Podcasts about Westfjords

I'm taking you on a journey back in time to uncover the story behind how Iceland got its name. This tale involves three adventurous Norsemen who each left their mark on this rugged island, but only one name endured through history. The First Two Vikings That Tried to Name The Landmass To hear the whole story about the first two Vikings that named this country, I have included that in The Savvy Traveler's Guide to Iceland. I created The Savvy Traveler's Guide to Iceland, a comprehensive 8-module video guide that walks you through everything you need to know before visiting. I even have a whole module dedicated to Icelandic History in a Nutshell, where I talk about how Iceland was formed, settlement, the transition from paganism to Christianity, and tons more.Not only that, but when you get the guide, you'll have lifetime access, bonus itineraries to make planning easier, and access to my free and private Facebook group, where I share specially curated Iceland travel posts and do a live Q&A each month!If you want to feel completely confident and stress-free about your trip, you can check out The Savvy Traveler's Guide to Iceland The Viking That Named Iceland In 868 AD, a Viking named Flóki Vilgerðarson set sail from Norway with the full intention of settling in Iceland. He wasn't just any Viking—he was known as Hrafna-Flóki or “Raven Flóki.” He got this nickname because he brought three ravens with him to help navigate the open seas.Once he reached the Faroe Islands, Flóki released his ravens one by one. The first flew back toward the Faroes, the second circled and returned to the boat, and the third flew northwest and never came back. Flóki, believing this meant land was nearby, followed the third raven—and sure enough, he reached Iceland.Flóki and his companions settled in Vatnsfjörður in the Westfjords. The summer was warm and full of fish, so they focused all their efforts on fishing instead of preparing for the harsh winter ahead. When the cold finally set in, disaster struck. Without enough hay, all their livestock perished. By spring, they had no choice but to leave.Before departing, Flóki climbed a mountain and looked out over the fjords. He saw thick ice covering the waters and, in his frustration, named the land Ísland—Iceland. Unlike the previous names, this one stuck, and the island has been called Iceland ever since. A Viking's Regret & A Land of Opportunity What's fascinating is that when Flóki returned to Norway, he had nothing good to say about Iceland. He believed it was a harsh, uninhabitable land. However, one of his crew members, Thorólf, disagreed.He spread rumors that Iceland was so abundant that butter dripped from every blade of grass! This contrasting view sparked curiosity, and soon, more settlers followed, leading to the beginning of permanent Norse settlement in Iceland. Random Fact of the Episode Beyond the Viking Names: Ultima Thule & Nordic Identity Before Iceland had an official name, ancient Roman and Greek texts referred to mysterious lands in the far north as Ultima Thule, meaning “the farthest place beyond the known world.”In the Middle Ages, some maps labeled Iceland as Thule and Greenland as Ultima Thule. Interestingly, by the 19th century, people started associating Thule with Norway instead.While Iceland's name may have been given by a frustrated Viking, the settlers who followed developed a strong sense of identity as Íslendingar—people of Iceland. Despite their ties to the greater Nordic world, they wanted to maintain their distinct culture, which still thrives today. Icelandic Word of the Episode Áfram Ísland – Let's go Iceland! Share This With A Friend Facebook Email Threads Let's Be Social Youtube Instagram Tiktok Facebook

Whether you're planning your first trip to Iceland or you've visited before, knowing the do's and don'ts can make your experience smoother and more enjoyable. Iceland is a breathtaking country with unique cultural norms, unpredictable weather, and natural wonders that demand respect and preparation. I'll walk you through essential travel tips—things you should absolutely do to get the most out of your visit, as well as common mistakes to avoid. From driving safely on Iceland's rugged roads to experiencing the hot springs like a local, these insights will help you navigate your adventure like a pro. Let's dive into the essential do's and don'ts for traveling in Iceland! 5 Do's & Don'ts When Visiting Iceland 1. Do go to local pools, lagoons and upscale spas. Iceland's bathing culture is such a big part of life here and it's lovely to relax in a geothermally warmed hot tub. Most people think that when I say local pool that I mean some run of the mill uninteresting place but in Iceland, the local pools are lovely and budget friendly.For instance, the biggest one in Laugardalslaug has several hot tubs, including a saltwater one, an Olympic sized lap pool, a wading pool, a gigantic slide for kids of all ages (meaning adults too), a steam room, sauna, a cold dipping pool and lovely changing area. All of that is accessible at the cost of 1.389 ISK or $9.81 for adults, $1.41 for young adults aged 16-17 and free for children up to the age of 15. Every local pool has its own charm and there is almost 2 dozen just in the Reykjavík capital area and many around the whole country.Places like the Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon and other well known places to take a dip will cost a lot more. For instance, the Blue Lagoon is 9.900 ISK or about $70 for the lowest admission price for one adult. These places are extremely unique and I have enjoyed many visits to all of the lagoons and new baths around the country, so I don't discourage going, but just know that you have local options too that are great. Don't go into a pool, lagoon, or hot tub in Iceland without showering first One of the most important etiquette rules in Iceland is showering thoroughly, without a swimsuit, before entering a pool, lagoon, or hot tub. Iceland's geothermal pools and hot springs are an essential part of the culture, and maintaining their cleanliness is taken very seriously.Due to the country's limited use of chlorine in pools, washing with soap beforehand helps keep the water hygienic for everyone. Most public swimming areas have strict signage explaining the showering protocol, and some even have attendants ensuring compliance.Skipping this step is considered disrespectful to locals, and you might be asked to leave. Icelanders grow up with this rule, so while it might feel unfamiliar to visitors, it is essential for keeping the pools enjoyable for all. 2. Do Travel to different parts of the country when you visit Iceland is much more than Reykjavik and the Golden Circle. While the capital offers vibrant culture, history, and nightlife, venturing beyond reveals breathtaking landscapes, unique geological formations, and local experiences that make a trip unforgettable. The South Coast is home to stunning waterfalls like Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, black sand beaches, and the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. The Westfjords, a lesser-visited gem, offers dramatic fjords, bird cliffs, and remote hot springs. The North, particularly Akureyri and Mývatn, provides volcanic landscapes, geothermal baths, and excellent whale watching. The Eastfjords offer charming fishing villages and rugged mountains, while the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is often called "Iceland in Miniature" due to its diverse natural beauty. Expanding your itinerary ensures you experience the true essence of Iceland. Don't Only stay in Reykjavik While Reykjavik is a fantastic city with a lively atmos...

