Reykjavík Grapevine - jún. 2020, Blaðsíða 37

eerie silence filled with the noise
of birds and waves splashing on
our shores once again. Iceland was
once again ours—a gift we didn’t
ask for, but maybe needed.
To find beauty again
After visiting the quiet Jökul-
sárlón, we hiked to Svartifoss in
Skaftafell. Again we met no one ex-
cept one middle-aged couple from
Reykjavík, who decided to use the
opportunity to revisit places they
hadn’t seen for years.
The waterfall fell from the
cliff, surrounded by black basalt
columns, into a small river. The si-
lence was golden, as we sat togeth-
er and listened to this wonderful
waterfall, a waterfall close to the
soul of Iceland—it even inspired
Iceland’s most famous architects,
Gu"jón Samúelsson, when build-
ing our National Theater in Reyk-
javík.
In this silence, I contemplated
this unexpected, but beautiful side
effect of this pandemic: Icelanders
are finally finding beauty again in
their country and re-experiencing
the majesty of it that we’ve so often
ignored. It’s clear that we will not
be travelling abroad this summer,
but instead around our own island.

And perhaps this will prove vital to
save the travel industry. Icelanders
have a knack for changing disas-
ter into a gold rush. Our financial
system, which we rebuilt in four
years, has never been stronger
than now. Perhaps our interest in
re-experiencing the wonders of
Iceland will soften the economic
impact and get us back on our feet.
In the meantime, I’ll be under-
neath the waterfall, savouring the
silence.
Svartifoss, a favourite of goths everywhere

Island Life
Hot news from the cold Icelandic countryside
Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine
Keflavík Airport isn’t Iceland’s only port of entry, you
know; some people arrive on the Smyril Line ferry origi-
nating in Denmark and
docking in the scenic
East Iceland town of
Sey"isfjör"ur. As it
was not possible to
send health care
workers to the
Faroe Islands
(where the
ferry stops
before con-
tinuing on
to Iceland)
ahead of
the borders
opening on June
15th, coronavirus
screenings took
place in the tiny Icelandic
village. 155 in all arrived, with 85
samples taken.
Police in South
Iceland seized 280
cannabis plants found
growing in the ma-
nure shed of a barn
on a small farm. Two
arrests were made
in connection with the
case.
For the whole month of June, you can take the ferry from Akureyri to the
island village of Hrísey for free. If you’ve never been to Hrísey—46% of
Icelanders never have—it’s high time to do so.
37The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 04— 2020
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