All Things Iceland

The south coast of Iceland is, hands down, one of the most popular areas of the country for visitors. However, there are a group of islands off the mainland of the country that most people that go to the south coast never visit. The Westman Islands is a 45–50-minute ferry ride away and it’s a fantastic place to explore. The nature, history, landscape, and stories about the locals almost make it feel like you are not even in Iceland anymore.

I was fortunate to partner with Kuku Campers for this episode. Kuku Campers is a campervan company that provides campers of various sizes. I specifically used the AA Campervan because it is large enough for two adults but the width is small enough to fit in the ferry to the Westman Islands along with regular cars. It was great to have my accommodations and transport all in one place because it gave me flexibility regarding when I decided to sleep, eat and so on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekv4ulYRI4I

The campsite on Heimaey (home island), is lovely and it was so easy/affordable to stay there. It was 1700 ISK per person. You have access to several bathrooms, showers, and a communal kitchen. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean everything was and the camping area itself is gorgeous. It looks like a naturally made amphitheater.

That isn’t surprising considering the fact that the biggest Icelandic festival of the year, Þjóðhátíð, happens here over the Verslunarmannahelgi (merchant weekend). This year the holiday falls on Monday, August 1st, so it is the last weekend of July.

As the title of this podcast episode explains, there are at least seven reasons to visit. Granted, there are more but here are the ones that come to mind for me.

Vestmannaeyjar – Westman Islands

If you listen to the episode, you can hear how to pronounce this word.

There is a beluga whale sanctuary in the Westman Islands. Keiko, the whale in the movie Free Willy, was taken to this sanctuary to live out the rest of its life.

Thanks again to Kuku Campers for sponsoring this episode. I highly recommend checking them out if you want to rent a camper van in Iceland. Camper vans in Iceland get booked up pretty quickly in the summer, so keep that mind. However, you can use them any time of the year.

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Thanks for listening.

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

From personal experience, I know that having the right clothing and other essentials, regardless of the season here, is crucial when it comes to staying warm, dry, and comfortable.

While I am sharing 11 summer essentials to pack for Iceland in this episode, you can find all of the essentials and some non-essentials that might be worth packing, if you have the space, in my free download called the Ultimate Packing Checklist for Iceland.

The way I have structured this episode is that I will share about the weather here during the summer, because that is a major factor when it comes to what you should pack. Then I will go into the essentials. Lastly, I will share an Icelandic phrase and a random fact of the episode.

Listened to this podcast throughout my entire trip to Iceland. So helpful! I wouldn’t have gone to the Blue Lagoon if I hadn’t listened to this- and I loved it!!

The summer season means long, bright days and warmer weather. You can experience the midnight sun (24-hour brightness) in June, July and part of August. Even if you don’t visit during those months, the country enjoys considerably longer days from early April to early September.

The average temperature in southern Iceland during the summer ranges from 10-13 ̊ Celsius (50-55 ̊ Fahrenheit). Some days the temperature might even go up to 25 ̊ Celsius (77 ̊ Fahrenheit) but that is considered a very warm day in Iceland and is quite rare.

To be safe, it is better to plan for the average temperature or a little lower, and be pleasantly surprised if better weather occurs.

Intense wind and rainstorms can happen during summer, so a water- proof outer layer is a must on your checklist.

This time of the year is my favorite because the bright days allow for you to go on so many adventures out in nature.

*Please not that there are some affiliate links in this post. If you choose to buy any items after clicking a link, I make a small commission that is at not cost to you.

Ævintýri – adventure

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office the highest temperature ever recorded in Iceland was 36°C (96.8°C) at Teigarhorn farm in Berufjörður fjord in East Iceland on September 24 1940. This measurement, however, has been disputed and the highest undisputed measurement took place at Teigarhorn on June 22 1939: A balmy 30.5°C (86.9°F). 

I find this information in an article by Iceland Mag, which was published back in 2017. Because I have been living in Iceland since 2016, I am aware that this record has not been broken yet.

Patrons in the Áasgarður tier on my Patreon get a shoutout from me on the podcast, among other awesome perks, like a 30-minute live video group chat with me each month. If you would like to support All Things Iceland by becoming a Patreon member, check out the link in my show notes.

Just a reminder that if you are planning a trip to Iceland, I highly recommend grabbing my free Iceland Ultimate Packing Checklist. I have split it into two lists, one for winter and one for summer, so you are covered regardless of when you plan to visit.

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

Thank you for listening and see you soon.

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June marks my 6th year of living in Iceland and it has certainly been a whirlwind of a year.

