All Things Iceland

Happy New Year!!  I hope you all had a fun start to the 2023. I thought it would be fun to share a wrap of 2022 with some major news stories from Iceland and some of my favorite episodes that I published last year. There were certainly a lot of ups and downs throughout the year, but such is life.

The sponsors of this episode are Go Car Rental Iceland and Cintamani.

Go Car Rent Iceland is an awesome car rental company that has great customer service, a large variety of cars to choose from, and competitive rates.

If you use my code Iceland10, you can save 10% on your entire car rental cost.

Cintamani is a local Icelandic outdoor clothing company that makes high quality clothing designed to withstand harsh Icelandic weather conditions. I wear their clothes when I’m out exploring the country, and I’m thankful for them because they keep me warm and dry.

Use my code Jewells to save 15% when you shop with them online.

I published 34 episodes including 10 interviews in 2022. This surprised me when I looked at it because my initial feeling was that I didn’t do that much for the podcast last year. Thankfully, my inner critic was silenced when I actually looked at the numbers.

I would like to thank all of you that listened, shared, and wrote reviews for the podcast. The feedback means a lot and I look forward to publishing many more exciting episodes this year. My hope is to get more interviews this year because I had to put that on the back burner last year due to a busier schedule.

Ný byrjun  – fresh start

Facebook

I’m excited to announce the opportunity for you to win a trip to Iceland. I teamed up with Go Car Rental Iceland to bring a little bit more extra magic to this holiday season. Below are all the details for the giveaway.

On the All Things Iceland Instagram account, do the following:

Bonus entry! – post the video on your story and tag me

Gangi þér vel – good luck

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

Winter in Iceland can range from a somewhat calm wnter wonderland to blizzard like conditions that force you to stay off the road. Even though the temperatures here are milder than what most peple assume (an average of around 0 degrees celsius in Reykjavik), packing appropriately for winter in Iceland is crucial for staying warm and dry. Just note that the farther north you go, it is normally colder and snowier/icier. Granted you will encounter plenty of ice in the south too.

While I do focus on essential things to pack for winter in Iceland, I will also include some fun non-essentials that could come in handy.

Before I jump in, I am very excited to share that the sponsor of this episode is Cintamani, an Icelandic outdoor clothing brand that provides high quality clothes for all types of adventures.

I have been a fan of theirs for quite some time because their clothes are amazing. I have a decent amount of items from them that have provided amazing protection against Iceland‘s harsh weather conditions. Because I am so familiar with the brand and the quality they provide, I am happy that I can offer my listeners a discount of 15% off your online purchases with them when you use the code „jewells“.

I will share in the show notes of this episode my favorite items from them, if you are curious.

This discount comes just in time for the gift giving season, so you can get something for yourself or a loved one. 

If you shop in person, they have a lovely outlet in the Hafnarfjörður area that is on the way from the airpor to Reykjavík. Along with new clothing for the season, they have clothes from a previous season in the back being sold at a discount. Definitely worth checking out.

There are many more essentials on my free packing list here.

Base layer – moisture control – This is essentially long underwear and can be made from polyester, Merino wool, nylon and silk. Top and bottoms are good to have during winter here.

Mid-layer – insulation – tops made of fleece, wool (like an Icelandic lopapeysa sweater), down or synthetic material. Jackets and vests with these fibers work well over your base layer.

Outer layer – protection – a windproof winter coat with a hood that has a water repellent layer. It is best to have pants made for winter conditions that are also wind resistant and water repellant and made from synthetic material.

Winter boots with a sole that has good grip (Vibram soles work well) and are water resistant. Winter hiking boots with ankle support are necessary if you plan to go on glacier hikes or when walking on very uneven terrain.

Pants (casual use) – jeans or slacks to wear around the city/out to dinner

Microspikes – it can be very icy on some Reykjavík sidewalks and on paths in the countryside.

Windproof gloves – warm and insulated – preferably a pair with touchscreen tips that allow you to operate your phone or gadgets without having to take your gloves off.

Windproof and insulated hat

Scarf

Warm socks – ones made from wool or an insulating synthetic fiber

Swimwear – Iceland is known for its swimming pools and hot springs

Day pack

This is just a few items on my list and you can find the whole list here.

External power pack

Walking sticks

Ear plugs

A journal

The lowest temperature on record in Iceland  is −39.7 °C (−39.5 °F).

