How easy is it for average Icelanders to understand Swedes, Norwegians, or Danes?
Great thread. I love Iceland and am planning a return visit. My questions:
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Is it true that Circus (sp) closed? When I was there in December, rumor had it that it was about to become a car park. If so, that’s a shame, it is/was a great place. I met the owner at her other bar across the street. (forget the name, kind of like a Boston Irish joint, which makes sense, the owner went to school in Boston) For readers, Circus is a dive pub located on some prime real estate popular with what I would call hipsters, although most Icelanders are pretty hip in general.
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Have you ever driven around the ring road? I would like to make a lap in the summer at some point.
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Have you been to that big music festival down south that happens in August? I met an Icelandic chap who said it was a must do kind of thing.
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Have you ate the bread that they cook in Volcanos? I only heard about it after I got back, but it sounds really good, at least compared to the pickled ram balls.
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Have you met Magnus VerMagnusson (sp)? I know an Icelandic guy that claims to know him. If so, did he lift anything heavy in front of you?
Do you have a surname/last name which is passed down to each generation? Or does it change with each successive generation? I’m talking about a father’s last name going to his children and the son passing it to his kids, etc.
I lived in Sweden for 6 years. and went to school there to learn the language…very interesting. I have always wanted to visit Iceland. Maybe someday Hans and I will get motivated and make the trek!
Now quoting from my old history lessons and general knowledge:
The only people who lived in Iceland before the Norse came in the 9th century were Irish monks. They left in a hurry and went back to Ireland (I guess they didn’t like the mead).
After this, other Norse followed and the Icelandic Free State was established. Complete with the worlds oldest-still-working Parliament!
Now, let’s go forward a few centuries and skip through the cool Viking ages with the plunder and pillaging that went on. Here Icelanders were mostly bards and mercs, tagging along the Norse and Danes.
Also, we pass through the year 1000 - when Iceland became Christian.
But in the 13th century, the king of Norway wanted to get Iceland under his rule and after qutie a bit of struggle - he managed 
Then, with the Calmar Union (1397) Iceland came under Denmark instead…
In 1550 Iceland became Protestant and the last Catholic bishop, along with his sons, was beheaded.
The 18th Century was mostly bad. Not only did Spanish and Berber pirates plunder the south coast (not at the same time) but there was also a humongous Volcanic eruption which covered the whole land in ash, killing up to 75% of all sheep and 20% (10k) of the population.
Now things start looking better - cause in 1918 Iceland gets self rule (same as Greenland and the Faroe Islands have now) and in 1945, while the whole world was in flames and Denmark was occupied, we declared independence!
That’s the short story - more on Wiki.
Now to modern immigration:
In the last 10 years, many people have moved to Iceland. Mostly from Poland and the Baltic states. They’ve come as workers on temporary working-permits (think, Gastarbeiter) to do the jobs Icelanders won’t do. We’ve also needed them, since unemployment has been below 1% for quite some years now (it’s increasing again now, but that’s another story). We also have quite the bit of immigrants from Western Europe, who both come to stay for a while and work in the service sector and who do more qualified jobs.
Good, a short question 
As I’ve previously written - everybody learns Danish in school (which doesn’t count for much, I know), but most people remember some of it.
I’d say most people can speak “Scandinavian” and make themselves somewhat understood in Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
Thank you! And please do return!
Yes, it’s closed. But it was, in my opinion, quite the dumb. A charming dump, but still one 
I have yet to experience the East Coast, but it’s deinitely on my to-do list. All sides offer so different experiences; The South is sand and glaciers, the West is mountains and rivers, the North is fjords and the East is pretty green.
I imagine he said so 
I’m guessing he was talking about Verslunarmannahelgi í Eyjum (Merchants Weekend in the Westman Islands), which is a great weekend - if you’re in your late teens or early twenties. I’m a bit to old for it (and I’m not even 30).
A festival that is a must is the Iceland Airwaves in Reykjavik! Loads of good bands, all over down-town Reykjavik.
Not volcanoes, geysers. And I’ve only boiled hot-dogs and eggs in them Traditional Icelandic bread (that kind, just not cooked in geysers) is good though!
No, I’m afraid I don’t know him.
And now I’m signing off for awhile. I’ve had great fun answering the questions, hope you like the answers!
Please give some details on the geothermal house heating system and the distribution system?
Do you have a pipe down into the ground under the house or is there a system of pipes from a central tapping point?
If a pipe system, does it carry hot water or steam?
If water, at what temperature?
Do you get charged any fees for the heat?
Ok, can’t check out without answering this one.
Almost everybody has their fathers name as last name.
Lets say I’m David, my dad’s Peter and my grandfather’s John
Then Dad is Peter Johnsson and I’m David Petersson.
And my sister would be Daisy Petersdaughter
(all this in Icelandic, of course 
)
I wish you guys would stop saying that - the faroese one is older.
The scandinavian stereotypical view of icelanders is “they’re batshit insane, noisy as hell, and no-one understands what the hell they’re saying”. 
Mind you, the icelanders I know are nice folks. Noisy as hell, batshit insane and hard to understand, but nice.
Are there volcanoes that you can easily go and see?
And do you throw virgins in them to appease the gods? Or is that too 11th Century and Norse?
This sure ain’t my area of expertise, but I’ll tell it as I think it is
First, the fees. We pay a (low) fixed bill for cold water and veery little for hot water. I’m not sure on the number as I’ve yet to get a water-bill, I’m renting.
The piping system in the cities is a central one that stretches throughout the city, just like all other pipes and cables. It’s hot water in the pipes and the excess hot water is led under most central pavements and main streets to keep them from freezing over in winter (it doesn’t always work though).
Not sure what temperature it’s at, but it’s really hot (so hotter than you want to stick your finger into)
That for the cities.
I do, however, have some friends who live on a farm and they drilled their own bore-hole which they get hot water from. So for them, it is basically a long pipe into the ground (they sell their excess water to the surrounding contryside).
Nag, nag… 
I actually didn’t know that. Consider ignorance fought.
Which is kinda exactly what I said
I can see a volcano on my way to work. It’s about 20 km away.
It’s dormant though and hasn’t been active for thousands of years.
Otoh, we are waiting for two volcanoes to erupt; Hekla and Katla. Might be cool when they erupt - as long as they don’t blow to much.
No, we banned that when we converted to Christianity in the year 1000
Really bad criminals might get thrown in a Geyser though. 
After all this serious and informative intercourse I have a major question.
Can I sleep on your couch when I got to Iceland?
Give me a weeks heads up and it shouldn’t be a problem
So, Karl Peterson and Bjork Davidsdaughter could name their daughter Ilda Karlsdaughter and their son Karl Karlson but never Karl Bjorkson or Bjork Bjorksdaughter. Mother’s names only pass in first name form, yes?
On that note, any plans to colonize Surtsey in this century?
We have decided that our next big vacation will either be to Norway or Iceland–I want to see both at some point.
What is there to do? I imagine hiking, horse back riding(?), pubcrawling and eating out, of course, but what else? Could I rent a bike and go around the island or city? Are there spas that use the geothermal stuff for public baths and warm mud packs etc? I’ve heard that Icelanders are some of the most attractive and arts-oriented people around–is that true?
What kind of wild beasts do you have? Foxes? any large predatory cats or bears? Wolverines? Fierce bunnies? are there any snakes (hope not).
Do you eat seal flipper? It looks intriguing.
No worries re Bjork–we find her odd, too.