Iceland review - 2013, Page 34

32 ICELAND REVIEW
LooNy tuNeS
Thirty-four granite sculptures by renowned artist Sigurður
guðmundsson line the pier in gleðivík at the Djúpivogur harbor,
each of which represents the egg of a bird that breeds in the area.
The eggs rest on top of pillars that once were part of a fishmeal
plant. Sigurður is not from Djúpivogur originally but fell in love
with the place and now lives there a few months of the year. He
wanted to give something back to the community and his artwork
has garnered considerable attention. The size and shape of each
sculpture corresponds with the egg it represents but the loon egg
is the largest as the bird is symbolic for the region.
LoNg Story SHort
Djúpivogur is the oldest continuous trading center in Iceland. Its history of trad-
ing goes back to 1589, at first carried out by german merchants, later Danes. The
town’s oldest house, Langabúð (‘Long Store’), was built in 1790, mostly serving
as a warehouse. It was presented to Djúpivogur as a gift on the town’s 400th
trading anniversary in 1989, saving it from demolition. Langabúð’s renovation
was completed in 1997 and it now facilitates a museum about local sculptor and
wood carver Ríkharður Jónsson (1888-1977), memorial center about local poli-
tician and former minister Eysteinn Jónsson (1906-1993) and a district museum
(Ríkharður’s statue of poet Matthías Jochumsson (1835-1920), who wrote the
national anthem of Iceland, is pictured). A café is also operated in Langabúð, a
popular meeting place.
ZeoLIteS AND otHer HeIgHtS
The Icelandic state bought the farmland Teigarhorn in Djúpavogshreppur
last January to preserve its natural and cultural relics. The land is one of
the best known locations of zeolites in the world and the region’s land-
mark mountain, Búlandstindur, stands within its borders. A historical
house, built in 1880-1882, where merchant Níels P.E.Weywadt lived
with his family, stands at Teigarhorn. His daughter Nicoline Weywadt
(1848-1921) was Iceland’s first female photographer. The land is
considered to have great potential for tourism and developments in
that field are planned by local authorities. Teigarhorn is also where
the highest temperature has ever been recorded in Iceland, 30.5°C
(86.9°F) on June 22, 1939. 
CULTURE