August 12, 2023 - Seydisfjordur

 August 12, 2023 - Saturday - Seydisfjordur, Iceland

This is our first scheduled port in Iceland. Because the town itself is very small we chose to take an excursion through the mountains into Iceland’s largest national park. Ultimately we would visit author Gunnar Gunnarsson’s house and return to Pursuit following the shore of a milky glacial lake. This milkiness results from volcanic activity below the glacier that mixes ash with the glacial melt. The drive into the mountains was beautiful, but at times we became enshrouded in fog. This was the result of the low dew point we were told. It was expected that on our return, conditions would have improved and we would stop at the highest point on the mountain for photos.

Building an avalanche barrier

When we arrived at the Gunnar Gunnarsson house we were treated to a local pastry and coffee. Then we had 45 minutes to explore the house and grounds. As we made our way through the house Alice and I encountered a lady who had just finished a presentation to a small group. The group left and she spent the next fifteen minutes in conversation with us. She taught us that the black wool and white wool samples she was displaying came from the same sheep. The inner coat was white and the growth that became the outer coat was black. Both were water repellant to some degree but the black coat was coarser. It was the mix of wools that made Icelandic wool products itchy.

This lady lived in the area and her family had a flock of sheep currently at pasture in the hills nearby. They wandered freely until it was time for them to be shorn. Then they were herded to sorting pens by dogs, horseback or four wheel vehicles. The sorting pens were necessary because many farms shared the grazing area and the flocks were intermingled. In the pens the sheep were sorted by farmer. This was accomplished by using the markings notched into their ears as lambs. There is a logbook of all of the markings and the related owners. 

We asked her how large the flocks are. She said her dad’s was about 300. We wondered how long it would take to sheer them. A sheerer with a holder to position the sheep could sheer all 300 in one day. Her nephew who was just learning the trade took a day and a half. We were astounded.

In further conversation she explained that the house was a national site, but it was not state funded. It had to sustain itself. For this reason they had to charge admission. She was the manager and had 3 seasonal employees who would be leaving soon. There was one other full time employee. We told her how much she had taught us and how enjoyable she was. We left her to explore the grounds, but she had made our day and we would remember her.

Outside the views of the valley were spectacular. It was easy to see why Gunnar had chosen this site for his home. We took many photos. They just can’t do justice to the beauty of the place, but they do provide memories.

Our next stop was at the church at Valthjofsstadur. This is believed to be the church Gunnar Gunnarrsson would have attended. The original church was on this site in the 1200s. The door is famous as it is believed to be the oldest know carved church door in Iceland. The original door is in the National Museum of Iceland. The door here is a beautiful reproduction. We visited the graveyard before rebounding the coach.

We returned to the glacial lake, milky from the ash of volcanic activity below the glacier. After a long ride along the shore of the lake we returned to the mountain highway. Conditions had indeed improved. The ride to the peak was fog free and the views were gorgeous. After a photo stop we returned to Pursuit. Along our way we passed through Seydisfjordur. It is a lovely town and we regret that we were not able to walk it because our tour got us back just before sail away.

This was a day full of beautiful sights and a wealth of knowledge. It was very enjoyable.