Húsavík is a community with both great patriotism and great optimism. After the city became known through the ESC film ‘The Story of Fire Saga‘, they have invested heavily in an ESC boom.
Now it is possible to book a ‘Fire Saga Guided Tour‘, a ‘Ja Ja Ding Dong Pub‘ has opened, and when the song ‘My Hometown‘ (Húsavík) was nominated for an Oscar as the best soundtrack in 2020, it really escalated. Several funny commercials with the theme ‘Oscar for Húsavík‘ were posted, and when the award evening approached, they even painted 50 meters of the main street red – to have the red carpet ready for Oscar.
Icelandic TV followed up and filmed a version of the song at Húsavík harbour, with the church in the background. Girls from Húsavík school were backing vocals, each of them wearing a beautiful Icelandic ‘Peysa‘ (knitted sweater). The song was broadcasted again and again during the Oscar’s commercial breaks.
There was no Oscar for Húsavík. But the Húsavík children were given a public holiday the next day – everyone knew that they would be awake on this dramatic night anyway.
After a Fire Saga Guided Tour, a refreshing bath is just right. Drive north to the PCC BakkiSilicon factory, then towards the shore and park below the site.
Walk towards the sea but not right down to the shore, stay on the grass. Follow the coast, and you will find an unknown gem at the very edge: The Húsavík’s mammoth!
If you want to stand under the mammoth’s belly – choose low tide. If you want to swim between its legs – choose high tide. The mammoth is just as beautiful as Hvítserkur – and almost completely unknown. If low tide (as at both our visits), there will be no swimming under the mammoth. A good alternative would then be Sundlaugin á Húsavík. An unpretentious, classic public Icelandic bathing facility with a couple of hot tubs and everything you possibly need. One of us went there while the other stayed at home with a cold. But we don’t have pictures, grown up single men with cameras at a pool aren’t always very popular, so the camera also stayed home.