What We Already Missed About Iceland
What We Already Missed About Iceland
After just about every trip abroad, it usually took us a week or two to adjust to life back home. getting over the jet lag is usually not an issue, but getting used to life back home could sometimes be a struggle. The reverse cultural shock often had us wonder why things can’t be slightly different in the United States. As is often the case in Scandinavia, we were in awe of Iceland’s efficiencies and social cohesion. From the country’s response to COVID-19 to the impeccable public infrastructure, it is difficult not to be in awe of what Icelanders have achieved given their limited resources and geographic isolation.
There are so many amazing things and places in Iceland. If I were to guess, I would suspect that most visitors would rank the unspoiled nature and v bathing to be top of most visitors’ lists. Oddly, there are so many other things about Iceland that really made a deep impression on me. Here are just some of our favorite things we missed about Iceland:
A Cashless Society
One of the first things we often do was to withdraw some local currency at an airport ATM. However, our Rick Steves guidebook has recommended a limited withdrawal of about $20 USD for emergency use only. But because of the pandemic restriction, gaining access to a working ATM at Keflavík Airport proves to be trickier than imagined. As the result, we decided to see how far we could go without any cash. Luckily, credit cards and mobile payments are the preferred form of transactions all across Iceland. From minor roadside attractions to public bathrooms, credit card payment is a norm. Actually, I could only think of one or two instances where we wished we have a few hundred kroner in hand: both for the unmanned restrooms in rural areas where you need to put 150 ISK into the collection box.
In the end, we managed to spend twelve days in Iceland without ever taking out cash and it was great! Of course, Iceland is neither the only nor first country where the cashless way of life has taken root. Famously, China led the world in mobile payment such as Wechat Pay or Alipay. But unlike China, just about every Islandic businesses still accept cash payment gladly. Based on our observation, only foreign tourists ever use cash. Because Iceland also has no tipping culture, there is really little need for cash whatsoever.
All The Corrugated Steel Buildings
Growing up in Taiwan, I always associated corrugated steel structures with illegal structures that often pop up along the side of roads. As the cheapest cladding materials available on the market, the material is never given the proper respect from architects and the general public. Due to Iceland’s extreme climate, steel siding is the perfect material of choice in terms of durability. And unlike its Scandivanian cousins, timber is a relatively scarce resource to go around in the history of Iceland. There have been accounts from the past that an Icelander’s most valuable possession is often the timber posts that hold up their houses.
Following a massive fire that destroyed a swatch of Reyjkavik in 1915, the city mandated that all houses need to be constructed of fireproof materials. Naturally, corrugated steel siding is cost-effective and strong. Though initially only used for roofing, it did not take long for steel siding to take over much of Iceland’s architecture. The application of corrugated steel siding is not limited to warehouses or office blocks; it also extends to significant structures like churches or museums. Because there is no stigma attached to this material, Islanders do not discriminate and the results are fantastic. And like the rest of Scandinavia, bright colors are applied literally in residential architecture to brighten up the otherwise dreary winter.
Besides the brand new Harpan opera house and Hallgrímskirkja, Icelandic architecture receives little praise internationally. But around central Reykjavik, traditional architecture, clad both in corrugated metal and wood, coexisted seamlessly. Although I have heard of the widespread use of corrugated metal in Iceland, I was not prepared just how well it integrates with traditional elements like window casing and cornices. Indeed, I was so excited to share it with my father since Iceland revolutionizes the way I think of this utilitarian material. Icelanders managed to make something beautiful out of the ordinary, and I think that exemplifies their can-do attitude toward life.
Icelandic Hot Dog
For first-time visitors to Iceland, hot dog stands are somewhat of a lifesaver. It is not a secret the high price for food in Iceland is legendary. No matter how much you want to splurge on dining out, chances are that you will have plenty of hot dogs during your Icelandic trip. What makes Icelandic hot dogs, or pylsur, unique is the ingredients. In addition to pork and beef, the primary ingredient is mutton. In a country where sheep outnumber people, the inclusion of mutton is not at all surprising. And because it is Iceland, all meat is grass-fed and free-range and quality is unparalleled. Finally, the use of natural casing gives pylsur a unique snap and crispness that may or may not be to your likings.