Every year I try to reflect on what has happened and share what might be relevant or interesting for my audience. Interestingly, six seems to be a significant number in my life. For instance, my birthday is 160686, my phone number has a lot of sixes in it and even my new apartment block has the number 6.

It‘s possible that these have nothing to do with each other but it is still fun to point that out while I am celebrating six years of being here.

All Things Iceland is my full-time job and it has been so fun and challenging to navigate this country as an entrepreneur. The tax situation was a shock at first but I think I have a handle on it now. Well, at least my accountant does! As I build relationships with individuals and companies, I find my connection to this country deepening.

As I have grown on platforms, I find it amazing how awesome my community is. All of you are such supportive, fun people that engage in respectful ways and I’m so grateful for that. TikTok is new for me but that is now where most Icelanders recognize me, which is kind of bizarre but I embrace it.

I have a lot of things I’m developing that will be helpful resources for travelers and I look forward to sharing those soon

While it can be easy to only talk about the positive aspects, I do have to say there are cons too, such as getting overwhelmed, working non-stop, hardly ever taking a vacation, and trying to balance having a life with work. I’m still adjusting to all of this but I know it takes time to find what works best for me.

This topic has been one that I have talked about on and off over the years. While my understanding, speaking and writing continue to improve and evolve, I still do not consider myself to be fluent.

One reason for the stall in progress there is that I’ve been so focused on All Things Iceland. In addition, I’ve stopped being so hard on myself when it comes to learning.

Part of what makes learning Icelandic interesting to me is that I allow for it to be fun and casual. I also have enough knowledge to use it in conversations. I will admit that I do feel it is necessary for me to keep learning and I plan to get to a level of fluency that satisfies me. What I mean by that is that I can have complex conversations in Icelandic easily.

Some years ago it would have been difficult for me to admit this to people but now I embrace the fact that my language journey is not linear. There is no shame in not being perfect at it, and I think it is so important to be open and honest about what the process can be like for some people.

Luckily, I’ve always felt like it was the right decision for me to move to Iceland. It definitely feels like home and I am well aware of most of the traditions. The fun thing now is that I get to dive deeper. For instance, I was in the Westman Islands recently, and I had such an amazing time getting shown around by some locals. This island off the coast of mainland Iceland has a lot going on, just like the different regions of the country.

It’s funny how highlighting a specific place allows me to expand my knowledge about Iceland in profound ways. One of the things I plan to dive into, especially regarding the Westman Islands, is talking to locals there that had to flee the island during the 1973 volcanic eruption of Eldfell. I love that part of this work and I can’t wait to share those stories in the future.

Summer has just begun and I have already traveled a decent amount, but that is just the beginning for me. I have so many episode ideas and trip planning tips to share, so keep a lookout for that.

Over on Instagram, I share a lot of short videos (reels) about Iceland, so feel free to follow me over there or on YouTube. I’m even on TikTok now, which is a lot of fun. Links to all of my social media accounts will be available in the show notes of this episode over on allthingsicelamd.comn, so feel free to check them out. You can also just look up All Things Iceland and you should easily find me.

As I mentioned earlier, I have some awesome resources in the works, including an app I am developing and a content hub that I have been wanting to get out for a long time but as John Lennon said, “Life Is what happens while you’re busy making plans.”

Kemst þó hægt fari

I’m not sure if I ever said this on the podcast but one of the reasons I started the All Things Iceland podcast is that it has helped me to adapt to the culture. It, in essence, has become my way of learning about Iceland. The amazing upside is that I get to share what I learn with all of you.

As always, thank you so much for listening and following along.

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

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Moving to Iceland is already quite a tedious process for most people but coming with pets is an extra layer of paperwork and other potential difficulties. Sharyn Chesna was born and raised in the US but she also has German citizenship (you’ll learn the fascinating story behind her finding that out when you listen to episode).

When she decided to move to Iceland it was a no-brainer that her two dogs and cat would come too. Sharyn was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen and she did have to do a lot just so her fur babies could safely enter the country without any hiccups.

During this episode, Sharyn shares every step of the process and even reveals that she almost didn’t get to bring her pets because of a mistake in the paperwork by her Vet in the US. The extra layer on top was that she did this during COVID, which undoubtedly added to the stress.

For those wondering, it is not feasible or advised to bring your pets on vacation with you to Iceland because the process is quite a lot and the pets have to be in quarantine for at least two weeks.

Click here to read what MAST (The Icelandic Food & Veterinary Authority) has to say about importing animals.

