General oddities of Iceland

Our time here is running low, as is our energy. Since the weather was rainy today, and there wasn't much sightseeing to be had, I have decided to dedicate this post to the "quirks" that I have found in Iceland. And let's be honest, those are some of the most fun things to discover!

1. Skyr- it's Icelandic yogurt, a soft cheese really, that's somewhat similar to Greek yogurt. It's rich and creamy, made from skim milk, and crazy high in protein. It comes in unique flavors like pear and chocolate chip. The best part, though, is it comes with a tiny foldable spoon tucked in the lid. If it wasn't completely wasteful I would love the idea to pieces. 

Tiny little spoon 

2. Food prices- I've said food is expensive here, but I wanted to give you a cost comparison. We have done our shopping at Bonus, the Aldi's of Iceland. A dozen eggs will set you back 6 bucks; a pound of chicken - $17. A handful of green beans is close to $3. Oddly enough a bag of "cool American" AKA cool ranch flavored Doritos is only 1.25.

Couldn't get over this!

3. Bedding - I'll keep this short and sweet. I think they discourage "cuddling" here. Iceland goes by the European bedding idea. In a queen bed there will be one fitted sheet, no flat sheet, and each person gets their own duvet cover. Which is good for Andrew, because it means he doesn't have to pull the sheets back from me in the middle of the night. 

4. Driving - getting used to kilometers per hour is weird. Their speed limits are weird. In the city, the limit is 50 kph, which is 30 mph. Outer city limits is 70, and in rural areas, it's 90, which is 55mph. Which means people aren't moving extremely fast. JK THEY ARE, speed cameras be dammed! Andrew likes to abide by speed limits (Donna, I'm sure you're laughing at this!) and we are constantly being passed by eager/angry tourists and locals. Other oddities in the driving realm, most of the bridges are one lane "blind headers" that are terrifying since you can't see if people are coming around the way. Roundabouts are the name of the game, and stop signs are non-existent. 

5. Drinking - as my guidebook says, Icelanders love to get "trollied" on the weekend. The problem is the dang price of booze! It's expensive. A pint of cheap beer is about 8-9 bucks, which I know is comparable to European prices, but doesn't make it any easier. Spirits are only sold in government run "vinbudins" or liquor stores. They aren't in every town, so it's necessary to be strategic in where you stock up! Andrew is enjoying trying all the local brews as he works his was through the island. 

worlds best beer (lager) in 2011

And last...

6. Sunlight - June is the time of the midnight sun festival here. A time when there is zero darkness. While we're here it's never really dark either, just gets to a milky twilight and then the sun pops back up. I can see why people love the sun here, since in December there is very little. All of the places we have stayed came equipped with blackout shades. But any amount of light, even the one that seeps in through the cracks around the shades, drives me mad. I've taken to sleeping with an eye mask in order to combat the sun, which has worked out well!

Tomorrow we wrap up our trip with a visit to the blue lagoon...I'm sure I will have many stories to share!