Life under the Midnight Sun - North Iceland's ... - Land og saga

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North IcelandMake Friends in HistoryIceland’s Oldest Hotel Takes You to a Bygone EraMarlene Dietrich and Iceland’scurrent president have somethingin common. Both have stayed at HotelTindastóll, Iceland’s oldest hotel. Builtin 1884 and restored in 2000, HotelTindastóll has the look and feel of its pastwith much of the original wood still intactand the decor made to match.Sleep in an Icelander’s RoomTen rooms named after prominentIcelanders have double beds, wardrobes,Tudor furniture, and a private bathroom.Deluxe rooms feature added comfortssuch as a DVD player and small sittingarea. Two separate summer homes areavailable for families or friends to rent.Meet in a Relaxing AtmosphereOn Hotel Tindastóll’s ground floor is an oldfashioned tavern with ample room for gueststo relax with a drink. A hot tub, made withstones found on the shores of Skagafj örðurwith water set at 39°C, can be accessed fromeither the tavern or dining room.Hotel Tindastóll serves a buffet breakfasteach day at a long dining room table,encouraging a friendly atmosphere whereguests can get to know their host as wellas their fellow guests.–KBHótel TindastóllLindargata 3 • 550 Sauðárkrókur+354 453 5002sml@simnet.iswww.hoteltindastoll.comA Dream Come TrueHótel Varmahlíð - from Dream to RealityOnce there was a little girl who livednext to a big, beautiful hotel. Shewatched the people come and go from HótelVarmahlíð in awe. One day, she sneakedover to the post office with some friendsand pretended to mail a letter so that shecould get a closer look. Peering throughthe window, she saw a huge dining roomand people happily eating their meals andcelebrating a special occasion. “Someday,” shepromised herself, “this place will be mine.”Owning the DreamThe girl, Svanhildur Pálsdóttir, has nowgrown into the woman who owns andmanages the hotel. “I always saw thepotential for transformation,” Svanhildurrecalls, smiling at her good fortune.“I grew up just across the street anddreamt of making this hotel my own.”Svanhildur has worked hard to transformHotel Varmahlíð into her own, down tothe minute details such as which colour offl ower to place on the table.Filled from the Food ChestThe dining room that Svanhildur oncepeered into as a girl now serves dishesusing game or livestock brought in by herhusband and brother-in-law. Smoked goosecarpaccio, wrapped around small scoops ofdate chutney arranged on a bed of lettucegrown at a nearby greenhouse, piques saltyand sweet taste buds. Warm rhubarb cakewith vanilla ice cream and mango rhubarbinclude a breakfast buffet.Hótel Varmahlíð is ideal for conferencesand special occasions with the restaurantcatering to the unique needs of eachgroup and the hotel comfortably sleepingalmost forty people.ÍSLANDBakkaflöt-Bátafjörchutney ends the meal with a meldingof local and exotic. The menu belongs toSkagafjörður’s food chest, an effort byrestaurants to use food that is around themrather than looking far from home. Summerdishes will focus on shrimp, cod, localcheese and/or lamb.Three-Star ComfortEach of the nineteen rooms at HótelVarmahlíð has an en suite bathroom,television, alarm clock, and hair dryer.Its three-star rating ensures that nothingwill be lacking and all overnight staysAn Enchanting Vision for AllSvanhildur’s enthusiasm and knowledgeof the area aids guests in discoveringhiking paths that lie just up the slopinghills surrounding Hótel Varmahlíð.Tree-covered paths provide pleasanthiking on windy days, while short, yetrewarding walks are said to reveal ninechurches standing tall on Skagafjörður’shorizon on a clear day and will enchantvisitors to Hótel Varmahlíð, just as itenchanted its owner years ago.–KBHótel Varmahlíð560 Varmahlíð+354 453 8170info@hotelvarmahlid.iswww. hotelvarmahlid.is216 www.bakkaflot.com - Phone: 354 453 8245 / 354 453 8099217
North IcelandA Boutique Lifestyle in the NorthA Tranquil Setting for a Beautiful Break at LónkotThe northern region of Skagafjörður isfamous for a number of things. The FoodChest concept, created at Lónkot and used allover the area, encourages sustainability andthe use of locally grown vegetables and locallysourced foods, such as game, ptarmigan, duck,geese and fish like arctic trout.At the cosy boutique hotel at Lónkot,they have taken the concept a step further.Using the slow cooking method, the bucolicrestaurant has earned a name for deliciousmeals with the addition of flowers and herbs.The hotel itself has six rooms for between17—20 guests. This makes it a perfectlocation for incentive groups wantingan unusual get-away together, thoughindividual travellers have found it just asinspiring. It is intentionally kept smalland personal and has just reopened after acomplete renovation.Dine in the Danish EraDelicious Food, Delightful Views at Sólvík in HofsósNext door to the Icelandic EmigrationCentre in Hofsós, in a beautifullyrestored 19 th century wooden building, isthe Sólvík restaurant and café.Renovated HistoryHofsós is one of the oldest trading centresin Iceland. Recently, many