Dive into the incredible story of Iceland's economic transformation. As I talked to some locals, I discovered how a volcanic eruption and innovative marketing turned a financial crisis into a tourism boom. Key Takeaways: Iceland's banking system collapsed in 2008 The Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption unexpectedly boosted tourism From 500,000 to 2.6 million tourists in just eight years Unique insights into Icelandic culture and the Westfjords region Relevant Links: Inspired by Iceland Campaign: https://www.visiticeland.com  Westfjords Tourism: https://westfjords.is Blog Post Link with pictures, videos and full article: https://theradiovagabond.com/355-iceland  You can follow The Radio Vagabond on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiovagabond/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRadioVagabond  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theradiovagabond  Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiovagabond  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@radiovagabond   

This week on World Ocean Radio, host Peter Neill shares views and observations of the town of Isafjordur, Iceland, and the values it possesses that give the area its unique identity.  About World Ocean Radio World Ocean Radio is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by college and community radio stations worldwide. Peter Neill, Director of the World Ocean Observatory and host of World Ocean Radio, provides coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects.15 Years 730+ Episodes All searchable by theme5-minute weekly insights into ocean science, advocacy, education, global ocean issues, challenges, marine science, policy, and solutions. Hosted by Peter Neill, Director of the W2O. Learn more at worldoceanobservatory.orgWorld Ocean Radio: 5-minute weekly insights in ocean science, advocacy, education, global ocean issues, challenges, marine science, policy, and solutions. Hosted by Peter Neill, Director of the W2O. Learn more at worldoceanobservatory.org

When we think of the witch trials, we often think of women being charged.Whilst misogyny was at the heart of many of the witch trials, this isn't the full story.In this second episode of a limited series, Inside the Witch Trials, we go back to the the Westfjords of Iceland, to find out why it was mostly men, not women, who were burned at the stake for witchcraft.How did society differ to the rest of Europe at this time? How did Iceland's history of magic impact ideas around witchcraft? And what hope did you have if you were accused of being a witch?Kate is joined by Dr. Ólína Kjerulf Þorvarðardóttir, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Bifröst.This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code BETWIXTYou can take part in our listener survey here.

In the early morning hours of February 28th in 1910, there was a powerful avalanche that hits the Westfjords town of Hnífsdalur (Knife Valley).  Find out what happens as Ann retells the tale... Like what you hear?  Give us 5 Stars!  And follow us for more... Checkout our website: Eerie Iceland  Follow us on: Instagram  Find our page on: Facebook  Email us: hello@eerieiceland.com Sources & Extras: Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Source 6 Episode By: Ann Irene Peters (Iceland Wedding Planner) Editing By: James Ede (Be Heard | Podcast Production)

This is episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a Folklore story every Friday in 2024. To hear other stories, I have shared so far, check them out on my website All Things Iceland.  How Icelandic Necropants are Created Imagine making a pact with your best friend—if one of you dies, the other gets to use the body for something truly bizarre: making a pair of magical pants. These aren't just any pants though. They're called Necropants, and they're made from human skin, specifically from the waist down.So, when one friend dies, the surviving one digs up the body, carefully peels off the skin from the legs (without making any holes, of course), and puts them on right away. Sounds grim, right? But here's the catch—the pants don't just sit on you like a creepy costume. They actually fuse to your body, becoming a part of you. You can wear them as long as you like, but eventually, you'll have to pass them on to someone else if you want to keep the magic going.But wait, what magic, you ask? Just wearing the pants isn't enough to unlock the wealth. For that, you need to perform a twisted ritual. First, you must steal a coin from a desperately poor widow, and the timing is key—it has to be done during a church service, right between specific readings on Christmas, Easter, or Whit Sunday.You then place this stolen coin into the “pocket” of the Necropants. And here's where things get even stranger: that “pocket” is more like the, ahem, scrotum area of the pants. Once the coin is in, the pants magically start producing more coins. Free money, but with a dark price. Why Some People Feel Necropants are Worth it But these aren't your average enchanted pants. If you remove the original stolen coin, the magic stops working. And then there's the even darker part—when you're ready to pass the pants to someone else, you can't just hand them over. There's a strict process. You have to remove the pants one leg at a time. First, the right leg comes off, and the new wearer has to immediately put on that same leg. Once they're in, there's no turning back. Even if they try to stop, they're cursed to wear the full pants, like it or not.If you fail to pass them on properly, your soul could be in danger, and your body, once you're dead, will be consumed by vermin. Some say theseNecropants are a gift from the devil himself, a symbol of the pact made with dark forces in exchange for earthly riches. But no matter how much wealth you gather, wearing them comes with a heavy cost. Random Fact of the Episode A replica of what these pants are supposed to look like are in the Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft in Hólmavík in the Westfjords region of the country. Icelandic Word of the Episode  Nábrók - necropants Share This to a Friend Facebook Email Threads Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a folklore story every Friday in 2024. Why Trolls Tried to Make the Westfjords of Iceland an Island Centuries ago, in the wild and rugged land of Iceland, three mischievous trolls hatched a plan to reshape the landscape forever. Their goal? To sever the Westfjords from the rest of the island by digging a massive channel between Húnaflói Bay and Breiðafjörður Bay.These trolls loved a good challenge, so they added a competitive twist: as they dug, they would turn the earth they dug into islands.Deep in their task, the trolls were so focused on their wicked work that they failed to notice the sky brightening—the worst mistake a troll could make, for sunlight spells doom to such creatures The Trolls Try to Escape the Death In the west, where two trolls toiled tirelessly, hundreds of small islands began to speckle the shallow waters of Breiðafjörður. But in the east, where one lone troll struggled with the deeper, harsher waters of Húnaflói, only a few meager mounds rose from the sea.As the first light of dawn began to creep across the horizon, panic set in. The two trolls in the west abandoned their work and sprinted northeast, hoping to escape the deadly sunlight. But they were too late. The rays of the morning sun caught them in Kollafjörður, instantly turning them into stone, where they stand to this day.Their frenzied digging left behind the Gilsfjörður and Bitrufjörður fjords—mere hours more and they might have succeeded in turning the Westfjords into an island.Meanwhile, the third troll in the east, furious at her lack of progress, slammed her shovel into the ground in frustration. With a crack, a piece of earth broke free, forming what we now know as Grimsey Island. But before she could celebrate, the rising sun caught her as well, turning her to stone.Today, her petrified form remains in the village of Drangsnes, known as the Kerling rock formation—a reminder of the trolls' ill-fated quest to reshape Iceland's coasts. Random Fact of the Episode The Westfjords is one of the oldest parts of Iceland. The ancient basaltic lava flows date back to the Tertiary period, which is around 7 to 16 million years ago. Icelandic Word of the Episode Tröll – troll Share this with a Friend Facebook Email Threads Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

