Iceland: Búðardalur, Entry to Western Fjords
The Western fjords are one of the lesser explored regions of Iceland. Akin to North eastern part of India. Most visitors give it the slip as the roads are bad thus making the area slightly inaccessible. Near the chicken neck which connects Western Fjords, lies the sleepy village of Búðardalur. The road to this village passes through verdant valleys so quiet that you could listen to your hearts’ desire. Sweet music of nature plays though gurgling brooks and gentle whistle of Atlantic breeze. Yellow buttercups sway their heads gently in this breeze contrasting the lush green carpet of meadows. Icelandic horses with their bouffant hairstyles frolic in the warm sun without a worry in the world. Colorful haystacks twinkle in the sunlight. The restful beauty of this place can sedate your nerves and make your eyelids grow heavy with drowsiness You can almost go the Rip van winkle way (though that particular incident happened in Catskill mountains) but the constant patter of pebbles on the chassis of our car kept us awake. We were off the tarmac of Hrinvegur onto a gravel road which took us to our destination Hotel Edda Laugar.
Back on Hringvegur
Sweet music of nature plays though gurgling brooks and gentle whistle of Atlantic breeze.
Icelandic horses are famed world over. They are small in size but extremely tough.
Icelandic horses with their bouffant hairstyles frolic in the warn sun without a worry in the world
Hidden from the main highway, Edda is a former boarding school which provided warm beds, hot coffee and prospect of bath in a nearby hot spring to weary travelers passing through the inhospitable wilderness of fjords. It has over the years turned into a fully functional hotel. As soon as we reached we started to explore the large hotel. Old school albums adorned the long corridors. Ssons and Dottirs of this region gazed at us through sepia photographs with smiles frozen in time. We came across a strange painting where the corridors crisscrossed and spent a long time gazing at it. Three naked figures were shown gamboling with a humanoid horse in quintessential Icelandic background of meadow and mountains. They were though looking fixedly at the onlooker with an air of irritability as if they had been suddenly interrupted by the viewer . After wondering what it was all about, we tried unsuccessfully to compose music on an idle piano.
There after the whole evening was spent in exploring nature trails around the hotel which are numerous and cannot be be done in a single day. Some lead to a hidden lake or to a a hot spring like Hvergil or a lonely meadow. Living in this hotel and exploring the area around in an experience in itself.
Gravel Road to Hotel Edda passes through a delightfully secluded valley
Icelandic sheep gazes at us
Hotel Edda Laugar nestled in an isolated valley
Ssons and Dottirs of this region gazed at us through sepia photographs with smiles frozen in time.
They were though gazing fixedly at the onlooker with an air of irritability as if they had been suddenly interrupted by the viewer
After wondering what it was all about, we tried unsuccessfully to compose music on an idle piano.
See also our other stories on Iceland
1. https://www.yatrigulaak.com/post/iceland-day-1-a-road-trip-through-of-ice-and-fire
2. https://www.yatrigulaak.com/post/iceland-day-2-s%C3%B3lheimasandur-and-skogafoss
3. https://www.yatrigulaak.com/post/iceland-reydinsfjara-and-laki-flows
4 https://www.yatrigulaak.com/post/iceland-dettifoss
5. https://www.yatrigulaak.com/post/iceland-myvatn-godafoss
Endirinn
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