Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.07.2016, Síða 62

“What are you going to do in Hel-
la?!” a friend asked when I filled
him in on my next destination.
To the west, Hella is bound by the
Ytri-Rangé river, and to the east by
fields and fields of lupine. In be-
tween, a smattering of diners, gas
stations and industrial buildings
fill out this true blink-and-you’ll-
miss-it town.
We were only planning on
spending half an hour in Hella,
which for most people driving
Iceland’s main highway is just a
stopping point between Selfoss
and Hvolsvöllur. In fact, even the
woman working at Litla lopasjop-
pan, the local handicraft and wool
market, told us it would be hard to
spend more than a few hours here.
We stumbled upon Litla lopas-
joppan after noticing a bright red
building by the side of the highway
with wool sweaters blowing in the
wind out front. It’s an Icelandic
sweater collector’s paradise, with
wall-to-wall shelves stacked with
all colours and patterns imagin-
able. The shop is a true family af-
fair, with generations of Iceland-
ers working together to make the
classic sweaters that we all know
and love. For smaller gifts and
souvenirs, they also make scarves,
mittens, and—a personal favou-
rite—a glove that’s been tailor-
made to hold a can of Víking with-
out your fingers getting cold.
Pool? Pool?
Like all Icelandic towns, Hella of
course also has a pool. But com-
plete with a 25-metre lane pool
and a warmer pool for kids, as
well as a variety of hot pots, two
waterslides and a sauna, this isn’t
just any pool! While its small
size evokes the memory of clas-
sic small-town Icelandic pools,
the water slides add a modern
flair. The sauna was also a pleas-
ant surprise—tucked away near
the changing rooms, it could be
missed if you’re not looking for
it. I’ve been raving about this pool
to everyone who will listen since
my time in Hella, and I’ve made a
promise to myself that I’ll be back.
On our way out of town, we
stopped in at the local café/bar/
motel before picking up some
Bingo Balls at the gas station for
the road. You could find busi-
nesses like these—non-descript
but functional storefronts with
poor paint jobs—in any other
roadside town, but that’s part of
their appeal. As a Canadian who
spent a large chunk of his child-
hood driving from tiny town to
tiny town on the open prairies,
Hella carried a lot of nostalgia for
me. In this #InspiredByIceland
age, there’s something to be said
about the fact that you could find
towns in such uninspiring places
as Saskatchewan or Nebraska that
look, at least on their surface, al-
most identical to this town in
southern Iceland.
I’ve driven through a few times
since our half hour in Hella, and
each time I make some effort to
get whoever is driving to make a
pit stop. “They have a really nice
pool,” I’ll say. “And just look at
that lupine!” Without fail, they’ll
snicker or roll their eyes, and re-
fuse my suggestion. If only they
knew what they were missing.
SHARE: gpv.is/hel10
Half An Hour
In Hella
A microjourney in the
pursuit of the Hella Cool
Words ISAAC WÜRMANN
Photos HREFNA BJÖRG GYLFADÓTTIR
Great news for
the eremologists
among you. The
Kjölur trail, which
crosses the west
side of Iceland’s
highland desert, is now open. This
dramatic road starts just past
Gulfoss, where the concrete pav-
ing ends. Kjölur is a long, bumpy
track that passes through a beau-
tiful, wild region, with Langjökull
to the west and Hofsjökull to the
east. There’s a geothermal oasis
with a campsite, hostel and hotpot
at Hveravellir, and picturesque
hikes all over the region. Get there
by hiring a 4x4, taking the daily
bus (re.is) or booking a tour with
an operator like Extreme Iceland
(extremeiceland.is).
Deildartunguhver is a large
hot-water spring near Reykholt,
around 100km north of Reykjavík
in Borgarfjörður. The water has
been used to supply the towns of
Borganes and Akranes for years,
but now, it will also be used for
a new spa called Krauma (krau-
ma.is). Construction began in
April this year, just 70m from the
source. The spa will combine the
scalding groundwater of Deildar-
tunguhver with cool water from
the nearby Rauðsgil ravine to pro-
vide natural water at the perfect
bathing temperature. Hotpots,
saunas, heated walkways and a
“tranquility room” are planned.
We can’t wait.
Víðgelmir, a lava tube located in
the Hallmundarhraun lava field,
is thought to be one of Iceland’s
most spectacular caves. Like many
of Iceland’s natural wonders, it’s
taken a little work to make it safely
accessible to the public, and to pro-
tect it from footfall degradation. A
company called The Cave (thecave.
is) has invested in lighting and a
walkway to allow public access. The
standard tour shows off the many
lava features and bright, earthy co-
lours of the lava tube. Longer tours
are available for those who want to
delve a little deeper. JR
TRAVEL
NEWS
IN BRIEF
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2016
62