What are the ingredients of an almost magical evening in Iceland&? Well, take an abandoned fishing factory some 250 kilometres North of the last bus stop, a world-travelled couple who runs a small hotel in that place (number of citizens: two, number of managing consultancies: one) and owns for some reason the factory, a some 70 years old British meteorologist telling the most impressive adventure stories, the inevitable Swiss tourists (a former army officer and off-road enthusiastic and his wife), a 35 years old German ex business-man who helps out in the hotel for 5 months, and me, wondering in what kind of fabulous movie I find myself.

The Englishman, who explained his profession as “a liar” has seen about just everything on this planet. He travelled on fish-travellers to the Antarctica, worked on the British weather station close to South Pole before it got sold for 1 pound to Ukraine, threw post-sacks out of a plane over some British colonies in the Southern hemisphere and had about 20 other fascinating jobs. And, good for us others, he had his laptop with him together with a sample of his best pictures from all around the world (I will never forget the penguin taking a picture of himself). The Swiss couple had been in Eastern Europe with the Swiss national team of gymnastics in 1989 and so we got even more funny and partly absurd stories… Later, the landlords who had worked on oil-platforms in Norway earlier in their life told us their story. They wanted to reanimate the fish-factory, failed, and are now very successful with their hotel in Djúpavík (www.djupavik.com). Believe me; the four hours we sat in front of the window facing the beautiful fjord went past like nothing.

How do you get here? I would advise you to fly (there is a landing strip close to the hotel) or to rent a 4WD-car and listen to Schumann’s symphonies. Why? Well, have a look at the picture on the left side. This was not a crash and neither a tree. The car was just not made for this kind of street. And Schumann? Because his music has the about the right intensity and awakes the dark presentiments of what might await you behind the next 90 degree curve. Further-on, there is no radio signal to receive.
The landscape you will pass on your way up to North-Western Iceland is wild, gloomy, and mysterious. High mountains with sharp edges, dark fjords, abandoned villages…. Sometimes you risk hitting a stranded ship if you don’t pay enough attention on the street (see picture). Many times a silly sheep with his youngsters tries to ram your car.

However, the North-West is not only famous for its brainless sheep. If you pay enough attention and look out of your window (but don’t forget to watch out for the ghost ships on the street meanwhile) you might see seals. Many seals, actually. A German boy aged twelve told me he had counted 102 of them (as a former consultant I would have estimated the total square meters of the beach and took a random 10 square meter, count the seals there and extrapolate how many it might be in total – but if you get accurate information for free…). You can get very close to them – and they look very cute with their big black eyes. To see the seals drive along the Northern coast and stay a night at the farm hotel of Orso. A very cosy place indeed!


Ps: Why did the Ukraine fellows buy that polar station? I do not know for sure, but I have the strong feeling that they expect some precious land under the ice and wait for melting (and then they will just say “it’s ours, we have been here first”).