On the strand across the fjord from Isafjordur is this museum, which is a recreation of the type of house where fishermen lived during the fishing seasons of generations past. It is a wonderful, fascinating place. There were wild swans swimming in the ocean. The house was for the crews of 2 boats, one woman lived with each crew to cook, repair clothing & nets and salt the fish. Each crew slept all in a bed. If the men of a crew failed to come home from the sea, the woman had to ask the other crew to share food. If times were rough, sometimes they barely could. In this place, so beautiful on a rare sunny summer day, the wind and weather could be as awful as anything we can imagine. The house was earth sheltered, mostly built into the ground, had a sod roof and tiny window and door. This sort of house was used as recently as 1890. When the seas were rough Osvor was a better landing place than further into the fjord as the strand was present even at high tide.
The museum guide, a very old fisherman, dressed in oilskins, had not a word of English. Our mini-bus driver explained the place in the proper British English all young Icelanders learn in school. The 'gift shop' was an honor box with a few cards on sale. By chance in the gloom of the house, I selected one with English text. Is it possible all the cards had English text?
Outside, just above the strand, a wooden fishing boat such as the ones we had just seen at the Maritime Museum in Isafjordur, single masted, was rigged to demonstrate sail rigging. An actual ocean-going fishing boat not much bigger than what we would call a dory. Oh my, here in the home country of 'Perfect Storms'. If you ever get to this part of the world--come to this place. Perhaps the old man will still be there. I don't think he goes fishing any more.