Iceland, part 1 -- The Viking Festival



I arrived in Hafnarfjordur and met the group of volunteers. The first evening, we enjoyed a nice dinner and some getting-to-know-you games. On the second day, we began work, unloading all of the material to build the market and setting up the tents and such. Good physically taxing work. Over the next couple days, the vikings arrived and the festival began in earnest.




After a few days, we packed up some of the tents and went to Saudakrokur, a town in the north of the country, for a few days. While there, we got to see the amazing island of Drangey, home to a million puffins and the place where Grettir the Strong was killed. The island is 176m high, and the climb up was a challenge to my fear of heights (especially the metal ladder at the very end).




But the highlight of the festival, for me anyway, was the vikings. I met some absolutely incredible people, who made me feel like part of the family. They were kind, generous, open, friendly, and a hell of a lot of fun. And that was before the beer started flowing... (To talk about the viking nightlife, including raucous songs and painful-looking games, I'd need a whole other entry. But next time you see me in person, ask about it...)



I need to specifically mention Nis, Sara, David, Gunnar, Tatiana and little Venya, who were truly instrumental in making the experience special for me.

More Photos:
The volunteers
Viking festival
Drangey