Reykjavík Grapevine - 26.08.2016, Page 56

Sometimes we all need a reminder
to slow down. As we enter the East
Iceland town of Djúpivogur, after a
full day of driving from Reykjavík,
we see a large snail painted onto the
pavement, with the word “SLOW” in
bright orange letters. On an island
full of sleepy towns, this one might
just be the slowest of them all.
The ideology of slow
Djúpivogur is the only town in
Iceland that is part of CittaSlow,
an international movement that
started in Italy in 1999 with the
aim of changing the way people
think about urban life and devel-
opment. “The movement is really
about preserving the lifestyle of
small towns,” says Nelita Vascon-
cellos, who works in the tourist
information centre in Djúpiv-
ogur. “So here in town, for ex-
ample, everything that we recom-
mend to people is usually from
local artists, and the restaurants
try to use as much as possible lo-
cal food.”
Ágústa Árnardóttir is the owner
of Arfleifð, the local business that
perhaps best exemplifies this Cit-
taSlow ideology. At Arfleifð, Ágústa
designs apparel made of fish and
reindeer leather that has been left
over from other projects, ensuring
that nothing goes to waste. Each
of her products, which range from
dresses to handbags, are uniquely
designed and handmade by herself,
with the help of her children.
Despite the fact that her de-
signs have attracted the attention
of people around the world, Ágústa
is content to keep things small,
and continues to operate out of a
small workshop and storefront in
the same building as Djúpivogur’s
supermarket. “People come to this
town to buy what I make,” she ex-
plains. “In the beginning, I wanted
fame and fortune and to go ev-
erywhere, but then I realized that
wasn’t what I wanted.”
Modern art
and living history

On the other side of town, an old
fish factory has been turned into
a modern art space that could just
as easily be in Brooklyn or Berlin.
The current exhibition is ‘Rúllandi
Snjóbolti’, or “rolling snowball,” an
ongoing collaboration between the
Chinese European Art Centre and
the municipality of Djúpivogur. In-
side the large, chilly building, visi-
tors are encouraged to wrap them-
selves in warm blankets and wander
through the installations, ranging
from sculpture to video art. It’s an
immersive sensory experience that
lets you get up close and personal
with some of Iceland’s most excit-
ing contemporary artists.
Djúpivogur’s rich history as
a fishing town is also on display
throughout the community. Down
by the harbour, Langabúð is one of
the oldest standing buildings in the
country, and today houses a café
on the main floor and a museum
in the attic that’s filled with relics
and knickknacks from decades and
centuries past. It’s the perfect place
to stop and warm up with fish soup
and a coffee before taking in the nat-
ural beauty that surrounds the town.
Our final stop is the sprawling
black sand beach behind Djúpi-
vogur’s old airport. When we ar-
rive in the early afternoon, the sun
has just emerged from behind the
clouds, and the water evaporat-
ing from the wet sand makes it look
as though smoke is rising from the
earth. To the north, west and east
the characteristic sharp peaks of the
Eastfjörds fade into the distance.
You could spend hours on this
beach, synchronising your breath-
ing with the sound of waves crash-
ing on the rocks hidden behind the
low dunes. Out here, hours from the
hustle and traffic of the big city, it
feels natural to slow down.
Car provided by Hertz www.hertz.is
SHARE: gpv.is/slo13
DESTINATIONS
Slowing Down
In Djúpivogur
What happens when
an entire town goes local
Words ISAAC WÜRMANN Photos ART BICNICK
As the Costa del
Iceland’s pretty
damn decent sum-
mer draws to its
conclusion and the
nights draw in,
there are new sea-
sonal activities on the menu for
travellers. First and foremost, the
northern lights will once again
start to dance their ghostly way
across the skies, should they be
cloud-free, and solar winds will-
ing. Like with any natural phe-
nomenon, spending a few hours
trying to spot the aurora is always
something of a gamble, especially
if you’re on a short trip, but you
can maximise your chances by
taking a bus to try and find the
likeliest spot for a sighting from
August 26th onwards. Where
these trips actually go depends on
the forecast—you could end up in
Hella, Þingvellir or Snæfellsnes.
Check the forecast at vedur.is, pick
a good night, and book at re.is.
And may our heavenly burning
sun-orb bless your journey into
the darkness with a veritable tor-
rent of charged particles upon the
earth’s atmosphere.
Iceland’s viking past has been
brought to life this summer by
Reykjavik Viking Adventure (vik-
ingadventure.is), who take people
out onto the ocean in a traditional
shield-lined wooden longboat, in-
cluding a costumed crew. Inspired
by the Þingeyri Viking Club’s build-
ing of the vessel Vésteinn in 2008,
the company sails in an authentic
replica of the Gaukstad, modelled
on a ship from 900 AD. Trips run
until the end of August, and take
1-1.5 hours, although private tours
also also available if you want a lon-
ger voyage. Whether or not private
tours include loaned weapons for a
raid on Akranes is currently uncon-
firmed.
Iceland’s Parliament this week
discussed, for the second time,
whether or not littering in the
country’s central Highlands
should be defined as a criminal
act. Their proposal would attach a
minimum 100,000 ISK (€750-ish)
charge for those busted. But hey—
whether or not this law passes,
don’t litter in the goddamn High-
lands, okay? Or any other part of
Iceland’s countryside. Take it with
you and put it in a bin, you damned
barbarian!
TRAVEL
NEWS
IN BRIEF
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 13 — 2016
56