Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.04.2019, Blaðsíða 50

It was your typical kind of early spring
day in Iceland. The sky was grey, and
the windscreen wipers were doing
double time as we drove through the
snowy, rainy Icelandic countryside. It
was shaping up to be a miserable day
on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Our destination was the small
town of Grindavík, which, accord-
ing to a recent Gallup poll run by the
Directorate of Health, is home to the
happiest people in Iceland, which it-
self is the fourth happiest country in
the world. But there was no way that
people would be happy in weather like
this, right?
That’s when it happened. Just as
we passed the Blue Lagoon and head-
ed into town, we seemed to cross an
invisible line, and the clouds parted
to reveal a dazzling blue sky. The ru-
mours must be true. Move over Dis-
neyland—there’s a new “Happiest
Place on Earth.”
Under the cover
Upon arrival, you would be forgiven
for thinking that there’s nothing
particularly special about Grindavík.
The buildings are plain, there are no
large shops and the streets are quiet.
As we stepped out of the car, I won-
dered what could be so special about
the place. The air had a salty aroma,
likely coming from the harbour—but
it was no fresher than other seaside
towns. There were, of course, pictur-
esque mountains dominating the ho-
rizon—but then, Iceland is a moun-
tainous country.
It quickly became apparent that
Grindavík marches to the beat of its
own drum. The days unfold at their
own pace. People are never late; nor
are they early. They arrive precisely
when they intend to. However, if you
dare to flip past the cover of this book,
you’ll find more on offer than first
impressions suggest.
Be our guest
The first surprise was Hjá Höllu (“Chez
Halla,” roughly translated). This
charming little restaurant is owned
and run by Halla María Svansdóttir,
and serves food that’s both incredibly
healthy and incredibly delicious.
We asked Halla for her menu rec-
ommendations and her eyes lit up as
she explained the various options. Be-
fore we knew it, our plans for a simple
breakfast had turned into an attrac-
tive tasting menu with an open-faced
beef sandwich, a homemade burger
(my personal favourite), and not one
but two varieties of freshly caught
oven-baked fish.
This set the tone for the day. Grin-
davík is the town that welcomes you
with open arms, and puts a smile on
your face. The meal finished perfectly
when a member of staff rushed out af-
ter us as we left, brandishing a brown
bag full of packed lunch items for the
day— a little parting gift from Halla.
Love thy neighbour
With a full stomach, and the snowy
drive now a distant memory, we set
out to explore the town and try to
learn more about what makes it so
special. We spoke to some locals and
quickly discovered a common theme
in the answers that we received—
“community.”
For most people, what seemed to
make living in Grindavík so special
was their fellow residents. It’s the
kind of place where all the residents
know each other and genuinely care
about each other’s wellbeing.
Another running theme was na-
ture, and rightfully so. No matter
which way you look you in Grindavík,
there’s a stunning view of the nearby
mountains, the seemingly endless
mossy fields, or the raw power of the
sea. Grindavík is the perfect place to
get lost in Icelandic nature.
A parting gift
It could have been a placebo effect,
or the amazing food, or the welcom-
ing people, but the time we spent in
Grindavík had a noticeably positive
effect on our mood. We left with quite
heavy hearts. However, the town had
one more parting gift in store.
As we made one final stop on the
way out of town, we were greeted with
a quite peculiar sight—a large hole in
the ground, with a set of stairs lead-
ing down into the darkness. It turned
out that we’d stumbled across a lava
cave called Dollan—a spacious cavern
with walls covered in moss and giant
icicles.
It was a perfect way to end the day
and a perfect analogy for Grindavík
in general. Some places may not seem
inspiring at first, but if you take the
time to look below the surface, then
you might just find something to
smile about.
Distance from
Reykjavík:
52 km

How to get there:
Take Route 41
towards the airport
then Route 43
Car provided by:
gocarrental.is
44The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 05— 2019
The happiest street in Iceland, maybe Halla is happy! A view the happiest harbour
The Happiest
Place In Iceland
Move over Disneyland—Grindavik is here
Words: Sam Daniels Photos: Art Bicnick
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