Among the most celebrated hot dog stands in the country is Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, which translates to “The Town’s Best Hot Dogs”. This venerated stand boasts many famous celebrity customers throughout the decades, but I am happy to report it is definitely still popular with the locals. During my several visits, the locals outnumber tourists by about 2 to 1 and its simple menu makes it the quickest meal or the best late-night snack available in the city. Though excellent in its all right, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur does not necessarily have the best dogs. Just about every hot dog you would consume is produced by Sláturfélag Suðurlands (SS) and is readily available at supermarkets across the country. In fact, Brian’s favorite hot dog was from a Nesti snack bar at Húsavík’s N1 gas station.
To replicate the winning recipe from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the hot dog is cushioned with a bed of ketchup, fried and raw onion, and then topped with Icelandic mustard sauce and remoulade. As with any other famous hot dogs or sausages, the order of condiments and topping is a hotly debated matter and it was fun to travel around Iceland to see how the hot dog is constructed at different locations. While the United States Customs does not allow us to bring a pack of Iceland’’s mutton pylsur home, we did manage to source the next best things: a jar of fried onion bits and a couple of bottles of Icelandic mustard: SS Pylsusinnep.
Icelandic Water
Among the most valuable resources that Iceland possesses is the abundance of water. With thousands of waterfalls and the most massive glacier in Europe, water is one thing Iceland never has to worry about. Industrial and household use aside, water is also critical in delivering another of Iceland’s treasures: geothermal heat. As we drove around the country, we saw massive water pipes dotted around the landscape. For the most part, they were carrying super-heated geothermal water from one region to another. Water is truly the island’s most indispensable resource.
With an abundance of water and relatively few industrial activities, Iceland’s tap water is often praised as the cleanest in the world. No matter where you go, tap water is delicious tasting. And because water is potable throughout the country, one thing that you might have trouble finding is bottled water. After all, no Icelanders would ever pay 300 ISK for a bottle when they could get the same water for free. Other than tourist-oriented shops or visitor centers, you will be hard-pressed to find bottled water.
One of my biggest pet peeves in Europe is the need to purchase bottled water. While this is less of an issue in Scandivania, it could be quite a drag in places like France or Italy. While it may be permissible to ask for tapped water, it is definitely not the norm. The compulsory purchase of bottled water has always bothered me, so I was really delighted to learn that complimentary tapped water is legally mandated in all Icelandic restaurants and eateries. No matter it is upmarket restaurants or anonymous pit stops in the middle of nowhere, a pitcher of water will be offered to all customers.
One of the little-known benefits of the abundance of water is the free car wash. As someone who drove the ring road, we could attest that your cars are destined to get dirty. Pretty much every single gas station has an attached car wash area. While basic, the hose and an attached brush are a godsend and it was surprisingly satisfying to clean off all the muck. As Americans, we could only dream that our local Shell or Exon Statio could be this generous.
Icelandic Place Name
One of the biggest challenges with planning our Icelandic road trip is keeping track of where we are heading. I remembered that when I first booked our ticket to Iceland, I struggled to spell out the word “Reykjavík”. I could think of four or five different ways of spelling similarly-sounding names. If it was not for the repeated autocorrect in Google, I would have never learned how to spell it. After our trip, I struggled to spell a quarter of the town that we visited. Aside from Vik, Hólar, and Höfn, just about every other places have more than three syllables. While I may be able to recognize many place names, I did not for one moment attempt to figure out how to pronounce any of them correctly. Among some of the trickest-pronouncing towns we visited were Sauðárkrókur, Seyðisfjörður, Vestmannaeyjabær, and Kirkjubæjarklaustur. See why I didn’t learn the pronunciation?
The Icelandic language is notoriously difficult to learn for foreigners. People often say that Hungarian and Finnish are the most difficult European language for language learners, but I would suggest Icelandic is somewhere up there. Asides from conjugating words, the Icelandic also has many unique alphabets, such as Þ, Á, Æ, Ð, and Ó. And just like the Cyrillic alphabet, they could easily trick you up. Fortunately, Icelanders are aware of the challenge and are very relaxed with foreigners mispronouncing their town.