This is part of my Folklore Friday Series, where I am sharing an Icelandic folklore story every Friday in 2024. A King's Decree Leads To Iceland's Land Spirits Being Discovered In the Heimskringla saga of King Olaf Tryggvason, there is a captivating tale of King Harald Bluetooth's failed attempt to invade Iceland. According to the saga, Harald tasked a sorcerer who transformed into a fearsome whale, with finding the island's vulnerabilities. However, each time the whale-sorcerer tried to land, he was repelled by supernatural beings known as Land Spirits, Iceland's guardians. A Sorcerer Encounters Iceland's Land Spirits The whale-sorcerer's first attempt to land was in the Eastern Fjords, where he encountered a ferocious dragon. This dragon was so powerful that it is said that its fiery breath could make the ocean burn. To add to that, the flaps of its wings sounded like thunder. Alongside the dragon were terrifying snakes, lizards, and slithering spirits. Fearing for its life, the whale retreated farther back into the ocean.A little shaken but still determined, the sorcerer/whale found himself in the north of Iceland, aiming to land in Eyjafjörður. Here, a massive griffin with an immense wingspan descended from the skies. Countless birds with razor-sharp talons and beaks like battle axes came with it. Together, they drove the whale-sorcerer away.For his third attempt, the whale tried to land in the Westfjords of the country, specifically Breiðafjörður, where an enormous bull awaited him. Unlike other bulls, this one was said to have a body as solid as the earth, bronze horns, and a hide as tough as stone. To add to its insane exterior, one bellow from the bull made the mountains shake. and a body as solid as the earth, the bull's bellowing made the mountains tremble. Not surprisingly, the whale-wizard had no intention of going head-to-head with the bull, so it fled.In a final desperate attempt to find a vulnerable spot on the island to report back to the King, the sorcerer aimed for the Reykjanes peninsula. Here, he faced an enormous giant whose head towered above the hilltops. Armed with an iron staff and with a formidable army of other giants, the giant sent the whale-sorcerer fleeing back to the sea, thwarting King Harald Bluetooth's invasion plans. Random Fact of the Episode These guardians protect Iceland, each overseeing a quarter of the island. To this day, these Land Spirits are deeply respected and are featured on the Icelandic coat of arms, as well as the Icelandic króna coins. They symbolize the protection and prosperity of Iceland's land and its spiritual and physical inhabitants. Icelandic Word of the Episode Landvættir is the Icelandic word for land spirits. Share This With a Friend Facebook Email LinkedIn Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega

This is part of my Folklore Friday Series, where I am sharing an Icelandic folklore story every Friday in 2024. A Magical Woman from Norway Migrates to Iceland In the book of the Icelanders, or Landnámabók, is a person named Þuríður syndafyllir and her son Völu-Steinn. They immigrated from Northern Norway and settled in Bolungarvík in the Westfjords of Iceland.It was rumored that Þuríður had incredible powers. One story about her when she lived in Norway was that she cast a spell that filled all the straits with fish. Fighting Over Land – Petty or Justified? This particular Folklore story is about a quarrel she had with her brother Þjóðólfur. One day her brother asked Þuríður to give him land at Bolungarvík. She agreed to letting him have the land he could fence in on his own in a day.While Þjóðólfur had planned to fence off land that started at Stigi and included Hlíðardalur, and Tungudalur, he only made it about half way to the middle of Tungudalur. Even though the deal was pretty clear, Þjóðólfur was not happy that his sister would not allow him to also have Tungudalur included as part of his land.To get back at her for denying him, he decided to steal one of her ox that she kept at Stigihlíð. To Þjóðólfur´s suprise, his sister caught him trying to steal the ox and ran after him. He was quick but she caught up to him at Ófæra and tried to get the animal back. However, her brother won that battle.Not one to be outdone, Þuríður cast a spell upon Þjóðólfur that would turn him into a stone that many birds would defecate on. The part about being pooped on is specifically part of this story. LOL. Well, her brother was magically inclined as well, and he cast a spell for her to be turned into a rock that is placed where the highest winds blow. Turning Each Other to Stone Well, both of their spells worked and each turned into stone. Þjóðólfur became a rock that rolled into the water but was never full submerged. A variety of birds would land on it and leave behind their waste. Apparently, the locals knew of this story and the stone.They called in Þjóðólfur after the brother and would talk about it when walking by. It is said that in 1936, the stone vanished probably because the end of the spell had been reached. Þuríður became a stone at the northern part of Óshlíð and might still be there to this day. Make Your Own Itinerary with My Iceland Map Another great resource is to grab full access to my Iceland map. This map was created for those who want to pick out places and hidden gems around Iceland to make up their own itinerary or add to one that they already created.With full access, you get over 280 places that I recommend in Iceland, along with four itineraries to use for planning your trip. Those itineraries include a 10-day Ring Road trip, a 3-day South Iceland trip, The Famous Golden Circle and a Reykjanes Peninsula Day Trip.A one-time purchase gives you lifetime access, which includes any updates I make to the map.Here is a link to my Iceland map: rexby.com/jewells/Iceland. Random Fact of the Episode Óshlíð, the historical road connecting Bolungarvík and Hnífsdalur, began construction in the 1950s and was once the sole link for Bolungarvík residents to Iceland's road network. As of 2010, the route no longer accommodates vehicle traffic due to the opening of the new Bolungarvík tunnel. However, Óshlíð has been repurposed as a scenic outdoor area for recreation. The smooth pavement provides ideal conditions for cyclists and runners seeking a nature immersion. The imposing cliffs towering 300 to 400 meters above can make one feel quite diminutive.Óshlíð is notorious for its challenging road conditions, with frequent avalanches, rockfalls, and debris. Parts of the road have deteriorated due to harsh weather and coastal erosion. Consequently, tourists are urged to exercise caution and park their cars at either end of the pass.

