Raving Ravens

Winter Driving in Iceland

Driving in the winter time can be tricky in Iceland. We've had a lot of snow in the last few weeks and roads have been closing down frequently due to snow and storms. 

I've been travelling quite a bit in the last few days as I've been teaching my course in Social media marketing in both Isafjordur in the Westfjords and Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the east. The roads were icy, I caught storms and on the mountains there was a lot of snow on the road. But I was well prepared and really enjoyed my trips. Though I was driving in the dark all the time I used the opportunity to take a few photos of the northern lights and the beautiful winter scenery :)

The right vehicle
I recommend you rent a 4x4 with studded tires and take into account that you might need a few extra hours for the trip. 

Be prepared
For safety you should also make sure you have extra food and drinks in the car and a warm blanket in case you get stuck somewhere. Have a full tank of fuel and let someone know at the hotel or where you're staying when you expect to arrive, so arrangements can be made if you don't show up. You can call 1777 for updates on traffic conditions before you head out into the country side in winter time. 

 

The sign in Seltún, Krýsuvík where you can find geothermal springs. The wind was over 20 m/sec, snow and very little visibility.

An angelica standing in the ice by Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

 

A fishing boat in safe harbour in Súðavík, in the Westfjords.

 

Better not drive too fast on the icy roads. This one had lost control and rolled over in the snow. Luckily, no one got injured.

 

A charming old farm in Hestfjordur in the Westfjords with the northern lights dancing above it.

 

A picture can never do the northern lights justice, but they simply filled the sky right above me, and were reflected below on the semi-frozen sea. It was impossible to capture the scale of it, but here is a glimpse. To realize the size of it, the mountain in the picture is about 3-400 meter high.

 

The northern lights were so bright that you could have driven with the headlights off. I don't recommend it though ;)

Have a nice trip! :)

Hjörtur

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The sun is back after two months behind the mountains

In the Westfjords of Iceland the mountains are high and the fjords are narrow, meaning that even though the sun does come up during the shortest days, it never gets high enough to peak above the mountains and light up the towns.

In Isafjordur, which is just below the Arctic circle, the sun is gone for about 2 months but today, January 25th, is a big day. This is the first day the sun is visible again in Isafjordur and that is a day to celebrate. Eythor Jovinsson in Vestfirzka verslunin in Isafjordur got this picture of the moment the sun appeared again in Isafjordur:

 

 

Looks like the people of Isafjordur will have to wait an additional day or two to see the sun...

Hjörtur

 

Update Jan. 26th: Eythor Jovinsson sent me this update of his second attempt to see the sun this year:

 

Oh, well. The year isn't over yet...

 

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Arnarfjörður - My Happy Place!

 This post is inspired by today's FriFotos theme on twitter, Happy Place.

 

Standing by a Viking grave overlooking the Arnarfjörður fjord in the west fjords of Iceland, my happy place!

The first years of my life I lived in less then optimal conditions in downtown Reykjavik with my mom. There was drug abuse and alcohol. When I was six years old, my mother was offered a summer job in fishing village in the Westfjords, in the town of Bildudalur located in the beautiful Arnarfjörður - Eagle fjord. 

It was a complete change in my life in many ways. Not only was it the change my mom needed to wake up and quit using drugs and alcohol, I was also entering a fascinating fjord with beautiful mountains and white beaches, charming old houses and tales of adventure, Vikings and sea monsters.

 

Enjoying a swim in a pool that just like pops up by the road, filled with warm water from a hot spring just a few meters away, with the midnight sun in the mouth of the fjord. The perfect way to end the day.

 

I loved growing up there with the freedom of exploring the fjord, riding my bicycle 20 km in fjord to be able to swim in a geothermal swimming pool that just is there for anyone to enjoy, or ride my bike 8 km in the other direction to run on the white sandy beach and swim in the freezing ocean. Every fall I would run the mountains herding sheep and even after I went away at the age of 15 I'd come back for the sheep.

 

 

The home of the free!

For a few years I didn't come back, I was busy with work, family and university in Reykjavik. After I moved to charming, but very flat Denmark I started to crave for the mountains, the smell of arctit timian and blueberries, the fresh sea breeze and the freedom of being in the middle of no-mans land. I tried to get to Iceland and hike in the Westfjords once every year.

After I moved back to Iceland I worked on started a hiking festival, offering a week of guided hikes mixed up with cultural events, plays, poetry, food and fairytales, all for free. It never became big, but very much appreciated by all those participated. And I got to know the environment in a new way digging deeper into the stories of Vikings, sea monsters, witch trials and strange people who had lived in the area.

