1. Snæfellsnes PeninsulaIceland August 2011

2. Landscape for many of the Sagas….

4. Snæfellsjökull – volcano and glacier Jules Verne set his novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth on Snæfellsjökull. He never visited Iceland.

8. Stykkishólmur – population 1,100

10. A fishing community on the Breiðafjörður

12. Norwegian House (with flag) – oldest building in town

13. Norwegian House – built 1832 by merchant ÁrniÞorlacius In the 19th century, most Icelanders lived in turf houses, so Árni’s house – built of timber imported from Norway – was a luxury. Árni inherited trading rights granted to his father by Denmark, which strictly controlled trade to Iceland. His business helped the town prosper.

14. Wool is historically one of Iceland’s key exports. Shops are still full of hand-knit sweaters.

15. Árni loved science and kept detailed daily weather reports starting in 1845, the first continuous weather observations in Iceland.

17. Eider duck down is used in duvets and pillows. The super soft down is collected by hand. Eider farmers physically lift the bird from its nest, collect some (not all) of the down around the eggs, add some grass to help insulate, and place the bird back. The ducks are completely docile. Sounds amazing, yes?

18. Vatnasafn (Library of Water) Designed by American Roni Horn. The space is filled with columns of water. English and Icelandic words that describe the weather cover the floor. Used as a community center and hosts a writer’s residency program with private studios and public readings. (How can I sign up?!)

19. View from Vatnasafn

21. Modernist church

26. Car ferry across Breiðafjörður to the West Fjords

28. My favorite café – Narfeyrarstofa. Fantastic lamb stew and skyr desserts

35. Summer in Iceland – longest sunset of my life

46. Unloading the car ferry

48. Day hike to Helgafell Góðaferð – Good trip

50. Helgafell – “Holy Mountain”. The pagan Norse believed this was an entrance to Valhalla, home of the gods, and worshippers of Þór (Thor), god of thunder, made pilgrimages here.

51. The farm at Helgafell has existed since the Saga era and was home to Snorri the Goði

53. Snorri the Goði, once devoted to Þór, built a chapel on top of Helgafell when he converted to Christianity in the 10th century. These are the ruins of a 13th century chapel.

54. On top of Helgafell

55. Inside the chapel ruins

56. Helgafellfarm’s church. Every prominent Norse farm built and maintained a church. Note the earthen mounds in the graveyard.

57. GuðrúnÓsvifsdóttir’s grave – heroine of the Laxdæla Saga Guðrún switched farms with Snorri after a series of revenge killings soured things with her neighbors. Her grave from 1008 is at the base of Helgafell and locals say if you hike from her grave up to Helgafell’s chapel in complete silence, then make a secret wish while facing east, she will grant it.

61. Helgafell from Þórsnes

62. Þórsnes – site of the regional þing, or general assembly. Here Erik the Red was outlawed for a revenge killing, spurring him to explore Greenland.

64. Ferry to the West Fjords

65. Parting view of Stykkishólmur