Efri hluti – upper part but means the outer layer

Úlpa – úlpur – parka

Jakki – jakkat

Regnfatnaður – rain coat

Peysa – peysur

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

I’m delving into a fascinating and kind of scary possibility. Vík í Mýrdal is a small town in South Iceland that has become a popular place for tourists to stop to see the area’s famous black sand beach, to stay the night if they need accommodations, and so on.

However, most visitors don’t know about the potential danger that looms over this town of just over 800 residents. Katla volcano, which is about 26 kilometers or 16 miles from the town, poses a threat not only to the town if it erupts but it also could have a larger impact on the world.

Before I jump into that, I’d like to thank The Lava Show for sponsoring this episode. During this incredible experience you can witness actual molten hot lava flow into the showroom where you are sitting. I have been to the show twice, specifically The Lava Show in Vík but they now also have a show in Reykjavík too.

While I have been fortunate to see lava from a volcanic eruption a decent amount of times due to the last two eruptions in Iceland,  I was still blown away at how cool it is to see man made lava at the Lava Show. Of course, there is more to this show than just lava. For instance, at the Lava Show in Vík, you get shown a fascinating and informative video about about eruptions along the south coast, including Katla. I don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say that the eruptions in this area, including Eyjafjallajökull and Katla, have definitely made their mark in history.

What‘s even more interesting to me is that the great grandfather of one of the owners of The Lava Show lived in the Vík area during the last eruption of Katla volcano. It is intense what he and his family went through to survive it and they provide insight into that during the show.

Along with seeing the glowing orangey red lava flowing, you feel the heat rise in the room and can hear the crackling sounds of the lava as it cools. The presenters of the show safely show everyone different aspects of how the lava performs, such as if you were to add ice to it or how malleable it is when super hot. This is an activity for all ages. For both locations the Lava Show had to make a special furnace that can heat up the rocks high enough to make the lava.

For an additional price, you can get the behind the scenes expereince to see the furnace and learn more about Icelandic geology.What is unique about the Lava Show in Vík and the one in Reykjavík is that each show is catered to talk about the volcanoes of the area they are in, including the potential dangers the eruptions in these areas can pose. For those that are unaware, Vík is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Reykjavík.

If you want a unique and fun experience in Iceland, I highly recommend checking out the Lava Show in Vík and/or in Reykjavík. I will have a link to the experience in the show notes of this episode at allthingsiceland.com/katla-volcano-eruption

The folklore as to how Katla volcano got its name might give you some insight on why people see an eruption of it as one to cause concern. Legend has it that on a monastery in south Iceland lived a housekeeper named Katla. She was described as a bad-tempered woman and there was even a rumor that she was a witch. Apparently, she owned a pair of magical pants or underwear. If someone were to wear these pants they could run as fast as the wind and never get tired.

Due to her bad temper many people feared Katla and did their best to stay away from her. Even the head of the monastery was said to keep his distance. There was also a shepherd named Barði that lived on the monastery. Unfortunately for him, he had to endure the brunt of Katla’s rage if any sheep went missing.

One fateful day, Katla and the head of the monastery went off to visit someone but planned to be back that same evening. Before leaving Katla told Barði to round up the sheep while she and the abbott were gone because she wanted to milk them when she returned. Barði went about collecting the sheep but they were nowhere to be found. In a panic, he made the split secon decision of using Katla‘s magical pants to find the sheep as quickly as possible. They worked splendidly and he was able to get all the sheep in the pen before Katla returned.

When Katla returned to the monastery, she knew at once that Barði had used her magical pants and this threw her into an unprecedented rage. She was so angry that she grabbed him and drowned him in the vat of whey near the entrance of the monastery. Due to the large amount of whey, his body sank to the bottom of the vat. People wondered what had happened to him but no one had a clue. As time went on and the whey was being used, Katla worried that people would find the body. Yes, you heard that right. Katla was letting people use the whey even though she knew there was a dead body in the bottom of the vat. It didn’t help that some people claimed to hear her say to herself that “soon Barði will appear”.

It started to weigh on Katla that people would find out about her terrible secret, so she put on her magical pants and fled to Mýrdal glacier where she threw herself in a canyon there. That canyon is now known as Katla canyon, which is  the volcano. Soon after she did this, an enormous flood gushed out and flooded south Iceland.

