Next summer Mrs. Zymurgist & I plan a
trip to Europe & would like to spend a
few days in your country. I have
contacted the Tourest Bureau, but would
like to hear from you about what to see
& (not) to do. Should you chose not to
post, you can e-mail me. Keep thoes
volcanoes quiet during our stay!
Zymurgist
I’m not an Icelander, but I’ve visited there.
My first thoughts are: Be prepared for raw weather–the wind never stops.
The Blue Lagoon is pretty cool if you can get past the aroma of sulfur dioxide.
We visited the Westmann Islands while we were there. That’s where a volcanic eruption nearly closed the entrance to the harbor, but they managed to stop the lava by hosing it down with sea water.
A side note…I never expected to hear about the Westmann Islands again. But imagine my surprise when I turned on the TV and saw that the “Free Willy” whale had been moved to a pen in that same harbor.
You’ll be impressed by the stark, barren landscape. Parts of Iceland make the surface of Mars seem inviting. There are miles and miles of nothing but crumbly lava rock with absolutely -nothing- growing on it. Of course there’s plenty of vegetation in Reykjavik.
They seem to have adopted the puffin as their national bird. They also eat puffin. I wonder what bald eagle tastes like? (I can hear it already: It tastes alot like Spotted Owl.)
Anyway…
The Icelanders also have some kind of national liqeuer. I think it’s flavored with carroway or cumin or something. Most foul. I think it’s really a gag to see if they can get tourists to drink it.
Interestingly, they still speak a Norse dialect that’s not much changed in over a thousand years.
They also use the patronymic naming system, so if Lars Hansson has a boy child and names him Magnus, the child becomes Magnus Larsson. For the hell of it, take a look in a phone book while you’re there.
You could also go for a ride on an Icelandic horse. Their history is interesting as well, but I’ll leave that for you to discover.
There are lots of geological points of interests: Geysers (the original Geyser is there–that’s where our word comes from), waterfalls, glaciers, volcanos, and, of course, the North Atlantic. Those Icelandic sailors must have some huge cojones.
It ain’t cheap, either. But it’s worth it.
" <— My own personal quote. I call him Doug.
Here’s a serious point about Iceland:
Apparently, Microsoft has no plans to make Windows available in Icelandic. Okay, so the country has only about 200,000 people–what difference does that make? It’s as if Bill Gates is pressuring the Icelanders to abandon their language and use English instead, in an age when computer use and communication is a necessity–so much more so for an isolated country like Iceland. Still, I don’t believe the Icelanders should have to give their native language up, whether Microsoft likes it or not.
It’s a small country, but 2 days does not get you all the way around it. Well, maybe.They have bus tours to waterfalls, glaciers. It’s pretty easy to figure it out. If you feel adventurous, rent a jeep.Drive on lava.
SDMB Member skupla is Icelandic, or claims to be. He posted in “2nd language eduction” in GD.
Oh for goodness sake, Dougie. Why the hell does Microsoft have some DUTY to put out Windows in Icelandic? Do they put it out in every African language? Do they put it out in all the various Polynesian dialects? Do they put it out in every language known to man? Of course not. Sheesh.
That’s not my point. Like most eveyone else in the world, the Icelanders know damn well computers are here to stay. But we have had some good and horrible examples–like the Ainu in Hokkaido, Japan–of how a tiny minority is suppressed in some way by an overwhelming majority. All they want is that a computer company–Microsoft, or Apple, or whatever–have the decency to furnish software in their native language. And knowing the strategic value of Iceland, I doubt if any large country would take the liberty to order that they abandon their language for someone else’s convenience–Zulu, Sioux, perhaps Yoruba or Annamese are not languages in such strategic areas as Icleand is.
And what makes Iceland so strategic then ?
I’m just thinking how a big rock of lava in the middle of the Atlantic with no natural vegetation on it can be strategic - do the Americans have nuclear missiles set up there, or is there something else I’ve missed ?
Please fill me in, DM.
Coldfire
Coldfire
“You know how complex women are”
Have you ever heard of NATO? And the Distant Early Warning system?
Yeah, I’ve heard of NATO and “Distant Early Warning” is a great song by Rush. I just never put the two together 
Just kidding. Hey, you learn something new every day. Does this system warn us Europeans too ??
Coldfire
“You know how complex women are”
Thanks to you who answered my query! I’ll file a report upon our return. I’ll also get the thoughts of the indigeous re: Microsoft & the DEW Line.
Zymurgist