East Iceland - Iceland - page 608

Sesam Brauðhús BAKERY, CAFE
(Hafnargata 1; 7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat)
Stop by this bakery-cafe and choose from a cabinet full of sandwiches, salads and pastries.
Eskifjörður
Pop 1026
This friendly, prospering little town is stretched out along a dimple in the main fjord of
Reyðarfjörður. Its setting is magnificent: it looks directly onto the mighty mountain Hól-
matindur (985m), rising sheer from the shining blue water.
Sights
Sjóminjasafn Austurlands MUSEUM
(Strandgata 39b;adult/child Ikr1000/free; 1-5pm Jun-Aug)
Inside the 1816 black timber warehouse 'Gamlabuð', the East Iceland Maritime Museum
illustrates two centuries of the east coast's historic herring, shark and whaling industry. For
more salty-dog stories, be sure to check out Randulffs-sjóhus .
Helgustaðanáma QUARRY
The remains of the world's largest spar quarry lies east of Eskifjörður. Iceland spar ( sil-
furberg in Icelandic) is a type of calcite crystal that is completely transparent and can split
light into two parallel beams. It was a vital component in early microscopes; large quantit-
ies were exported to Europe's top scientists from the 17th century until the quarry's closure
in 1924.
The largest specimen taken from Helgustaðanáma weighs 220kg and is displayed in the
British Natural History Museum. Science aside, you can still see calcite sparkling in rocks
around the quarry. The area is a national preserve, though, so you can't poke out pieces of
crystal or take them away. Follow the gravel road past Mjóeyri, driving 8km along the
coastline until you get to an information panel; the quarry is then a 500m walk uphill.