Jumping into a crack in the ice, Katla the witch wormed her way below, discovering a dormant volcano beneath the glacier. Searching for the entrance, she finally found her way inside, burrowing her way into the volcano. Shortly after there was a huge eruption, causing a tidal wave glacial flood all over the south coast of Iceland, destroying everything in its path.

This is just one Icelandic folklore story out of the many fascinating ones that exist.

The story of how Katla volcano got its name gives you some insight into why an eruption can be so catastrophic. Katla is a subglacial volcano located under Iceland’s fourth largest ice cap Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It is also oneof the largest volcanos in Iceland.

There are twenty documented eruptions of the Katla between 930 and 1918. These eruptions have happened at intervals of 20 to 90 years. While there have been small eruptions that didn’t break the ice in 1955, 1999 and 2011, it has not been over 100 years since it last had a major eruption. This is what leads people to believe that it is overdue for abig one.

Previous eruptions of Katla have had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of between 4 to 6 on a scaleof 0 to 8. For reference, the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in 2010 that shut down air traffic in Europe and North America had a VEI of 4. An example of a VEI 5 eruption is comparable to Mount Saint Helens eruption in 1980.

Without even erupting, it has been found that Katla volcano contributes up to 4% of the global emissions from non-eruption volcanoes. So this volcano already has a global impact before it even spews lava out of it.

With just that bit of information, I‘m sure that the potential impact of this volcano erupting could be major. In Iceland, the consequences could be an incredible flood that is comparable to the combined, yes I said combined, average discharge of the Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, and rivers (about 266,000 m3/s (9.4 million cu ft/sec)! The flood from Katla could be between 200,000–400,000 m3/s (7.1–14.1 million cu ft/sec).

This is because the molten lava underneath the glacier would melt all of the ice sitting on top of it. The tiny town of Vík sits directly in the path of the flood. While measures have been put in place to divert the water away from the town, it is still possible for the town to be wiped out within minutes.

That is why the there is an evacuation plan in Vík. Residents and guests have 15 minutes to evacuate in the event of an eruption. Residents keep an evacuation bag packed and there are even signs they need to put in their windows to let rescue workers know they have evacuated so they don`t spend time trying to find people in houses that are empty.

Earlier I mentioned Eyjafjallajökull‘s eruption in 2010, that caused over a one billion in loses for the airline industry due to flight cancellations. Like Eyjafjallajökull, an eruption of Katla is hazardous because the mix of water and fire from the volcano can create an immense amount of ash.

So much ash that flying might be deemed impossible for sometime if the wind is pushing the ash in the direction of flight paths for Europe and North America. None of this is certain but there is a high probablity of it happening given the right conditions. Additionally, air quality in Iceland and possibly other places in the world could be impacted.

While this is not meant to scare anyone, I think it is good to make people aware of the interesting circumstances Icelanders have grown up with and what I have learnd to accept as a resident of this island nation. It also helps me to appreciate being able to see these places. Iceland has been formed due to volcanic eruptions, so I try to remind myself that out of the destruction eventually there is beauty and amazing newly formed landscapes.

Before jumping into the last two segments of the episode, I’d like to once again thank the Lava Show for sponsoring. I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you decide to check out this unique experience in Reykjavík or Vík.

Here are two Facebook groups that have frequent updates about volcanic activity happening in Iceland.

Volcanoes in Iceland

Iceland – Volcanoes & Earthquakes

There is an Icelandic series called Katla on Netflix. It was filmed in the town of Vík and it‘s a mystery drama that centers on the aftermath following an eruption of Katla volcano. It‘s an interesting series that will has many twists and turns. I recommend checking it out.

Flóð – flood

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

In this post/podcast episode, I’m sharing some common expensive mistakes that many travelers in Iceland make unknowingly. If you’ve already planned a trip here, then you’re well aware that traveling to and around Iceland can quickly drain money from your bank account.

While it’s true that the country is quite expensive, your experience doesn’t have to break the bank. In a future episode, I plan to share a trip budget breakdown, so make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss out on that.

All of these will definitely save you money, #3 includes an innovative way to save money that many tourists will find handy.

