The surroundings appear tropical and the gleaming sun makes the illusion complete. I snap out of it as I remember that I’m sitting on the back of a horse.
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Yesterday, the man accused of having killed Haukur Sigurdsson in Reykjanesbaer this spring refused to answer whether he was guilty of manslaughter. He did however admit to have inflicted injury on Sigurdsson, which led to his death.
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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of a hike to Hraunsvatn lake in Öxnadalur valley in north Iceland, which lies at a height of 490 meters, interlocked between two steep mountains and a small glacier with a view of the majestic Hraundrangar peaks.
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Located just 40 minutes by car and six minutes from Keflavík International Airport, Sandgerdi (“Sandy Hedge”) is a growing town of 1,700 with a storied history and loads to see. Read this special promotion about the hidden secrets of one of Iceland's most charming seaside villages.
As the name indicates, the soil in Sandgerdi is sandy and not optimal for cultivation, so the main industry is fishing. Soil erosion was prevented by planting lyme grass and constructing a large protective wall by the seaside in the early 20th century.
At the nearby Hvalsnes, a former parish, Iceland’s most treasured psalm writer, Hallgrímur Pétursson, after whom Reykjavík’s Hallgrímskirkja Church was named, served as priest for the first time between 1644 and 1651.
The fiercest flood in Iceland’s history wiped out the nearby village of Básendi in 1799. An elderly woman drowned in the flood but the remaining inhabitants barely managed to save themselves by climbing a heath. Another tragedy took place in 1928 when the trawler Jón Forseti (“President Jón”), the first trawler specifically constructed for Iceland’s rough seas, sank off Stafnsnes.
As it would happen, Iceland’s first gunfight took place in 1551 in nearby Másbúdarhólmi, a few minutes from Sangerdi, when a group of Catholics were hoping to avenge Bishop Jón Arason, who was executed in 1550 for refusing to further the progress of Lutheranism in Iceland.
Not to worry, the fiery action has subsided considerably in the last 400 years and what remains today are the same beautiful views with some great galleries and museums to boot.
Accommodation and tourist services:
- Summer houses for rent at Thóroddsstadir (Tel: +354-423-7748, +354-8937523)
- Travel agency Hópferdir Saevars (Tel: +354-4217353)
- Car repair services (Strandgötu 4, Tel: +354-4212005; Sjávargötu 3, Tel +354-4237660)
Shops/restaurants:
- Vitinn restaurant (Hafnargötu 4, Tel: +354-4237755)
- Mamma Mía restaurant (Tjarnagötu 6, Tel: +354-4237377)
- Strax grocery store (Miðnestorgi 1, +354-4237410)
- Shell petrol station (Strandgötu 15, +354-4237650)
- Hafnarvídeó video store (Vitatorgi 9, +354-4237878)
Attractions/places of interest:
- Stone gallery Gallerí Grýti (Vitatorgi, Tel: +354-6606087)
- Handicraft workshop Ný Vídd (Strandgötu 18, Tel: +354-4237960)
- Candle-making workshop Jöklaljós (Strandgöty 18, Tel: +4237694)
Events/exhibitions:
- “The Attraction of the Poles” an exhibition dedicated to the French polar explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot at the Fraedasetur – the Nature Center – (Gardvegi 1, Tel: +354-4237551)
- “Life By the Open Sea” at the Nature Center, May 1 to August 31
- Sandgerdi Festival, August 25
For further information visit sandgerdi.is or call the Nature Center, Tel: +354-4237551.
Click here to download a detailed map of Iceland.
The second issue of the print edition of Iceland Review 2010 has just been published. Entitled “Under the Volcano” the magazine dedicates 20 pages, words and pictures, to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier which made headlines all over the word. New subscribers will receive the book Puffins as a gift and all subscribers are part of a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
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Future of Hope is an aptly named documentary directed by Henry Bateman about what some people are doing to shape the future of Iceland, hoping that above all, the crisis will ultimately strengthen the country.
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There can’t be many novels that are heralded as being “a purification for body and soul” recommended to “those who enjoy experimental cookery” (review of November Rain in DV newspaper) and “as beautiful as a painting from the golden age” (review of The Offspring by Danish newspaper Politiken). However, Reykjavík based writer, Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir, has attracted such attention not to mention literary prizes.
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Have a laugh this week by visiting Hafnarborg, the Hafnarfjördur Centre of Culture and Fine Art, where the exhibition “Humor in Icelandic Art” is currently running. The exhibition consists of works by contemporary Icelandic artists from different generations which deal with humor and irony.
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