OT: Anyone been to Iceland?

[StickyBun]

My son and daughter-in-law are heading there today for vacation. I've heard its beautiful. Also heard that Iceland is more green and lush and Greenland is more icy and frigid, they've got those names backwards. 

[Guest]

I have not but I hated their junior league hockey team growing up

[Guest]

I have a buddy that used to travel there every year.   Don't know much about it myself. 

[Guest]

I've been there, the air is so clear that things look so much closer than they are.  Couple things stood out, very expensive to visit, AB&B is the way to go.  The other thing is the impact of being a trading center with very little natural resources how multi-cultural it is.  Went to a store/gas station to get food and a kid with a spiked mohawk, facial jewelry and heavy metal tank top, 17 years old at best, was speaking Icelandic.  My son in law spoke German to him and he answered with out hesitation.  I asked my son in law a credit card question and the kid answered me in English and I don't even remember an accent.  
Will probably go back, Iceland Air used to offer a package to do a stay over of a week or so and then go on to another destination.  We stayed near the Gullfoss falls did most of our own cooking, bring your own booze it is unbelievably expensive and the worst selection of beer.  Interesting the geothermal heating system, free heat and hot tubs.  
I heard the Danes are the ones that named the Islands to promote emigration to Greenland VS Iceland. 

[Guest]

@BigAl99 said:

I've been there, the air is so clear that things look so much closer than they are.  Couple things stood out, very expensive to visit, AB&B is the way to go.  The other thing is the impact of being a trading center with very little natural resources how multi-cultural it is.  Went to a store/gas station to get food and a kid with a spiked mohawk, facial jewelry and heavy metal tank top, 17 years old at best, was speaking Icelandic.  My son in law spoke German to him and he answered with out hesitation.  I asked my son in law a credit card question and the kid answered me in English and I don't even remember an accent.  
Will probably go back, Iceland Air used to offer a package to do a stay over of a week or so and then go on to another destination.  We stayed near the Gullfoss falls did most of our own cooking, bring your own booze it is unbelievably expensive and the worst selection of beer.  Interesting the geothermal heating system, free heat and hot tubs.  
I heard the Danes are the ones that named the Islands to promote emigration to Greenland VS Iceland. 

Good stuff, Al. They are pumped for an adventure. 

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
My son and daughter-in-law are heading there today for vacation. I've heard its beautiful. Also heard that Iceland is more green and lush and Greenland is more icy and frigid, they've got those names backwards. 

I had always heard they were intentionally misnamed.  This article seems to counter that.

The “story” of Iceland and Greenland | Hannibal and Me: life lessons from history (andreaskluth.org)

[Guest]

My brother has been a couple of times with his family on vacation. They really liked it. Sent back great photos. Very clean; lots of nature; but it does get cold, so maybe not in the winter.

[Guest]

I went there a couple years ago in early Oct.. Can't imagine being there in Feb. lol...It is a very strange place. On certain levels it feels like a Siberian hellscape. On the other hand, there are some unimaginable beautiful backdrops of of green mountainsides and waterfalls. Most of it is uninhabitable with mile after mile of nothing but barren lava fields. It's always windy, very little vegetation, trees are uncommon, and so no agriculture other than a random small sheep herd. As mentioned it's ungodly expensive as most everything is shipped in.

As much as it sounds like it's horrible, there is a part of me that wants to go back and explore some more. It does have an allure of being one of the last places on earth that feels really wild, and not catering to a bunch of rich turds wearing the new Filson lineups their assistants packed for them. 

[Guest]

@mgobluevikes said:
I went there a couple years ago in early Oct.. Can't imagine being there in Feb. lol...It is a very strange place. On certain levels it feels like a Siberian hellscape. On the other hand, there are some unimaginable beautiful backdrops of of green mountainsides and waterfalls. Most of it is uninhabitable with mile after mile of nothing but barren lava fields. It's always windy, very little vegetation, trees are uncommon, and so no agriculture other than a random small sheep herd. As mentioned it's ungodly expensive as most everything is shipped in.

As much as it sounds like it's horrible, there is a part of me that wants to go back and explore some more. It does have an allure of being one of the last places on earth that feels really wild, and not catering to a bunch of rich turds wearing the new Filson lineups their assistants packed for them. 

That's what is appealing to them. He does well at his job, but he's not pretentious and they like the road less traveled.

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:

@BigAl99 said:

I've been there, the air is so clear that things look so much closer than they are.  Couple things stood out, very expensive to visit, AB&B is the way to go.  The other thing is the impact of being a trading center with very little natural resources how multi-cultural it is.  Went to a store/gas station to get food and a kid with a spiked mohawk, facial jewelry and heavy metal tank top, 17 years old at best, was speaking Icelandic.  My son in law spoke German to him and he answered with out hesitation.  I asked my son in law a credit card question and the kid answered me in English and I don't even remember an accent.  
Will probably go back, Iceland Air used to offer a package to do a stay over of a week or so and then go on to another destination.  We stayed near the Gullfoss falls did most of our own cooking, bring your own booze it is unbelievably expensive and the worst selection of beer.  Interesting the geothermal heating system, free heat and hot tubs.  
I heard the Danes are the ones that named the Islands to promote emigration to Greenland VS Iceland. 

Good stuff, Al. They are pumped for an adventure. 

It's a good place, my daughter and son in law do trips there when they want to meet friends from the US mid way. 

There is a wool shop people told us to go to, Alafoss.  My wife purchased a lot of wool there and a sweater. There is a knife makers shop next door that has some really cool blades, all out of my price range.  If the do buy anything made on the Island, tell them at the airport there is a kiosk they can get the VAT refunded.  

https://alafoss.is/
We just didn't have time to go to this museum, The Icelandic Phallological Museum, but heard it is a very impressive display and has a lot of members, it's in Reykjavík.