The Iceland Sagas

Who knew that the word Saga comes from the Icelandic language? Who, other than Icelanders and those already in the know! Thus, my above encompassing title for our Icelandic blog posts is very appropriate.

Click on the images to enlarge

In this summary post you'll find links to accounts of our experiences in Iceland over 2 weeks at the beginning of August 2008.


The first chapter is scene-setting, with the posts after that getting pictorially more interesting as I start to write about some of the sights that we saw and the things that we did.


We started off in Reykjavik where we spent 4 days visiting places including the Blue Lagoon, Strokkur Geyser, several waterfalls and a glacier, Vik and Þingvellir (Thingvellir).

We then flew up to the West Fjörds, landing in Ísafjörður (Isafjorthur), overnighting in Bolungarvik and then over to the most remote part of Iceland to a place called Hesteyri for 8 days of superb hiking and sight-seeing.

The images get more interesting as we go along, as the West Fjörds were truly beautiful.

Posts are as follows:

Written while in Iceland
~ Eating Puffins
~ Ambitions
~ So What?


Written after returning to Berlin - the full story!
~ Chapter 01: Getting to Reykjavik
~ Chapter 02: Rekjavik and the Blue Lagoon
~ Chapter 03: Renting a Car
~ Chapter 04: Strokkur Geyser
~ Chapter 05: Gullfoss
~ Chapter 06: Þingvellir National Park
~ Chapter 07: Seljalandsfoss
~ Chapter 08: Skógafoss, Mýrdalsjökull and Vik
~ Chapter 09: Leaving Reykjavik for Ísafjörður
~ Chapter 10: QE2 and Bolungarvik
~ Chapter 11: Preparing for Hesteyri and the ferry ride
~ Chapter 12: Hesteyri History
~ Chapter 13: Our first hike
~ Chapter 14: Our Private Cod War
~ Chapter 15: Some Icelandic Flora
~ Chapter 16: A Walk along Hesteyrarfjörður
~ Chapter 17: Vistas and Moods of Hesteyrarfjörður
~ Chapter 18: Our second hike
~ Chapter 19: Four Hesteyri Summer Residents
~ Chapter 20: Visiting the old whaling station at Stekkeyri
~ Chapter 21: Goodbye to Hesteyri and a night in Bolungarvik
~ Chapter 22: Ísafjörður and walking back to Bolungarvik
~ Chapter 23: Goodbye to Iceland

Enjoy!

If you're thinking about visiting Iceland and want to contact us for information, you can do so through the "Email us!" link in this blog's side column.

Chapter 23: Goodbye Iceland

Continued from Chapter 22

This was our last full day in Iceland.

Our shuttle picked us up from Sosa's Apartments in Bolungarvik and transported us to the Ísafjörður Airport for our 9:15am flight back to Reykjavik.

Ísafjörður Airport

The regional airports in Iceland are very relaxed affairs and it was wonderful to be treated as humans again instead of sheep being screamed at by officious X-Ray Inspection staff, as in other airports around the world. There was no security, and when our aircraft was ready to depart, we walked about 30m from the terminal to the plane which then wasted no time in taking off once we had boarded.

40 mins later, we were back in cloudy and grey Reykjavik. As our Germany flight was early the following morning, we had opted to stay in a hotel in Keflavik for the night as it was closer to the international airport.

The easiest way to get between Reykjavik and Keflavik is on the airport shuttle bus, so we taxiied to the BSI Tourist Bus Terminal, caught the bus to the international airport and then got a taxi from the airport to the hotel in Keflavik township.

We stayed at the Iceland Air Flughotel in Keflavik. Most hotels in Iceland are owned and run by Iceland Air. Thankfully our rooms were ready even though we were checking in before the usual time. For €350 we had 2 connecting rooms. Gulp. The rooms were not huge and we wouldn't have liked to have stayed any longer than a night as there was not much room around the beds or places to store luggage without tripping over it. Plus, the rooms were uncomfortably hot - even with the heating off.

We decided to head to the Blue Lagoon to soak away the afternoon. The bus picked us up outside the hotel and less than 30 minutes later, we were basking in the warm water again, reflecting on our last 2 weeks in Iceland.

Back for another soak

The boys ham it up

Menacing clouds over the Blue Lagoon

Back at the hotel, we quickly assessed that there wasn't much around the vicinity in the way of restaurants, so we raided the closest supermarket for a roasted chicken and bread for dinner, as well as ordering a pizza from the local pizzeria.

The boys were exhausted, so they fell asleep very quickly. J did too, but I couldn't settle easily until falling asleep sometime after midnight.

At 6am, we were in a taxi on the way to the airport which was chaotic at that time of morning. We joined the end of a very long queue at the Iceland Air check-in which, to our delight moved quite quickly. We soon found out why - the check-in staff were extremely competent and efficiently processed our luggage and supplied us with boarding cards.

