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As far as I can tell, there's still no Iceland thread in T&T. I was thinking of going for a week in Iceland in maybe August. I was also thinking of renting a car to see the Golden Circle attractions at my own pace, spreading it out over two days. How good are the roads on that route (I think it was route 36 and 37 or something like that)? Same question for the ring road to Vik to see the basalt columns on the beach. On a non-tourism note, what do Icelanders think of Skyrim?
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Dec 5, 2013 21:24
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Deceitful Penguin posted:I keep wondering if I should ask the mods to toss this one there, seeing as that's mostly what I'm answering these days. The travel pages for Iceland certainly do play up the risk of driving, so good to know. Funnily enough, the Dragonborn expansion of Skyrim is situated in Solstheim, and the southern half of the island is basically ashlands.
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Dec 6, 2013 23:46
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Deceitful Penguin posted:6K is pretty drat hopeful, as you should probs check what the hostels and whatnot cost. Food can add up but your biggest costs will be those, if you order now you may get that poo poo cheap but late summer is peak season, sooo. You can maybe find them cheap, but you wouldn't last long for that money at the hotel I worked at for that money. That itinerary is pretty good, and if you had 4 days extra you could spend 3 of them in the Reykjavík area and one in Akureyri, doing whatevs. Do you have a rough idea of how quickly booking fills up? Because I was originally going to wait until the end of May to book everything (hostel reservations and rental car) for my trip in August, because apparently around 2 months before the date is when the airfare tends to be the cheapest generally. Is this a terrible idea, and should I be booking everything except the airfare now? Christoff posted:But it seems we just attribute all whaling to Japan. I think part of it is that Japan's reason for whaling is the problem. Rather than taking the route that Scandinavia did, saying that they object to the moratorium based on the knowledge that minke populations are stable, and therefore continue to openly commercially whale, Japan has taken the route of saying that they continue to whale solely for research into whaling populations. And yet any tourist wandering around Nagasaki will seriously trip over any number of stores which specialize in the preparation of whale meat, or sell scrimshaw tchotchkes. Heck, the menu for Dejima museum has deep fried whale cutlet on the menu (and cheap, the whaling industry there has more whale than they know what to do with, so they end up dumping a lot of it onto anyone that will buy it). The other part is racism; the opposition to Japanese whaling coincided more or less with the Japanese economic boom in the 80s and 90s, when the U.S. was worried about the Japanese taking over the world with cramped economy cars and Sony walkmans. To tie things back to Iceland, is whale meat tested to ensure that there isn't an excessive amount of methylmercury?
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Mar 29, 2014 20:38
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Deceitful Penguin posted:Yea, well. We don't like what they're doing with their quotas either. Most of the northern whalers, when pressed, aren't sure if the Japanese hunt is perfectly sustainable, but the IWC is such an idiot organization that there's no room for rational talks between us because apparently the voice of fuckin Chad, Mongolia or Switzerland are as valid as ours when it comes to whaling, don't want it to be a "butchers club" after all, so we have to side with the Japanese, even though we might not be quite ok with some of the stuff they do, because the only other option is apparently "No whaling, ever, because we said so" - The guys that killed almost all of our whales. Huh, I was just watching the NHK world service, and just now the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan's Antarctic whaling program is not for research, and that Japan cannot whale in the Antarctic for the time being, until something more concrete can be worked out. Where would be a good place to sample traditional Icelandic whale meat?
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Mar 31, 2014 11:09
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dor1 posted:There are 3 active hockey teams, compare that to (at least) 36 active (association) football teams, and no one really follows it, not that i know of anyway. So, is there any particular country's team that Icelanders are (or was, if they were eliminated) backing in the world cup?
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Jul 5, 2014 19:16
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Deceitful Penguin posted:We had a lad in the American team, who would rather play with them than ours. A lot of gnashing of teeth what with him, heh, picking the stronger horse, as it were. I vaguely remember the Icelandic Football Association being hella passive aggressive too. Well that match with Brazil must have been really interesting to watch. I mean in the same way it's interesting to watch that nature documentary where an eagle throws a goat off a cliff. Also: am booked to go to Iceland in August, and stay about six days. ookuwagata fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Jul 10, 2014 |
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Jul 10, 2014 19:44
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Okay, so I'm going to arrive in Iceland on August 6th and stay until the 12th. The hostel I'm staying at doesn't do check in until after 2 PM, so from 9 to then I was thinking of visiting Blue Lagoon after picking up the rental car. On the next two days I was thinking of doing the Golden Circle, and breaking it up into two pieces, so I don't get rushed. First day I was thinking of seeing Thingvellir. The second day I complete the rest of it, seeing Geysir and Gulfoss and Hveragerdi on the way back. After that I want to see Reynisfjara Beach in Vik. And for the last two days I was thinking of staying in Reykjavik to do some shopping and see some museums or something. Kind of flexible on those two days. Thoughts (other than how very "touristy" this plan is)? Also, Deceitful Penguin, I sent you my email for contact.
