West Coast Excursion

The weekend before last (wow time flies!) I was invited to join my friend Gummi for a trip to his family’s cabin on an island off of the west coast of Iceland. The drive from Holar was fairly uneventful but upon reaching the coast, we parked his car in a farmer’s seaside field where his dad was waiting for us in a boat. After a 15 minute boat ride, we arrived at an island no bigger than a soccer field where Gummi’s mom was waiting to greet us.

This idyllic setting has been the family's summer cottage home for the past 15 years. The island, called Bjargey or “Cliff Island” is also home to several Eider birds which are coveted for their down which can sell for over $300/kg. Of course it takes quite a lot of down to make a kilogram, but nevertheless, the birds are beautiful in their natural setting.

Bjargey as well as Toftarey, “Island of Ruins” are both owned by Gummi’s family and are 2 of countless islands and rocks that freckle the body of water called Hvammsfjordur.









I had a fantastic weekend as both I and another friend Tyler (a Canadian finishing off his masters degree in Holar) were treated to a personal tour of the area. We saw spectacular rock formations, more species of birds than I can count; including puffins, terns and a rare breeding pair of Icelandic Sea Eagles - 1 of only an estimated 35 breeding pairs alive in Iceland. We also visited islands with nests and collected eggs and mussels for a birthday feast for Gummi which included leg of lamb cooked on an open pit BBQ (Gunnar’s Grille).

The evening, capped with a spectacular sunset, was spent watching pairs of Eiders frolic in the tidal current in front of the cabin.



Many thanks to Gummi and to his parents, Sikka and Gunnar, for the magnificent weekend. Say not goodbye but see you again!

---