Up to Security where the first check was for passports and boarding cards and then we were in the queue for X-ray. Again, we moved though without delay aided by the friendly security staff. All too soon, we were in the departure area where we had about an hour to kill before our flight boarded.

Keflavik Airport is as relaxed as an international airport can be. We didn't even have to clear immigration.

Boarding our Iceland Air plane, the kids were delighted to find that we were flying back in an aircraft which had received an upgrade to its entertainment system, and we each had individual screens with movies, music and games. That kept them occupied while J and I managed to sleep most of the way home!

Iceland in Retrospect
It is an expensive country to visit, and I feel that the latest financial problems will not make that any better. Yes, airfares may be reduced and perhaps accommodation rates (hopefully), but food, beverages and transportation prices will remain high because it costs a lot for these items to be exported to Iceland.

Our costs would have been lower if we had avoided the main tourist season of June, July and August, but then we wouldn't been able to go to the north-western Hornstrandir area which is only accessible in these months. If we do go back, we would do so in April/May or September/October when the accommodation and car rental rates are much cheaper.

We would not return with the kids. Even though we had a great time with them at Hesteyri and some tourist amenities in Reykjavik were free for under-12s, it was still an expensive affair to take the boys with us; as well as less flexible. In a land where it remains light all though the night, getting the kids to bed at a reasonable hour was sometimes difficult. In the days where we had the rental car, J and I could have travelled further and for longer if we hadn't the boys' needs to also consider. We could also have chosen cheaper accommodation if we had not been travelling with the children.

We did have an amazing time in Iceland: saw some wonderful sights; met some truly genuine people; experienced some entertaining moments and very much enjoyed ourselves.


I would love to go back and see the eastern part of the island, as well as photograph at a different time of year when there is a different quality of light and some snow, but I think that I would have to do a major persuasion job on J to get her to go back with me!

Final Chapter: The Iceland Sagas - a link list to all our Icelandic posts

Chapter 22: Ísafjörður and walking back to Bolungarvik

Continued from Chapter 21

Click images to enlarge

By the time we had finished breakfast, we were kicking ourselves for not staying another night in Hesteyri and taking the evening ferry back to Ísafjörður as our friends C & F were doing. The Bolungarvik ferry had been arranged by J's friend before we had arrived in Iceland and, as we weren't familiar with the area or the ferry timings, we had gone along with the plans.

However, the apartment in Bolungarvik was costing us €240 for the 2 nights and it was annoying us that we had to spend another whole day and night in Bolungarvik, twiddling our thumbs until the next morning when our plane flew out of Ísafjörður. We were stuck - no transportation to go anywhere and if we did fly out a day earlier, we then had to find even more expensive accommodation in Reykjavik/Keflavik for an extra night. Damn!

When I had gone down to the wharf to photograph the boats the previous evening, I had also checked out the local bus service timetable between Bolungarvik and Ísafjörður. There were only 3 trips per day both ways, so we didn't have much choice.

After breakfast, the kids went fishing with the son of J's friend, so that got them out of our hair for the day. J and I decided to head into Ísafjörður for something to do - plus we had to stop at the Information Centre to arrange our early morning airport shuttle pick-up.

We caught the 1pm shuttle to Ísafjörður and 15 minutes later, we were at the Information Centre arranging the shuttle for the next morning. After doing that, we decided to walk around the town to see what we could find.

A brightly coloured building by the Information Centre

The inner fjörd with the main wharf area

Another cruise ship was in port. Smaller than the QE2, it was able to tie up at the wharf. From the accents that we heard from its passengers who were walking around town, the Silver Cloud was filled with Americans.

Silver Cloud at the wharf

By now we had managed to fill in an hour to reach 2:15pm. The shuttle bus back to Bolungarvik wasn't due to leave until 6pm. What the hell were we going to do for the next 3.75 hours?

Desperate people do desperate things. We decided to walk back to Bolungarvik.

It.was.only.15.kilometres.away.

The green line shows the 15km between Ísafjörður and Bolungarvik

We set off along the Óshlíd road, fighting a cold headwind the whole way. My feet, knees and right hip had not fully recovered from the Hesteyri hiking, so I was taking a battering. Still, it was better than trying to fill in time while waiting for the shuttle.

Along the way, we did see some pretty sights including a few waterfalls.

All that pure water cascading down the hill

We also saw a seal fishing off the rocks and there were quite a few birds to watch as well. Plus, we had to look out for vehicles which passed close to us as there was no footpath and we were walking on the side of the road. The cliffs towering above reminded us of our off-road adventures in Oman - albeit a lot greener than the Hajjar Mountains.

The rock faces were teeming with nesting birds

After 2.25 hours, we came around the corner to see the lighthouse, and behind it was Bolungarvik. At least we could now see our destination! We paused to take photos of the lighthouse which was very vivid against the blue sky.