of the housessurrounding the harbour have beenrenovated, giving the village back thespirit of the trading centre of bygone days.Sólvík was the home of the agent for theDanish monopoly and previously stood inGrafarós, which was a trading centre from1835-1915. It was moved to Hofsós anderected in its current location in 1920.Fresh Food at its BestIts terrace, overlooking the charmingharbour of Hofsós, is a lovely place tosit and enjoy the wonderful cuisine ofDagmar Ásdís Þorvaldsdóttir: freshlycaught cod and trout, mountain lambfrom Skagafjörður, chicken fillet,hamburger, lobster, soup and bread ora coffee and cake.Dagmar has been running Sólvík forabout 10 years. She says the courses she hason the menu are her clients’ most popularchoices over past years. The restaurant isIn winter, groups have the addedadvantage of experiencing the NorthernLights, winter sports in the area whileenjoying the seasonal foods.All the reviews on TripAdvisor.com rateboth the hotel itself and the restaurant as 100%excellent but nothing can match the personalenjoyment of this beautiful experience.Lónkot–ASFLónkoti • 566 Hofsós+354 453 7432lonkot@lonkot.comwww.lonkot.comopen every day, all day long in summer,off ering a full menu and she is happy toopen for groups of 4 or more in winter.Sólvík–KBVesturfarasetrið • 565 Hofsós+354 453 7930samstarf@visir.iswww.hofsos.isFar From HomeThe Icelandic Emigration Centre Links Past and PresentImmigration is often viewed from anoutside perspective, which followsimmigrants’ lives as they becomeestablished once arriving in a new country,rather than seeing the reasons for leavingtheir homeland. Pioneering Icelanders leftfor faraway lands in pursuit of prosperityor a new adventure. The IcelandicEmigration Centre in Hofsós tells storiesof emigration from Iceland during itsheight from 1870 until 1914.Poignant MailThe voices invoked through records andletters mailed back home tell the perilsof life in a new land. Most fared wellwith easily acquired land parcelled outto any newcomers, but some saw all oftheir children perish in lands wherethey lacked stronger links like those leftbehind in Iceland. Most of the immigrantssettled in North America, setting upcommunities throughout parts of Canadaand the United States. It is estimatedthat the equivalent of another Iceland,300,000 people with Icelandic heritage,live scattered across North America.Poverty and ClassPoverty prompted mass emigrationfrom Iceland, with people often lookingto escape conditions close to feudalservitude. Numerous people had no landand worked for large farms owned by thewealthier classes. The emigrants madeup approximately one quarter of theentire population and their difficult livesmade leaving an easier decision. Startingout fresh in countries where land wasplentiful and class distinctions negligibleallowed poor emigrants a chance to freethemselves from the rigid social mores ofIceland’s lower classes.Vagaries of NatureThe Icelandic Emigration Centre links harshwinters with heavy pack ice that ruinedfarms and diminished fi sh stocks to spikesin migration during the following years.Famine was always a threat, as the weatheroften caused living conditions to teeter onthe brink of being uninhabitable. Naturaldisasters, such as earthquakes and volcaniceruptions, led to entire villages fl eeing thefallout and resettling in countries wherenature’s violent forces were less volatile.The JourneyEach room in the Emigration Centretracks different stages of the emigrants’journey from Iceland. Following thereasons for departure are rooms recreatedto resemble the hold of a ship that tookthe Icelanders to their new homes.Initially, ships were packed with people,sleeping head to toe in cramped quartersthat they frequently shared with animals.The final section of the museum displaysphotos and letters written by Icelandersdetailing their lives in new countries.Finding FamilyPeople of Icelandic descent can eventrace their heritage by talking tomuseum staff who have access to manygenealogical records from Iceland andsettlement areas in North America.–KBEmigration CentreVesturfarasetrið • 565 Hofsós+354 453 7935hofsos@hofsos.iswww.hofsos.is218 219
Page 1 and 2: North IcelandLife under the Midnigh
Page 3 and 4: Skiing down TröllaskagiAkureyriThe
Page 5 and 6: North IcelandThe Life of SalmonAngl
Page 7 and 8: North IcelandRefreshments on the Ro
Page 9 and 10: North IcelandHorses, Historyand Nat
Page 11: North IcelandLight in the NorthHól
Page 15 and 16: SiglufjörðurÓ laf s fjörð urOu
Page 17 and 18: North IcelandMore Iceland for less
Page 19 and 20: North IcelandThe Deep Valley in the
Page 21 and 22: North IcelandTheOld Townof Akureyri
Page 23 and 24: North IcelandA Hundred Years of Flo
Page 25 and 26: North IcelandA PerfectDay in Hríse
Page 27: North IcelandRiding the NorthHorse
Page 31 and 32: North IcelandThe Magical MysteryLak
Page 33 and 34: North IcelandWinterlandWondersWinte
Page 35 and 36: North IcelandThe Biggest Bones You
Page 37 and 38: IngimarsstaðirÞórshöfnAs Far As
Page 39: North IcelandAskja caldera and the

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