Thank you so much to Sharyn for sharing her experience about what it is like to move pets to Iceland. I hope this helps people that are planning to move or who have been wondering what it would take to do the same.

If you want to connect with Sharyn, you can follow/contact her on Instagram @mutts_on_a_mission

Think that someone would beneift from seeing this content? Share it with them. 🙂

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In partnership with the Icelandic Bathing Culture Exhibit hosted at Hönnurnarsafn, the Icelandic Museum for Design and Applied Arts, I’m sharing how Iceland’s beloved bathing culture evolved.

Sund, which is the name of the Icelandic Bathing Exhibit, shares fascinating facts. One of my favorites is that a failed gold rush in Iceland is what led to geothermal energy being pumped to communal swimming pools and people’s homes in the early 1900s.

The combination of history and interactive stations provides a fun and insightful experience into how Icelanders built pools for survival and hygiene but later evolved the use of them into foster community and well-being.

The bathing culture exhibition is available to check out until October 23rd, 2022, so I highly recommend putting it on your list of places to visit.

https://youtu.be/O_Dp_jgIWHI

During my interview for this podcast episode with Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir, Director of Hönnunarsafn, we talk about why it was important to have this exhibition and other topics relating to Icelandic bathing culture.

Here are some of the questions I asked Sigríður about the Iceland Bathing Culture Exhibition:

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone you think would be interested in hearing it too.

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Easter in Iceland is a time that many Icelanders look forward to because they get a long holiday, and they get to indulge in even more chocolate, sugary drinks, and delicious food. Here is what you should know before visiting during this holiday.

For most people around the world that celebrate Easter, this holiday is very religious. While more than 260,000 Icelanders are registered as Lutheran, most of them are not religious nor is Easter in Iceland centered around religious activities.

Keep in mind that there are about 377,000 people that live in the country. One of the reasons many Icelanders are registered as Lutheran, is that it used to be that as soon as a person was born in the country, they were automatically registered to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland.

It’s important to understand that Spring in Iceland is about the days getting longer and not about blooming flowers or even the weather being that much warmer. I suggest packing clothing that is appropriate for winter. If you need help with what to pack, you can download my free Ultimate Packing Checklist. It has individual lists for summer and winter.

It is possible to see the Northern Lights during March and April. However, as the days continue to get longer and brighter, the possibility of seeing them diminishes greatly. It helps to check the Icelandic Meteorological Office’s page about the level of Aurora activity here. Even during the darkest days of winter, it’s not guaranteed that you will see them. It helps to keep that in mind, so you can manage your expectations

You can purchase the food I mentioned and chocolate eggs in Iceland in any of the major grocery stores, such as Krónan, Bónus, Hagkaup, and Nettó, but alcohol has to be purchased at a vínbúðin.

Due to the long holiday, many stores are either closed or have limited hours. I highly recommend checking websites of places to see what their hours will be during Easter.

If you would like an adorable Icelandic Easter themed gift for you or a loved on this season, check out the Easter mug on the All Things Iceland Merch shop.

Gleðilega Páska – Happy Easter

Föstudagurinn langi – The Long Friday

In the podcast episode, I share how having fun on Long Friday in Iceland was pretty much illegal. A law was changed in 2019, so that is not the case any longer but it’s fascinating to know that people were not allowed to sing, dance, drink or doing anything fun on that day.

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Kyana Sue Powers is an American content creator that lives in Iceland. She’s inspired many people to visit Iceland and has even inspired some to move. Due to strict Icelandic laws regarding specialty work visas, Kyana is potentially facing deportation. In this interview, Kyana shares how to she ended up in Iceland and the situation she is currently in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o5T_wIxg2U

If you want to support Kyana by helping her stay in the country, here is a petition.

Also, here is the documentary that she mentioned in the interview.

Her Instagram and Tiktok handles are @kyanasue

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Contrary to what most people believe, Iceland has a lot of options for people who identify as vegan or plant-based eaters. I remember being astonished at the options in the grocery stores during my first visit back in 2013. Funny enough, that was the first time I’d heard about Veganuary (vegan January). Icelanders who normally eat meat were excited to take on the challenge of only eating vegan food for the whole month of January. This meant that grocery stores in the country had ordered vegan friendly foods to meet the demand.

In this podcast episode, I share an astonishing fact about the vegan only grocery store in Reykjavík and list out places for people to eat.

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

Vegan World Peace

Junkyard

Loving Hut

Mama Reykjavík

Mr. Joy

Cat Cafe (Kattakaffíhús)

Granólabarinn

Jömm (they are looking for a new location for their restaurant)

This is not an exhaustive list. Rather, it is a list of places I like a lot.

