Reykjavík Grapevine - Nov 2019, Page 41

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cility, and we are fortunate to sam-
ple the many craft beers on offer.
Segull’s brewery opens with a spa-
cious bar, with seating for visitors
primarily in a glassed-in room over-
looking the brewing facility.
“Segull” is the Icelandic word
for compass. “The compass nee-
dle points north,” Baldvin explains,
“right to this brewery.”
Segull 67 produces several beers,
ranging from its Sigló IPA to the
pineapple-conjuring Sólstingur.
Baldvin pours us tastes of Segull
67’s selection. We are charmed by
his care with both beer and driving
advice, and leave Siglufjörður in
high spirits.
Hoofin’ it
Baldvin’s words ring in our ears as
we set out for the drive west and
southwest around the rest of Tröl-
laskagi. “Be careful. Even locals take
great care when driving this area,”
he said.
Barren and rainy, the rural road
provides vistas galore. We take
care as we drive, though the largest
threat to our journey is the sudden
appearance of horses on the road.
Residents around Hofsós are pre-
paring for the autumn réttir, the an-
nual event when sheep are rounded
up from their summer grazing, and
lambs born in the spring are slaugh-
tered for winter meat.
Before the sheep can be herded,
the horses used for round-up are
gathered and moved between fields.
During an hour’s drive, we spot sev-
eral different groups herding their
horses in full gallop near the road-
side. It’s a Saturday, but farming
work doesn’t pause for weekends.
The view from here
Our journey concludes at Hofsós,
the westernmost village of Tröllask-
agi. Hofsós is a fishing village of just
200 inhabitants, providing supplies
to area farmers. It is home to one of
Iceland’s favourite swimming spots,
where visitors soak in geothermal
water while overlooking the North
Atlantic.
Ocean views from Hofsós’ new-
est eatery are equally as spectacu-
lar. Berg Bistro is a renovated post
office, and they have converted the
old vault into the bathroom. Their
coffee proves an optimal way for us
to digest all of the experiences we
have accrued and new friends we
have made throughout the day.
We take in the views over the
North Atlantic as evening creeps
close. A rainbow frames the horse
round-up to the east. The unexpect-
ed reigns supreme.
“Vellir features gourmet foods
prepared on-site, including
smoked Icelandic cheeses and fer-
mented foods.”
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