SC - Food History article by Charles Perry

[Susan Laing]

'Lainie wrote:

>> A friend is going to Iceland, does anybody have suggestions of cool
things
>> to see or do there?


Depends on a lot of things. Is the friend coming here now, or next month, or
later? How many days is he planning to stay? Does he want to travel a lot,
or stay mostly in Reykjavík? Does he want information on the Reykjavík
nightlife, which I understand is pretty cool? (couldn't help there myself
but I've got a resident expert on that). Or does he just want to know about
museums and such?

>> I found the Icelandic Tourist board, and a site on Icelandic archeology
>> (http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/iceland/archeo.html) but
other
>> than that, information seems rather scarce.
>>
>> Suggestions?


Unfortunately, the National Museum (www.natmus.is/English/index.htm) is
still mostly closed for renovation (should have reopened last year but
didn't). Then of course there is our one real national treasure, the old
manuscripts at the Árni Magnússon Institute (try www.am.hi.is) - I think
there is an exhibition just now of manuscripts and documents connected to
the discovery of Greenland and Vinland (America).

Þingvellir, site of the old parliament for 868 years (until 1798) and a sort
of national shrine - no old buildings or anything like that but a beautiful
place and the center of Icelandic history.

Then there are the usual tourist places like Gullfoss (waterfall) and Geysir
(famous hot spring which was more or less dormant for most of the 20th
century but has been very active since the earthquakes last summer) - and if
the friend is an outdoor type, there is no end to the possibilities.

The weather is - unpredictable. At all times. There have been times this
winter when Iceland was the warmest spot north of the Alps (here in
Reykjavík, we are currently experiencing the first snow of the winter); in
the North (my birthplace), snow in July is not unheard of.

If there is anything specific this person wants to know, he is welcoke to
email me at nannar at isholf.is.

Nanna