Interviews are one of my favorite things to do for the podcast, so I was delighted when Laura was available to come on and share about her experience moving from the San Francisco Bay area to one of the most remote parts of the Westfjords in Iceland. Background About Laura Alice Watt Laura Alice Watt is a professor emerita of environmental history and policy at Sonoma State University in Northern California. She arrived in the Westfjords in July 2020 with a Fulbright-NSF Arctic Scholar grant to conduct historical research in Iceland, and decided to stay long-term.  She teaches occasional courses at the University Centre of the Westfjords, where she also provides writing support for graduate students with their thesis projects.Before taking early retirement from Sonoma State, she spent fifteen years as professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning, and also Graduate Coordinator for SSU's Cultural Resource Management masters program. She now lives on the northern shore of Dýrafjörður with her two cats, and is an avid photographer and knitter. Questions I Asked Laura During the Interview Where did you grow up in the US?What was your profession while living in the US?What inspired you to come to Iceland?When did you know you wanted to stay here?Why did you choose the Westfjords to live in Iceland?What do you like about living in Iceland?What do you dislike about living in Iceland?What do you miss from the US (if anything at all)?Do you ever see yourself moving back to the US?How has your Icelandic learning journey been since moving here?What advice do you have for people who want to move to Iceland?What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase? Icelandic Phrase of the Episode Glöggt er gests augað - Keen is the eye of the guest Share this with a Friend Facebook Email Twitter Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing fascinating stories from Icelandic folklore on Fridays throughout 2024. Why Finnur is a Feared Sorcerer A sorcerer named Finnur that lived a long time ago. So many people feared him and when he died no one wanted anything to do with the death, such as preparing the body or sewing up the shroud, which covers the dead body. Finally, one woman said she will sew the shroud. When she was doing it, some weird stuff was happening. It seems that even in death, Finnur had found ways to terrorize people. The antics that happened while she was trying to sew the shroud made her go mad. Another Brave Woman Steps Up to Prep Finnur's Body After that, people were, of course, even more resistant to getting involved in prepping his body. However, another woman stepped forward and said she was up to the task. While she was sewing up the shroud it came to a point where she need to disconnect the needle from the thread, she witnessed something strange.The corpse of Finnur said to her “You have yet to bite the needle free from the thread”. Instead of being scared, the woman boldly said, “I don't plan on biting it. I plan on yanking it free.” That is exactly what she did and after that she took the needle she had used, broke it into two pieces and stuck it into the corpses' feet. After doing that, the corpse of Finnur stopped playing antics nor did it bother anyone else.I don't know if putting needles into a corpses' feet has some sort of significance, but I do think it is interesting that this specific action would shut him up. Random Fact of the Episode I am pretty sure that in a previous episode, I have spoken about the Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum in Hólmavík in the Westfjords of Iceland. What might surprise people is that most of the people persecuted for doing magic in Iceland were men. At the museum, they showcases the documented executions of people who did magic and most of them happened in the Westfjords. Icelandic Word of the Episode Galdramaður – sorcerer Share This With a Friend Facebook Email Twitter Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

This is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing an Icelandic Folklore story every Friday in 2024. The upcoming story is based on a description of the Ox-Whale in the book “Meeting with Monsters – An Illustrated Guide to the Beasts of Iceland” by Jón Baldur Hlíðberg and Sigurður Ægisson. It is an awesome book and I highly recommend getting if you like to read about creatures that many claim to be real around Iceland. Jón is one of the owners of The Icelandic Sea Monster Museum in the Westfjords. If you are planning to travel in that part of Iceland, be sure to visit that museum. Why The Icelandic Ox Whale is so Terrifying In the far reaches of Iceland, where the cold Atlantic whispers ancient secrets, there exists a creature as old as the sagas themselves, known among the folk as the Ox Whale, or 'nauthveli'. Shrouded in the mists of time, its tales are woven into the very fabric of Icelandic lore, emerging from the depths in hushed tones only by the light of the hearth.The first whispers of this maritime specter stirred not from ink upon parchment but from the lips of weathered seafarers, whose ancestors cast wary glances upon the churning waves. It was in the twilight of the 13th century that the earliest murmurs danced upon the winds, speaking of a leviathan, a ghostly echo of the cow-whale, its kin cloaked in mystery and shadow.As the hands of time turned to the year of 1590, a chilling portrait emerged from the veiled past. The Ox Whale, a creature of unfathomable hunger and wrath, was no mere beast of the deep but a herald of doom. Its call, a terrifying bellow, resonated like the fury of a tempest, shaking the very bones of the earth, sending ripples of dread through the hearts of those who heard it.This monstrous denizen of the abyss, driven by insatiable greed, prowled the oceans, its eyes alight with the hunger for prey, casting a shadow of fear over any who dared to venture into its domain. What an Ox Whale Does to Cows In time, tales of its dread visage grew darker still. By 1638, it was said to bear a likeness to the horse-whale, yet marked by its haunting cry, a sound so petrifying that it could curdle the blood of the bravest souls. By 1666, its enormity was unveiled, a behemoth among the toothed whales, its flesh anathema, its presence a bane to the vessels of man.The dawn of the 18th century bore witness to a new horror; its bellow, an eldritch call, ensnared the minds of cattle, drawing them, spellbound, into the maw of the abyss. This sinister enchantment was proven at Hjortsey farm, a grim testament to the Ox Whale's malevolent lure.As the mid-century approached, the enigma deepened. Though its form eluded the gaze of man, it was believed to bear the head of a bull, a monstrous aberration that bellowed with such might that the earth itself seemed to tremble in fear. It was a phantom of fog and shadow, forbidding all who heard its call from braving the treacherous embrace of the sea.The tale took a grim turn in 1786 on the shores of Grimsey, where the beast's insatiable appetite was laid bare in a macabre dance of death with a doomed cow, a spectacle of cruelty that echoed the darkest fables. The Physical Description of an Ox Whale As the 19th century dawned, a mariner's account cast a new light upon this enigma of the deep, describing it as a chimera of bull and serpent, a creature of haunting beauty and terror, a paradox of nature's design.The lore of the Ox Whale, a mosaic of fear, wonder, and the unfathomable, permeates the essence of Iceland's maritime heritage, a lingering shadow in the realm of legend and truth. And so it remains, a whispered enigma, a ghostly presence forever etched into the annals of Icelandic folklore, its legacy enduring in the silent depths, where the sea meets the sky. Random Fact of the Episode According to the book, a male born in 1879 reported that between 1890 and 1896, people who had been on a trading trip to Eyrarbakki in...

