ICELANDIC TIMES - Land og saga

Enchanting East Iceland- DjupivogurAs you wind your way throughthe fjords of Eastern Iceland, youwill come to the small traditionalfishing village of Djupivogur,population 454.While small in size, the area isbrimming with a diversity ofnatural attractions that are not tobe missed. In recent years, theDjupivogur municipality has beguna project which aims to introduceand educate the public about theenormous number of bird specieswhich migrate there every year,some of which also call Djupivogurhome on an ongoing basis.Papey Island ....the perfectpuffin photo op.Originally thought to have beenthe home of Irish Monks beforethe Viking Settlement, the island ofPapey, retains the oldest and smallestwooden church in Iceland, believedto have been built in 1807. Whileuninhabited for the last 20 years,guided sightseeing tours of the islandare possible with the ferryboat “GísliPapey” which also offers specialisedbird and seal watching tours. Sealsare often seen sunning themselveson the skerries and whales are notunknown in these waters as well.With approximately 30,000 pairsof puffins nesting on the cliffs ofPapey and surrounding islands,visitors are practically guaranteed anopportunity to catch sight of thesepopular sea birds, as well as eiderducks, guillemots, and kittywakes.LangabúðThe oldest house in Djupivogur,“Langabud” was built in 1790 andis one of the oldest houses in eastIceland. Now renovated, it serves as acultural centre for Djúpivogur, partlyby housing a heritage museum, anexhibiton on the sculptor RíkarðurJónsson and a small salon in memoryof Eysteinn Jonsson, a formerminister in Iceland. At Langabúðthere is also a cozy coffeehouseoffering homemade cakes and otherIcelandic specialities.The Eggs of Merry BayJust 900 metres from the Djupivogurvillage centre at Gleðivík,( MerryBay) lies undoubtedly one of themost unusual sculptures in Iceland.Created in 2009, by Icelandicartist Sigurður Guðmundsson, itconsists of 34 large scale replicasrepresenting 34 bird species foundin the area. Each one different fromthe other, with shades of colour,shape and nuance, is beautifullyexecuted.Hótel Framtíð- A familyrun hotel offering rooms,summerhouses andapartments.This friendly hotel with its charmingatmosphere and marvellous viewsover the harbour offers comfortableaccomodation. The hotel´s restaurantin the main building is full of charmand character and can accommodate40 guests but also the hotel has anew restaurant with seating for 200persons, ideal for groups and specialevents. There is also a bar, and yourstay is not complete until you havetasted the freshly caught fish andother seafood dishes on the menue.Hótel Framtíð also runs the campsite in Djupivogur.For further information aboutDjupivogur and surroundings pleasesee the following websites:djupivogur.ishotelframtid.combirds.isThe Reindeer Centre andGuesthouse of East IcelandSkjöldólfsstaðir in Jökuldalur,East Iceland. In a building thatused to be the schoolhouse forthe area, Aðalsteinn Ingi Jónssonruns a guesthouse which isdedicated to the reindeer inIceland. Besides the guesthouse,with its various memorabiliaconnected to reindeer, reindeerhunting and other thingsreindeer, Aðalsteinn runs a smallzoo where the animals can beseen close up. During huntingseason the Centre becomes averitable hunting lodge.The GuesthouseThe walls of the guesthouselined with antlers, skins, reindeerproducts, pictures and informationand can accommodate up to 37people, in either made up beds orsleeping bags. Breakfast is includedand other meals are available onrequest. Included in the price isaccess to a small swimming pool anda jacuzzi. The Center’s kitchen canaccommodate groups of up to 120people for special occasions, whereyou may of course order reindeersteak, which is a real delicacy, as wellas a host of other dishes all made ofreindeer meat.Zoo and Crafts StoreAt Klaustursel Farm, which isanother17 kilometers further upvalley, reindeer or“hreindýr” as theyare called in Icelandic, can be seenclose up. The small reindeer familyconsists of one buck, one doe anda year old calf. Locals say that thebuck and calf are very friendly, butthe female is very shy, so don´t beoffended if she seems aloof. Onlocation is also a crafts store whereyou´ll be able to purchase purses,hats and various trinkets all madeout of reindeer skin, hair and horns.The Origin of the Reindeerin IcelandIn 1771, the first group of reindeer toarrive in Iceland was from Norwayand was put ashore in the WestmenIslands and on the south coast ofthe country. The second groupcame in 1777 and was put ashoreon Reykjanes Penninsula, and thethird in Northern Iceland in 1784.All these groups died out however,and a fourth group, which wasput ashore in Vopnafjörður in 1787survived. This is the basis of thepresent reindeer stock in Iceland.The stock is now around 5000animals and efforts are made tokeep that size each year. Each yearhunting quotas are issued accordingto both areas and gender, that wayit is ensured that the populationis spread equally and the rationof males to females supports thebreed‘s renewal.Fore futher information visit:www.ahreindyraslodum.is38 39