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Jul 26, 2014 22:53
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I just got back from Iceland yesterday (if 11:30 PM really counts as yesterday) and thanks Deceitful Penguin for the pizza and scaring away French tourists with loud talking. Things I have eaten: Hakarl: Quite good, all those television people that say it's the worst food in the world are babies. It's rather like a hundred year old egg with delicious fish flavor. Hardfiskur: Mild tasting. Good with butter. Hurts my teeth. Skyr: The berry flavor and peach flavor are good, plain also has its own appeal. The baked apple is kind of gross tasting though... it just doesn't go well. Geothermally cooked egg: It's a boiled egg, but it was boiled perfectly, with the yolk being solid but soft, and not chalky Pylsur: The sauces and crunchy onions were good, and the hot dog tasted good too. Good, but not as amazing as I was expecting. Really fast though. You pay your money and it's in your hand in less than 10 seconds. I have never had food this fast, and stood around like a moron for half a minute after it's done. Minke Whale: Chewy. Taste quite gamey, sort of like lamb, which I actually like. I was wondering at the back of my head if I was actually eating just lamb, if it weren't for the fact that the inside retained a really red crimson color. Langoustine: Had this in a curry soup. Soft, buttery, delicious. Svidh: Absolutely amazing (I had it hot, which is really delicious). The skin covers a thick layer of rich fat, which in turn covers a fall-from-the-bone tender meat. The eyeballs are soft and delicious. The Golden Circle    The South Coast      Hallgrimskirkja  Blue Lagoon  During the peak season, I highly recommend getting up early (like 5 or 6 AM) and getting to the touristy spots early, so you can get there before the unwashed masses and bus tourists get there. I also would like to recommend the little town of Hveragerdi, for the river of Reyjadalur. It's a 3.5 kilometer hike into a mountain following a river past several boiling hot mud pits, steam vents and scalding springs. Eventually, you make it to the part of the river where the water is geothermally heated. By the way, there are no changing facilities. E: Svidh is really drat good. 
ookuwagata fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Aug 13, 2014 |
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Aug 13, 2014 18:21
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Tannin posted:Hey again everybody, I've finally made it into Iceland and am currently staying in Hafnarfjordur. I wandered around downtown Reykjavik for a while this morning since my plane got in at 5:30 am, and it's great so far. I had a pylsur at the suggested place, good stuff. That lady is a whirlwind of activity. Anyway, I'm in town until Tuesday, is anyone else in town that would want to do some fun stuff and/or adventure in Reykjavik? I'll probably try to hike a mountain or two, and see the flea market on Saturday at least as per Deceitful Penguin's suggestions at the beginning of the thread. Hakarl (and hardfiskur, but mind your teeth, that stuff is hard!) can be eaten at Cafe Loki which is within literal spitting distance from Hallgrimskirkja. It's right across the street. I recommend sitting upstairs in front of the grimmest mural ever (which depicts a huuge pile of dead bodies in the aftermath of Ragnarok). E: If you've saved room for dessert, the Skyr cake with rhubarb syrup is so good Svidh is available at the cafeteria for the BSI bus terminal Fljott Og Gott; it's close to Reykjavik Airport near Perlan. It's actually sort of weird because the rest of the menu seems like what you would normally expect from a bus station cafeteria; burgers, coke, etc. Saegreifinn, which serves minke whale and curry langoustine soup is located right in the old harbor area. It's in a turquoise blue shack, across the street from the pier where all the whale tours start. You know you're on the right track if right across the pier there is a small shack with a ton of posters telling you not to eat whale ("Meet us don't eat us!"). Keep in mind that the sampler platter is just a tiny cube. It is literally just a sample. Also, if you're going to drink beer in Iceland, may I heartily recommend Gaedingur? Their Pale Ale is very, very nice. ookuwagata fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Aug 19, 2014 |
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Aug 19, 2014 19:50
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Quarex posted:
The most unpleasant thing from Iceland I've had I've only tried yesterday (and it's technically it's really from Finland), Tyrkisk Peber, which I brought back. It's bitter, salty, sour and chemical. I am skeptical of the nutrition facts which make the claim that sugar is the main ingredient. It's like Indian mango pickle, except if you removed all the (sparse) redeeming qualities of it, replaced it with a poo poo-ton of anise and at the very end it burns like bathroom cleaner on your tongue. I've eaten about a quarter of the bag by myself. I am very strange!
