Sauðárkrókur – more hairdresser’s studios than women habitants?

According to the novel Rokland by Hallgrímur Helgason there are more hairdresser’s studios than women habitants in Sauðárkrókur in Northern Iceland – is he right? We decided to check it out. Iceland, October 2017.

 
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We were following the Sauðárkróksbraut from the South – it was quite late, in fact almost evening when we arrived in Sauðárkrókur. Influenced by Hallgrímur Helgason’s Rokland we expected a cosy, fashionable and glamourous small harbour city, but we were proved completely wrong: Our first impressions of Sauðárkrókur were nothing but industrial areas, a lonely N1 gas station, some half abandoned business and shopping areas and some huge car parking areas – and behind all of that the softly powdered snow covered mountains reflecting the last daylight. What a ghostly scenery!

From the South.

Signs of tourism and abandonment: Horseback Riding.

But Hallgrímur Helgason’s Rokland hairdresser’s mania turned out to be right: Yes – there is a hairdresser’s studio, and another one, ane another one, and another one and again, again … 😉 – the density of the hairdresser’s studios made me smile a little, imaging the presumed amount of beauties living here in Sauðárkrókur – but all the habitants – be female or male – turned out to be very normal Icelandic people – exactly the same as everywhere all over the country. Scientifically there doesn’t seem to be a direct correlation between the density of hairdresser’s studios and the number of beauties 😉

Nevertheless, here is the novel. Highly recommended!

Hallgrímur Helgason, 2005: Rokland. Novel translated from Icelandic to German by Karl-Ludwig Wetzig (Original: Rokland, Edda, Reykjavík 2005). Publisher: Klett-Cotta (www.klett-cotta.de). First published 2006. 479 pages. ISBN: 978-3-608-93766-4.

The mountains of Sauðárkrókur …

What really impressed us far more were the fantastic light shimmering snow covered mountains on top of Sauðárkrókur.

View from the harbour.

… and the harbour of Sauðárkrókur.

What a silent, calm and pieceful evening.

To the East.

To the North.

Waves in slow motion.

There was nearly no wind – which is really unusual for Icelandic weather conditions! Even the waves were moving in slow motion, and so did the trawler out there leaving the harbour for a night fishing.

To the East.

We unfortunately spent only a few hours in Sauðárkrókur. Taking those images. Dreaming. Enjoying the calm, but cold wheater. Buying some foodstuff, some bread in a bakery. Having a coffee or two. Fueling. And booking our next appartment on our journey around Iceland.

All images are best viewed on a high resolution screen. Click to open in full resolution.

Camera gear used:
OLYMPUS PEN E-PL7
Panasonic LUMIX G 20 mm F1.7 II ASPH.

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