# @kirstenalana on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DL7gl3HxjPC
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/32275952-kirstenalana-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/598edd9649.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-10T14:00:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Kirsten Alana (@KirstenAlana) — https://gondola.cc/KirstenAlana

## Caption

🌈 Have you seen a similar photo of Seyðisfjörður? Probably this church and/or the rainbow path? It’s popular! However, you might not know the story behind it. The light blue church is called Seyðisfjarðarkirkja, and it sits at the end of Norðurgata, the “Rainbow Walk”. The church is home to Tónleikaröð Bláu Kirkjunnar, a concert series that’s one of the major annual events in East Iceland: www.blaakirkjan.is

I swear our guide told us that a parent painted the rainbow for their daughter who was LGBTQIA+ as a tribute, in the middle of the night. This parent was (or became?) the mayor. Upon waking up, the town liked the rainbow so much that they kept it & now repaint it every year.

But when you research this path online, results suggest something simpler: in 2014, a local man, Snorri Emilsson, painted the path because he did not have the opportunity to attend PRIDE in Reykjavík, and he wanted to still be part of it from afar.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Either way, the visibility is important.  But do you know the real story?

🎬 I also learned about one of my favorite movies, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” If you’ve seen it, do you remember Ben Stiller riding a longboard down a steep road? That was filmed at Fjarðarheiði, which leads toward Seyðisfjörður [pronounced: say this fiyor dur]!

When you visit, you might also look for Tvísöngur, a sound sculpture featuring domes that you can go inside. It sits above the town on the hillside. Or the lonely phone booth, a sculpture created by Guðjón Ketilsson for the 2006 Centennial of the first international telegraph cable in Iceland. It’s called “Hvernig gengur,” aka “How’s it going?” Those were the first words shared via the cable.

🇫🇴 I look forward to sharing the Faroe Islands next, part of another [hosted but not paid] adventure with @vikingcruises. It’s the “Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes” itinerary, which includes stops in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. #MyVikingStory

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## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kirsten Alana | @KirstenAlana | https://gondola.cc/KirstenAlana | Photographer |

## Tags

myvikingstory

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