Tags
Airbnb, canter/gallop, Erik the Red, Eriksstadir, horses, trot
We had only a 100km road to ride ahead of us today, so it was going to be rather a quiet day with slow driving and watching fjords, sheep and horses. Today also we were about to give a second chance to Airbnb, hoping we could finally spend some time with locals. Especially that the weather is against us today and there is not many more options available.
On the way we met a herd of Icelandic horses which are quite particular. They are quite small, but never mention word pony when taking to Icelander. They are long-lived and hardy though and they display two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop. Besides they are super friendly.
Then we came across a Viking house of Erik the Red who as we were told by the very enthusiastic guide dressed (like Shrek) in clothes from the period, is said to be the first one to found the first European settlement in Greenland. Originally we were supposed to just take some pictures of a house covered in turf, but on the way we were invited to listen to the story of the house and Vikings in Iceland and it turned out to be what made our day. We’ve learnt that Icelanders are super fantastic in most disciplines and they were the ones who discovered America. But the best part was yet to come. We were not only taken to see the crude turf house but also invited in and to our surprise it was remade in old style using only the tools and materials available at the time. With beds covered with animal fuir, brandish weapons (which Simo happily tried on) and a real fire! It is an absolute must-see. The guide is a chatty chap with very sarcastic sense of humour and ability to keep the listeners interested for hours.
I couldn’t find it on our Lonely Planet guide, so for those interested, the admission is 1250 ISK and it’s definitely worth every penny. Especially that is just by the route 560 (between Buoldaldalur – Stadarskali) It’s called Eriksstadir.
At 1pm we arrived in our accommodation for tonight… It’s a farm house situated by the off road (marked with 4×4 cars board only) in the middle of nothing. There is no telephone line, no internet and we are the only guests tonight. In addition it keeps on raining, so no chance for trekking.
It’s going to be a long day full of live-conversations, knife making ideas and a bottle of Birkir (grain spirit, flavored with Icelandic birch handpicked in the spring).
I’m starting from taking a nap.
Posted by urbanlife | Filed under Urban by nature - Iceland