A quick but fascinating Icelandic folklore tale about Naustahvilft. According to the legend, a troll was hurrying home to avoid being turned into stone by the sun that was going to rise soon. She was traveling quickly enough that she was ahead of schedule and was able to stop to rest.The area that she stopped is Ísafjörður, the fjord where the largest town in the Westfjords is located. The troll's feet were aching so she sat down on the mountain to rest. The shear weight of her made an indent in the mountain with her rear as soon as she sat down.Please note that trolls are gigantic figures in Icelandic folklore, so it is possible for them to have this impact on a mountain. When the troll got up to continue her journey, the imprint of her rear was left. That indent was then nicknamed "Troll's Seat". The view from Naustahvilft Random Fact of the Episode There is a short but steep trail here that I loved hiking. I think it took me around 30 minutes to reach the top but I was huffing and puffing at the end because the steepness does get intense. However, the views on a nice day are incredible. For a little bit of effort, you are rewarded with views of the fjord. If you spend some time up there, you might even see some planes taking off or landing.Like other hikes in Iceland, there is normally a guest book you can sign at the top that is being kept safe from the harsh weather in a metal box.  There is a space for cars to park for this trail but it can be hard to miss so drive a little slower when you getting close to the location, so you easily make the turn into the small lot. Books About Icelandic Folklore The Guardians of Iceland and other Icelandic Folk TalesIcelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws, and Things UnseenThe Little Book of the Hidden People: Twenty Stories of Elves from Icelandic FolkloreIcelandic Folk Tales Icelandic Word of the Episode Ísafjörður – ice fjord Send This to a Friend Facebook Email LinkedIn Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

Today, we're diving into some intriguing Icelandic tales from East Iceland, specifically some tales from the life of Pastor Vigfús Benediktsson. Back in the 18th century, Vigfús found himself dealing with some pretty wild supernatural encounters. Luckily for him, some of the intuitive and resourceful women in his life were able to help him out when he was in some spooky situations. Pastor Vigfús' Near Fatal Drink Before landing the gig at Kalfafellsstadur, Vigfús was the pastor at Einholt. Around this time, he bumped heads with a local named Ólafur at Viðborðssel. Let's just say things got heated from time to time.One day, Vigfús planned to visit his parishioners, despite the nasty weather. His wife, sensing trouble, advised against stopping at Ólafur's place, the guy who he bumped heads with, but Vigfús went anyway. At Viðborðssel, Ólafur welcomed him and offered a drink from a mysterious bottle. At first, Vigfús did not drink from the bottle but as time went on he was getting thirsty, so he loosened the cork on the bottle.Just as Vigfús was about to have a sip, his wife burst in, warning him not to drink. Instead, she took a swig, and spat it out. The dog in  the room licked up the liquid she spat out and died on the spot! After that, she reassured Vigfús it was safe to drink, and he did without any harm. Personally, I wouldn't want to touch the bottle after seeing the dog die from drinking for it but clearly Vigfus trusted his wife with his life. Saved by his Wife Again On another occasion, Vigfús was traveling through the Öræfi district and ended up at Hnappavellir, planning to push on to Hof, which was not far off. While he had been offered an escort, he did not find one necessary, so he set off alone despite the late hour.Later, he showed up at a nearby croft, Litlahof, and saw that someone was in the window. The woman that came out to greet him was surprised to see the pastor so late. Pastor Vigfús asked her if he could stay the night and that she keep a light burning the whole night.Back at home, Malfríður (Sigfús´s wife) woke up in a panic because she knew that her Fúsi, the nickname she has for her husband Sigfús, was in trouble. To make sure no harm came his way, she gnawed on a piece of gray cloth from her bodice all night until dawn. When dawn arrived she knew he was safe and she stopped gnawing on the cloth. A Ghost with a Deadly Mission Before his East Iceland days, Vigfús had a tough time in Aðalvik in the Westfjords, thanks to some hostile magicians. They had been using their magic to torment Vigfús and that is why he had left the area to serve in the East. Even though he was far removed from them, their grudge against him had not subsided, so they decided to wake up a ghost and sent it to kill Vigfus after he moved east! As his leather-clad ghost made its way to Vigfus, it stopped first at Tvisker, scaring a farmer named Einar on Shrove Tuesday. When the ghost arrived early in the morning, Einar was the only one awake. Einar asked the stranger where he was from and the answer was the Westfjords. Einar assumed the stranger had a message for him, so he asked if he had any news and the ghost replied that one of Einar's sheep was dead in the fields. When Einar heard this, he immediately felt something was not right because how can a man from the Westfjords, which is very far from the East, know the mark that Einar has on his sheep. Just to note that it is common practice for farmers to mark their sheep in some way so they can find them during the yearly sheep round up called rettir or if they get lost in general. It make sense that someone from your own region would know the mark you have on your sheep but for a person from a very far area to know this is odd.To test the stranger even more, Einar asked him where a key was that had been lost twenty years prior. Without a hesitation, the ghost told him exactly where it was. Now,

Anna Björg Þórarinsdóttir is the manager of The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft in The Westfjords region of Iceland.  We begin on the country's origins as a Viking settlement, followed by life in the traditional turf houses. From there we learn that belief in elves is still relevant today and how spirits in the land have shaped not only Icelandic legends, but the ethos. We hear of a nearby farm built over a heathen temple where an ominous Viking-era stone was discovered. In story form, Anna tells the rich history of the island's 16th-to-17th-century sorcerers: the religious temperament of the time, their persecution, and her own ancestral involvement. This opens up further synchronicities around her position at the museum & growing up in a New Age household. For the remaining time, it's an all out deluge of folklore and magic: spirit guides called Fylgja, hunting & farming folk magic, The Helm of Awe, the Yule Lads, a pair of human skin pants, and finally, a grotesque milk-stealing wool-worm known as the Tilberi! Learn more about The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft & follow Anna on Instagram.Reading excerpt from Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws and Things Unseen by Alda Sigmundsdóttir  Music Credit:"Ragnarok" [The End of the Gods]Performed by Ensemble: SequentiaCourtesy of

Explore the stunning beauty of Iceland's Westfjords through the eyes of Henry Fletcher and Jay Simpson in their transformative guide, Wayfinding in the Westfjords.

