16.5.09

Skagastrond - March and April pics

Below are a few pictures I took in Skagastrond in March and April when the town was still covered in snow.

Skagaströnd means Peninsula-Beach and counts about 600 inhabitants. The town is located in the North-western part of Iceland 20 km off of highway #1 near Blönduós, about a three hours drive from Reykjavík. Originally a Danish trading port, now it revolves around the fishing industry with a fishing harbor and fish market.

To Icelanders Skagaströnd is better known as the hometown of Hallbjörn Helgason “The Icelandic Cowboy” and “Country King.” He has promoted American Country music, as well as his own Icelandic country songs, for decades on his private radio station on the second floor of “Kántríbær” the Country bar and restaurant in town. He also started the “Country Festival” now held in August every year by the people of Skagaströnd.



Among interested features around Skagastrond is a climbable mountain with a flat top called Spákonufell. As most places in Iceland, a legend is attached to it:

A prophetess by the name of Þórdís lived there at Spákonufell (Prophetess Hill). She crops up throughout the Icelandic sagas and her reputation was ambivalent as she was skilled in witchcraft. Þórdís was the foster mother of the first missionary of Iceland Þorvaldur Víðförli Koðránsson. Þóroddur the son of Snorri the good also lived there. The sagas tell that that Þórdís walked up to Spákonufell every day (646 meters over sea level) and combed her hair with a golden comb. It is said that she had hidden her gold in the mountain and put a spell on it so that no one could use it except women which were not baptised and who hadn't learned any of Gods words.

2 comments:

Danilyne said...

Merci Nadège pour toutes ces magnifiques photos... La neige ne lâche pas prise facilement !!
Peut on repérer sur une photo la résidence où tu loges ?

Continue à nous faire découvrir ce beau pays. Bisous

Sara M said...

great pictures as usual :)