return trip the following day along other narrow roads and through captivating harbour towns. The five largest islands are connected to each other by a series of bridges and a tunnel. The most impressive sights are the steep mountains (which bring the peaks of the Alps to mind), which are laced with fjords and hemmed in by the sea. The Lofoten Islands are truly Norway’s hidden pearl, full of indescribable beauty. We wanted to share our enjoyment of riding here in Lofoten with others, so we now organise a small Harley-Davidson tour each year with up to eight participants. We just cannot get enough of touring around these uniquely exotic islands on our bikes of choice – a Heritage Softail® Classic and a Street Glide® Special. I’ve been married to Marijke for almost 40 years, and when we get on our Harleys, smiles immediately break out across our faces. We enjoy every moment of riding in such a stunning area of natural beauty. As we ride along, we chat to each other using communication devices in our helmets. “Look to the right, a sea eagle!” Marijke will call out, followed shortly after by: “On the left, an elk next to that red house!” The experience of riding a Harley here together never ceases to amaze us. HOG® 69