Before you even leave Keflavík airport, it‘s highly recommended that you stock up on alcohol at duty free. Of course, this only applies to those that drink. The reason for this is that alcohol in Iceland is heavily taxed. The higher the alcohol percentage content, the higher the tax.

Prices in duty free for alcohol (i.e. beer, wine, and spirits) can be upwards of 30% less expensive than in the state owned stores. Please note that vínbúðins or the state-owned alcohol stores are the only places where you can buy spirits. A law passed this year allows for breweries in Iceland to finally sell directly to customers.

Yes, you can for sure buy individual drinks at bars but just know that those will be expensive too. One way to decrease the cost is to catch a happy hour. I’m putting together my favorite happy hour places and will definitely be sharing those in the near future.

The next expensive mistake is taking a taxi from the airport. Most visitors are not aware that Uber, Lyft or any type of ride sharing program legally exist in Iceland. The taxis have a monopoly, and a ride can be costly. Because the airport is about a 40 – 45 minute drive from Reykjavík will be a little over $123.

That is the price for up to 4 people. If you split it among 4 people, the price is not that bad. However, if there is only one or two people, the price is just ridiculously high. Alternatively, you can take a bus transfer from the airport, like Flybus for around $23 a person.

Not being properly dressed for Icelandic weather can result in you feeling cold, wet, and all around miserable. This can literally put a damper on your vacation. While many people think they have packed well enough, it’s common for a decent amount to still feel cold when they are here. This might lead a person to shell out hundreds of dollars to buy a warmer coat or parka in Iceland.

The good news is that I have a little hack for you if you ever find yourself in Iceland and you need extra layers, but you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on clothes. I partnered with IcelandCover for this episode because their business is based around an ingenious idea.

They are a company that rents out warm, waterproof, and windproof parkas, boots, and pants. I personally tested out the parka and boots by going behind waterfalls that would typically soak through a regular coat. I stomped in puddles with the boots, and I even went northern lights hunting with the parka. It’s a bonus to add that the clothes and boots are vegan-friendly.

It was important to make sure the clothes could adequately protect me from the wind, rain, and chilly air. I’m happy to say that the boots and coat held up well.

IcelandCover conveniently has a location in the center of downtown Reykjavík on the famous shopping street Laugavegur. They share the same building as the WhatsOn Information center. So, you can get your clothing rentals and get additional information regarding fun things to do.

Their rentals are very affordable. For instance, a parka rental starts at approximately $29 for one day. However, if you need it for more than a day, the price for the rental drops dramatically with each additional day. What’s even better is that you can save 10% off your entire rental cost, whether it is a parka, boots, pants, a beanie, cramp-ons, a raincoat or all of those when you use my code “Allthings”.

While I think this company can be useful for anyone, I can for sure see it coming in handy for specific people. Namely, those who aren’t used to cold temperatures, or if you are like me, you get cold easily and need extra layers.

Access to fresh, delicious water straight from the tap is not a luxury that many people in world experience. Thankfully, Iceland does have that privilege. However, not everyone that visits is aware that there is absolutely no need to buy bottled water here.

The still water that is for purchase in the food shops in Iceland are literally from the tap. You can save yourself some coins and help save the environment by bringing a reusable water bottle. You can fill it up with tap water or from streams out in the countryside.

One caveat is that the hot water in Iceland does often smell like rotten eggs. It’s just sulfur from the geothermal areas where the water is being pumped from. It is not harmful and it is more than safe to shower in it.

I too was once afraid that I would smell like sulfur when I showered in it. Thankfully, that was not the case. I recommend just running the cold water first for a few seconds before filling up your cup or bottle to avoid the sulfur smell.

There are many amazing restaurants to enjoy in the country. However, you might find that eating out for every meal can easily rack up a cost of $100 per person each day. Personally, I have my go-to restaurants and I enjoy trying out new restaurants occasionally.  I always recommend shopping in the supermarkets like Bónus or Krónan for snacks, breakfast, and lunch foods and make dinner the time that you eat out.

Granted, you can get some tasty baked goods for breakfast at a bakery for an inexpensive price but if you want a sit down breakfast, expect to pay at least $20 in most places. It’s also worth noting that if you don’t mind making your own sandwiches, you can save a significant amount buying your own ingredients than buying some of the pre-made sandwiches.