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Aug 25, 2014 20:34
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which incidentally does not actually get rid of the flavor
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inscrutable horse posted:YOU SHUT YOUR LYING, HEATHEN MOUTH THIS INSTANT! Tyrkisk Peber candies are the fallen tears of angel kittens, and saying otherwise is a drat dirty lie! Are you a liar, ookuwagata? Do you want the terrorists to win?! Are you a communist?!?! Hahaha, I brought Tyrkisk Peber to work, and surprisingly one person liked it. However, at the same time, she was convinced that it wasn't a candy people ate as a sweet, she was certain it had to be a cough drop, like ricola, or some sort of herbal candy for medicinal purposes. The milder salmiak licorices were actually a big hit though at work. Everyone thought it was refreshingly minty, and helped to counteract the stench of passengers which view showering as a monthly thing.
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Aug 29, 2014 18:39
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Lima posted:I doubt you can find the stuff outside of northern Europe, but you can mix your own! Fastest method would probably be to crush (or food process) the candies into small pieces (or dust) and funnel into the vodka, and give it a good shake. Should dissolve quickly. If after a few days the candies leave sediment behind (most likely in softer candies) strain it out with a coffee filter. I actually might try this, as soon as my steeping jar is freed up.
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Sep 8, 2014 07:00
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To rewind to the trading Icelandic stuff for other stuff topic, does anyone know the specifics on shipping liquor or other alcohol to or from Iceland? Everything on the internet seems to say it's impossible.
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Sep 21, 2014 23:54
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nm posted:Shots. I actually liked it despite not being a huge fan of caraway. Gull and Viking struck me as pretty standard bland industrial lager. I liked Gaedingur's Pale Ale though; I think its of comparable quality to some craft brews here in Northern California.
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Sep 24, 2014 02:01
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kuddles posted:I'm not a big beer drinker, but I thought the Einstok stuff was pretty damned good, particularly the Toasted Porter. I didn't have a chance to have any Einstok in Iceland. They were serving it at the cafeteria near Gulfoss, but as I was driving (and goodness, driving in Iceland is a nerve-wracking experience at times) I opted out. I did however get a chance to try their white ale at a local bar, and enjoyed it.
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Sep 27, 2014 23:01
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Deceitful Penguin posted:Haha, if you do decide to come back, I look forward to hearing how you experience the roads outside the capital area, which were as my girlfriend put it: "Picturesque deathtraps". I remember driving down the road, and then 50 feet in front of me at 110 KM/H a car pulled out into my lane to try to pass the slow truck in the other lane. This was the same day I was hiking in Thingvellir and the trail appeared to come to a dead stop in front one of numerous deep rifts. I was puzzled and looked around for a bridge for a few moments before realized they expected me to jump across it to a rocky island in the middle, and from there to jump to the other side.
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Oct 1, 2014 23:42
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When I return to Iceland, I sure as hell ain't driving next time. I'm going to ride on one of them fancy tour buses and awkwardly hit on some German backpacker while being ferried up to the more remote parts I didn't have a chance to go to this time.
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Oct 3, 2014 06:27
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Doctor Malaver posted:Thanks. Would you maybe care to suggest the itinerary (like, spend an hour here, eat there, drive past that because it's not interesting, etc)? I'll check the penis museum. What museum would you recommend for history/vikings/ships? Penis museum also is cash only, as I remember. I think the national museum located at the university is the best insofar as history goes. Goes over a little bit of everything, and has some really neat artifacts. The Vikin Maritime Museum seemed to focus mostly on fishing, and a good chunk of it was dedicated to more modern fishing (a proud little display on the net-cutter as the only weapon invented in Iceland; designed to cut the lines of those poaching Brits). The Settlement Museum was kind of narrow in focus to me, focused intensely on the Reykjavik area.
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Nov 14, 2014 21:55
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So, anyone know about Christmas traditions in Iceland? I seem to recall reading something on FB talking about a tradition of being eaten by a Yule cat.
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Dec 28, 2014 03:23
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poopinmymouth posted:Happy homeowner here. We even paid off our entire mortgage in five years, owning our house outright at 34, despite having a child. Though admittedly we got lucky with our purchase time (2010) and both have higher than average salaries. San Francisco is kind of an outlier in general when it comes to comparisons, because it exists in a very weird sociopolitical space, between the poor (who have been flocking to SF since even before the 60s), the rich (highly skilled workers drawn by the plethora of highly skilled jobs) and the greedy (who raise prices and evict to capitalize on the tech gold rush). On a somewhat related note, how exactly is WOW Airline? They're coming to SFO this summer (along with a poo poo ton of other new flights).
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Mar 21, 2016 19:37
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Is there any ramen places in Iceland? I like to get all snooty and judgy about ramen.
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Mar 25, 2016 23:19
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