Iceland review - 2014, Page 62

60 ICELAND REVIEW
The late afternoon sunlight pours
down over the cemetery on the hill
overlooking Fáskrúðsfjörður fjord
and Sandfell mountain in iceland’s east
Fjords. in it lie 49 white crosses, marking the
graves of some of the French fishermen who
perished off east iceland and standing as a
reminder of the strong historic ties between
icelandic and French fishing villages.
Fishing center
in its heyday, the town of Fáskrúðsfjörður,
locally known as Búðir, with its excellent
harbor, was one of the most important
fishing centers for the French in iceland.
the industry peaked from 1860 to the
early 1900s when the village, which then
counted only about 100 inhabitants, saw
up to 3,000 fishermen arrive on up to 120
boats each season. the influx of fisher-
men led to the town’s transformation into
a regional center for financial and social
exchange.
the fishermen spent seven months at
sea, departing for the north atlantic dur-
ing the winter, usually in February, and
returning at the end of the summer in late
The East Fjords village of Fáskrúðsfjörður
has ties with foreign fishermen that span
three centuries.
By Zoë RobeRt PHOTOS COURTESy OF ReyKJAvíK MUSeUM of PHotogRAPHy AND By Zoë RobeRt.
oF Fish,
Fate
and Fortune