Lögberg-Heimskringla - 26.03.1999, Blaðsíða 8

8 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 26 March 1999
Des tination—Westíj or ds
Above: Fjallfoss, Arnarfjörður.
Right: Hornbjarg, the northern-
most part of the Westfjords.
The Westfjords of Iceland have
been discovered by foreign
tourists who increasingly seek
out their challenging, pristine wilder-
ness area. Here we find the stomping
grounds of Raven-Flóki, Gísli Súrsson,
the ministers Bjöm at Sauðlauksdalur,
and Páll at Selárdalur as well as the
“artist with the child’s heart,” Samúel
Jónsson. And all the others, named and
unnamed, who through the ages have
lived with the harsh climate of the
Westíjords—although gentler aspects
are found as well.
Many possibilities await the trav-
ellers heading west to Barðastran-
dasýsla, which juts out into the ocean,
forming the southwest part of the
Westfjörd peninsula. An appropriate
route to follow would be tracing the
footsteps of Flóki Vilgerðarson (Raven-
Flóki) who long ago named the land
while viewing it from Lómfell at
Vatnsfjord. Hotel Flókalundur is an
ideal stop for refreshments or to rent a
kayak to row along the coast out to the
islands and skerries swarming with
multitudes of birds.
From Barðarströnd the road leads
over Kleifaheiði to Patreksfjörður.
Driving out along the south side of the
fjord the traveller should not miss tak-
ing a look at Látrabjarg, to listen to the
murmur from the birds in Iceland’s
largest bird cliff and at the same time
Europe’s most westerly point. Egill
Ólafsson at Hnjótur in Örlygshöfn oper-
ates a souvenier shop. There the trav-
eller can gain valuable information
about the struggle for livelihood and the
work habits of by-gone time. The muse-
um also serves as an aviation museum
with many rare memorabilia from
Iceland’s aviation history.
Sauðlauksdalur is another point of
interest. There pastor Bjöm Halldórs-
son first grew potatoes and introduced
them to the Icelandic diet in the eigh-
teenth century.
Driving out along Patreksfjörður on
the north side, the traveller arrives at
Vatneyri and Geirseyri where the town
of Patreksfjörður is located. In 1994,
four districts were joined together,
forming Vesturbyggð with 1,250 inhab-
itants, adding Tálknaíjörður with 300
people, bringing the count to 1,550.
Walking along the streets of
Patreksíjörður the poems of Jón from
Vör come to mind. The poet was bom at
Patreksfjörður in 1917 where he grew
up.
Continuing north across Miklidalur
the traveller reaches Tálknafjörður
where the fishing industry was mainly
based on small boat outfitting, as it was
at Patreksfjörður. Out along the fjord on
the south side the remains of a whaling
station can be found. It was first operat-
ed by Norwegians at the tum of the last
century, becoming the first Icelandic
operated whaling station between 1935-
1939. Crossing Mt. Hálfdán, the large
mountain separating Tálknafjörður and
Arnarljörður, the visitor arrives in
Bíldudalur, where Pétur Thorsteinsson
built the village up around his fishing
business and salt-fish production. Today
Bíldudalur, like so many other towns in
the Westfjords, relies on fishing for its
existence.
Ketildala-road lies from Selárdalur
out along Amarfjörður on the south
side. There down on the beach-head
stands Samuel Jónsson’s splendid art
gallery (the “artist with the child’s
heart”). Among his statues are found:
an imitation of the Lions’ Fountain
from Alhambra in Spain, as well as
Leifur the Lucky upon spotting
Vínland, his hand shielding his eyes
against the sun; and a swan with its
chicks on its back.
A man called Ámm-Kári, mmoured
to know witchcraft, lived at Selárdalur
in the fourteenth century. He is consid-
ered to be buried under a large slab out-
side the Selárdalur Church doors.
Another pastor at Selárdalur was Páll
Bjömsson who was considered to be
among the most leamed men in Iceland
in the seventeenth century. He was also
among the first Icelanders to outfit
motor boats, as well as being linked to
witchcraft which did not let up until six
farmers at Selárdalur were bumed at the
stakes.
Throughout the district are found
many hiking trails leading from the
beach to the valleys. Some of these age-
old trails are fairly easy to find, lined
with caims; others are more difficult to
find. In recent years organized hiking
trips along old trails have been offered.
We could mention hikes to Gísli Súrson
and his wife Auður’s settlement at
Geirþjófsfjörður, across Selárdalsheiði
heath between Tálknafjörður and
Arnarfjörður and over to Fagridalur at
Tálknaíjörður.