Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.07.2016, Qupperneq 58

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ÍSAFJÖRÐUR
ICELAND’S WESTFJORDS
ARE ONLY 40 MINUTES AWAY
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Iceland seems fantastical so much
of the time. Travelling around the
country, I’m always reminded of
novels and films—of lands that
aren’t based in reality. Just when
you think you’ve seen the most
magnificent landscape imagin-
able, you’ll stumble upon some-
thing even more remarkable at the
next turn.
The ferry ride from the south
coast of Iceland to the Westman
Islands was the first indication
that, for the duration of our two-
day visit, this kind of happy bewil-
derment would be a constant. As
we approached, the green peaks
that had seemed like just some
distant rocks jutting out of the sea
grew into a fantastical little ar-
chipelago. We passed several tiny
islands as we docked in Heimaey,
the largest of the islands. Elliðaey,
the fabled “isle of Björk” is visible
from the harbour—a dramatic is-
let, with a single house on it that
was rumoured on social media
to have been gifted to the singer
by the Icelandic government, but
which, in actuality, is a lodge for
puffin hunters.
An unconventional
paradise
July is the the peak of Iceland’s
midsummer, when the Westmans
are as green as they get. The land-
scape, almost completely devoid of
trees, looked particularly dramat-
ic at this time of year, with grassy,
steep embankments and sheer
cliffs towering over the crashing
waves. It’s a little wilder than your
conventional island getaway.
The extremity of the West-
mans’ beauty is reflected in the
severity of all its elements–the
frigid ocean temperatures, the
powerful current, and the pre-
cipitous edges that sketch out the
island’s periphery. Even the settle-
ment of the islands has a sense of
drama—the land’s name derives
from the Old Norse word “Vest-
menn,” or Westmen, in reference
to the Gaelic slaves who had been
brought here by Norsemen some-
time around AD 875.
Wild island
Walking amongst such all-en-
compassing natural beauty, I felt
detached from the realities of day-
to-day living in this remote place.
But as we walked to visit the Hei-
maey stave church, we caught site
of a preserved house that would
remind us of the hardships of is-
land life. Upon entering, we re-
alised we’d found a museum dedi-
cated to the history of medicine
on the island.
Perhaps it’s my obsession with
‘Call the Midwife’, but I find the
study of medicine in ages past
fascinating. Within the house is
a nineteenth-century medicine
cabinet that formerly belonged
to the island’s lighthouse keeper,
Jónatan Jónsson, who lived so
far from town that he needed to
maintain his own personal medi-
cine store. I began to imagine the
lives of Westman Island inhabit-
ants over the years. The thought
that first struck me upon enter-
ing the harbour returned—this
is no white-sand paradise, but a
wild island where the elements
are menacing in their ferocity and
strength.
A much-anticipated highlight
of the trip was a boat tour of the
smaller islands. As our small
motorboat laboured across the
choppy water, our intrepid cap-
tain steered close to large rocks
being pummeled by the tide and
ventured into watery caves. It was
a thrilling ride that brought to
mind ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘Juras-
sic Park’, peppered with tidbits of
information from our guide about
the history, geology and nature of
the Westmans.
Accommodation
guesthousehamar.is
How to get there:
Route One south to Landeyja-
höfn, and take the ferry
Meal provided by:
slippurinn.com
Boat trip by:
ribsafari.isExploring
South By Southwest
Nature, culture and fine dining
on The Westman Islands
Words KELLEY REES
Photos ART BICNICK
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2016
58