The sand beach in Hvesta, Arnarfjörður.

 

For one thousand years there have been stories about the Vikings that lived there, fought there and died there. Stories of where they fought and where they were buried. Archeological finds have been confirming the stories that were thought to be myth and folklore. Research have even shown that the wildlife in the see in the fjord is unique, with species that are only found in the fjord. And a sea monster institute has been opened. Those stories aren't just fairytales...

 

Yes, this is a real sign by the road!

 

This is a place of amazing natural beauty, rich history and fascinating mythology. This is my happy place!

Hjörtur

 

ps. Someone wrote "Happiness is only real when shared", so I share. This summer I'm planning a 4 day Viking hike, sailing around the fjord in a Viking ship exploring the amazing stories of Vikings and sea monsters, magic and mythology. Wan't to know more? Stay tuned!

 

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Snowboarding on Icebergs in Greenland

Snowboarding in Greenland is about as cool as you can get. Four friends, Teerje Haakonsen, Nicolas Müller, Mads Jonsson and Kevin Pearce, went to Tasilaq on the east coast of Greenland to try out snowboarding on some icebergs. With the transport being snow mobiles and dog sledges, they got out to try some very different snowboarding slopes :)

 

The video is made by Nathan Avila.

Hjörtur

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Björk: Scientific Music. That Will Kill You. Slowly.

Björk, the Icelandic singer and musician which everyone loves so much. Or do they? 

There's no doubt she is Iceland's most famous person and loved by many, but her innovative, experimental, scientific music isn't for everyone to like. So this is the take on Björk's biophilia concert in Áramótaskaupið - a comedy show that is aired on New Years Eve every year in Iceland mocking the major events of the year. Enjoy:

 

Hjörtur

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The Death Rail - Urban Skiing in Iceland

Yep, I said Urban Skiing!  That is skiing in urban settings, as you'd maybe already guessed. Two chaps, Nick Martini and Rory Bushfield visited Iceland and with a full size payloader accompanying them they could create the most awesome tracks for urban skiing in Akureyri, the capital of Northern Iceland. 

Starting in a school where they said they found some excellent rails (or maybe just some excellent looking audience... ) they got bolder as it kept snowing, finally going for the 35 feet drop!

Check out their cool video:

 

Hjörtur

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The Adventures of 2011

It has been an adventurous year. It's been a tough year fighting the consquences of the recession, illness and a death in the family, but it has also included many exciting trips and projects. This year I have travelled to the north, west and east of Iceland, and to the south and west coast of Greenland. I have even travelled to a fictive world beyond the Wall. That is one journey I can not tell you about. Not yet at least. 

Here are a few pictures from my adventures in 2011:

Akureyri theater in the snow.

The first trip of the year was to Akureyri where I was running a course in the use of social media for the travel industry. To my luck, I got a blizzard and the heaviest snow day for years in Akureyri. What a beautiful, beautiful town.

Akureyri harbour in the blizzard. Seen from Hof culture center over to Akureyri church in the distance.

 

Greenland - Vikings

In the spring I went to the Viking trails in Greenland organized by Greenland Sagalands. Exploring some of the remains like these church ruins in Hvalsey. The last thing heard from the Vikings in Greenland is a wedding that took place in this church September 14th 1408. Since then, noone has heard anything from the thousands of people that lived in Greenland, and noone knows what happened to them. 

There are no roads in Greenland. It is a huge country with just steep cliffs and glaciers, so it's no place for roads. To travel you have to use boats, dog slegdes or helicopters. Above is an iceberg with a giant polar bear and her cub that I saw while sailing from Narsaq to Qaqortoq in Greenland. 

This is the world's oldest operating Sikorsky helicopter which was my transport from Qaqortoq to Narsarsuaq.

Greenland - Nuuk

My explorations in Greenland continued and next destination was Nuuk, the capital of this amazing country. Though it is only a town of about 15.000 people, this is where you find most service in Greenland, including the only swimmingpool, the only cinema etc. 

And I highly recommend a trip to the National museum where you can look at 600 year old mummies found buried in the tundra in North Greenland, and some interesting clothing like this seal skin thong below. 

The Westfjords

 The Westfjords are a must every summer. Chosen one of the top areas to visit by Lonely Planet last year it is a truly authentic place with mountains, fjords and small fishing villages. The picture above is from the main square in Isafjordur, the biggest town in the Westfjords.

