I & I - 2011, Side 30

30 I&I
This must be heaven! I thought, as I
stared at the giant bowl of blue mus-
sels in front of me, taking in its salty
scent mixed with the smell of freshly-baked
bread. “Come on, you have to eat more
than the Italians!” the blue mussel growers
of Hrísey urged, referring to the last group
of Saga Travel’s gourmet tourists who vis-
ited their beautiful north Icelandic island,
‘The Pearl of Eyjafjördur’, as it is known
among locals. dinner was served inside a
museum dedicated to a late island resident,
Shark Jörundur (1826-1888), which exhibits
fascinating objects related to the tradition
of shark hunting. Tasting fermented shark,
an acquired Icelandic delicacy, was yet to
come (downing it earned us membership
of the Rotten Shark Club of Hauganes). Af-
terwards we got to enjoy other local food,
including bacalao from Ektafiskur, Kaldi
beer from Bruggsmidjan and farmhouse
ice cream at Holtsel with weird flavors like
rhubarb and sheep sorrel—they even have
beer ice cream, made in collaboration with
Bruggsmidjan. We also tasted beef carpac-
cio seasoned with Angelica seeds (the An-
gelica is grown in Hrísey and also used to
brew Bruggsmidjan’s Stinningskaldi beer),
smoked lamb and an assortment of jams.
The last two foods were served at a rather
obscure museum, the Small Object Muse-
um (Smámunasafnid) in Sólgardur, exhibit-
ing objects collected by eccentric local car-
penter Sverrir Hermannsson (1928-2008),
such as rusty nails from all the old houses
he renovated, some of them historic, and
Lad brothers. Looking for something else
to do on a rainy day? How about hopping
between Eyjafjördur’s churches, which
is also a tour offered by Akureyri-based
Saga Travel. The region boasts 25 houses
of worship, everything from its capital’s
landmark church, Akureyrarkirkja, built in
1940, displaying stained glass windows
from the Coventry Cathedral in the UK
which was destroyed in World War II, to
one of the last and largest of the original
turf churches in Iceland, Saurbaejarkirkja,
built in 1858.
However, as Eyjafjördur natives pride
themselves of good weather, there is no
reason why you shouldn’t include an out-
door adventure in your trip. In the summer,
whale watching is the name of the game,
operated from Hauganes and Ólafsfjördur.
If you’re up for a longer trip at sea, consid-
er visiting the island Grímsey by ferry from
dalvík, Iceland’s northernmost inhabited is-
land where the sun never sets in the height
of summer. If you’d rather skip the three-
hour ferry ride, Grímsey is also accessible
by plane from Akureyri. For real ocean-lov-
ers, take a dive to the unique natural phe-
nomenon Strýtan, geothermal stalagmite
chimneys that grow out of the fjord’s floor.
In wintertime, you can ski down Strýtan,
which is also the name of the Akureyri ski
resort’s steepest slope in Mt. Hlídarfjall. The
region has slopes that suit everyone from
toddlers to action-prone adventurers. Heli-
skiing, anyone? Adrenaline seekers can
also ski down Mt. Kaldbakur, the country’s
longest skiing slope at 1,174 meters, or slide
down on a customized toboggan. Or just
enjoy the view and hitch a ride back down
the butts of all the pencils he ever used.
Observing these hordes of peculiar objects
one man collected in his lifetime was both
overwhelming and strangely fascinating.
Eyjafjördur has a range of museums to
choose from so everyone is guaranteed to
find something to their liking: from Akurey-
ri’s rooted Heritage Museum, Aviation Mu-
seum and Nonnahús, dedicated to chil-
dren’s book author Jón Sveinsson (Nonni;
1857-1944)—I believe there was a nail from
that house in the Small Object Museum—
to the more unorthodox Icelandic Folk and
Outsider Art Museum in Svalbardsströnd.
Further to the north, in dalvík, the Heritage
Museum Hvoll sheds light on the commu-
nity’s history and its most famous residents,
including Jóhann Pétursson, ‘The Giant’
(1913-1984), who was once the tallest man
in the world at 2.34 meters (7 ft 8 in). Si-
glufjördur, Iceland’s former herring capital,
is now connected to Eyjafjördur via a new
tunnel from Ólafsfjördur. The town’s Her-
ring Era Museum, Folk Music Center and the
recently-opened Poetry Museum are well
worth a visit. If you’re in the mood for some
hands-on history, the turf manor Laufás
takes you back in time, or, better yet, if the
timing is right, jump right back to the mid-
dle ages and shop at the medieval market
at Gásir, the site of an ancient marketplace.
The market comes alive every year in mid-
July. If it’s cold and miserable outside, you
might as well pop by the Christmas Garden
by Hrafnagil for some all-year holiday spirit,
and learn about the gruesome 13 ogre Yule
tHe FLAvors oF
tHe nortH
Explore the many unorthodox museums,
adorable countryside churches, wild
adventures and local foods of North Iceland’s
Eyjafjördur region.
P
ho
to
s
th
is
s
p
re
ad
b
y
P
ál
l S
te
fá
ns
so
n.
Akureyrarkirkja, the town’s landmark church.