THE GIANTESS KERLING

A fifteen-minute drive from Stykkishólmur you will find Kerlingarskarð (e. Kerling Pass), a road that hasn't been maintained since 2001 when Vatnaleið was opened. That road connected the northern and southern part of Snæfellsnes. On top of the pass you will find a troll. A troll that is definitely not the reason the road was closed since it can't harm you unless you climb on top of it. There's no need to worry because it's been turned to stone.

Legend has it (and there is more than one version) that this troll was on its way to her boyfriend. In all the excitement of meeting him again, she didn't think about what time it was. When she arrived on top of the cliff she still stands on the first rays of the morning sun hit her and she turned to stone.

Another version claims she was fishing in Baulárvallarvatn (try saying that three times fast). She caught a lot of trout and didn't want to stop. At the last possible minute, she tried to hurry back but was sadly too late. If you look closely you can see that she's holding a bag full of trout. Romantic or greedy, she's still there and you can see her. But be careful - not because of the troll. Be careful because the unmaintained road is horrible.

HELGAFELL - holy mountain

Helgafell is a 73 metres high mountain with a breathtaking panoramic view across Breiðafjordur Bay. A temple in honor of Þór was built there by the first settler of the area, Þórólfr Mostrarskegg. Helgafell also appears in the Laxdæla Saga as the location where the heroine Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir last lived and is supposedly where she is buried.

Folklore advises anyone climbing the mountain for the first time to walk straight up without looking back or speaking and three wishes will be granted. The wishes have to be of good intent and the wisher tells no one and faces east when making them.

A small remnant of a wall on the mountain top is dated 1184 and was a part of a nearby monastery built at this time.

Símon is a local legend and all-around tough guy with a gentle heart. Simon is an entrepreneur and has been at the forefront of mussel farming and seaweed harvesting in Iceland.

“I am not a Hólmari by birth, I came here about 30 years ago. Basically, I was following a girl from here and she persuaded me to stay and we ended up getting married!  We are no longer married, but I am eternally grateful to her for bringing me to Stykkishólmur.

Símon learned mussel and seaweed farming the hard way, by trial and error.

“I started working with mussels in 2007. It is a long process, it takes 3 years for the mussels to mature. Because of the time involved, it takes a long time to adjust your methods and see what works the best. I grow the mussels on ropes so there is no sand and or dirt inside the shell when we harvest”.

In Icelandic culture, mussels and other shellfish have not been considered a delicacy throughout the ages. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It was considered a last resort of food to ear before starvation. There is a saying in Icelandic that roughly translates as “sucking death from a shell” which basically means “being really poor”.

However, in recent decades, mussels have slowly gained its status as a true delicacy from the sea. And there is no other place in the world that produces better mussels than the clean cold waters around Stykkishólmur.

“The first year of harvesting, I only had one Icelandic chef who was interested in buying my mussels. His name was Gunnar Karl, founder of Dill Restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland’s first Michelin star restaurant.  Gunnar really got me through those initial tough times and for that I am very grateful. Soon, other chefs followed his lead and now I sell around 7 tons of mussels every year to restaurants in Stykkishólmur alone, that's about 14.000 servings of mussels.”

Simon's hard work and dedication to product quality has earned him a reputation reaching far and wide outside of Stykkishólmur.

“Famous chefs such as René Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen and Magnus Nilsson at Faviken in Sweden have been using my pulse seaweed, they prefer my dulse because of the clean and cold Icelandic sea and the resulting pure taste”.

Dagbjört moved to the "Hólmur" when she was 4 years old and has lived there ever since. Her family on her mother’s side are born and bred in the islands of Breiðafjörður and her granddad Jónas Pálsson was the lighthouse keeper there for decades. Dagbjört descends from dynamic people and considers it a privilege to live in this beautiful environment surrounded by diverse nature and good people.

As a child, she used to look up to her granddad and respect his job as a lighthouse keeper. In those days it was not easy to be a lighthouse keeper. Very heavy gas cylinders were dragged by hand from the beaches up steep hills and cliffs.

"I knew that my granddad’s job was necessary for the fishermen" says Dagbjört. "The lighthouses all have their charm and lead the way and guide. In previous years the lighthouses were the only guiding light for fishermen but now modern technology in the fishing industry has changed it. However, the lighthouses still make a difference and the one in Súgandisey guides the ships into the harbour.