On the fjords you can find interesting things, like this Viking ship in Dyrafjordur (above) and sea monsters in Arnarfjordur (below). 

In Greenland I met a Canadian film maker and we've now started a new adventure. The quest for the first Viking grave in America. The plan is to make a documentary about the search if we manage to get it financed. We started some demo shots and the picture above is from such shootings in Arnarfjordur, over looking the fjord from a legendary Viking grave at the top of a mountain there. Who knows where this adventure may lead in the new year :)

In the summer 2012 I plan to offer Viking trips around the legendary Viking locations in Arnarfjordur in the West fjords. So stayed tuned for more info on that.

A truly unique opportunity came in November when I got offered a role as an extra in HBO's TV series Game of Thrones, which was partly shot in Iceland. It ended up being shooting for almost three weeks in various locations in the mountains and glaciers of Iceland, creating the legendary land beyond the wall. I'm not allowed to give any details or show any pictures from this adventure, so you'll just have to watch the show when it airs in April and see if you recognize me ;)

Cold Wind Tease

 

I thank everyone who made my adventures possibly in 2011 and look forward to some more amazing adventures in 2012.

Happy adventurous 2012!

Hjörtur

 

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Underwater Christmas Party - at the bottom of Silfra, Iceland.

The Sportdiving Club of Iceland had it's Christmas party last Saturday. This sportdiving club takes sportdiving very seriously so when they throw a party, it is of course underwater. The Christmas party is no different. 

With a fully decorated and lid Christmas tree they had their party in Silfra in Thingvellir, Iceland. Silfra is one of Iceland's most popular diving spots with one of the world's clearest water you can dive in. You can check out the video :)

 

All the sound is recorded on location but the Christmas songs are played with underwater speakers. This is how scuba divers celebrate Christmas in Iceland :)

Hjörtur

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pps. The tree is actually for sale at Jólatrjáasala FBSR in Reykjavik!

Made in Iceland - A young girl exploring the wilderness of Iceland

Klara Harden has posted a fascinating video on Vimeo where she gives us a glimpse in her wanderings around the wilderness of Iceland. Hiking on her own in the magnificent Icelandic landscape she documents it with her video camera, both the good moments and the bad. 

 

It's worth watching till the end! Thank you Klara for sharing your adventure in Iceland with us.

Hjörtur

You can see more from Klara on Facebook, Flickr and Vimeo.

Viking Legends - Where to go?

Vikings marching to Althing, the world's oldest parliament established in Thingvellir in AD 930. Image by Marja.

1. Thingvellir, Iceland

The birthplace of Althingi, the world's oldest present day parliament established in 930 by the Vikings. Without a superior power they created an assembly two weeks each year where all major decisions were made, including the remarkable peaceful transition from the ancient Norse paganism to Christianity in the year 1.000. A UNESCO world heritage site, not to mention the geological wonder that Thingvellir is, being a visual rift between the Eurasian and North-American tectonic plates, and the pure water of the Silfra rift that has been named one of the world's 10 best diving spots.

 

2. Birka, Sweden

On an island in Lake Mälaren, just west of Stockholm in Sweden, are the remains of Birka, one of the most important Viking age villages. From Birka, Viking expeditions to the east were planned and conducted, entering the river systems in Latvia and Russia. In Birka and the surroundings, thousands of Rune stones have been found which you can search for and try to read. Close to Birka is Hovgården, the home of the Swedish kings in the Viking age.

 

3. Jorvik Viking Festival, York, England

If you thought Vikings where only a part of the past, think again. For hundreds of years Vikings ruled Northern England from York city and in February each year Vikings from all over the Northern hemisphere gather at the Jorvik Viking Festival, fighting from dawn to dusk, drinking mead from dusk to dawn and selling their best hand craft in between.

 

4. Jarlshof, Shetland

Jarlshof  in the Shetland Islands is one of the most extensive ruins in all of the British isles, dating more than 2500 years of history. Majority of them being Norse ruins from the Viking period and the best preserved ones in the UK. One of the big mysteries there is how they got the cows through the tiny doors! While you're there, you might also like to check out their famous Shetland ponies.

 

5. Roskilde, Denmark 

Outside the town of Roskilde in Denmark an underwater graveyard for Viking ships was discovered. Many of those ships have been excavated and restored in the Viking ship museum in Roskilde. So if you want to see how the Vikings crossed the fierce North-Atlantic ocean 500 years before Christopher Columbus did, this is the place. Only a few kilometers away is Lejre, a living museum where the Kings of Denmark used to live at the times of the Vikings.

