August 12, 1999
August 12, 1999 |
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| I rode north along the fjord from Akuyeri. I stopped at Dalvik, to raid, yet, another unfortunate bakery, and so I did, even though they did not have any coffee. The road climbed high onto the cliffs over the fjord and yielded a great view. Then I came to the Mulagönger. I dredged some viking speak out of my so-so norsk ability and finally figured out that it meant Mula "tunnel". 3.4 km of single lane, downhill tunnel with turnouts every 200 m. Fortunately it is dimmly lit. There wasn't much traffic, but there also wasn't much extra space. See the headlights, quick decide, can I make it to the next turnout or not? | The day was positively tropical after I got out of that dank hole. The exit was just outside of Olafsfjorður, a town of 1000 and one ski jump. I stopped at the gas station for a couple cups of coffee. Then it was up into the mountains. The climb from Olafsfjorður was enjoyable in a tough sort of way. 4 black sheep threatened to charge along the way. I had to defend myself, so I barked. Sure, it was cruel, but they left me no choice. The emergency hut signaled that I was near the top and then there was a long descent to Miklavatn, an inlet from the ocean. I decided to push on towards Hofsós. |
The decision
to push on made for a long day, but it turned out to be most fortunate
for me. There isn't too much up in this area of Iceland. So,
the farm of Lónkot came as a great surprise. Lónkot
is a farm, with a golf course, a bar/restaraunt and guesthouse, a campground,
a special events tent (at least 15 meters in diameter) and boat tour guide
service. I was the ony visitor until about 10:00 pm when 4 guys showed
up to play golf. The owner, an interesting guy himself, is an art
enthusiast and has commissioned some great pieces for the property.
Shown here is Olöf the Sorceress. The column is a 2+ meter long
basalt column from the riverbed in Hofsós. The figures on
the column are pecked in, modern petroglyphs. It is a very powerful piece
combined with the natural setting. I spent quite some time
discussing art and other stuff and listening to jazz with the owner (for
those of you that think Icelanders don't talk). He was also fond
of the work of Sölvi Helgasson (1820-1895), an artist that came from
this district and he had another sculpture commemorating him, as well as
many prints that decorated the interior of the pub. In fact, the
bar is named after Sölvi.
Olöf the Sorceress, by Páll á Husefelli |
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The Legend
Halfdan and Olöf of Lónkot are in many legends. The priest Halfdan was out fishing with his men. The men were cold and wet and miserable and they had only caught a single Halibut all day. Halfdan asked his men, "Would you like me to get you a hot blood sausage?" The men, of course, thought and said that this was impossible, but of course they did not say no. Halfdan dropped his hook into the water and soon brought up a piping hot blood sausage, which the men all ate and enjoyed very much. Then one of the men noticed that the halibut was gone, "What has happened to the halibut that we caught?" Halfdan explained that while he had conjured the sausage away from Olöf, the sorceress had claimed the halibut in exchange. On the sculpture, you can see Olöf of Lónkot holding the halibut by the tail. Behind the statue is the islands of Drangey and Malmsey. Drangey is where the outlaw, Grettir, was hunted down and killed in 1050. It is in the sagas. |
August 13, 1999 Day 22Light drizzle in the morning. Stopped in Hofsós to see the old danish warehouse, built in th 18th century and tarred within an inch of it's life. Notice the lapstrake roof (not shingles). Also stopped at Graflakirkja, a rebuilt 18th century church with a circular graveyard (a very old design). Stopped for buger and fries at Varmalið, a poplular stop on Rt. 1. There was a BIG climb out of Varmalið, where I passed the german "family o' five" cycling team again, one of them sporting a 4 wheel drive mudflap. Then I rumbled into the giant Blondous campground, went to the pool and grocery. Time is getting short on the trip now, so I spent some time figuring out how to optimize the rest of my trip. Then I read a bunch more of Independent People. |
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Read Grettir's Saga online - Gettir's
Saga
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Copyright © Scott Schuldt, 2000
Last updated; January 2000