Breiðdalsvík

Breiðdalsvík is the name of the town where the retreat was held. When we arrived, we were surprised to be greeted by snow! It was a winter wonderland with the snow swirling in the wind. It made our stay at Hotel Bláfell that much better. The hotel had log cabin decor, so the snow really made it feel like a cozy retreat in the middle of winter.

The scenery surrounding Breiðdalsvík

Breiðdalsvík has a very small population. I believe the population of the town itself was around 150 and with the surrounding areas the population is only 350. Given that it is outside of tourist season, the place was pretty dead; however, there was a bar/cafe/gift shop open.

Soon after we arrived, we started on a walking tour that Andri's work had organized. Thankfully most of the tour was inside due to the crazy snow. Honestly, I didn't get much out of it.. it was in Icelandic (as expected) and I mostly just stared at the ground, trying to keep my face out of the snow as much as possible.

The tour ended with a visit to the oldest building in the town, which has now been turned into a museum. Upon entry to the museum we were given a locally brewed beer. You'll have to find out from someone else how it tastes, I don't drink the stuff. On the bottom floor of the museum, there are mostly pictures and some artifacts from the town. Unfortunately, most of the descriptions are only written in Icelandic. The second floor was a mix between more historical information and an introduction to the geology of the area, which included more English information.

The Museum

All in all, it was a very fun visit to Breiðdalsvík. Good food, good company, beautiful scenery, and a sauna in the morning - what more could you ask for?!