Monday 20 November 2023

Inndyr and its medieval Romanesque church at 37º N, in Gildeskål


On the Arctic coast of Norway sits a Romanesque church from the 12th century. Well, I had to show this remarkable rarity. 


Inndyr, in the coastal region of Gildeskål, is one of those many picturesque marine villages in Norway; founded and grewn off fishing, a little south of the Lofoten archipelago. 


The recently restored 'Tormodbrygga', a typical fishing pier in the small port of Inndyr.

Tormodbrygga pier, built on the Lofoten Islands in 1900, was purchased and transported by a merchant from Inndyr, where it served as a warehouse and store. It was then managed by his son Tormod, who also lived there, until the store closed in 1952. Now it will be a place for nautical clubs and leisure activities.



But what makes Gildeskål worth highlighting is the Romanesque church on the outskirts of Inndyr, at 67º 3' N, 14º 2' E, well above the Arctic Circle, and much further north than the most famous Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral. 

The old church of St. Thomas of Canterbury


Around 1130, a church began to be built about 2 km north of Inndyr, which in 1170 was dedicated to St. Thomas av Canterbury (Thomas Beckett), who died on that year. After several fires, in 1710 the interior was partially burned, and the restoration was made in the baroque style of the 18th century.


Strangely enough, this church was built from marble stone found on a nearby beach. It is the only marble stone church at these latitudes. The slabs and ashlar stones are not polished, they are roughly hewn.


Stonemasons among the best in medieval Europe certainly came to Gildeskål; and later the church was decorated with one of the richest baroque interiors in the country. 





All Scandinavian churches (but many French ones too) have their votive boat; this is from 1782, a model of the danish/norsk frigate Joshua which sank in 1566 during a storm at Visby. 

 
Now it's time for a coffee pause. Espresso? maybe in the Heimsjyen




Quite nice for such a tiny village.



In Gildeskål there is another wonder - the island of Fugløya and the village of Sørfugløy.   


Hugely isolated due to its distance from the mainland coast, it is an idyllic place that has been attracting rich people who escape the urban hustle and bustle and want peace, security or seclusion. Paradise has a branch here.






A wonderful sand beach in arctic cold waters.
 
Midnattsol on Fugløya


Monday 4 September 2023

Seyðisfjörður, pretty village in East Iceland


Seyðisfjörður or Seydisfjoerdur is a town and municipality in Iceland's Eastfjords region, at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name.


Connected to Scotland and the Faröe, this is a typical icelandic village, with a tiny port deep into the fjord, surrounded by mountains and wild waterfalls.


Settled at the sandy bottom of the fjord, it's almost unreally pretty in the unspoiled breathtaking landscape.


Seyðisfjörður

Coordinates: 65°15′ N, 14°0′ W, just one degree below the Arctic Circle.
Population:  ~ 670 inhabitants.

 

The town was settled by fishermen from Norway in 1848, on the lowlands of the fjord, where a few farms had existed for centuries. These settlers also built some of the present day wooden buildings.


Seyðisfjörður has a library, a hospital, a post office, some retail activity, a visual arts centre, a Technical Museum and still a local heritage museum, the only two cinemas in the east of Iceland, three small hotels, a swimming pool ! Not so tiny, so.

The Blue Church (Bláa Kirkjan) is the absolute central landmark.


Legend tells that the church, from the 13th century and dedicated to St. Mary, has been moved several times; it was surely moved into Seyðisfjörður in 1921, but after so many changes and a fire no one knows what remains from the original medieval church, maybe just some of the wooden walls.


A praised concert season takes place each summer at the Blue Church.

https://www.facebook.com/blaakirkjan



As tourism is replacing the traditional fishing activity, hotels are growing in number.
 
 

This wooden house in blue is the old Pharmacy.

  The old Post Office is now a small Hotel.

19th century, Norwegian style.

Wooden house in red...the Music School.

The Norwegian-built houses are the real treasure here.

Kaffi Lara


The café in town 
- this is Kaffi Lara, at Norðurgata


 
The small harbour is still active with a few fishing ships, but presently it is also dedicated to tourism and leisure.
 

 

The Smyril Line MS Norröna keeps a daily link to Denmark and the Faroe Islands.

The Skaftfell Art Centre

Amazingly, the town also has an Arts Centre:


Skaftfell is a visual art centre to encourage the development of contemporary art. It is a meeting point for artists and locals and its activities are based on exhibitions and events, and also an international residency program.

 
The Centre is installed in a 1909 Norwegian house.

Some of Iceland´s best waterfalls are located in the vicinity of Seyðisfjörður.
 
This is Gufufoss, 19 m high
 
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The first telegraph cable connecting Iceland to Europe started in 1906 from Seyðisfjörður, built by
Great Nordic Telephone Company.
For several years this was a hub for international telecommunications.
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