BelgiJanne Kristensen from Denmark and Wouter Van Hoeymissen from Belgium met in Reykjavik in 2005. Janne came to study literature and Wouter traveled. Common travels around Iceland resulted in love – they fell in love not only with each other, but also with the country.
They tell their story in a video produced by 66 ° North and available for viewing on the YouTube channel.
After visiting the village of Þingeyri, with a population of around 250, situated on the southern shore of the Dýrafjörður Fjord in the Westfjords, they decided to settle there. Ultimately, they bought the dilapidated house for ISK 2,500 ($ 20 / € 16).
The house has a long history. It was originally brought from Norway in 1915 by the Icelandic merchant Sigmundur Jónsson, known as Simbi. Sigmundur ran a shop there from 1916 until the 1970s, when he and his wife moved to Reykjavik. Then there was a videotape store in the house, then an electrical appliance store, then a bookstore.
Today, Janne and Wouter live in this house with their two children, and on the ground floor they run the Simbahöllin cafe, which also functions as a cultural center.
We invite you to watch this beautiful movie and listen to the stories of what life is like in this stunning landscape. The film has English subtitles.
Source: Yle