Reykjavík Grapevine - okt. 2021, Blaðsíða 30

Travelling through the Westfjords
can be a tricky business. The roads
conform to the curves of the endless
fjords, paved roads alternate with
gravel ones, and most of the time
there’s no fence securing the car from
drifting out of the road. The journey
from Reykjavík to the Westfjords takes
a good five hours, and since the inter-
net connection cuts in and out, you're
forced to entertain yourself by taking
in the sweeping roadside views, which
Grapevine suggests even if your con-
nection is working just fine.
The car weaves up and down the
narrow mountain roads bisecting the
rural landscape. Gravel rattles against
the bottom of the vehicle while light
rain washes the windows. Just when
you think you’ve become blunt to
the bare yet captivating scenery, the
mountains yield, unveiling a spec-
tacular view of a village resting in the
valley’s embrace. There lies the desti-
nation, Bíldudalur.
Bíldudalur is a small fishing vil-
lage, located right next to the Ar-
narfjör!ur fjord, and home to only 238
people. The atmosphere of the town
is almost tangible: the few tourist at-
tractions are all closed for the season,
stores require customers to call the
owner to open the door if they’re in
need of visiting the shop, and the side-
walks and roads are devoid of people,
even though it’s election day.
The shore of sea
monsters
Although the tourist attractions in
Bíldudalur—such as the Old Black-
smith's Workshop and Bíldudalskirk-
ja—are open only during the sum-
mertime, the Icelandic Sea Monster
Museum opens its doors for special
visits. The museum has amassed
monster stories from all around Ice-
land and presents them to the visitors
in multiple ways. Compact placards
about sea monsters and their behav-
iour are presented throughout the
museum, and visitors can listen to the
stories of these cryptic creatures from
an old radio. Skeptics will be convert-
ed through screening documentaries
in which people who have encountered
these monsters explain what it’s like
to meet them eye-to-eye.
It’s no wonder that the museum is
in Bíldudalur, since many of the sto-
ries have occurred near Arnarfjör!ur.
Many of the people living on the
shores of Arnarfjör!ur have a story
to tell about sea monsters. While it is
intriguing to hear the folk tales, you
can’t help but wonder if it’s the dream-
iness of the small towns that makes
the mind create these visions.
Leaving the museum, you stroll
down the shoreside and come across a
small-scale breakwater, which tempts
you to step aside from the pavement to
explore the rocky ground more closely.
You head to the end of the breakwater,
skipping from one rock to another.
Birds hiding in the crevasses flutter
in flight as the turquoise swell beats
against the boulders—or who knows,
maybe they saw a monster swimming
towards them.
Warming up in
Reykjafjar!arlaug
It’s easy to lose track of time when the
serenity and sounds of the churning
sea take over. After breathing in the
ambience of the village by wandering
around the seaside and the streets ac-
companied by colorful buildings, it’s
time to head to Reykjafjar!arlaug hot
pools. Located within a 20-minute
drive of Bíldudalur, the geothermal
pools—one dug into the hot spring,
the other built further away—rest in
the midst of the surrounding moun-
tains and fjord.
As the wind tries to carry you into
the sea, second thoughts about dip-
ping into the pools might enter your
mind. Running from the changing
rooms to the first pool, you try not
to slip on the muddy pathway, and
when you enter the pool, the water
feels almost burning. But in a matter
of seconds the temperature starts to
soothe your wind-shaken body. The
walls of the pool are given a beauti-
ful green color by plantains and moss,
and though the walls are muddy, the
bottom of the pool stays clean. You
feel confident that you’ll never want
to leave this haven.
You relax there until it’s time to
move on to a cooler pool, which is built
right next to the changing area. This
pool is much bigger, allowing sporty
bathers to swim a few laps. Its water is
much cooler and, unlike the first pool,
it’s not ideal for lounging.
You fight the urge to move back
to the warmer pool, and instead get
dressed as quickly as possible. You
blast the heaters in the car and feel
the euphoric warmth taking over your
body. Feeling refreshed, you head on
with your journey in the Westfjords.
Travel distance
from Reykjavík:
375 km
Accommodation
provided by:
Fosshotel
Westfjords
islandshotel.is
Car provided by:
gocarrental.is
A Dreamy
Fishermen’s Villa!e
With Sea Monsters
On The Side
Your chance to experience a villa"e
untouched by tourism
Words: Reetta Huhta Photos: Art Bicnick
Travel
Scary monsters on the wireless
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