Iceland Adventures - Hólmavík & A Greenland Sea Retreat

Iceland Adventures – Hólmavík & A Retreat By the Greenland Sea – 8/27/15

By now Iceland’s chilling rain may sound offputting, and I will admit that today it prevented us from exploring as thoroughly as we might have.  This was a long day on the road eastbound from Ísafjörður to the Greenland Sea following the outline of seven minor fjords along the main Ísafjarðardjúp (“ice fjord deep”).  At a few overlooks we got out of the car to marvel at the never-boring scenery, but I admit we took more photos out the window.  The road surface alternated between pavement and gravel. The wind was howling.

Random roadside waterfalls continued to impress

A welcome reprieve for Paul as the driver and the rest of us with cramped car legs came as we checked out Hotel Reykjanes at the tip of tiny Reykjarfjörður.  Once the district school, this is a large complex in the middle of nowhere (which is almost anywhere in Iceland), but it did not feel like a welcoming plush hotel, a bit austere.  Perhaps the dreary weather influenced the atmosphere.  In its defense, I imagine it would be fantastic in winter for viewing the northern lights. The hotel boasts a geothermal pool and hot spring, but we didn’t see them. However, the rejuvenating coffee and hot tea were well-timed and there may or may not have been a little sweet something to eat.  Back on the road!

Within a predictable amount of time after our coffee/tea break, it was time to pee.  We were now on Route 61 cutting inland across a moonscape of rocks and little else, low-growing flowers and nothing taller than my ankles.  It wasn’t pretty, but some of us – no names here – had to pee behind the car in the windy, sideways pelting rain.  Fortunately, this was the low point of the trip and we got that over with.  Just want you to know the underside of glamour adventure travel.

The big entertainment of the day was Hólmavík, a small fishing village where one can restock on groceries and fuel and, most importantly, visit the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft.  Which we did.   How to describe this? Spells, rituals, potions, history, artifacts and “necropants.”  In the 1600’s purported practitioners of the dark arts were mostly males (poor) who were accused, condemned and hunted (by the wealthy) and about 20 were burned at the stake. If someone was accused of causing bad crops, and then the crops were still bad after the “witch” was dead, well, a shrug of the shoulders and on to accuse the next-door neighbor. The museum presents the viewpoint of condemning the false accusers and hunters.  Iceland eventually got a grip on this mania, but the museum leaves a lot to the imagination of present-day beliefs.  Guess you’ll just have to go and see the necropants for yourself.  

Stomach-turning exhibits didn’t prevent us from enjoying lunch at their fine Restaurant Galdur.  (Mike skipped the museum so he could be first in line.)

Magic Masala, aka veggie cassoulet

Hólmavík under brooding clouds

From Hólmavík we headed south on Route 68, now following the coast of the Greenland Sea.  Our accommodations for tonight were quite different.  Since there was no town at the “right” overnight location on our meandering route between Ísafjörður and Reykjavik, through Airbnb I booked an isolated house on the coast. With fingers crossed, following rough directions and knowing that there was no Plan B, we kept our eyes peeled through the windshield wipers for a sign for “Borgir”.  Cathy is the only one who spotted it as we drove past, yelling out, “Hey, I think that’s it!”  Per the owner’s instructions, I called his neighbor, who came right over to meet us with the keys to our home for the night.  Don’t let the humble exterior fool you.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to enjoy the deck because of the increasing gale force winds

The basement door opens onto the little driveway and just a couple of stone steps down to the Greenland Sea

Inside on the main floor, three simple bedrooms, a full bath, mud room and laundry room (with Icelandic wool sweaters for sale!)

Living room

A cozy kitchen with a front row view of the ocean

Still midafternoon, Cathy and I were determined to go for a coastal hike. I had left my rain pants in storage in Reykjavik, so Mike loaned me his. 

Rocky beach piled with seaweed

I’m glad I’m not an Icelandic sheep in this weather

The wind was so fierce, walking was difficult and the rain pelted like needles.  The neighbor lady told us that about a mile up the coast there is a favorite rock hangout for seals, but we didn’t make it that far. 

But don’t feel sorry for us just yet – this unassuming but awesome house had a trick up its sleeve, or rather down in the basement.  In addition to a TV/reading room lined floor to ceiling with bookshelves and VCR tapes (yes, VCR tapes) and a room filled with all sorts of gear for kayaking and cross-country skiing, there was a wet sauna! 

After peeling off our soaking cold layers, Cathy and I cranked up the heat, ladled on the water, and Kim joined us for a good hot steam bath.  When we couldn’t stand it any longer, we slipped on our Keens, ran out the front door and gingerly stepped into the Greenland Sea – yikes!  Back into the steam room! Can you imagine the surreal feeling? This is an iconic memory among memories.