The lighthouse with Bolungarvik just showing on the left

Highly visible - even with the light off!

As we passed the fishing village which is now a tourist attraction, we noticed this portable toilet on top of the cliff. To our amusement, it was tied down to 2 very heavy concrete slabs. We guess that it must get very windy at times!

Tie the toilet down!

Finally, we were back in Bolungarvik. The town's sign was great motivation to keep going, even though we knew that we still had a couple of kms to go. It was now 6pm.

Bolungarvik city limits

We detoured to the supermarket where we treated ourselves to ice creams before walking back to the apartment to put up our weary feet. Unfortunately the boys arrived home shortly after, demanding dinner. No rest for the walkers!

Next Chapter: Our last day and leaving Iceland

Chapter 21: Goodbye Hesteyri and Another Night in Bolungarvik

Continued from Chapter 20

Click images to enlarge

All too soon, our 8 days in Hesteyri were over and it was time to head back to Bolungarvik before flying back to Reykjavik a day later.

This time, a ferry was coming directly from Bolungarvik and taking us back there which saved having to drive the 15km from Ísafjörður to where we were staying.

The ferry arrives to pick us up

It was time to say goodbye to our new friends, C and F, before boarding the ferry. Time for a last group photo!

Great memories, good people and fun times

As the boat left the Hesteyrarfjörður at 6pm, from the stern I took one more image of Hesteyri.

Adieu Hesteyri - thanks for the wonderful 8 days

Soon, we had made our way back over the Isafjarðardjúp fjörd and had tied up at the Bolungarvik refilling wharf to unload all our gear. By the way, the ferry ride costs €100 each way for 2 adults and 2 kids!

Blatting back across the Isafjarðardjúp

As the transportation was being sorted out, I wandered over to the big fishing boat tied up on the other side of the wharf and shot off a few images of the Þorlákur. It was the biggest fishing vessel that I had seen in these waters.



Once we were ensconced in Sosa's Apartments (which are run by Birna's 2 daughters), we cooked dinner. As I washed up, out of the kitchen window I noticed that the light of the setting sun was a brilliant orange. I couldn't resist heading out to photograph it! Bundling up against the cold, I wandered back down to the wharf area.

Orange reflections

It was now 10:30pm. The mountains were catching the last of the sun's rays and this was being reflected in the relatively still water in the harbour. The fishing boats were tied up and motionless - their orange buoys and rescue floatation devices glowed in agreement with the sunlight.

The Day-glo orange equipment really stood out

I stood and photographed for about 15 minutes before the sun sank behind the mountains and it fell gloomy.

The smallest pirate ship with the biggest flag!

Walking back to the apartment, it was time for bed. We had a full day and another night to spend in Bolungarvik ahead of our flight, and we were really wondering how we were going to keep ourselves occupied!

Next Chapter: Ísafjörður and walking back to Bolungarvik

Chapter 20: Visiting the old Whaling Station

Continued from Chapter 19

Click on images to enlarge

A short distance away from Hesteyri, towards the end of the fjörd, lies Stekkeyri which is the abandoned whaling/herring station in Hesteyrarfjörður.

Stekkeyri is located closer to the end of the Hesteyrarfjörður

We took the easy walk to the station on a couple of occasions - once in the late afternoon under a warming sun and blue skies, and again on our last day in Hesteyri when the weather finally packed in and it started to lightly rain.

The station from the track between Hesteyri and Stekkeyri

A Norwegian company, Brødrene Bull, built the station in 1894 to process whales caught in the environs. The Norwegians pulled out in 1915 when the Icelandic Government introduced a 10 year ban on whaling in an effort to recover the dwindling whale population.

What's left of the old boilers

The station sat empty and unworked until 1927 when a company from Reykjavík, called Kveldúlfur, bought it and converted it into a herring fishmeal factory.

The wooden ribs were once part of the wharf area which extended into the fjörd

In the beginning, the fishing was performed by small boats man-powered by six oars, and it wasn't until later that motorized vessels took over. There are some interesting photos of the old station in operation hanging on the dining room walls in the Doctor's House Lodge.

Looking towards the fjörd's entrance

Hesteyri settlement serviced the station and provided manpower as well as services such as a school, post office, doctor's services, telephone communications, a church and a store. In its heyday, up to 80 people lived in Hesteyri.

Rain hangs over the fjörd on our second visit

In the late 1930s, the herring supplies began to dwindle and the station was closed in 1940. People began to leave Hesteyri to look for other work, until the settlement was totally abandoned in 1952.

Silhouetted against a threatening sky

Today, all that remains is some crumbling brickwork and rusting iron. There is little sign of the long wharves that used to protrude a long way into the fjörd, and which used to bustle with activity as the boats came in to unload their catches.

