Welcome Home, Welcome to Iceland

Welcome Home

Welcome to Iceland

After 21 hours of travel, the Alternative Breaks Sustainability group from UC San Diego made it safely to Iceland! This blog is to focus on our first day in this beautiful country, with special attention given to the food and cultural tour we took upon arrival and some striking and interesting differences of Iceland in comparison to our home countries.

One of the first differences I noticed was in the Keflavik airport. With no McDonald's or chain fast-food in sight, another chain, "Joe & the Juice" appeared on almost every floor. I counted three in total on our route from the gate to the parking lot. With the popularity of this joint, I tried it out myself (and man, was it delicious!). The menu highlighted a protein shakes, nutritious sandwiches, and freshly squeezed juices. I chose to try a strawberry-banana shake, leading me to wish America would replace all of its Starbucks stores with the better, healthier Joe.

View of Reykjavik from a path across from the University of Iceland.

Our first stop brought us to the University of Iceland, where we would stay for the night. Not only were the people kind and accommodating, but another striking discovery was made while there: silence. Iceland as a whole seems to be a very quiet place. We did not hear any sirens, nor did we hear any people talking loudly in the airport, Costco, or hostel. Even Iceland's largest city was completely silent. Everyone appeared to be whispering--a very joyful change from the hustle-and-bustle of most American cities. It gave me a chance to relax and enjoy the natural wonders of the country, as well as the ability to think in peace.

A restaurant famous for their lamb soup, served similarly to the clam chowder bread bowls of San Francisco.

 After a brief 20-minute nap, the group embarked on a food tour of Reykjavik, which was generously gifted to us from a donor. This opportunity allowed us to learn about and appreciate the culture and customs of Iceland. For example, I did not realize the importance of soup in Icelandic culture, and once attempted to eat my meal before receiving my soup (a faux pas). 

Traditional Lamb Meat Soup Bread Bowl

We began our food tour with lamb soup served in freshly baked bread bowls, a historical meal used by settlers to survive their first winters. Later we were presented with plates full of mussels, which tasted extremely fresh and did not have the grainy taste I have found mussels to have in the past. Many of us tried different pastries and hot cocoa for dessert. My pastry was a slice of white mousse cake that was perfectly rich with flavors of passion fruit and mango. We visited a famous hot dog stand and each tried an Icelandic hot dog with a special sauce on top that was delicious. Finally we entered a flea market, where fish was sold, and were given the opportunity to try a bite-sized bit of Greenland Shark. That's where our reactions got interesting...

Passion fruit and mango cake
with macaroon and whipped cream. 

Famous hot dog stand downtown.

Shark meat is very popular in Iceland, but may be an acquired taste for many people. Interestingly, sharks do not urinate, which helps balance internal salts with the external salts in sea water. This means that urea (not urine) is stored in their bodies their entire lives. 

Students at the fish market trying
Greenland Shark samples.

That being said, shark meat has to be processed to be safe to eat, which can lead to a very chemical-like after taste. I found that it actually hurt a little to swallow a tiny chunk, but noticed that the chemical flavor added a unique "spice" to otherwise regular meat. 

I personally found it to be a valuable experience to be present in a location and sample its traditional cuisines, an experience I've never had before. My group also had time to ask our guide questions about Iceland, such as what their most popular sport is ("golf") and if Iceland has a military ("hopefully never"). In addition, our guide gave us time to explore the famous Reykjavik cathedral, the tallest building in the city. Inside was a simple, yet beautiful, architectural design. A young woman played an organ with pipes that extended from the front wall. Later we walked by the Parliament building, and explored the area in search of art. 

Reykjavik's famous Lutheran cathedral with statue of Leif Erikson (founder of Iceland and North America) at the front.

Inside the cathedral.

Another exciting difference between the US and Iceland is their pride of Pride. I learned that the people of Iceland are very progressive, as they were the first country to legalize gay marriage (along with many other policies, such as being the first to have 99% of their energy produced by renewable resources). Even our guide made a truthful stab at American politics, saying that Icelanders recognize that they have no business or care to control other people's personal lives. I clapped in response to that statement.

Icelandic Parliament building.

Pride Parade preparations.

Interesting art placed around the city.

Overall, the group had an amazing (and delicious) educational experience learning about the history and culture of Iceland. More to come on further educational research adventures!

UC San Diego's Alternative Breaks Sustainability group posing with food tour guide.