The tide was in and happy hour was upon us.  With provisions we had purchased back in Ísafjörður, we prepared a feast of pasta with sauce and sauted vegetables, salad, good bread and wine.  A little sad to have just one night at this little retreat by the sea.  One more item for the “return” trip list!

“When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.” ~Buddha

Iceland Adventures: Westfjords - Hornstrandir Nature Reserve

Iceland Adventures – Westfjords –Hornstrandir Nature Preserve– 8/26/15 - 3 km

No early wake-up, no packing, no driving today.  What does one do on a Wednesday in the upper reaches of the Westfjords of Iceland? 

First, Cathy and I walked a whopping two blocks to a bakery for coffee and pastry as school kids whizzed past on their bikes.

Online Mike found an intriguing boat excursion to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve departing at 2:00 p.m.  A few hours to kill until then, so as Mike and Cathy walked to the harbor to pick up the tickets, and Kim and Paul went exploring…  welcome to Sharon’s “town day” in Ísafjörður!  I wandered through the retail sector and a couple of neighborhoods, past churches, a day care center, museums and apartment buildings.  Covered from end to end in about an hour.

School

Around town – clouds on the mountaintops

The harbor

Ísafjörður Culture House, Gamla Sjúkrahúsið (formerly a hospital) houses a museum, library and photo archives.  Sorry, only open from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Retail stores also have abbreviated hours.

Seaman’s Monument

Life = bikes, baby pram and a front yard rock garden

Front door tableau

Ísafjarðarkirkja (church)

Grave marker in the adjoining cemetery.  Icelanders do not have family surnames that pass from generation to generation. Instead, last names follow a formula:  the father’s name plus, for a male, the suffix “son” and for a female, the suffix “döttír”.  In addition, there is a limited legal list of male and female names from which to choose a child’s first name.  How do they keep track of each other?  Read more about Icelandic names here.

Icelandic poppies in the cemetery

Woman walking with a guide dog

Postal carrier

An apartment building – and blue sky!

Mike and I had a quick pizza lunch at Hamraborg, then our gang joined up at the grocery store and made our way to the harbor for our afternoon adventure.  Once again the skies were predominantly cloudy with sketchy glimpses of blue. 

The wind was brisk and the boat ride across open water was bumpy and exciting! 

Hornstrandir in a nutshell:  The peninsula was once sparsely populated by fishermen and some farmers. Much of the land is still privately owned, but is now a strictly protected nature preserve.  Some owners spend summers there.  Landowners are not allowed to sell their property or houses and can only pass them down to family members. 

Our destination was Hesteyri, once an active fishing village when the area thrived on whaling and then on processing herring.  When the herring population diminished significantly in the 1940s, the people of Hesteyri made a joint decision to move away, and in 1952 the village stood totally abandoned.  Hesteyri’s church was disassembled and moved to another village.  A terrific blog post with lots more info about Hesteyri is here.  

Hikers and backpackers are welcome on Hornstradir, but there are no services for resupply so self-sufficiency is paramount. There are a few hostels.  There are also emergency huts in some locations with radios and heaters, but they are not meant for planned accommodations.  Trails are unmarked and fog is common, thus map and compass skills are necessary. Because of limited days in our itinerary, we chose the tourist option of a guided walk rather than the hardcore experience, a good decision given the blustery weather and predictions of an incoming storm.

As I said, the wind was strong and we couldn’t pull up to the dock.  Looks like we’re going to need a smaller boat!

Riding the Zodiac to the dock

An Arctic fox greeted us upon arrival

Arctic fox

Our Icelandic guide, even more adorable than the Arctic fox

Our walk took us a short distance along the shoreline and through a meadow

To the cemetery

River flowing down to Hesteyri

The white house in the center is the Doctor’s House for Hesteyri’s resident physician now serving as a hostel.  Under the category of “next visit” I will be sure to stay here. 

Coffee and cake at the Doctor’s House

 Wildflowers in abundance

The return boat ride was crowded because we had picked up half a dozen backpackers who were bailing out.  Scheduled pickups are easily canceled by the weather forecast and there would be no more boats for the next couple of days.  We met two charming young women from the Czech Republic who had been on Hornstrandir for two rainy days and had planned another three, but they were glad for the opportunity to escape.  [Our paths crossed again later in another part of Iceland.]

Back safe and dry in Ísafjörður, we found another incredible dining experience at Tjöruhúsið, an unassuming barn type building on a back street near the harbor.

Reservations are important but we showed up clueless and squeezed in.  Family style, all you can eat, sitting cheek to cheek on benches, the most incredible assortment of fresh seafood dishes I have ever eaten, beginning with fish soup and ending with regret at not being able to consume it all. 

Food comes out to the buffet table as it’s ready, and those in the know wait patiently for the cod cheeks.  This restaurant alone is reason enough to go to Iceland.  Another unforgettable day.

“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”  ~Ray Bradbury