Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.07.2018, Blaðsíða 53

Local lore
One of the centre’s attractions is
a museum about the area’s land-
scape, history, and culture. The
entrance hall has an enlarged map
of surrounding wilderness on the
floor. Denni talks us through the
features of the region, starting
with how the map itself was sur-
veyed by team of doggedly deter-
mined Danish soldiers.
The exhibits, he explains, were
constructed with the help of some
“artistic friends.” It shows in the
ingenuity of each display. There
are peepholes that show land-
scape vignettes, and a sculpture
made of pages taken from works
of Icelandic literature that refer
to the valley. Life-sized models
depict dramatic moments from
famous local stories, such as the
shepherd who got lost and had to
sleep in a snow hole, surviving
by the warmth of his sheep. Up-
stairs, there’s a lovingly recreated
traditional Icelandic communal
sleeping attic, used as hostel ac-
commodation. The attention
to meticulous detail makes the
whole endeavour ring true.
The crossing
After a dinner of meatballs and
locally-sourced vegetables, we
turn in early, waking up to a sun-
ny morning, eager to go explor-
ing. The Wilderness Centre offers
all kinds of tours, including Super
Jeep trips, hikes, horseback rid-
ing, and more. We decide to bor-
row a couple of mountain bikes,
and we’re soon barreling along
the dirt track that leads further
into the valley with a f lock of
sheep churning up dust as they
run down the road ahead of us.
After a few kilometres, the trail
terminates at a small wooden ca-
ble car over the gushing Jökulsá
river. The only onwards route is
a hiking path that vanishes off
into the valley. There are a series
of impressive waterfalls up there,
apparently, and various ways up
into the Highlands, where there’s
a geothermal area, and the na-
ture-rich wetlands. Across the
river, there’s an abandoned farm
that’s open for visitors to take a
look.
But there’s no rush. We re-
lax for a moment in a patch of
long grass, soaking up the hot
sunshine and listening to the
sounds of nature—the river and
the breeze, the bees and sheep.
It’s an idyllic choose-your-own-
adventure scenario. After a while
lost in thought, I eventually stand
and look around, smiling broadly,
and thinking: “So… what next?”
A classic Icelandic dining room
Arna and Denni
gpv.is/travel
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Smoked puffin with bluberry
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Cured artic charr with sorrel sauce
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Minke whale tataki with sesam chili sauce
Lamb tenderloin in liquorice-sauce
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