Trolls of the peninsula
On a rare, quiet, windless autumn day, I snuck out of work for a quick hike down to the fjord. The path was a sheep path at best, weaving its way through the red bilberry bushes.
I waded through streams and clambered over boulders, my boots squelching in the muddy ground. But I didn't mind. I was too lost in wonder at the tapestry of colours all around me. I found myself surrounded by tufted hairgrass, as tall as I was.
I had to take huge steps, like a child, and sometimes crawl on my hands and knees to get through it. I felt dwarfed by the vast landscape, as if I had been shrunk to the size of one of the mythical elves that are said to roam these lands.
The name of this place, the Troll Peninsula, set my mind wandering. Are there elves to be found here, I wondered. Or do we become elves when we come here?
MY BOTANICAL NOTES
Dwarf birch tree
Betula nana
The small birch trees that I saw were likely dwarf birch trees, fjalldrapi in Icelandic. In the photo, one is growing flat, its branches twisted and gnarled by the strong winds that batter the Troll Peninsula. This is a common sight in this region, where the dwarf birch tree is one of the few trees that can survive the harsh conditions.
Dwarf birch trees are a type of birch tree that is native to the Arctic and subarctic regions. They are typically shorter than other birch trees, and their leaves are smaller and more rounded. Dwarf birch trees are often used in landscaping, and their bark is also used to make traditional Nordic crafts.
