Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.07.2011, Blaðsíða 66

Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.07.2011, Blaðsíða 66
ICELANDIS OUTSIDE Suðurnes This is the first region of the country most people see when they ar- rive in Iceland. The landscape is comprised of relatively young lava, giving the area a distinct lunar surface look. About 50 kilometres from Reykjavík, it's easily accessible by car. Some interesting sights: Krýsuvík, The Blue Lagoon, Garður... West Iceland and Snæfellsnes Often overlooked, due to it not being on Route 1, this peninsula is renowned not just for the natural beauty of its shorelines, but also for the famed glacier-capped mountain Snæfellsjökull, reputed to be one of the planet's major “power centres”. Even if you don't be- lieve in that sort of thing, Snæfellsnes is still a gorgeous region of the country and, at about 150 km from the capital, can be explored by car in a single day trip (but you'll want to spend more time than that). Make sure you have at least a quarter tank of gas before heading out, which should run you about 3.000 ISK for a small car. Some interesting sights: Arnarstapi, Snæfellsjökull, Ölkelda... Westfjords Wild, mountainous and stunning, the Westfjords are probably best known, geographically speaking, for the very tall and steep mountains that form numerous nar- row and, in some cases, sparsely populated fjords and shorelines. You can of course drive there, and even if some of the roads in the region are unpaved, small cars can navigate them fine (there are also plenty of paved roads. The region’s largest municipality, Ísafjörður, is just over 400 km from Reykjavík (thanks to a fancy new road that was opened a couple years ago), and driving there takes 5–6 hours, so you might want to fly instead. If you do drive, don't forget to fill up the tank (about 10.000 ISK for a small car)—you don't want to wind up out of gas on a mountain road. Some interesting sights: Bolafjall, Reykjanes, The Mon- ster Museum in Bíldudalur... Northern Iceland A region known primarily for its largest town, Akureyri, there's quite a lot to see in this part of the country (including famous sites like Mývatn, Dimmuborgir and the ‘whale-watching town’ of Húsavík). It's actually a very rich area—from the plains in the west, to mountains in the centre, to Arctic desert in the east, and of course some beautiful coastline all along the top. Akureyri it- self is about 300 km from Reykjavík, and is also accessible by plane. There are gas stations along the way on Route 1, but you should fill up before heading out anyway. Some interesting sights: Ásbyrgi, Dimmuborgir, Kjarnaskógur A Viking-Style Dallas (And The Vikings’ Boring Descendants) A visit to The Icelandic Saga Centre in Hvolsvöllur 4 1 3 7 6 2 Distance from Reykjavík: ca. 110 km The dignified and scenic 40 km long stratovolcano Hekla is one of Iceland’s most famous landmarks, towering above the Þjórsárdalur valley. Hekla is among the world’s most active vol- canoes. The volcano has erupted five times in the 20th century, most re- cently in February 2000. Early settlers in Iceland understandably feared this frightening fire-spouting mountain and believed Hekla to be the gateway to Hell. In 2007, a new geo-historical mu- seum, the Hekla Centre, opened at the farm Leirubakki, situated at the foot of the mountain. The Hekla Center houses a contemporary, multimedia exhibition on Mount Hekla, its history, and its influ- ence on human life in Iceland from the time of the island’s settlement until now. The exhibition emphasizes the influence of the volcano on the inhabited areas close to it, that is, the districts of Lands- veit, Holt, and Rangárvellir. The history of these districts is traced and the story of people’s struggles with sandstorms and eruptions told. Mt. Hekla 7 The South of Iceland is very right- fully one of the country’s more popular tourism destinations. The severely geothermally active re- gion contains some of Iceland’s most stunning landscapes as well as multiple sites of interest and natural wonders like glaciers, gey- sers and waterfalls. It is also con- veniently close to Reykjavík and its international airport, enabling even those who are only in Iceland for a short jaunt to partake in some of its wonder. While one could be forgiven for focus- ing strictly on the nature at hand, ac- quainting oneself with the local culture and history is also a worthwhile pur- suit, especially when it has stories as fascinating and graphic as the South of Iceland does. The Icelandic Saga Centre in Hvols- völlur is an excellent option for those wishing to learn about Iceland’s early settlers and some of its Sagas in a short amount of time. The centre’s main ex- hibit revolves around the most famous of Iceland’s Sagas, ‘Brennu-Njáls Saga’ (“Burnt Njal’s Saga”), which is an epic tale of lust, vengeance, murder, manip- ulation and blood feud, all set in the era when Iceland was first being settled by tax-evading Norwegians. Send your friends swimming The exhibit is a fairly standard histori- cal exhibit, with the traditional set-up. It is an ambitiously crafted one, and has a lot of information pertaining not only to the famous Saga and all its murders, but also to Iceland’s early settlers’ way of life and worldview (as imagined by modern scholars). It is divided into five parts, and starts off by setting the stage with a display devoted to the ‘environ- ment and zeitgeist’ of Njála times, with maps of the Viking worldview, scale