Autumn in East Iceland Old and New Coexisting Harmoniously East Iceland is farther from Reykjavík than any other part of the country, and to date has barely been discovered by tourists. The small fishing villages in the fjords of East Iceland possess a culture of their own, a mixture of old traditional Icelandic lifestyles and today's high technology, reflecting the ever innovative minds of Icelanders. These new technologies, however, will not keep them from believing in the fairies that live behind most every stone and hill around these small villages. Autumn is the most beautiful time of year in East Iceland, and it's most bounteous. At this time of year the East Icelanders are at their best, walking over hills and dales looking for reindeer and ptarmigan, while hunters from far and wide furtively lie in wait for their prey. Others go into forests to collect berries and mushrooms, while still others fill their pails with berries gathered along mountainsides that flow into deep, calm fjords unlike any other in Iceland. Berries are than made into jam, juice, delicious cheese cake or other delicacies that Icelanders have become so skilful at preparing. Char, considered by many to be the best fish for cooking, is caught throughout East Iceland. The best time for fishing char is in late summer and early autumn. Fall is also the slaughtering season, the time when lambs are rounded-up in the mountains after having spent the summer grazing on healthy, nutritious mountain grasses from the moment of birth. The atmosphere at the fall round-up is uniquely Icelandic, and is an experience that an ever-growing number of tourists have come to enjoy. Icelandic lamb meat has the taste of the wild, and the reason for this is quite simple: it is in fact game. Lamb is never given feed; rather it lives its short life entirely on Iceland's pristine mountains. But Icelanders do not just eat the meat. Families and friends gather together to use parts of the lamb to make blood sausage and other delicacies, sewing up the casings, before organizing a grand party to enjoy a traditional meal of healthy foods that goes back for centuries. When the fall takes an end and the darkness of winter moves in it brings with it fuel to inflame the East Icelanders' love of a party. They annually celebrate days of darkness in late November, as if warming up for the Christmas season. During this time everyone joins together to revere the darkness in one way or another, with restaurants and clubs offering special events. The local museum schedules a history evening with emphasis on ghost stories and the opera studio has a musical program devoted to darkness. People go on stargazing evenings and listen to lectures about the heavens, walk together carrying torches and go on ghost walks. And of course one must not forget romance, which blossoms as never before. When December arrives Icelandic Santa Clauses come down from the mountains where they live and appear in towns decorated with lights. One after another they come to cause mischief and bring joy to the people, each in their own way. Most have at sometime been frightened by Gluggagægi (Window Peeper), while Kertasníkir (Candle-Beggar) has always been the popular one. They all give the good children presents in their shoes, even those who are staying in hotels and guesthouses in East Iceland. The same is not true of the Santa Clauses' parents - Grýlu and Leppalúða - or the family pet jólaköttur (Christmas Cat), none of whom is liked. East Iceland welcomes all visitors, not least of all in the autumn when the region glows with beauty. In fact, the fall is the favorite of the East Icelanders, a time of harvesting and joy, colors and darkness and the Northern Lights. A useful web-site: www.east.is