Learn what to expect when traveling to Iceland in April. That includes road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during this month, some tips on driving during this time, top activities, and events that happen annually during this month. Weather in Iceland in April April marks the transition from winter to spring in Iceland. The weather can be unpredictable, with varying temperatures and frequent changes. The average high temperature is 44 F (6.8 C), and the low temperature is 39 F (3 C).I always recommend that you pack layers and be prepared for sudden weather shifts, including rain, snow, wind, and occasional sunshine. Daylight Hours One of the major advantages of visiting Iceland in April is the lengthening of daylight hours. During the early part of the month, you can enjoy approximately:April 1st – 13 hours and 31 minutesOn April 15th there are 15 hours and 03 minutesApril 30th - 16 hours and 43 minutes Road Conditions & Driving in Iceland Because April is a transitional month road conditions can vary. While main roads are generally accessible, some secondary roads in remote areas may still be closed or have limited access due to lingering snow and ice.It's crucial to stay updated on road conditions and weather forecasts by checking reliable sources like the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration's website. If you plan on driving, renting a 4x4 vehicle with studded winter tires is recommended for added safety. It's a Great Time to Explore in a Car or Campervan Go Car Rental Iceland is a local Icelandic car rental company that has great customer service, a large variety of cars and very competitive prices. Use my code Iceland10 to save 10% off the entire cost of your rental car.I personally use them for when I go on adventures, and I'm so glad to hear that many of my listeners and subscribers are also having a great experience with them. I mentioned in a previous episode that one of my listeners switched to Go Car Rental Iceland from one of the internationally known rental car companies here and she saved $400! That was for a rental during the summer when prices can sometimes double due to demand.If you plan to use a campervan, use my code Iceland7 to save 7% and get two free duvets with your GO Campers van rental. Also, I have a great episode coming up soon about how to choose the right camper van for your travels in Iceland, so keep an eye out for that. What to Wear in Iceland in April To stay comfortable during your visit in April, it's essential to dress in layers. Start with a base layer of thermal clothing, followed by a sweater or fleece, and top it off with a waterproof and windproof outer layer. Don't forget to bring a hat, gloves, and a sturdy pair of waterproof boots for outdoor activities. It's also wise to have a waterproof backpack to protect your belongings from unexpected showers.If you want more specific help with what to pack, grab my FREE ultimate packing checklist for Iceland. Why You Should Visit Iceland in April April offers a unique blend of winter and spring experiences. Here are a few reasons why it's an excellent time to visit Iceland:Fewer tourists compared to the peak summer season, allowing for a more intimate experience.Witness the transition of landscapes from snow-covered winter wonderlands to budding greenery.Increased chances of viewing the Northern Lights due to extended darkness during the evenings.Opportunity to enjoy activities like glacier hiking, ice caving, and snowmobiling before they become inaccessible during the warmer months.Often slightly warmer Iceland Events in April Aldrei Fór Ég Suður - this is a music festival in the Westfjords that takes place over the long Easter weekend.Children's Culture Festival - A lovely festival that's fun for the who...

I have some news to share that may or may not impact travelers to Iceland.  I've been holding off on talking about the current labor strikes because they have yet to have a big impact on the everyday lives of most people living in Reykjavik or people visiting. However, that might change in the coming days or week if the strike continues and a work ban happens. While there are a lot of drama that I could go into about what is happening behind the scenes, I decided to give an abridged yet still informative synopsis about what is happening. The Short Backstory About the Labor Strikes Efling, one of the largest labor unions in Iceland, has been fighting for higher wages for their members. Due to inflation, the cost of food and other items have gone way up and current minimum wage salaries are not cutting it as a livable wage. Many members in this union are on the lower end of the pay scale. They work in hotels, drive trucks, staff in hospitals, police officers and so on. Well, Efling and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprises (SA) have not been able to strike a deal when it comes to companies agreeing to pay their employees more. To demonstrate their stance on demanding more pay, over 40% of Efling members voted for some kind of strike. Of the 21,000+  members in Efling about 2,000 are currently on strike. In response to the the strikes, about 94.73% of the companies that are members of  the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprises have voted in favor of a work ban or lock out. This work ban means that all of the members of Efling, regardless if they are actively taking part in the strikes, will be barred from working and will not be paid while the work ban is in effect. Originally, the work ban was scheduled for March 2nd but it has now been postponed until March 6th. What The Strikes Mean for Travelers in Iceland The truck drivers on strike are not delivering fuel to gas stations and there is concern that stations in Reykjavik, the Reykjanes Peninsula (where the airport is located), South Iceland, West Iceland, and the Westfjords will run out of fuel. Other individuals that are on strike clean hotels in the Reykjavik capital area. If you are planning to stay at the following hotels, you might experience a disruption in service or a cancellation of your accommodations: Hotel Reykjavik Saga Fosshotel Rauðará Fosshotel Lind Berjaya Reykjavík Natura Hotel Hilton Reykjavík Nordic Berjaya Reykjavík Marina Hotel If you find that your hotel accommodations have been cancelled and you can not rebook your accommodations somewhere else, there is an emergency number you can call. It is open for 12 hours a day (8 AM – 8 PM GMT. The number is +354-891-7765. One major thing to consider is if the work ban goes into effect on March 6th, then tourism and other industries in the country might grind to a halt. The Confederation of Icelandic Enterprises has stated that emergency workers like the police, hospital workers, rescue team members and so on when not take part in the work ban. That is one reassurance for all of anyone concerned about getting any type of care during all of this. There is also no current concern about stores running out of food or anything like that. List of Fuel Stations in Iceland Here is a list of websites for the largest fuel stations in the country. They are showing which stations of theirs have fuel and which have run out. Not all of the sites are in English. The word opið means the station is open and lokað means it is closed. https://www.olis.is/um-olis/frettir/275  https://www.atlantsolia.is/stadan-a-bensinstodvunum/  https://www.orkan.is/verkfall/  https://www.n1.is/opnar-daelur/ According to the Icelandic tourism board, the FlyBus that transports people to and from the airport will continue to run. Also, the public bus, Stræto, in Reykjavík will continue to run on schedule too for the time being. Random Fact of the Episode You might be wondering what the Icelandic government has to ...

