12 Step Planet: Iceland

Where exactly is it?
Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic; its biggest city, Reykjavik, is the world’s most northerly capital.

How do I get there?
Several airlines offer direct packages from Dublin to Reykjavik, but in our experience it’s cheaper to book separate flights on the Dublin-London route, and travel return from London. Iceland Express offer return flights from Gatwick for a bargain €350, with a flight time of three hours.

What language do they speak?
Iceland has the highest literacy rates in the world (100%), and as well as the native Icelandic, everyone speaks English.

What’s the weather like?
Don’t let the name fool you - despite its high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle, Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate. In winter, it’s not much colder than New York, while in summer, the weather is largely as it is in Dublin - reasonably warm and dry, with occasional showers.

What is the local beer like?
Iceland’s signature alcoholic drink is Brennivin, also known as “Black Death”. Having experienced the beverage’s sledgehammer-like impact, we can report that the makers are unlikely to face prosecution under false advertising legislation; made from fermented potato pulp and flavoured with caraway seeds, the alcohol content is an ominous 37.5%. From a strategic point of view, our best advice is to try a shot or two of Brennivin, then progress to the less lethal - though still highly enjoyable - Viking beer.

Other drinks?
Though prohibition was still in place in Iceland until March 1, 1989, in the time since Icelanders have taken to drinking with considerable enthusiasm. Indeed March 1 is celebrated annually as “Beer Day”. Lager is particularly popular in Iceland; aside from Viking, other brands of note include Skjalfti, Kaldi, Thule and the Egils range. You might also fancy sampling the Mori red ale.

What’s the transport like?
Although Reykjavik is a very spread out city, its central area is highly compact and feels more like a cosy provincial town than a city. Most of Reykjavik’s attractions are based in and around the main street, Laugavegur, an area which is easily negotiated on foot. Located at the eastern end of Laugavegur is the Hlemmur bus station, from where you can travel to areas of interest outside the city, and experience the delights of river rafting, ice-climbing, whale watching and the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
For those who fancy venturing even further afield, Reykjavik Airport offers flights to all other areas of Iceland, from which point a rented car is probably the best means of enjoying the country’s rugged beauty.

What’s the food like?
Fish has traditionally been the central element of indigenous Icelandic food and you will find cod fillets on the menu countrywide, in addition to sild (herring), skarkoli (plaice) and ysa (haddock), among many other fish dishes. Travelling around Reykjavik, you will also spot restaurants advertising the controversial “whale meat”. Icelandic lamb has a good reputation, while skyr - a yogurtlike concoction made from pasteurised skimmed milk - comes highly recommended for desert.
You may also spot “foal fillets” on the menu - this doesn’t mean that the restaurant has slaughtered and served up Yannis Phillippakis and co. Rather, it’s horse, which is regarded as a delicacy in Iceland.

What is the nightlife like?
In Reykjavik on the weekends, totally off-the-hook. On Friday and Saturday Icelanders cut loose for the runtur, which are epic pub crawls. If you’re interested in seeing the successors to Bjork, The Sugarcubes, Mum, Sigur Ros and the like, you should check out some of the regular in-store performances at the 12 Tonar record shop, or attend a gig at the Sodoma venue. Another bar worth visiting is Kaffibarrin, in which Blur and Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn used to have a share. A haven for musicians and creative types, the clientele are friendly and happy to discuss music, art and much else besides long into the evening.

Why should I go?
Filled with wonderful bars, restaurants, galleries, museums, record shops and bookstores, and set against the stunning back-drop of the Esja mountain range and Atlantic ocean, Rekjavik is an unforgettable experience. Elsewhere in the country, Iceland offers the kind of scenery and natural beauty few countries can match.

What are the touristy things to do?
You have to venture to the working harbour for the incredible views of the Esja mountains - it’s a particularly spectacular sight at sunset. Also worth checking out are the galleries on Skolavoroustigour, and the architectural wonder that is the Hallgrimskirkja church, which looms over the city like something from a graphic novel. Other attractions include the Hvalstooin Whale-Watching Centre and the Saga Museum, which gives you an entertaining lowdown on Icelandic history. From the Hlemmur bus terminal, you can travel to any number of destinations outside Reyjavik, including the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, and also take the Golden Circle tour of the Icelandic countryside.

Anything else?
Keflavik Airport is some 50km from Reykjavik, so it’s probably best to have either a fully-charged iPod or reading matter more interesting than the latest ESRI report for the bus journey. Reykjavik Airport operates all internal flights as well as flights to the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and travelling onto the latter territories from Iceland is more cost effective than planning a separate trip.

Anything to avoid?
Despite nearly going bankrupt earlier this year – it’s complicated – Iceland is still an expensive enough destination, so it’s probably best to give exclusive restaurants and lavish hotels a wide berth.

What should I bring home?
An Icelandic cultural artefact of some description. We plumped for two books - Nobel Prize winning author Halldor Laxness’s lyrical masterpiece Independent People, and Hugleikur Dagsson’s nearly banned collection of satirical cartoons, the wickedly funny Avoid Us.

When should I go?
We went in mid-August, although the 24-hour sunshine was conspicuously absent. If you can make it to Northern Iceland in the winter time, you can see the Northern Lights, so that’s something to bear in mind.

What’s my challenge?
Taking in the cultural delights of Rejkjavik whilst also savouring the peerless Icelandic scenery to the full - as challenges go, it’s a pretty
pleasant one.

What’s the currency?
Icelandic kronur (lkr).

Something to remember…
Tourists can claim back tax on certain purchases - participating stores have signs outside indicating tax refunds. That money saved on an Icelandic football top certainly put a spring in our step as we headed for home.