What caused the hole in the chimney?

Upon seeing the hole at the top of the chimney, J remarked that it looked as if a cannonball had gone through it.

One night at the lodge, an Icelandic friend of Birna's family told us a story about his father who was with the Icelandic Navy and stationed on a coastal vessel. They had been given some old, non-incendiary shells by the British Navy to be used in practice firings.

Their boat entered Hesteyrarfjörður and, for a laugh, they aimed their gun at the chimney of the whaling station, never expecting that they would hit it. Hit it, they did and the hole is a constant reminder of the prowess of the Icelandic Navy!

Next Chapter: Leaving Hesteyri and another night in Bolungarvik

Chapter 19: 4 Hesteyri Summer Residents

Continued from Chapter 18

Hestyri is now a destination where former residents (who lived there prior to 1952) or their families live in their houses over the summer vacation. The population also varies according to the number of tourists visiting the area, and they comprise mostly of hikers who either begin or end their Hornstrandir hikes at Hesteyri.

We had daily contact with 4 Icelanders who are regular Hesteyri residents.

Hrólfur Vagnsson is a son of Birna - the Doctor's House Lodge owner. He is a very well-known jazz accordionist who was born in Bolungarvik but has spent a lot of time working in Germany (where in 1989 in Hanover, he set up Studio Vagnsson recording studios), as well as giving concerts all over Europe and in Japan and China. Hrólfur also spends a lot of time in Thailand where he works regularly with the First Thai Symphony Orchestra.

Hrólfur Vagnsson

When in Iceland over summer, Hrólfur is mostly at Hesteyri where he helps Birna by maintaining the Doctor's House, as well as greeting lodge guests when they arrive on the ferry. His electrical engineering background has helped him to set up a battery power supply for the lodge which runs the marine telephone, small LED lights placed in the kitchen and hallways and mobile phone chargers.

Hrólfur was really hospitable to us and took us out fishing for cod in his zodiac inflatable, as well as advising us on good hikes up the mountains. However, he didn't help us in our quest to watch the Arctic Foxes at close quarters, as he scared them off every time he went out for a cigarette!

Birna Pálsdóttir is Hrólfur's mother and she runs the Doctor's House Lodge as well as catering for the Coffee Cruise boat trips that come from Isafjordur.

The Doctor's House at Hesteyri

Now in her mid-70s, Birna can usually be found in the kitchen as she prepares food for the cruises or for various family members who happen to be visiting Hesteyri over the summer period.

Birna in her kitchen

On the rare occasions when she does sit down, she catches up on the local news or knits from a huge ball of homespun, dyed wool.

A rare chance to sit down

During winter and when Hesteyri is inaccessible, Birna lives in Bolungarvik where her daughters and sons also live.

A well-earned coffee break

When it was time to leave, I choked up when hugging Birna goodbye. She had opened her home to us and we had become part of her extended family. She even taught me a couple of Icelandic recipes while we worked together in the kitchen, and gave me many tastes of her preserves, cakes and pickled herring. In turn, we had cheerfully washed up the dishes and coffee pots after the coffee cruise visits, and most mornings we had scrubbed out her sticky porridge saucepan and washed her breakfast dishes too. She appreciated the help. I knew that we had made an impression on her when my goodbye hug was fiercely returned and we both stood there with tears in our eyes.

This is Birgir and his older sister Dagmar outside their tiny house in Hesteyri.

Dagmar and Birgir pose outside their house

The house has no electricity, no plumbing and no toilet. Light is provided from gas lamps and water is collected from the stream for cooking and ablutions.

The bare necessities

Dagmar is 83, and she and Birgir were born in Hesteyri and attended the Hesteyri School until the settlement was abandoned in the early 50s. The family then moved to Reykjavik in search of work. Dagmar has a home in Reykjavik, but every summer she and her brother come home to live in Hesteyri.

Dagmar - keeper of the camera and the delicious chocolate biscuits

Birgir is 78 and is definitely the naughty ringleader of the duo. With a twinkle in his eye and many stories from his childhood in Hesteyri, as a school teacher and his world travels, he can be seen walking slowly around Hesteyri with his Nordic walking poles - talking to anyone who comes within earshot.

Birnir in his living room

We had great fun checking Birgir's and Dagmar's fishing net each day. C had set it with Birgir by the river mouth in the hope of catching some late season salmon. Unfortunately, all it ever caught was a few flounder/flatfish and a lot of seaweed.

Now also based in Reykjavik, each summer Birgir tells everyone that it will be his last one in Hesteyri. I guess that time will come one day, but we pray that Birgir's and Dagmar's summers in Hesteyri may long continue.

We remember with great fondness our time spent in Hesteyri and the wonderful people we met, such as these 4 lovely Icelanders.

Next Chapter: Visiting the old Whaling Station