Now one can walk to the island to look over Breiðafjörður bay to watch the boats and ships go past, and the various wildlife such as a whale or a seal that pops up to the surface".

"Granddad had a very strong connection with nature. He used to look to the sun to know what time of the day it was and look up to see the clouds to predict the weather. His face was weatherbeaten by fishing and his hands showed how hard he had worked".

Wild open spaces, diversity and the closeness to nature really matters to the people of Hólmur. There is freedom involved in climbing up hills, walking along the coast, and to turn around and see wild nature all over the horizon.

When Dagbjört is asked what is the best thing about living in Stykkishólmur she says smiling:

"It is a privilege to live in this stunning environment with a large part of the family close by and the locals are lovely".

Kristján Sveinsson is a kayak enthusiast and a mountaineer. He is adventurous, hardworking, forward thinking, and an overall positive person with strong ties to his family and community. In short a “Hólmari”.

“I got interested in kayaking in my early teens when my older cousin and his friend bought a kayak together and started riding the rivers of south Iceland.  I bought my first kayak with the  money I got at my confirmation, and I joined the newly established kayak crew immediately after.”

All these years later, kayaking is still at the heart of Kristján’s life as he owns and operates Kontiki Kayak tours in Stykkishólmur.

Breki is Kristján’s young son, and keen eyes have spotted them paddling kayaks around Stykkishólmur.

“Breki started to paddle with me when he was 2 years old in the indoor pool with the kayak club. The first time he came out on the water with me was on his 3-year-old birthday. He really enjoys it, right now he is riding up front with me, but one day soon he will be paddling his own kayak alongside me.”

Kristján describes kayaking around Stykkishólmur as a quite unique experience.

“All the amazing little islands, the vivid bird life and the rich history makes it a perfect situation for paddlers.  The silent propulsion of the paddles makes the birds calm around the boat and puffins come up to us every time we go out.

Sometimes we see whales, and one late summer 60 pilot whales came into the fjord. It was nothing short of magical to paddle around with these gentle giants.”

Kristján is a seasoned kayak guide in Stykkishólmur.

Greta María is a goldsmith who gets inspiration from nature and it’s forces in her creation. She enjoys living in Hólmur both because of the unlimited source of ideas but last but not least the closeness that she experiences in the community and with her clients.

"I have always enjoyed creating and working with my hands. When I first tried to make jewellery I knew I had found my calling. The shapes and imperfection of nature are my inspiration. I love natural forms, opposites and colours".

Gréta tries to reflect the forces and threats of nature in her jewellery. She also makes the traditional Icelandic filigree for the national costume which is characterised by natural forms.

"To live in Stykkishólmur gives me the opportunity to be inspired by the waves of the sea, the wind that blows wildflowers and the sun that shines on the mountains. This all gives me a feeling of adventure and freedom".

Greta has an emphasis on having good communication with her clients and gives herself quality time to talk to guests and visitors.

"To be a goldsmith in Stykkishólmur is brilliant, the closeness to your customer is great and I get to know what they want. There is plenty of time to chat to people that visit my studio and I love meeting people from all over the world to hear their stories".

Stjáni Lár is born and raised in Stykkishólmur. He lives and breathes the truly magical surroundings of Stykkishólmur and the Breidafjordur islands. Locals says that he knew the bird colonies and the islands better than anyone. He likes nothing more than to be out on his boat exploring or revealing the magic of the islands to the countless tourists who hired him.

“I've lived my whole life in Stykkishólmur and would not want to have it any other way. I started exploring the bay when I was just a little kid with my grandfather. It must have been love at first sight, because I've never looked back. The bay is really my backyard and where I feel the most at home. I bought my first boat when I was 13 years old and the course was set for a life rich with ocean spray and nature exploration.”

One can hardly imagine anyone being a bigger “Hólmari” than Stjáni.

“I love living in Stykkishólmur. It is really the perfect place for me. It is so close to nature and everything I love. And of course it doesn't hurt that everybody knows your name here.”

Stjáni smiles, then adds:

“I'm a  Hólmari and will always be one.”