This doesn’t apply to all of them, so just do a price comparison. Lastly, when I go out, I often check to see if they have a three-course dinner menu or multiple course dinner menu because that is normally a way better deal than a la carte. If you’re planning to pair wine with the multiple courses, you can expect your bill to double in price.

According to this article on Iceland Monitor from 2022s

Dýr – expensive

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta

Meg Matich is a poet and translator in Reykjavik. She earned her Master’s of Fine Arts from Columbia University and has received support for her work from the Banff Centre, PEN America, and the Fulbright Commission, and she is a frequent collaborator with Reykjavik UNESCO and a friend of UNESCO Lviv. Meg is the author of the poetry chapbook COLD (2022 Eulalia Books).

Among other projects, Meg has collaborated with poet Magnús Sigurðsson on an anthology of Icelandic poetry, translated a book of essays in honor of former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, and translated the 2021 novel Magma. Meg is one of a few immigrants in the Icelandic Writers’ Union and considers that membership quintessential to her life in Iceland.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend listening to the podcast episode I did with the Auður Jónsdóttir, author of Quake.

Meg Matich mentioned meeting Kári Stefánsson, an Icelandic pioneer in human genetics that I interviewed some years ago. Click here to listen to that fascinating interview with him.

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

This week I am sharing some fun and easy winter day trips from Reykjavík that you can enjoy during your visit. The days have become noticeably shorter and soon the nights will be very long, which is something that Icelandic winter is known for.

While it is more than possible to travel the ring road (the road that goes around the whole country) of Iceland during winter, I often find that a decent number of visitors during this season use Reykjavík as their base and are interested in day trips that end up back in the capital.

These ideas are specifically catered to people who plan to drive themselves with a rental car. I have nothing against tour buses but if you’ve heard my other episodes about renting a car you know that it’s my preferred option and the one I recommend to everything that visits because it provides you the opportunity to explore so many places that tour buses don’t go to.

I purposefully chose places that don’t include more than 4-5 hours of driving round-trip because, as I mentioned, we have long dark nights during winter and you will have limited hours of daylight. I think it’s good to use as much of the daylight at the sites and drive in the dark to the places and on the way back to town.

I’m including five-day trips and you can check out the full list of places below. Please note that rental car companies in Iceland do put studded tires on their cars to help with traction on the road during winter if the road is icy.

Before I jump into the places, I’d like to thank the sponsor of this episode, Go Car Rental Iceland. They are a local Icelandic rental company that has competitive rates, great customer service and a large variety of cars to choose from. If you use my code Iceland10, you can save 10% on your entire booking with them.

A few of you have reached out to let me know how great of an experience you’ve had with Go Car Rental Iceland after booking with them and using their vehicles. It brings me so joy to hear that because I only like to partner with companies that I have personally used and feel that my audience will also enjoy and/or find helpful. Please feel free to keep tagging me on Instagram or other places in your adventures. It’s fun to see what all of you are up to.

To kick off this list, I‘m sharing the most iconic route in the country and that is the Golden Circle. At it‘s simplest, the Golden Circle consists of Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Hot Spring, and Gullfoss waterfall. I‘m going to share 12 Pleaces, including the three main attractiios that you can consider visiting on this day trip.

Iceland’s famous South Coast has so much to see during winter. Below is a fun list of places I think you’ll enjoy.

Hveragerði in south Iceland is only about a 30 minutes drive from Reykjavík. I didn’t include this in the south coast list above because, on average, people spend about 3 hours hiking and spending time in the hot river soaking. 3-hours is the round-trip amount.

There is a great pizza place called Ölverk and a shopping place called Gróðurhúsið that has a food hall in the town, if you find yourself feeling famished after the hike.

I highly recommend bringing water shoes with you for the hot spring river. They come in handy because there are a lot of rocks in the water and the board walk area will, more than likely, be cold and might have snow or ice on it.

When most people think of West Iceland, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula comes to mind. While that is an awesome place to visit, the goal of these winter days trips are to have less than 5 hours round-trip of driving.

Below are spots in West Iceland that are definitely worth seeing and most visitors are unaware of that these attractions exist.

Some time ago I shared about why the Reykjanes Peninsula is worth visiting on this podcast. What’s so nice about this peninsula is that it’s where the Blue Lagoon in located and Keflavík International Airport.

Thanks again to Go Car Rental Iceland for sponsoring this episode. Remember to use my code Iceland10 to save 10% on your full booking with them.

