(Post 2 of 4)

The wind is strong here, but so is the community. It has been a good place to raise four children, despite the isolation (you need a car for everything). And: “It’s nice to be close by where we were born and bred.” I feel very relaxed in this house, and our conversation covers many topics. Eyguló grew up believing in elves and hidden people, “At Christmas Eve the elves are moving. We used to light candles in the window to give them light along the way.” She even found a tiny elf hat once, but her mother took too long to come and look at it, so she couldn’t find it again.

We talk about travel and how Eyguló would like to travel more, but with horse riding for tourists in summer and her husband’s work on a fishing boat in winter, it’s hard to get away. Plus, the house is always full of people, and there are pets to take care of. (She loved the border collie in this picture, who died two years ago). We are following a trail through Iceland, one introduction at a time. The locations and conversations surprise us every day. One minute, we are talking about the dog’s limp; next it’s Syrian refugees. Eyguló believes that Iceland has a responsibility to help those in need. On the topic of Syrian refugees: “I think we can take more and I think we should. It’s our obligation to help people in need.” And then there are the chickens

Photo by Eric Guth.