# Expected gift from Iceland? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607 "2015-03-09T15:28:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/1 "2015-03-09T15:28:43Z")
So, my gf is an ideal travel partner, and her friends approach her with trip requests from time to time. Last year she went to Ireland and I posted [a thread wondering what I might expect gift-wise.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722622) In a couple of weeks she is going to Iceland with a friend who always wanted to go there. Once again, I’ll be staying home, as to me vacation = beach. But, I expect a gift, as I will be talking care of her horses, etc. What might I get? (Ireland gifts were awesome. Some Guinness gear, a rugby jersey, and a tweed cap!) ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/2 "2015-03-09T16:11:29Z")
A [West Ham United](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rg%C3%B3lfur_Gu%C3%B0mundsson) shirt maybe? Or some [Cod Wars](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_Wars) memorabilia… ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/3 "2015-03-09T16:11:53Z")
I was in Iceland last Sept, and apart from the usual magnets and keyrings, the gift-type items seemed to be knitted garments - sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves. To be honest, I didn’t spend a lot of time in gift shops. All I brought home with me were some hunks of lava that I gave to my daughter for her geology class. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/4 "2015-03-09T16:24:38Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I was in Iceland last Sept Did you enjoy it? I’ve been teasing my gf about vacationing somewhere named after “Ice”, when the temps are just beginning to moderate here. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/5 "2015-03-09T16:32:46Z")
An arctic fox? Lava from one of the recent volcanic eruptions? Some new swear words? ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/6 "2015-03-09T16:36:27Z")
Bottle of Brennivin and a sweater or scarf made of Icelandic wool. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/7 "2015-03-09T17:15:14Z")
We went to Iceland this summer. The best gift we brought back (by far) was from the gift shop at the Penis Museum. I’ll let your imagination run wild. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/8 "2015-03-09T17:57:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Did you enjoy it? I’ve been teasing my gf about vacationing somewhere named after “Ice”, when the temps are just beginning to moderate here. I loved it. My husband and I are planning to return in a year or so and do a [self-drive tour.](http://iceland.nordicvisitor.com/travel-deals/self-drive-tours/iceland-complete/177/) It’ll be nice to go at our own pace, more or less, rather than being crammed in a bus with a bunch of other tourists. It was pretty chilly there in Sept, but I think I prefer that to early in the summer - I can always hope some residual warmth will linger late in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/9 "2015-03-09T17:58:42Z")
Hold out for fermented shark (now, with extra ammonia!)… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/10 "2015-03-09T18:18:31Z")
Iceland is a great vacation destination. We hiked the [Landmannalaugar Trek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmannalaugar), 3-nights, 4-days, but we could have extended it by a day and explored more of the side trips. It’s a great hut system, but get your reservations in early and be prepared for rain/wind/cold on at least on of the days. Reykjavik is a fine little city, we spend 3 days there including one day when we went on a tour of the south coast. Probably could have spent one less day there and spent a night out on the south coast, maybe Vik. After our trek we rented a car and drove the Golden Circle (interesting spots, but honestly not that overwhelming) and 3 nights on the Sneffles peninsula hiking and seeing the sights. The Blue Lagoon was a fun visit, but it’s pretty commercial and crowded. We could have skipped it and just relied on the hot springs we visited while hiking. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/11 "2015-03-18T14:27:35Z")
Well, she left this morning. All the wool talk is a concern, but the lace talk when she visited Ireland was a concern but she knows me too well to screw me over (I hate wool, hate lace). She was getting fed up by my calling it Ice…Land. A few people heard me call it Ice Land and actually thought that was how the natives said it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/12 "2015-03-24T13:30:21Z")
She had a great time. She saw geysers all over the place, visited a hot lagoon with a swim-up bar, saw the solar eclipse and the northern lights. She ate whale, puffin, and foal for the first time. The Icelandic people she met were cool, and she learned a lot about geology. She says she’d go back. [I did OK in the gift department!](http://s681.photobucket.com/user/kayaker01/media/image.jpg1_zpsz94zprsl.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0) The indoor shoes (slippers) are felted wool. They are called glerups. The bottle opener is a tradition, as is the ball cap. The Brennivin is already mostly gone. The candle holder is art glass that contains ash from the volcanic eruption. My gf bought it for me to use as a cannabis ashtray. Ashtray, get it?😃 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/13 "2015-03-24T14:22:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The bottle opener is a tradition We brought home bottle openers from the Penis museum as gifts. Trust me, they are more memorable. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expected-gift-from-iceland/714607/14 "2015-03-24T15:19:16Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > We brought home bottle openers from the Penis museum as gifts. Trust me, they are more memorable. She took a pic of the sign in front of the penis museum, but did not enter.😛