Thursday, June 21, 2012

Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice

It's summer in Iceland, which means 24 hours of sunlight and a local population that is anxious to be outdoors.  Though the weather feels damp and chilly to us, the Icelanders seem immune to the cold - they are wearing sandals and dining at outdoor cafes.

Reykjavic is an expensive place and we've paid a seemingly large sum for our smallest accommodations yet.  We're staying at a cute and clean guesthouse that looks, as much of Reykjavic does, straight from an Ikea catalog.  The proprietor, Igdlo, is about as genuine and nice as they come.

Cold tap water at the guesthouse, and throughout Iceland, is delicious and refreshing.  Hot water here is geothermically provided and is endless, but stinks of sulfur.

Though Reykjavic has a lot to offer we chose to spend a large chunk of our time in Iceland driving the countryside in an itty-bitty compact rental.  We were in awe of the beauty on this island: waterfalls, geysers, mountains, gorges, and rolling hills full of Icelandic ponies.

Our favorite Iceland experiences:

- Dining at Saegreifinn, a nautical-themed local favorite tucked among the old harbor's fishing boats and docks.  Though the menu included foal and whale meat we stuck to less heartbreaking selections of lobster soup and halibut kebabs.

- Seeking refuge from the damp in Reykjavik's cozy, artsy coffee houses - Iceland has a unique and thriving coffee culture and several independent roasters.

- The surreal feeling of drinking under the midnight sun - chasing a celebrated Baejarin's beztu hot dog with a Viking beer and Brennevin shot on lively Laugavegur Street.

- Eating a picnic of rugbraud (traditional Icelandic sweetened rye bread) and caviar at the spectacular Gullfoss Falls in central Iceland.

- Trading our winter gear for swimsuits to take a dip in the hot pots and geothermically heated ocean lagoon at Nautholsvik Beach.


Next stop: Lisbon - Belem, Portugal

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