Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.04.2017, Page 51

Island Life
Weird & Wonderful News From Around Iceland
Words: Paul Fontaine
Things To Do Outside Reykjavík
The picturesque
peninsula of Snæfell-
snes is going to
remain beautiful, as
three lighthouses
have received official
sanctuary status
from local authori-
ties. As such, they are
not only protected
from development;
their care and
maintenance will be
continued so they
stay beautiful.
Police in South Iceland have
their work cut out for them
these days. Earlier this week
they took a helicopter over the Highlands
and stopped three jeeps that were driving in
the area. The Highlands are officially closed
to the general public most of the year, and
driving into the area during the off-season
can be literally life-threatening. Readers,
take note: keep your Super Jeeps off the
Highlands unless it’s high summer.
Those of us in the big city have long grown weary of the con-
stant building of hotels. Perhaps we could take a lesson from
Stöðvarfjörður, a tiny village in Iceland’s Eastfjords. There, the local
Planning and Environmental Committee rejected the permit for a pro-
posed hotel, officially putting the kibosh on what would have been a
40-room hotel in this picturesque village. Áfram Stöðvarfjörður!
If you want to go reindeer
hunting, you better not even try
to fool the police. A man in East
Iceland is currently facing criminal charges
for having falsified a “hunting band,” a
special numbered ribbon that hunters are to attach
to reindeer they shoot, so that authorities can keep
track of how many reindeer a hunter kills and main-
tain the quota. The accused apparently switched his
own hunting band for someone else’s. This is a big
no-no. Hunt accordingly to the law, people.
51The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 06 — 2017
Hike:
Eldborg
Located at the heel of Snæfellsnes,
the peninsula north of Reykjavík, this
spatter cone crater stands 60 metres
above serrated lava fields. The medi-
eval Icelandic “Book of Settlement”
claims it erupted when Vikings were
first anchoring their ships here in
the mid-to-late 800s, but Eldborg
is dormant, having last blown its
top around 3,000 BC. It’s a short,
steep hike to the summit that re-
wards you with a striking view of the
coast, and the Snæfellsjökull glacier.
Road Trip:
Borgarfjörður
Away from the crowds pouring
around Iceland’s coastline is the
quiet fjord and inland countryside
area of Borgarfjörður. Turning right
just before the Borgarnes land bridge
will take you along a trail of curiosi-
ties, including the powerful Deildar-
tunguhver hot spring, the historical
town of Reykhólt, the impressive
Hraunfossar waterfalls, the top-
notch restaurant at Hotel Húsafell,
and, eventually, all the way to the
foothills of the Langjökull glacier.
Restaurant:
Bjargarsteinn Mathús
“Turn left at the small school,
drive toward the sea and look for
lights” are the directions we re-
ceived to Bjargarsteinn. It’s a small-
town eatery in Grundarfjörður on
Snæfellsnes with a view that looks
out toward the famously photoge-
nic mountain of Kirkjufell, and it’s
worth seeking out. The menu is a
mix of traditional foods (think dried
shark skewers, fish soup and skyr)
and bold twists (sweet potato muf-
fins and blueberry thyme sauces).
Photo: Timothée LambrecqPhoto: Debi VortPhoto: Grapevine Archives
I C E L A N D I C R E S T A U R A N T & B A R
Tasty tapas and dr inks by the o ld harbour
T a b l e r e s e r v a t i o n s : + 3 5 4 5 1 7 1 8 0 0 - w w w . f o r r e t t a b a r i n n . i s
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