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A young man armed with a knife threatened the clerk of Sunnubúd, a small family-run store in the Hlídar neighborhood in Reykjavík, on Sunday, demanding money from the cash register. The thief got away with the money and police are looking for him.  more




 
February 01 | Roe and Liver Season
Click on the picture to observe how to prepare a traditional Icelandic meal of roe and liver (hrogn og lifur). At this time of year, egg pouches are harvested from female fish, mainly cod and haddock, and sold in fish stores around the country along with the liver. The egg pouches may not look appetizing; just remember that caviar is fish eggs too.  more
Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland’s best hidden gems.  more

28/04/2006 | 11:13

Letter of the Week: Take the Viking Challenge

VIKING CHALLENGE

Over and On the Rock(s)!

By Marcie J. Bushnell

 

Blanketing the lava fields are over 500 kinds of lichens and moss. It's simply nature's way of softening the rugged, mostly treeless," moonscape" that greets us as we exit the sleek Icelandair aircraft in Keflavik, Iceland.

 

My 26-year-old daughter and I exchange glances and smiles as we pass through the modern minimalist airport boasting flaxen-haired pointy-eared elfin ads for Iceland Spring water. This is indeed the land of Nordic legends featuring hideous ogres, wicked witches, and other enchanted otherworldly types. However, we're here to take part in a hiking, biking, horseback riding, rafting, kayaking Viking Challenge tour that will hopefully be free of any mean-spirited entities--human or otherwise!

 

If you're thinking a mother-daughter trip is "challenge" enough, factor in very long days and a basic unfamiliarity with the Icelandic language. After carefully sounding out "snyrtigar" and figuring it had to be a restroom, we were right. Hand washing brought us to the heart of Iceland's geothermal heritage--the hot water "vatn" tap included a discreet whiff of sulfurous gas--totally free of charge! The cold "vatn" tap could easily win the "purest, freshest, coldest, clearest" award ... anywhere on the planet! In fact when we go to purchase bottles of Iceland Spring water, the clerk tells us to keep the bottles and to refill them from the tap - it is from the same source.

 

There's a large line at the airport bank. We find out later that outbound travelers are there to receive a hefty cash back allowance or a duty free shop credit (15%) on Iceland's stiff 24.5 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT). Needing money ASAP, I find an ATM and promptly pluck out 2000 Icelandic kronur. Moments later, I spy an Icelandic wool cap in a stylish duty-free boutique for 2,160 IK. Another trip to the ATM is in order, and pronto!

 

Boarding the Keflavik Flybus for the 45-minute commute into the world's northernmost capital, Reykjavik, we gaze at the vast volcanic terrain flying by on both sides of the bus. Dust devils swirl bits of moss and spew out tiny pebbles as we motor past Hafnarfjordur and into the capital.

 

The next seven days will quickly blur into a succession of long hours of daylight, brisk winds, warm sun, delicate non-biting flies trying to land on our eyelashes, luxurious soaking in geothermally-heated spring water swimming pools and an afternoon of pure thalassotherapy bliss at the Blue Lagoon.

 

These impressions are interspersed with hiking the marked trails above Reykjavik's main geothermal plant, Nesjavellir, rafting the Hvita River, succumbing to "hesta bakteria" or the Icelandic equivalent of "love of horses."

 

Or what about an ironic whale watching expedition onboard a former whaling boat, mountain biking through Heidmork, an urban volcanic wonderland just outside the capital, sea kayaking a reedy inlet of the North Atlantic at Stokkseyri, delicately skirting a very active geyser field, trekking across a gritty glacier, spotting puffins from the cliffs above the black lava beaches at Vik-i-Myrdal, and last, but not least, reveling in the majesty of the world's first outdoor parliament site at Thingvellir.

