10 facts about Iceland I remember to be true
I got really sentimental lately writing all the throwback posts about my first big journeys but it’s the last week’s post about Iceland that really got me the blues. As I already mentioned here, Iceland is where I left my heart many years ago and no other place in the world has managed to win it over by now.
So trying to remember my Icelandic adventures back from 2011 and 2012, I came up with this list of 10 facts about Iceland I remember to be true:
(… and I’m very much looking forward to going back there to see how much has changed over the years!)
1. Iceland is expensive
Read: ridiculously expensive. The most expensive country I've ever been to. However, I was 18 years old at the time and coming from Poland (read: cheap) so I'm curious whether my perspective would change now?
2. Icelanders are the nicest & most interesting people on the planet
Ok, I know that’s a big statement to make, especially the “most interesting” one, but to be honest this is how I remember my experience. No other nation I’ve got to know over the years made a bigger impression on me than Icelanders. I remember them being extremely open-minded and approachable, kind, well-spoken and indeed interesting. Perhaps it was my general awe that idealised everything and everyone I saw but the impression stayed and I hope to keep it.
3. You have to take a shower naked before entering any pool
Ha-ha. That might be a funny one but for a teenage girl from a very (VERY) modest country this was a shock and something not easy to understand. Yes, Icelanders love their pools and it is a very strict rule to shower yourself completely naked in an open (single-gender) shower room before entering any common areas. Don't believe me? For my Polish friends I recommend the wonderful Okuniewska's podcast talking about her experience here.
4. Hitch-hiking around the island is very easy
Perhaps that's connected with point 2 or with the fact that back in 2011 there weren’t as many tourists there as now... But in my few-year hitch-hiking career it has never been easier than in Iceland. I've travelled the whole island alone with no troubles at all. However, I do imagine that with the number of tourists and everyone wanting to hike a hitch this might not be as easy anymore...
5. Reykjavik feels like a village not a capital city at all
With only 200 000 inhabitants I guess it would be more surprising if the feeling was highly cosmopolitan but I still think it deserves to be mentioned. I can’t imagine if there is any other capital in the world more quiet and peaceful than Reykjavik. I can’t tell if the feeling is still there but I most certainly hope so.
6. You can't buy alcohol everywhere
An obvious one for anyone who already lived/travelled to any other Scandinavian country but one that must be shared with the Western culture kids like me. Alcohol which is stronger than 2.25% isn't sold in any grocery shop in Iceland (you can buy lighter beers in the supermarket, for example the most remembered Polar Beer). Any other alcohol can be bought only in the state-owned liquor stores named Vínbúdin open normally only until 6 pm.
What is also worth noting - you won’t find a Vínbúdin in every little town in Iceland so if you’re planning your liquor shopping, you might want to check ahead for the closest one here.
7. Fermented (or rotten) shark meat is a real thing
Not a myth at all. Hákarl is shark meat which has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. You can buy it in many stores around the island or, if you’re feeling brave, try it on the market in Reykjavik. It is sold in small plastic cups with bite-sized chunks of meat. When a lovely lady sells you a cup she says “Eat, don’t smell” and that’s just what you need to do since hákarl has a strong odour of… ammonia.
I remember trying it and not being that disgusted but hey, I was 18 and invincible then so…
8. The most queued for food in Reykjavik is... a hot-dog
...and one tasted by Bill Clinton himself! It’s this little hut you want to visit and try for yourself these simple as f*ck but equally delicious buns.
9. Iceland’s signature drink is called “Black Death” and it’s really not that bad
Perhaps you’ve already seen somewhere on the Internet the green bottles of Brennivín with its very photogenic black label featuring the iconic shape of the island. This Icelandic signature liquor is a type of schnapps made from fermented grain or potato mash and flavoured with caraway. The name Brennivín translates literally as “burning wine” but is commonly known as the “Black Death”. Why? Perhaps because it’s dangerously easy to get drunk as f*uk on it. I’m just being honest…
10. Icelanders are obsessed with… Coca-Cola
There is this urban legend in Iceland I was told right after arrival. Did you know that Coca-Cola tastes different in every country because of the local water used to produce it? Well, apparently Coca-Cola produced in Iceland has a superior taste to all the other ones in the world due to the quality of water there and because of that it’s a favourite one even of the Coca-Cola company owners. I even heard that they import the cans of it from Iceland to the US but well, I guess that’s how far urban legends go…
Second fact - Iceland is the country with the biggest consumption of Coca-Cola (per capita) in the world! They even have these 0.5 l Coca-Cola cans which I haven’t seen anywhere else in Europe…
Did you enjoy this list? Do you have something it add? Comment below!
