I'll be back!

Next trips to Iceland:
July 13 - August 12, 2012
Christmas/New Years 2012/13

The friendly fish shop

Photos: (1) Kári the friendly fish vendor selling fresh fish in his cute little shop "Sjávarfang" by the harbor in Ísafjörður. The shop opened in August 2011 and Kári will gladly tell you all about it if you stop in and visit him. This is the perfect place to buy fresh fish, the local catch of the day, or try some Icelandic specialties such as dried fish or hákarl. (2) The Arctic Epress lands in Ísafjörður with a two hour delay in a heavy, wet snowfall for the trip back to Reykjavík. See you again in the summer!

Suðureyri

Short trip to the village of Suðureyri today for a long winter walk along the ocean.

Ísafjörður library / old hospital

Photos: (1) Ísafjörður library, formerly a hospital; (2) Lots of wonderful books; (3) Old hospital bed; (4) view from the window of the library

The highlight today is a visit to the Ísafjörður public library, which I haven't been to before despite numerous visits to the town. It's so beautiful inside with walls and walls full of books in various languages, with quite a large English section and even a few German books as well. The inside is bright, warm and comfortable with plenty of quiet reading corners with great views out the window. There are current daily newspapers and magazines in Icelandic and English. In various rooms and corners there are indications of the building's past use as a hospital - an old hospital bed stands on display, as well as a showcase of the old instruments used. All in all, this is a beautiful place to spend a rainy day and before I leave I ask about getting a card as I'm sure I will become a regular visitor.

Seals and Súðavík

Photos: (1) Hut for drying fish; 2) the road to Súðavík; (3) Súðavík church

Short trip to Súðavík today, the hometown of Mugison, whose excellent new CD Haglél is constantly playing in the car, becoming the soundtrack for this weeklong Westfjord sojourn. On the way I hope to see some seals, which are known for sunbathing on rocks in this area. Indeed there is one out there trying its luck in the rain. in Súðavík the weather is evil and the Arctic Fox Center is closed for renovations so there's nothing to do. Too bad there's no swimming pool here and Mugison hasn't invited us over for coffee.

More scenes of Ísafjörður

Photos: 1) The beginning of Fjarðarstræti; 2) Road of solid ice; (3) Ísafjörður as viewed from on top the new avalanche wall and (4) as viewed from across the fjord.

Bolungarvík and the cinema

Short trip to Bolungarvík today for a nice soak in the outdoor hotpots. Everything is so pretty in the snow. In the evening there's a film playing at the old cinema in Ísafjörður, so I can't pass that up. The sound quality is poor so understanding the original film track is a challenge, and I have to attempt to decipher the subtitles at times. Still it's a charming cinema and I'm sure I will become a regular guest.