From January to March in 2021, there were 11,960 visitors to Iceland. The same period in 2022 is 244,660.

There have already been over 1.2 million visitors to the country this year. While winter is a lovely time to see Iceland, most visitors are not here during that season, which provides a unique opportunity for you to explore Iceland. This data was found on the Icelandic Tourism Board’s website.

Dagferð – day trip

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

Auður Jónsdóttir is one of the most accomplished and influential authors writing in Iceland today. Her novels have inspired interest in Iceland, as well as abroad, for their rare blend of incisive frankness and humor. She won the Icelandic Literary Prize for The People in the Basement and the Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize for Secretaries to the Spirits. Both novels were nominated for the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize.

Auður’s latest novel, Quake (Stóri skjálfti), became her most successful publication to date and gathered a huge following among Icelandic readers of all ages, strengthening her position as an important writer of her generation.

A while back, I did a podcast episode about Auður’s grandfather, Halldór Laxness. He was a fascinating person, and as mentioned, the only Icelander to receive a Nobel Prize (so far).

If you are interested in visiting his home, Gljúfrasteinn, which is now a museum, check out this link.

Facebook

Iceland is considered the safest and most peaceful country in the world according to the Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that visitors to the country need to keep in mind when traveling around the country. Unfortunately, there are mistakes made by tourists each year that range from almost causing accidents to ones that end in fatalities.

This episode is in no way meant to scare anyone who plans to rent a car here regardless of the season. In fact, I highly recommend renting a car. It’s an amazing way to see the country at your own pace and to potentially discover places that you might have missed if you were on a bus tour.

I have partnered with Go Car Rental Iceland on this episode. We both value informing people about these mistakes so they can not only manage their expectations but also know what to look out for when on the road.

If you’re planning a trip to Iceland, you can use my code Iceland10 when booking with Go Car Rental Iceland. You’ll  save 10% on your entire booking. They are a local Icelandic rental car company based in Reykjavík that have excellent customer service, great rates, unlimited miles on their cars, and a large variety of vehicles to choose from.

Everything I need to know about renting car, driving, and get around Iceland

One of the most dangerous mistakes that many tourists make during the summer in Iceland is stopping in the middle of the road to take photos. I know it sounds ridiculous to some people, but it happens a lot here.

It’s often the case that people are not meaning to block the road but they get so stunned by the views that they legit stop their car to have a look. It can be that they’re staring at horses, mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, reindeer or even an arctic fox.

Instead of immediately looking for a safe place to pull over, they just sit in the middle of a highway. Even worse they often get out of the car with their car still on the road. This has resulted in some accidents and far too many close calls. I totally understand seeing an amazing sight and wanting to stop to see it.

I also understand that when you stop, it could be that no one is behind you at the time. However, if you are on a highway the possibility that another car or truck will come soon is highly likely. Please do yourself and everyone else a favor and find a safe place to pull over. You might even have to drive a little bit down the road to find an appropriate spot but it’s worth it.

Next up is driving off-road. This is not the same as pulling over to the side of the road or driving on a gravel road or driving on an F-road in the highlands. I am specifically talking about driving on land where there are no roads. Some places where tourists have done this is on black sand deserts and fields of lava rock covered in moss.

There are two reasons doing this is dangerous. The first is that the flora in Iceland is fragile. Yes, it grows in an extreme climate but it takes a very long time for things to grow naturally here. There are ecosystems flourishing in these environments that most people are not aware of and driving on them can cause serious damage. In fact, moss in Iceland takes decades to grow back after it has been trampled or driven on.

The second reason is that you might drive over a hidden rock or hole that causes you to have an accident. This could result in you or others in the car being seriously injured.

On top of that, if a person is caught driving off road the fine can be more than $1,000! Honestly, it is just not worth it.

Due to the speed limits being quite low in Iceland, max 90 kmph or about 56 miles per hour, it’s easy to find yourself going much faster on the flat roads out in the countryside. However, there are conditions here that make going too fast quite dangerous. One of them is speeding when the roads are icy. During winter, it’s common to drive on icy roads, especially the more north you go. I’ve encountered some roads in the north during December and January that were just a thick layer of ice.

