Inspired by Iceland
SEEDS 017. The Highlands North of Vatnajökull Glacier
22.06.2021
Möðrudalur - the Highest located farm in Iceland
02.06.2021 to 15.06.2021
 
After a wonderful travel day from Reykjavik to the North we arrived (one hour late) for dinner at the Möðrudalur on 2 June. It is like entering an oasis after having driven through the rugged wilderness of Iceland. Already on the first evening we were spoiled with a beautiful sunset in this remote paradise. In the middle of nowhere in the wilderness of Iceland, we found the highest inhabited farm in Iceland Möðrudalur á Fjöllum at 469 meters above sea level. There has been a farm in this special place since the settlement of Iceland and one of the leading farms of Iceland was located here in olden times.
 
The houses in Möðrudalur are built in the old turf house style, which was the traditional way of building houses in Iceland. Our working days started at 8 am. in the morning and lasted until 4 pm. We collected the turf from the fields, stacked it on pallets and then changed the turf on the roofs when it was damaged. We also built new walls around houses with the turf to prevent the wind from going inside the houses from the bottom. For the last layer we added sheep dung as fertiliser. What we found out: How many jokes can you make about shit? Shitloads! 
 
On other days we removed the old paint from the church, we were trash hunting around the camping ground and in the area, we marked the hiking trail with new poles and painted the ones where the paint had come off. There were also some river crossings included in the hike. One day we were allowed to gather the sheep and the new-born lambs from the fields. Everyday we were surrounded by sheep, goats, cats, dogs, cows and birds. 
 
The work was hard and we worked with every condition possible: sun, rain, wind, hail and even snow in the middle of June. But we were always rewarded with cuddles from the animals, some bonfires and unforgettable sunsets and beautiful views: The view from Möðrudalur is unparalleled as you can see both far and wide with no trees to block the view. And the beautiful Queen of Icelandic Mountains, Mt. Herðubreið, can be seen from here. 
 
Thank you Villi and the whole staff of Möðrudalur for making us feel at home in this special place!
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