Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2011, Síða 39

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KEFLAVÍK
BORGARNES
STYKKISHÓLMUR
SNÆFELLSJÖKULL
DRANGAJÖKULL
FLATEY
NESKAUPSTAÐUR
BLÖNDUÓS
SIGLUFJÖRÐUR
BOLUNGARVÍK
HRÍSEY
NARSARSSUAQ
Greenland
FAROE ISLANDS
REYKJAVÍK
AKUREYRI
EGILSSTAÐIR
ÍSAFJÖRÐUR
VOPNAFJÖRÐUR
ÞÓRSHÖFN
HÚSAVÍK
GRÍMSEY
KULUSUK
Greenland
Blue Lagoon
AKRANES Geysir
Gullfoss
Jökullónið
Kárahnjúkar
Kraa
Hallormstaður
NUUK
Greenland
ILULISSAT
Greenland
www.airiceland.is
CONSTABLE POINT
Greenland
When most visitors to Iceland—or really, most peo-
ple living the capital area—think of the Westfjords,
Ísafjörður is usually the first place to spring to mind.
Arguably the capital of the region, this is a town that,
to me, feels more like a mountain town than a sea-
side town. I wish I could adequately explain why this
was; it might be because the downtown area looks
very much like my hometown, which is way up in
the Pennsylvania Appalachians, or maybe because
the town is surrounded on three sides by tall, stark
mountains, while the fjord upon which it rests is
dwarfed by comparison. Either way, plenty has been
written about Ísafjörður, a town that has come to em-
body the spirit of the Westfjords.
Not as well known is Gamla Gistihúsið (“the old
guesthouse”), often overlooked by the better-known
and more modern Hótel Ísafjörður. Gamla Gisti-
húsið, true to its name, is a converted house that
dates back to the 19th century. It was first a hospital,
and then a home for the elderly, before becoming a
guesthouse in 2000. The accommodations were the
ideal blend of old-timey and modern—the panelling
and wooden fixtures for the stairs were very early
20th century, but the place has open WiFi. We slept
like rocks, and were treated to quite a spread when
it came to breakfast, replete even with shots of lýsi
(cod liver oil), which I was personally very grateful to
see.
Heading north, along the western coast of the
Ísafjarðardjúp fjord, we came to Bolungarvík. An
Ísafjörður native had remarked that when he was
younger, the smell from the fish rendering plant
in the town was almost overpowering, but we en-
countered no such smell when we arrived, so either
they've found a solution to the fish rendering odour
problem, or ceased operations altogether. Either way,
it should be said that this is quite the ideal place for
bird nerds—the vast shoreline and interior wooded
area make for fine birdwatching opportunities, but if
you're lazy or pressed for time, you can always check
out the Natural History Museum in town. There,
you will find literally dozens upon dozens of stuffed
birds (and their eggs) from all over the country. This
includes birds that are not native to Iceland but by
chance ended up here, such as a pink flamingo that
apparently arrived here via the UK.
When we asked the curator what she would tell
a foreigner to go see in her town, her reply was im-
mediate: Bolafjall, an imposing mountain that looms
over the town. “On a clear day”, she told us, “you can
see all the way to Greenland”. Unfortunately, it was
not a clear day. It was cloudy, windy and cold, and
the idea of climbing a mountain filled us with dread.
We learned soon enough that you don't need to ac-
tually climb the mountain to get to the top; there is
a well-worn road, built by the US Army (that used to
operate a still-standing radar station on the moun-
tain), that winds up there fairly quickly. We decided
to explore.
We passed snowbanks before even reaching the
foot of the mountain, and by the time we drove to the
top, there was snow everywhere. Keep in mind this
is in late May. Sitting at the top of this mountain is
an enormous metal geodesic sphere—the aforemen-
tioned radar station, now being used by the Icelandic
government. There are warnings all around the facil-
ity that you are being videotaped, and that you must
not enter, so we were cautious about exploring the
area. Despite the heavy cloud cover, the view was
spectacular, so much so that it was easy to forget
the biting cold we felt. So, word to the wise: if you
do drive up to the top of this mountain, put on some
warmer gear first.
38
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 9 — 2011
Travel | Go west (well north, actually)
Words
Paul Fontaine
Photography
Thorsten Henn / Maroesjka Lavigne
““on a clear day”, she told us, “you can see all the way to
Greenland”. unfortunately, it
was not a clear day.
Accomodation on this trip provided by Gamla Gistihúsið, Ísafjörður,
Tel: 456-4146 - www.gistihus.is
And Ísafjörður ain’t half-bad, either
bolungarvík is The bird nerd's Paradise