 

Yep, they still sail Viking ships in the Westfjords of Iceland. Some do at least ;) Image by Hjortur Smarason.

6. The Westfjords, Iceland

There probably isn't anywhere you can get as close to the real lives of Vikings as in the Westfjords, with the same unspoiled environment as 1.000 years ago. With almost no roads or urban development the ruins are still intact and the language and the names the same which makes it a unique experience to travel through the historical sights, getting detailed description of events from the Saga's like they just happened yesterday. Eiriksstaðir, the birthplace of Leif the Lucky; Lónfell, the mountain where Raven-Floki stood when he gave Iceland it's name; hot natural pools; untouched Viking graves and Viking ship excursions make this an exceptionally realistic Viking experience.

 

7. Eriksfjord, Greenland

Erik the Red occupied a large island in the west and gave it the name Greenland, which would have a stronger appeal to immigrants than the name Iceland. Brattahlid in Eriksfjord (Quassiarsuk) is his farm and the first church in the west was built there in the year 1.000. This is where Leif the Lucky started his journey to Vineland in the west. The Vikings lived there for over 400 years until they mysteriously dissapeared. Their original houses are still standing after 600 years, but no one knows what happened to the people. 

Inside Hvalsey church ruins. The last thing heard from the Vikings in Greenland was a wedding in this church on September 16th 1408. Image by Hjortur Smarason. 

8. L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland

The only Viking houses found so far in Canada and now a UNESCO world heritage site is L'Anse aux Meadows on the Northern most tip of Newfoundland.  Discovered in 1960 this is the first archelogical site in the new world that confirms the Saga's of Leif the Lucky and other Vikings who sailed west. If you're still in doubt, just visit L'Anse aux Meadows and see it with your own eyes.

 

9. Grettislaug, Skagafjordur, Iceland

Grettir the strong is one of the most famous Vikings for his remarkable achievements. He was an outcast, hiding in Drangey, a steep rocky island in Skagafjordur. On shore there is a hot natural pool where he could warm him self after swimming from the island. If you're not up for the swim in the Arctic ocean, there are boat trips available. After he was killed his killers were chased as far as to Constantinople (Istanbul) for revenge.

 

10. The rivers of Russia

Want to head out on a Viking voyage? The Vikings had a way with tilting their ships to drag them over land and on to new rivers. That way you can sail from the Baltic ocean through Latvia, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine following Volga to the Caspian Sea and the Daugava and Dnepr rivers into the Black Sea and further on to Constantinople. Important Viking cities along the way are Novgorod in Russia and Kiev in Ukraine. And if you look closely, you might stumble upon some rune carvings along the way.

The world's largest Viking silver treasure, found in Spillinge in Gotland. Weighing 67 kilos of bracelets and islamic coins. Image from 10ga.com.

11. The Treasures of Gotland

Gotland is an island in the Baltic Sea and was an important trading point in the Viking Age. The Vikings of Gotland became wealthy merchants with great influence in Novgorod in Russia connecting them with Eastern European and Cenral-Asian trading routes. Nowhere in the world have as many silver hoards been found, or more then 700, consisting mainly of ancient Arabic, German and English coins.

 

12. Borg in Lofoten, Norway.

In Borg in Lofoten the world's largest Viking long house has been escavated and rebuilt. It is now a living museum where you can experience the Viking lifestyle first hand. In the year 890 the house was abondened when it's last Viking chief Olaf Tvennumbruni left along many other local chieftains to settle in Iceland instead of fighting the king who was uniting Norway.  Every other year this event is brought to life again at Borg. Olaf's grave is known but still unearthed in Iceland.

 

13. The Isle of Man

Strategically located equally far from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, the Isle of Man attracted Vikings who established their still operating parliament, Tynwald in AD 979. The inhabitants still have strong ties with their Viking roots who have been a modifying element in their culture ever since.

 

Fading Viking runes on an ancient Greek lion in Venice. Image by Hjortur Smarason.

14. Rune "graffiti" around the world

The Vikings were true explorerers with routes of trading and exploring stretching far into Central Asia and America. Some say as far as Azerbajdan in the East and Minnesota in the West. Like "tourists" have done for centuries, they often left their mark - runes! Runes that have been found include places like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the debated Kelsington stone in Minnesota and the Piraeus lion in Venice. So keep your eyes open.

Go explore, modern Viking!

Hjörtur

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