Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.05.2016, Blaðsíða 52

Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.05.2016, Blaðsíða 52
BOOK YOUR FLIGHT OR DAY TOUR AT AIRICELAND.IS ÍSAFJÖRÐUR ICELAND’S WESTFJORDS ARE ONLY 40 MINUTES AWAY Let’s fly ÞÓRSHÖFN VOPNAFJÖRÐUR GRÍMSEY ÍSAFJÖRÐUR AKUREYRI EGILSSTAÐIR REYKJAVÍK is le ns ka /s ia .is F LU 7 32 63 0 3/ 15 “Are you kidding?” laughs the grizzled old bus driver. “I’ll never get to Ártun by 8:51. Maybe if this was a Ferrari.” He checks a timeta- ble. “You should take Strætó num- ber five. I’ll radio ahead… oh wait, there it is! Run!” And so, a short getaway to Styk- kishólmur, the largest town on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, begins with us racing across Hlemmur, clumsily laden with bulky coats, backpacks and bags. The driver of the number five bus has been informed we’re coming, and after we pile aboard she puts her foot down—firmly. We grip the rail- ings as the rattling city bus speeds towards Ártun, our intrepid driver radioing ahead to tell the connect- ing bus to wait for us. It’s a team effort, and somehow very Icelan- dic, that the plight of two foreign bus travellers should become such a family affair. Once aboard the 57—a more comfortable cross-country coach– the panic is over, and we put our feet up. Soon, the scenery is flowing by as we shoot between snow-mottled bulges and craggy volcanic plains, through frosted farm fields and over snowy moun- tain passes. Just three hours lat- er, Stykkishólmur’s distinctive church glides into view, looking as much like a grounded spacecraft as a place of worship. The minibus chugs away from the cracked, empty gas station forecourt, and the silence of the town descends on us. Curved & cheery Stykkishólmur is sopping wet un- der a drizzly ceiling of low, gray clouds. The streets are deserted, and we splash down the town’s raw, potholed main street. Hotel Egilsen is easy to find, being one of the older and more distinctive buildings on the town’s pictur- esque harbour—in fact, it’s the second-oldest building in Styk- kishólmur, and will soon celebrate its 150th birthday. Its curved roof and cheery red exterior hold an immaculately renovated modern boutique hotel, complete with wooden powder-blue walls, artful- ly mismatched furniture, and cosy touches such as Vík Prjónsdóttir blankets and a library of Nordic folk tales and maritime fiction. We’re given a warm welcome and a hot coffee, and instantly fall in love with the place. With a few hours left until check-in, we head to the town’s swimming pool, which is famous for its mineral-rich water. We have the pool to ourselves, and soak blissfully in the hot pots, the steaming water leaving a silken sheen on the skin. A large sign proudly proclaims that the water here is richer in some minerals than either the Blue Lagoon or Mývatn Nature Baths—and at 800 ISK entry, it’s considerably cheap- er than either. Viking sushi Stykkishólmur’s harbour is one of the town’s most noticeable fea- tures, with a huge, jutting, light- house-topped cliff protecting the marina. It’s still used for fishing, as a ferry port and, increasingly, for pleasure cruises. The most popular of these is the Viking Su- shi tour—a feast of fresh seafood that’s pulled out of the fjord before your very eyes. We board with a large, excit- able tour group and settle down in the ship’s dining hold. As we pull out of the harbour, the captain’s voice crackles over the speakers. Some of the reputed thousand small islands in Breiðafjörður have their own folk tales. We steer alongside a distinctive island that has a large boulder precipitously jammed in a chasm between two ridges. It was apparently thrown there, centuries ago, by a misfir- ing troll who launched it at Styk- kishólmur’s church, irritated by the sound of the bells. “Geologists found that the rock is made of the same substance as the troll’s home mountain, and not the rock found on the island,” says the captain. “And furthermore, it’s on the right trajectory… so we have proof!” Eventually, we gather at the back of the boat. A heavy basket is thrown into the water, and we look on as it sinks to slowly trawl the sea floor. When it’s wound in a few minutes later, out spills a me- nagerie of brightly coloured sea creatures, from purple urchins to orange starfish, pink crabs and huge scallops. The shells are 52 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 5 — 2016TRAVEL Bus trip: straeto.is Viking Sushi trip: seatours.isStykkishólmur A Feast For All The Senses John encounters brigthly coloured urchins Words & Pictures by JOHN ROGERS
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