What better way to celebrate the 50th episode of the On the Dogwatch podcast than to have a conversation with someone who has provided steadfast support and positive energy, and has become the de facto patron saint of the podcast, James Cox. Many listeners will remember when James joined us for Episode #28 and told the story of his relationship with Paul Newman, and how he was given Newman's Rolex Daytona watch. In our conversation today we pick up where we left off and talk about how funds from the sale of the Paul Newman have been used in projects such as the preservation of the Westfjords of Iceland, the ecology of salmon in the Pacific northwest, and the Kiss the Ground movie project. Listeners are encouraged to learn more at the Nell Newman Foundation, and at Myfriendjames.com. In addition, James and I also discuss the year I have spent with James's black dial Daytona, and what can be learned when people connect through the sharing of a simple object like a watch. In the end, James gives us plenty to think about regarding how we dedicate ourselves to making contributions and positive change.

On this bonus episode, Kathryn is chatting about all things Iceland with Lael Wilcox, Brooke Goudy, Lynnee Jacks and Maria Ögn Guðmundsdóttir. This summer they will all be taking part in the Westfjords Way Challenge, a 5-day stage race in the Westfjords of Iceland that will cover 595 miles over some of the country's most remote and beautiful landscape. Lynnee is the co-director of the Westfjords Way Challenge, she wants everyone to know that it is more than just a race; the event is about meaningful interaction with the people and places you will encounter along the way. Lynnee and her organizing team have also made a commitment to equity on the start line, and they are holding 50% or all registrations for women. Maria is a local rider and gives her insider scoop on the event, and what else you can do while you are there. She discusses with Brooke and Lael how to prepare for the race, from training to mindset. The three encourage all women to give it a try, even if you feel like it might be out of your comfort zone - you'll likely discover a community of like-minded women along the way!Toe learn more or register for the event go to: https://cyclingwestfjords.com/wfwc/ Follow the event on Instagram @cyclingwestfjords **Support the Girls Gone Gravel Podcast**InsideTracker: Get 20% off at insidetracker.com/feisty. Coalition Snow: Learn about Coalition Snow's Far Out trips at https://www.coalitionsnow.com/pages/far-outSaltStick: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off all items on SaltStick.comMentioned in this episode:Inside Tracker - September 2022This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacyChartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

In deze Bikepacking special spreken we met Bas Rotgans. Bas is een doorgewinterde ultraracer die het liefst meedoet aan tochten die voor het eerst verreden worden. Unsupported is zijn 'middle name'. Bas heeft afgelopen zomer (eind juni/begin juli 2022) meegereden met de Westfjords Way Challenge. Een tocht van bijna 1000km verdeeld over 4 etappes in 4 dagen. Deze tocht leidt je langs de fjorden van Noordwest IJsland en om het nog fraaier te maken doe je dit in de periode dat de zon niet onder de horizon wil zakken. Luister en laat je inspireren door de verhalen en tips van Bas Rotgans! Wie weet verken jij volgend jaar de fjorden van een van de mooiste eilanden van het Noordelijk halfrond. Deze podcast wordt gepresenteerd door uw twee favoriete tukkers, Robbert Flim en Maarten Visser. Wij danken Etxeondo voor de sponsoring en de kleding van de show. Verder danken wij Canyon #fietsvandeshow, komoot, voor al uw routes en de Yearlings voor hun heerlijke muzikale ondersteuning. Deze podcast wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door HetisKoers.nl de leukste wielerblog van Nederland en Vlaanderen. Wil je reageren of een suggestie voor een onderwerp doen? Dat kan. Sluit je aan bij onze vrienden van de show. Of volg ons op den Twitters en het oh zo hippe Instagram jullie kunnen ons daar vinden onder @pedaleurs.cc, @hetiskoers, @robbertflim en @hengelahr. Vind je dit nou een leuke podcast? Laat dan even een review achter. Dan help je gelijk anderen om ons te kunnen vinden. Een spraakbericht wordt uiteraard ook gewaardeerd. Wij zullen de reviews uiteraard delen in de show. De Groute! Etxeondo: Etxeondo Canyon: Canyon Muziek: The Yearlings Muziek Groute van de week: Haystak, Biddy Sullivan route van de week / komoot: Groute van de week Vriendvandeshow: Pedaleurs Het is Koers: HiK Pedaleurs Westfjords Way Challenge: Race Wheelrunner: https://www.wheelrunner.cc/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pedaleurs/message

Halló! Week two finds Rob and Ellie heading a third of the way round the country, from the south towards the Westfjords, for 'Rams' director Grímur Hákonarson's second feature film 'The County'. Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir plays Inga, one half of a farming couple left to fight a local farming co-op for their bullying and shady keep-it-in-the-community tactics. With true life story elements, calm and incredibly composed cinematography from Mart Taniel, and a complex central performance from Egilsdóttir, this is not just a rehash of elements seen before on the pod, but a fascinating look at how small communities may deal with the changing face of farming and commerce in Iceland. Also starring Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Þorsteinn Bachmann and Hannes Óli Ágústsson. Music by Valgeir Sigurðsson   Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple and Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD and Instagram kvikmyndapod And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!   Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)   Music by Branches Bare ('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Mateo Páez has stormed onto the ultra endurance/bikepack racing circuit in 2022. He started the year with a 3rd place finish at his debut bikepacking race: the Stagecoach 400, struggled with some gnarly weather at The Odyssey of the VOG, before bouncing back with another 3rd place finish at the inaugural Westfjords Way Challenge. In this episode, we chat about Matt's start in cycling, his first bikepack racing efforts, and then focus in on the unique experience of racing in Iceland at the equally unique Westfjords Way Challenge. Mandatory cultural stops? Lael Wilcox playing on a trampoline mid-race? Reykjavík road racing team tactics? This event had a little bit of everything...and we talk about it all!

