Readers who live in Iceland told what it’s like to live in the country and what the local traditions are

Ordinary people don’t know much about Iceland, just basic information like: the fact that it’s one of the least populated islands in the world, or other boring facts they find in geography books. You probably don’t know that the country was subject to prohibition until 1989 and that it is forbidden to drive wherever you want.

O awesome.club analyzed some blogs dedicated to the Nordic country and talked with Anastasia Andreeva and other readers about the secrets of life on this little-known island.

In 1908, residents voted to ban all alcoholic beverages, and after 7 years the law actually took effect. Over the years, some concessions were made, but the beer remained unlegalized. The law on strong beer (drink with an alcohol content of more than 2.25%) was passed only on March 1, 1989. Since then, this date has been considered National Beer Day: on this day, bars are open until dawn and those who celebrate drink as much as they can.

Hákarl is an Icelandic national dish of Greenland shark meat (and it’s poisonous). They say it “tastes like death”. This is because the shark has no kidneys. The meat is buried in the ground for 6 to 12 weeks, then it is removed and kept for 2 months in the open air. The child’s surname in Iceland begins with the father’s name with the addition of the word son (son) or dottir (daughter) at the end. So, if the family has 2 children of different sex, then their surnames will be different.

Buses in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, run exactly on schedule: on weekdays until 1 am and on weekends until 3 pm. The ticket price is around 18 reais, and if you pay in cash, you won’t get change, so it’s best to use the app. There is no McDonald’s in Iceland. The company was in the capital Reykjavík until 2008, but after the economic crisis, the chain decided to leave the country. Nowadays, its place has been taken by local chains and some global competitors.

The only phallological museum in the world is located in Reykjavík. In this museum, the genitals of local mammals and those from other parts of the world are displayed. The collection includes exhibits from mice to blue whales, and since 2011 a specimen of a human organ has been on display.

Some stereotypes that spread about Iceland:

“All Icelanders know each other, people leave keys in cars and don’t lock their houses”, certainly not in Reykjavík. No one is safe from malicious people. All houses and cars are well locked, and in general, people are not trusting. Sure, the crime rate here is lower than elsewhere, but there are bad guys everywhere. We’ve had a series of burglaries in the neighborhood lately, and people have been stealing valuables. Some even had corals stolen from the aquarium (those are experts!). So the Icelandic fairy tale is good, but not that over the top. You can’t pitch a tent just anywhere — only at designated campsites. The only exception: if you are walking or cycling and you no longer have the strength to physically reach the next campsite. Here, almost all land is owned, and you need to ask the farmer for permission if you want to sleep near the farm one night.

“Elves and goblins! Most Icelanders believe in elves and goblins and consult sorcerers if they need to make a road or build a house” — are you serious? Perhaps, of course, there are still country dwellers who believe in these things, but those are few indeed. If you ask a big city Icelander, he’ll just laugh at you.

If you plan to visit Iceland someday, study the rules of conduct. For example, a certain Russian blogger violated all these rules and laws:

Driving off (official) roads is strictly prohibited. Suppose you drive to the south of the island, and there you see a desert with black sand and you want to drive over it – you can’t do that. If caught in the act, you will have to pay a very expensive fine of approximately 5,000 reais. You can’t walk on moss either. This vegetation takes time to grow, and even more to recover, even decades. Fight the urge to jump over the mosses.

It is commonly believed that in Iceland there are only two seasons in the country: Winter and Summer. Well, in principle, it’s true, the local climate is basically like that. The main misunderstanding about Iceland is this: everyone who comes to visit has the impression that it is always cold, rainy and foggy here. In fact, I see the sun in Iceland much more often than in my native St. Petersburg. In mid-May, you can go to the pool in sunny weather and get some tan and have fun. Cloudy and rainy Iceland looks great in photographs, but in summer it’s wonderful and sunny.

And here’s a little secret: there are almost no tourists in the western fjords, even in summer. Tourists are the Icelanders themselves (and also in the eastern fjords, because it is usually warmer there in summer). The Westfjords are my favorite part of Iceland, probably also because it’s the first place I went in Iceland 4 years ago.

Grótta is the most accessible lighthouse in Reykjavík (or rather, in Seltjarnarnes, which for some reason is not part of Reykjavík, being a separate suburb). This is where throngs of tourists enjoy the Northern Lights (when they really don’t want to leave the city). My advice: if you’re in Reykjavík and want to enjoy the Northern Lights without hundreds of people around and traffic jams — there’s a golf course on the opposite side of the peninsula from the lighthouse. It’s dark enough there to see the dawn and there won’t be so many people. And after you see the light show in the sky, you won’t want to spend even 20 minutes in a place where you can’t go outside and look at the night sky.

Thermal pools are the great love and pride of Icelanders. Each district of Reykjavík has its own swimming pool. My favorite is Vesturbæjarlaug. Everything about it is perfect: the hot baths, the massage, and, of course, the pool itself. The largest swimming pool in Reykjavík is Laugardalslaug. Its facilities include an area of ​​50 meters, a children’s pool, 2 slides and a hot bath with sea water. The thermal beach within the city limits deserves to be mentioned separately. There you can swim in the ocean and relax in a hot spring. There is also a sauna and changing rooms with a shower — Icelanders are very careful in this matter. Before entering the pool, you must shower and wash all the areas indicated, and dry yourself before returning to the changing room.

The phrase “we’re going to the country for the weekend” in Iceland is strange and amusing. The country house is really a country house, the bathroom is in the bush and has no running water. At night, it is necessary to light candles and take a jigsaw puzzle with you (because if not, you will die of boredom, as there is no Internet). If in Reykjavík it is already quite quiet (well, much quieter than in St. Petersburg), then in the country house it is deafeningly beautiful. Only, rarely, you hear cars passing in the distance, but the swans on the lakes scream a lot. By the way, country houses in Iceland are not much different from houses in Russia: they have the very same unnecessary and accumulated things everywhere, but with incredible details hidden everywhere.

Every year, on the 24th of October, women in Reykjavík leave their jobs at 2:55 pm to take part in an annual demonstration against unequal pay between women and men. Even though Iceland has one of the highest levels of gender equality in the world, women still earn between 15% and 20% less than men.

How did you imagine Iceland? Did your ideas coincide with the facts exposed in this post? Tell us in the comments section.