Iceland review - 2013, Page 38

36 ICELAND REVIEW
NATURE
in fact. Armed with a berry picker, I was determined to make
the most of the one-and-a-half hours I had left in the region,
and triumphantly managed to fill the two two-liter containers
I had brought.
Through the ages, Icelanders have flocked to berjamór (‘the
berry lands’) in the late summer and early autumn to take
advantage of nature’s bounty, making jams and juices out of
blueberries, bilberries and crowberries—the three most com-
mon types of berries that grow wild in Iceland—to last them
through the winter.
With knowledge of the nutritional value of these free treats
spreading, the tradition has only grown stronger in recent
years with enthusiasts mapping berry lands and keeping watch
over the harvest, entrepreneurs selling wild berry products,
festivals dedicated to the berry season popping up and owners
of farmhouse accommodation attracting visitors with promise
of berry picking.
There’s plenty of berries for all but the season—usually
running from mid-August to early September, or until the
first winter frost—is short and the harvest and joy of picking
depends on the whims of the weather gods. However, with
good planning, patience and flexibility, no one should be left
feeling blue.
Attending the International Blueberry Festival in Súðavík,
the West Fjords, or the Berry Nights art and music festival
in Ólafsfjörður, North Iceland, held in late August each year,
might be a good place to start. 
blaberjadagar.com; berjadagar-artfest.com