I had on winter tires, which helped a lot with traction, but my knuckles were probably turning white from how tight I was holding the steering wheel. In that instance, I always refer to my mom’s advice, which is never drive your car faster than you can handle it. Yes, the speed max might be 90 but maybe you need to go 60 or 70 in those conditions because you feel more comfortable handling the car at those speeds.

I’ve found that some people feel pressure to drive the speed max, especially if someone is behind them. My advice is just let the person go ahead of you and continue at the pace you feel comfortable. Getting to your destination safely is the main goal.

Next is driving during a storm. In late September/early October, we had one of the worst storms in recent history hit the north and east of Iceland. People were without power, buildings were destroyed, and vehicles were severely damaged.

The weather alert was yellow in many places and red in others. Some travelers still decided to travel on the roads, and they had a terrifying experience.

Windows of vehicles were broken in because the wind had picked up sand and rocks and thrust it at the cars. I even saw that some doors had been ripped off.

Luckily, there were no fatalities but psychological damage was intense. I don’t think it can be said enough that people need to heed the weather warnings here. I sometimes joke that the only natural predator here in the weather because it has caused a lot of accidents over the years.

Piggybacking off the last dangerous mistake, is not opening the door carefully when getting out of the car when it’s windy. Again, the wind is the main antagonist in this story. The main dangers here are causing severe damage to the car or to a person.

Most rental car companies warn you to hold on tightly to the doors when opening them but I don’t think they always mention these two other things. One is that if it’s very windy, you want to only open one door at a time because the wind can whip through the car causing a sort of wind tunnel that could not only rip the doors off but also make it hard to close the doors even if you have been holding on tight enough.

 The other is that, when possible, try to park the car against the wind. Yes, it can make it harder to open the car door but at least it you are fighting to keep the door from being pulled away from you. When family has been visiting, I’ve literally had to get out of the car to help them open their door because the wind was pushing up against it. That is an extreme example, but such is life here.

#6 might feel like common sense to most but one of the tricky things about Iceland is that the driving times to the most popular sites is a lot farther than most people expect. For instance, it takes about 5-hours one way to drive to Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. I’ve driven to there and back to Reykjavik in a day and it was exhausting. Plus, there are other possible stops along the way that make the journey much longer.

When I advise people who are planning a trip to Iceland, I often suggest staying overnight in Vík or somewhere closeby because driving while exhausted is similarly dangrous as driving under the influence. If do feel yourself getting too tired to drive, please find a parking lot to stop in and take a nap. Because of 24-hour bright days in the summer, I find that people often push themselves to the limit physically, which ends up being dangerous for themselves and others on the road.

The last dangerous mistake for this episode is not knowing the rules of two-lane roundabouts in Iceland. In other parts of Europe, the outer lane has the right of way. In Iceland, it’s the exact opposite, which is confusing for many other Europeans and for those outside of Europe who know the same rule. If you haven’t driving in a roundabout before, the concept might feel daunting.

Thankfully, there are not a lot of roundabouts for you to worry about here but knowing that the inner lane has the right of way, meaning cars in the outer lane have to yield to the cars in the inner lane if they want to exit, is the rule here can save you from making a mistake that results in an accident.

Thanks again to Go Car Rental Iceland for partnering with me on this episode.

It’s not unusual to experience wintery conditions outside of the normal winter months in Iceland. During May of last year, I did a two week trip around the country and encountered icy roads, snow, rain, lots of wind, dry days, and so on. It was a mix of all the seasons, so just keep that in mind.

að keyra – to drive

Facebook

The words “love“ and “hate“ are very strong words. To be fair, I don‘t actually love or hate any part of learning the Icelandic language but those words work much better in a title than what I “enjoy the most“ and what I “strongly dislike“. So, just take those words with a big grain salt.

Regarding some backstory, I have been learning Icelandic off and on since I moved in 2016. It certainly has not been a linear journey, and I‘ve had many ups and downs but progress is happening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlAApXyLIJQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkYrJpUFp9k

Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson, professor emeritus of Icelandic linguistics, wrote in an article that he would like unions to push for employers to bear the cost of teaching foreign employees Icelandic.

Icelanders need to get used to others learning the subject

Icelanders are not used to people learning Icelandic and not speaking it perfectly.

Hata (hate) – ég hata þig

Elska (love) – ég elska þig

Facebook

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega (Thank you kindly for listening and see you soon).