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Confessions of Crystal

Borgarnes: the Land of the Icelandic Sagas

9/10/2016

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Borgarnes is the land of Egil's Saga, one of the most famous sagas in Icelandic literature. Despite a degree in English literature, with a special interest in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval literature, it wasn't until I actually moved to Iceland that I began to read their literature.  
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Reykjavik is a lovely city, but the real magic of Iceland happens just as soon as you leave the city and enter the beautiful countryside.  

The first stop was The Settlement Center to visit the audio-guide narrated Saga Exhibition, which gives a great introduction to the setting of the medieval Icelandic world and also to the saga itself.  

After reading about it in my Lonely Planet guidebook and hearing stellar reviews, we stopped at the Settlement Center restaurant for their all-vegetarian lunch buffet, which lived up to the hype.  Our last stop in Borgarnes was the Ljómalind Farmers Market, where I was happy to find sugar free chocolate.
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Well, no wonder! There are no other coffee shops around for miles!
From there, we headed north to Snæfellsnes peninsula without any particular destination in mind, just enjoying the gorgeous scenery. 
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These Icelandic horses were surprised to see a car on the lonely roads.
And also making some friends with Icelandic horses and some rebel sheep who had escaped from their fences.
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Just a sheep outside of its pen
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A sunset as we neared the tunnel to Reykjavik
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Befriending Elves in Hafnarfjörður

9/10/2016

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Looking for the Hidden Folk
Hafnarfjördur is so close to Reykjavik that I accessed it on the public buses.  It is the third most populous city in Iceland, but is more well-known for its population of Hidden Folk than humans.  For centuries, this city has fostered legends of elves, dwarves, and other magical beings.
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Perhaps some elvin magic caught on camera?
These hidden folk are said to dwell at Hellisgeðri Park and during a walk through the garden, it is easy to believe in elvin magic.
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Do you think I could pass as an elf?
Despite my best efforts to befriend the elves, I must not have second sight, because I didn't see any!  I did, however, see a lot of the beautiful harbour.  
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The walk along the harbour
Another worthwhile stop was the lovely cafe Norðurbakki.  We went for lunch and enjoyed it so much, we decided to go back a second time.  At this point, I had only been on insulin for about a week and a half so my glucose levels were still quite high. Considering that and my vegetarian diet, the lady working kindly offered to specially make me a salad!  The cafe also had a lot of books and adorable decorations!
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I was very appreciative of the cafe catering to my diabetic/vegetarian self
Just a half hour outside of Reykjavik, Hafnarfjörður offers a great retreat if you want a break from the city (or all the tourists!)
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    Crystal Chilcott

    Hi, I’m Crystal!  I love to travel and am currently a graduate student in Scotland. You’ll get all the best tips and insights from my experiences as a former ice-skating coach in Iceland and former study abroad student. Of the 27 countries I have visited, a type 1 diabetes diagnosis has been the strangest land yet.  Type 1 has not slowed down my travels and you'll learn how to take type 1 with you on the road! You can connect with me further on Instagram @CrystalChilcott, or send me ideas of where I should travel next via email: crystalmechilcott@gmail.comHappy Travels, Crystal

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