The establishment of Borg is described in Egil's Saga, and so in Borgarnes there are a pair of exhibitions - the Settlement Centre and the Egil's Saga Centre. Between them they explain what life was like for the early settlers throughout Iceland, and detail everything that can be known from Egil's Saga about the history of Borg and the surrounding region. It finishes with the tale of Skalla-Grímr's as yet undiscovered hoard, hidden before his death to keep his only remaining son Egil from inheriting it, due to Egil's refusal to hand over a gift of two chests of silver from King Æðelstan of England. These were intended as a tribute gift for Skalla-Grímr after his eldest son Þórólfr's death while fighting in Æðelstan's army. Egil wanted to throw the silver into the crowds at the Alþingi (parliament) to cause havoc at the gathering, but was eventually persuaded to simply bury it at an unknown location near Mosfellsbær.
I must be having the nerdiest gap year of all time.
It has been overcast, dark and drizzling for most of the day here so I have no photos of Icelandic scenery or birds to show. I can show you a picture of my new phone case: 
The back is - I think - birch wood, and it has an old Icelandic symbol called Vegvísir etched into it - but I'll save the explanation of that for a few days' time when I've been to the witchcraft museum in Hólmavík.
I also saw Icelandic Moss syrup for sale and I had to buy a jar to try it - boringly, it tastes more or less the same as dark honey. However, as there seems to be free porridge oats in every hostel in Iceland, I'm sure I will use it.
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