 

By another act of tradition and independent thinking, Icelandic children are named after the family patriarch as his "son" or "dottir." Thus, if we were of Icelandic origin, my daughter would carry her father's first name forever ... as Chelsea Richardsdottir. Her name would appear in the phone book under "C" because the white pages are bursting with Richardsdottirs. Many Icelandic types are simply known by their first name ... does "Bjork" ring a bell? Yes? Although her name means "birch" in Icelandic, her sense of music and style is not "wooden," as evidenced by her original, avant-garde songs and wardrobe.

 

And speaking of fashion, we pinched enough time to "do" the Kringlan and Smaralind malls, as well as browsing the souvenir shops for Icelandic wool products. As our tour was scheduled the third week of July, it segued perfectly with Iceland Fashion Week. Featuring Icelandic models posing in hauntingly natural landscapes, a small group of international designers showcases new haute couture as well as ready-to-wear fashions.

 

Culturally speaking, beyond the scope of the fashion world, there are tons of amazing sculpture museums (both indoor and outdoor), art galleries, and for the quirkily curious, the Phallological Museum. This highly specialized exhibit vies for viewers with the National Museum of Iceland and the Reykjavik Art Museum Harbour House, to name a few.

 

Obviously, one week is not enough time to experience what Iceland has to offer, but a Viking Challenge tour covers quite a bit of ground. . . both literally and figuratively. Our small group of fifteen sported a ratio of two women for every man. Ages ranged from twenty-somethings to "almost retired" status. Our incredible guide, Pierko, spoke Finnish by birth, Icelandic by marriage, German by country of residence, and English by necessity! At 58 years of age and a brand-new grandmother, she was a dynamic inspiration to one and all. Would my daughter and I do this again? Ya-oh!

 

I'd be amiss if I didn't mention the nightlife in the twilight zone on the "Rock." As you might have surmised, the time we had in Reykjavik was spent recovering from the rigorous pacing of our action-packed tour. Heading out at midnight (not before) to cruise the clubs did not figure into our extracurricular activities. Reykjavik's reputation as a wild and wacky place is safe with us.

 

I would recommend arriving a few days early or staying on past the "Challenge" to experience the nocturnal side of this metro capital at 66 degrees latitude north! Order a shot of Icelandic schnapps, but don't swallow the lichens floating on top--it's just nature's way of softening the approach of a long, cold winter!

(Originally published in Travel World International Magazine.)

 

Marcie J. Bushnell lives in Eugene, Oregon, and her daughter lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

 

 


Comment
February 08 | Weatherproofed Infants




February 04 | Miss Moneypenny

February 03 | Crisis Mail

February 02 | Sticks and Stones


January 31 | Waiting for the Sun

January 30 | Everybody Do the Wave



January 27 | Post Number 300

January 26 | Testicular Romance

January 25 | My Fellow Foreigners


 
 
New subscribers to the quarterly Iceland Review magazine will receive the photography book Puffins, which contains a wealth of information about this colorful bird, as a gift. Additionally, all subscribers will enter a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to Iceland Review. The new issue will be out next week!  more


REVIEWS
When I first heard of the photographic book Legend by Fiann Paul, portraying people dressed in Viking-style in Icelandic landscapes, I imagined it would depict scenes from Norse mythology. However, the idea with the book is to tell a story of how “The Seeker” finds “The Legend” and it feels like a wishy-washy self-help book.  more
Fresh back from Brazil, where she was one of 28 international judges at the ‘Cup of Excellence’ awards, Kaffitár founder and owner Adalheidur Hédinsdóttir sat down with Atlantica’s Mica Allan in Kaffitár’s Bankastraeti cafe to talk about her passion and delight: coffee.  more
“Lucy” is a video and music installation by Dodda Maggý (1981), the 15th artist to exhibit in Reykjavík Art Museum’s D-gallery project in the Hafnarhús exhibition hall. In “Lucy” the artist explores the idea of the “acousmetre,” a film character portrayed only by voice, never in body, omniscient and ubiquitous.  more

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