Month: September 2021

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…on the road in southwestern Iceland.
The south-western corner of Iceland is where most of the country’s inhabitants live, and it is probably also where the majority of visitors travel through the country. The trump card of this part of the country is almost obvious: here you can see almost everything that makes Iceland so special. Besides active volcanoes, there are glaciers, an almost uncountable number of waterfalls and landscapes as if the earth had been created a few hours ago. The Icelanders understand the golden business of tourism: everything is a bit more expensive here than in the other parts of the country and there is some kind of fee for a lot of things. But there are information boards in different languages everywhere and nothing is left to chance. It’s actually amazing what so few inhabitants do and organise for their guests. Read More

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…car doors in Iceland
Well, we had the peace and quiet in the highlands and far away from the heavily frequented tourist routes. Read More

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….against the highlands and in the northwest (Westfjords) of Iceland.
The north coast and the Westfjords are very sparsely populated areas. Sheep and horse breeding is practised on the coastal strips and in the long valleys, and a few dairy farmers complete the picture. In the few towns on the coast, everything revolves around fishing, or what is left of all fishing. Fishing must be in deep crisis here, and a huge transformation process is leaving deep scars in the rural coastal villages. But the farmers are also feeling the effects of the drop in prices for their products and the cost gap is widening more and more to the disadvantage of the producers. In addition to many former fishing businesses, countless farms are disintegrating or about to be abandoned.
In a chance conversation with a farmer who breeds horses – Icelanders eat their horses too – he estimated that the price of his products has fallen by 40% in the last 10 years; and at the same time, expenses have risen dramatically. Many give up because of this, the next generation no longer wants to work in agriculture and migrates.
If you drive a few kilometres inland, the human settlements become fewer and fewer. The many sheep grazing somewhere in the meadows enjoy their independent summer life and are herded in by the farmers before autumn, or the first snowfall; otherwise there is – apart from a lot of nature – nothing far and wide! Read More