ICELANDIC TIMES - Land og saga

-Glúfrasteinn Museum
In the Presence
www.alafoss.is
of Genius
One of Iceland’s most beloved
authors is without a doubt the
Nobel Prize winner Halldór
Laxness and if you want to really
know Iceland and its people you
have to familiarize yourself with
Laxness – both the character and
his works. What better way to
get to know this eccentric genius
than to explore his longtime
home and workplace, which has
been opened to the public as a
museum.
Laxness settled in Gljúfrasteinn in
1945 with his wife and family, where
he lived until his death in 1998.
The museum is for the most part
unchanged from when Laxness lived
there and many say that the house
feels like Laxness has just stepped
out for a moment. You’ll see where
he ate, slept, read, played music and
his workstation, where you can see
the worn down pencil stubs he’d use
to write with.
The museum comes with a guided
audio commentary, in which you can
even hear recordings of the author
himself, as if he were still there,
guiding you through his own home.
Although it is highly recommended
to pick up one of his timeless novels
which are available in over 40
languages it is not a prerequisite to
enjoy the wonders of Gljúfrasteinn.
Laxness was a unique man who
enjoyed the finer things in life and
decorated his home accordingly.
You’ll see paintings by many of
Iceland’s most prominent painters
and art pieces from all over the
world. Laxness was also an avid
nature lover and there are several
beautiful walking paths around the
house.
The current proprietors put special
emphasis on keeping Gljúfrasteinn
alive and busy, like Laxness himself
would have wanted it. There are
a wide variety of exciting events
held in Gljúfrasteinn all year round.
Among those are the Sunday living
room concerts, which are held all
summer.
Bjarteyjarsandur in Hvalfjordur Bay
Visit a working farm
Bjarteyjarsandur is a working farm
that offers active involvement
in the activities of the farm. In
Bjarteyjarsandur you can rent
a room or a cottage or even a
camping place, go on hikes, walk
the beaches and get to know
the families and the animals
in the area. When you stay in
Bjarteyjarsandur you can take
part in the family life, eat the
traditional Icelandic food, chat
22
with the family and get to know
the life of Icelanders.
Bjarteyjarsandur is a meat producing
farm with over 600 sheep plus horses,
cats, dogs, hens and wool producing
rabbits. There is also a vegetable garden
and a hot-house in Bjarteyjarsandur.
The families are even experimenting
with mussel farming. On the beaches
you can watch the birds and pick
some mussels.
Bjarteyjarsandur has been specializing
in visits of young people,
families and school groups of all
ages. In Bjarteyjarsandur there is an
emphasis on introducing the farm
work, presenting the animals and the
history and nature in the area. This
area is the site of one of the sagas and
genetically the animals are the same as
the animals brought to Iceland at the
time of the settlement except for the
rabbits. Staying at Bjarteyjarsandur
gives a great chance for young groups
of foreign origin to get to know the
country life in Iceland.
Bjarteyjarsandur farm has a naturebased
policy. The families work in the
spirit of ecological and sustainable
way of life and respecting the
environment.
Take part in the daily life of Icelandic farmers.
In Bjarteyjarsandur there is Gallery
Álfhóll with home-made craft from
the farm.
Bjarteyjarsandur offers a wide variety
of activities. You can go on hiking
tours, e.g. to the neighbouring highest
waterfall in Iceland, or you can listen
to stories about the settlement in the
area. Just ask and you can get tailormade
tours in the area.
For more information about
Bjarteyjarsandur go to website www.
bjarteyjarsandur.is.
SJÁALDRIÐ 2010
WOOL SWEATERS,
BLANKETS & ACCESORIES,
TRADITIONAL CRAFTS
AND MODERN ART
1896
WARMTH FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY!
ÁLAFOSSVEGUR 23
MOSFELLSBÆR
OPEN: MON -FRI 9:00 - 18:00
& SAT 9:00 - 16:00