models of the types of buildings early settlers constructed and inhabited as well as samples of their weaponry and clothing. While one looks upon models of the broadswords, cloaks and helmets purportedly donned by Njáll and his friends, unseen speakers blare sound- scapes of battle, of the ocean and other noises that one might have heard in early Iceland at that time (the aural backdrop changes as you move through the exhibit, too). The items and illustra- tions are accompanied by text in Icelan- dic, German and English (there are also audio tours available in those languag- es) that gives several details and infor- mation and is quite well crafted (here is some advice: if you are the type of per- son that likes to read such details and immerse yourself in such exhibitions, send your impatient friends swimming or something). A Viking Dallas After setting the stage, the display moves into Njála territory and details the epic saga and its characters, chap- ter through chapter. If you have never heard of Njála, you should definitely read up on the Saga, as it is a good one (if not the best one). With its betrayal, lust, murder and vengeance, it might even be called a Viking-age version of popular 1980s TV series Dallas. After treading through all the plot- lines and learning about the characters of Njála, we found we had gleamed much knowledge and were nicely sat- isfied with the visit. While the exhibit cannot replace reading the book itself (an English translation is widely avail- able for free online), it gives a nice in- sight into the Iceland of yore and defi- nitely brings to life the fascinating tale of Njáll and the trouble that surround- ed him. An exhibit you won’t understand After wandering through the exhibit, we went on to observe a miniature replica of a parliamentary session at Þingvellir around Iceland’s time of set- tlement. We then were disappointed to learn no one was operating a restaurant in the building’s Viking style dining room, but that disappointment quickly faded as we found yet another exhibit to view and wander through. Although it has yet to be translated to English, Kaupfélagssýningin (“The Co-Op Exhibit,” which is also housed in the centre), is a fun place to walk through and it has lots of interesting artefacts to examine (and if you have an Icelander with you, you can ask them to read you the signs. The Co-Ops were farmer founded and run coopera- tive companies that they used to trade their goods and where they purchased needful things and groceries (often the farmers would never see any money, they would deposit their wool or pro- duce and credit any purchase to their account). Even though the Co-Op sys- tem is viewed less than positively in to- day’s retrospect, it is an important part of Iceland’s 20th century history. The exhibit places focus on com- merce and trade in the South of Iceland over the last hundred years, which of course involves the Co-Ops a lot. It’s key attraction for non-Icelandic speak- ers (there are apparently plans under- way to translate) is that it has all sorts of fascinating old machines: computers, mimeographs, typewriters, weighing machines and everything else needed to run a Co-Op (there is even a replica of an old Co-Op office). And since you already paid to get in to the museum, you might as well use the opportunity, see some cool stuff and learn what the Njáls Saga characters’ boring descen- dants got up to over the last century. The Icelandic Saga Centre is open every day from 09:00–18:00 Admittance is 750 ISK (free for under-16s) www.njala.is Burning Njáll Festival at The Icelandic Saga Centre If you are all crazy about Njáls Saga, you would do well by visiting the Saga Centre this weekend, as they are hosting a Burning Njáll festival (Njálsbrennuhátíð) on site for two days. Scheduled events include staged Viking battle, Viking sports competitions, concerts, theatre, games for kids and adults of all ages and the epic climax: the re-enactment of Njáll’s murder by fire, in a specially made hut that will be used as bonfire kindling throughout the night. The programme starts Friday July 29 at 20:30 with a concert by folk music group KORKA and continues through the weekend. Full programme available at www.njala.is 6
Blaðsíða 1
Blaðsíða 2
Blaðsíða 3
Blaðsíða 4
Blaðsíða 5
Blaðsíða 6
Blaðsíða 7
Blaðsíða 8
Blaðsíða 9
Blaðsíða 10
Blaðsíða 11
Blaðsíða 12
Blaðsíða 13
Blaðsíða 14
Blaðsíða 15
Blaðsíða 16
Blaðsíða 17
Blaðsíða 18
Blaðsíða 19
Blaðsíða 20
Blaðsíða 21
Blaðsíða 22
Blaðsíða 23
Blaðsíða 24
Blaðsíða 25
Blaðsíða 26
Blaðsíða 27
Blaðsíða 28
Blaðsíða 29
Blaðsíða 30
Blaðsíða 31
Blaðsíða 32
Blaðsíða 33
Blaðsíða 34
Blaðsíða 35
Blaðsíða 36
Blaðsíða 37
Blaðsíða 38
Blaðsíða 39
Blaðsíða 40
Blaðsíða 41
Blaðsíða 42
Blaðsíða 43
Blaðsíða 44
Blaðsíða 45
Blaðsíða 46
Blaðsíða 47
Blaðsíða 48
Blaðsíða 49
Blaðsíða 50
Blaðsíða 51
Blaðsíða 52
Blaðsíða 53
Blaðsíða 54
Blaðsíða 55
Blaðsíða 56
Blaðsíða 57
Blaðsíða 58
Blaðsíða 59
Blaðsíða 60
Blaðsíða 61
Blaðsíða 62
Blaðsíða 63
Blaðsíða 64
Blaðsíða 65
Blaðsíða 66
Blaðsíða 67
Blaðsíða 68
Blaðsíða 69
Blaðsíða 70
Blaðsíða 71
Blaðsíða 72

x

Reykjavík Grapevine

Beinir tenglar

Ef þú vilt tengja á þennan titil, vinsamlegast notaðu þessa tengla:

Tengja á þennan titil: Reykjavík Grapevine
https://timarit.is/publication/943

Tengja á þetta tölublað:

Tengja á þessa síðu:

Tengja á þessa grein:

Vinsamlegast ekki tengja beint á myndir eða PDF skjöl á Tímarit.is þar sem slíkar slóðir geta breyst án fyrirvara. Notið slóðirnar hér fyrir ofan til að tengja á vefinn.