Duck and Rose

Punk

Monkeys

Kól

Flóran Bistro

Spíran

Laundromat Cafe

Sumac

I hope you enjoyed this episode. If so, please share it with someone you think would also enjoy it.

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April Anderson is the Director, editor, and cinematographer of the documentary “Fire & Iceland”, a beautiful collection of the eruption and insight from locals about the impact of the eruption and living on an island with so much volcanic activity.

April and her husband are the creators of www.artasair.com, which showcases various artists and aspect of culture. I recommend checking out their site to see other documentaries and work they have done over the years.

To cap off “Eruption Week”, I’m hosting a free watch party of the “Fire & Iceland: Art, Culture & Chasing Lava” documentary on Sunday, March 20th, 2022 on my YouTube channel. This is a one-time free showing on my channel because I will delete it afterwards. If you want to watch along with me, you must be at the premiere of it.

Normally, you must pay for the documentary, and you can watch it at any time by purchasing it on Vimeo or Prime Video.

To be notified of the time and to get the link, sign up for my newsletter. I will send out the time and link on Friday evening.

Since viewing the documentary is being made available for free, if you feel inclined to, you can donate directly to the Icelandic Search and Rescue team. They are a 100% volunteer-led non-profit, non-commercial organization in the country that works tirelessly to help save lives and keep all of us safe. The reason so many of us were able to safely see the eruption is because of them.

If you can donate to their organization, it would be greatly appreciated. The link to donate is to their Paypal account, so they will get the money directly.  The link is also here – https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EKX6MUYPP7AGA&source=url

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lY7C3_p454

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or rating on whichever platform you are on.

Also, please share this with someone that you think would enjoy it what is coming up for eruption week.

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Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove is an award-winning photographer and author of the book “New Earth: A Photographic Journey of the Geldingadalur Eruption.” He is a Belgian nature photographer, who specializes in photographing wildlife and landscapes with great passion.

He has been living in Reykjavik, Iceland since 2016 and uses it as his base to explore and capture the raw beauty of the land of fire and ice and the Arctic region in its entirety.

In Jeroen’s own words “Why not move to Iceland?” Of course, an interview of a foreign national is not complete without asking what led that person to move to Iceland. Jeroen talks about how he followed a feeling inside of him.

It’s amazing how some people move to this country solo and just figure it out. As you will hear in the interview, he just knew that this was the right decision for him.

It boggled my mind when I found out that Jeroen visited the volcanic eruption close to 50 times! What is even more remarkable is that he hiked for 46 out of the 47 times that he went.

During the podcast episode he talks about why he chose to hike the majority of the time, the intensely challenging conditions he faced, the epic shots he was able to capture and the impact the eruption had on him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drYevt9UlfA

Since the time he could remember, Jeroen has wanted to see a volcanic eruption up close. He was unable to see the huge Holuhraun eruption back in 2014 due to unfavorable weather conditions. When the eruption happened on the Reykjanes Peninsula he just knew that this was his chance. It was fascinating to hear him talk about the excitement he felt when he saw the eruption for the first time, and how he worked to make capturing it interesting for himself every time he went.

Most people that decide to write a book take a year or more. You will be astonished to hear the short amount of time it took Jeroen to put together and publish his photographic journey of capturing this insanely beautiful natural phenomenon.

If you want to follow, connect with and/or buy Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove’s book, use the links below:

To cap off “Eruption Week”, I’m hosting a free watch party of the “Fire & Iceland: Art, Culture & Chasing Lava” documentary on Sunday, March 20th, 2022 on my YouTube channel. This is a one-time free showing on my channel because I will delete it afterwards. If you want to watch along with me, you must be at the premiere of it.

Normally, you must pay for the documentary, and you can watch it at any time by purchasing it on Vimeo or Prime Video

To be notified of the time and to get the link, sign up for my newsletter. I will send out the time and link on Friday evening.

Since viewing the documentary is being made available for free, if you feel inclined to, you can donate directly to the Icelandic Search and Rescue team. They are a 100% volunteer-led non-profit, non-commercial organization in the country that works tirelessly to help save lives and keep all of us safe. The reason so many of us were able to safely see the eruption is because of them.

If you can donate to their organization, it would be greatly appreciated. The link to donate is to their Paypal account, so they will get the money directly.  The link is also here – https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EKX6MUYPP7AGA&source=url

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or rating on whichever platform you are on.

Also, please share this with someone that you think would enjoy it what is coming up for eruption week.

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