On today's episode, David and I reflect on the things we've learned through this incredible adventure that was the Westfjords Way Challenge in Iceland. We discuss vulnerability, exposing yourself, we share highlights, and discuss community. Would we ever do this again? Please stick around until the end because the best part comes at 39:00 when we catch up with fellow participants after their race to hear what it all meant to them.  We catch up with Brooke Gaudy, Nicole Sin Quee, Kae Takeshita, Matteo Paez, Hannah Simon, Bahadïr, and Valentina.  Plus, we meet with Julie & Jan-Kees Pennings. 

On today's episode, we share our experience from the last stage of the Westfjords Way Challenge. Although it was the shortest in distance at 211km, this stage was definitely the hardest in terms of climbing and technical sections...which made it the longest day of all! Hear a very honest account from David sharing how he wanted to give up but found the strength to finish. We also hear an update from Nicole Sin Quee, we meet Jason Sears who doesn't want this adventure to end, and Carlie Lamke who has swollen knees but is dedicated to finishing. Plus, a friendship story from riders Elias Nielsson, Hallgrimur Amarson, and Kjartan Egholm. This episode is brought to you by https://xpedo.com/product/pedals/mtb/cxr-pro/ (Xpedo Pedals). Use code FEVER to get 25% off at purchase.

Today is a very much welcomed rest day at the Westfjords Way Challenge in Iceland. Everyone was very tired and we are starting the last stage at midnight, so today is about resetting and getting ready. On today's episode, I got to sit and chat with race organizers Tyler Wacker and Lynee Jacks. They tell us the crazy story of how two American students living in Iceland created this incredible stage race. We also discuss about what makes this event special. While walking around town, I also met some fellow race participants so we hear from Bahadir Güngör from Sweden, as well as Valentina Mancera Autrique from Mexico.

On today's episode, we have our longest day yet 248km, but about 10h of riding. We've had an epic bonk and everyone experienced a dark moment. The views were just as beautiful and all our aches and pains were remedied by pizza and a mid-ride dip in an Icelandic "Hot pot" (natural hot springs). Alors, Meet fellow riders: Chas (ex bike messenger turned ultra endurance racer), Nicole Sim Quee (50 year old bad ass energy ball crushing the challenge), & Bas from the Netherlands who does all the first editions of Ultra Racing! What a day! Today episode, and today's ride is brought to you by https://upika.ca/ (Upika Sports) sports hydration mix. Use code "Fever10" to get 10% off your first purchase. After 10 years of racing pro, I've finally found my favorite drink mix!

Day 2 at the Westfjords Way Challenge. Another 245km in the legs! We road on the most beautiful 30km stretch I've seen in my whole life! We at some cakes, stopped for soup, and visited a sheep farm. We had a wonderful group of 4 and although we are super tired now, it was an amazing day! In this episode, you'll hear about: A 10min recap of the day from David and I. (Our highlights, some bike details from David) Meet Alyssa Gonzalez who started riding a year ago and who is doing the WFW Challenge. Snippets from inside today's ride. Meet Hannah Simmons who is crushing on the bike and who shares information about Iceland being a very environmentally sustainable country. "Mariah The Cyclist" telling us how lucky we got with the weather today! Rebeka who welcomed us with cake and coffee at her farm (Holar Farm). An update from our friends Matteo Paez & Kae Takeashita Finally, Thomas a fellow racer from teaches us about the cycling culture in Iceland. This episode is brought to you by Hammerhead! Use code FEVER on www.hammerhead.io to get a free heart rate monitor when you purchase a Karoo2.

Stage 1 of the Westfjords Way Challenge delivered! On today's podcast, we bring you right into the action of the stage as most of the episode was recorded DURING the ride. Hear from, fellow racers RJ Bast from Wisconsin, Kai Takeashita from Japan, ultra endurance champion racer Lael Wilcox, photographer Rugile Kaladyte as well as Iceland's very own Salt Maker and Waffle business owner. Today's episode is brought to you by SRAM. The Westfjords Way Challenge, in Iceland is a 5 days/4 stages ultra endurance race. The route is 960km long, and the race will happen over 4 stages of more or less 225-250km. Although they are used to be racing cyclocross races at the World Cup level, this will be the first time that both Maghalie and David do an ultra-endurance race. 

This week, Maghalie and David are racing at the Westfjords Way Challenge, in Iceland. The route is 960km long, and the race will happen over 4 stages of more or less 225-250km. Although they are used to be racing cyclocross races at the World Cup level, this will be the first time that both Maghalie and David do an ultra-endurance race. Throughout the event, we will share daily short episodes about our experience. We will also attempt to have a different participant of the race on each episode, to meet cool people and enforce the fact that a wide diversity of people can accomplish such a challenge. Today, we arrived in Iceland, purchased a bike, and against all odds made it to Isafjordur for the start! The adventure has already started! We also meet with fellow racers Brook and Matteo, and organizer Tyler Wacker shares a few ideas with us. This episode is brought to you by Hammerhead. USe code FEVERR to get a free Heart Rate Monitor when purchasing a Karoo 2 at www.hammerhead.io

A stunning backdrop makes every party better. No backdrop better proves this than Iceland's Westfjords, which served as the setting for the first-ever Detour Discotheque earlier this year. Jonny Ensall, Ink's Global Editor in Chief and the mastermind behind the shindig, joins No Blackout Dates this week to talk about how he wrangled a crew of top-notch DJs, influencers, and revelers together to join him in the remote, tiny Icelandic village of Thingeyri for a “party at the end of the world.”Eben was fortunate enough to attend the event, so this episode serves as the official debrief between the party planner and the consummate party-goer. With Tim as their witness, the pair discuss such pressing topics as: Why disco was – and is – the best party scene society has ever known, why Icelanders fervently embraced Jonny's festival concept, and how Eben sweet-talked his way into a vodka on the rocks when the bartender was instructed not to pour straight alcohol. In Hot Takes, Tim and Eben discuss the awkwardness of being on a plane full of people you're about to have a crazy life experience with but haven't yet met. And, the pair dive into the metrics behind eating hot food in winter and cold in summer, or vice versa.News of the day: Sleep With Over 1 Million Bees on the First Bee Farm on Airbnb Time To Visit Europe: Dollar-To-Euro Exchange Rate Is the Closest It's Been in Years Relevant links: Detour Discotheque Jonny's MuckRack page Eben's Instagram Tim's Instagram

"Takk fyrir síðast" is a greeting in icelandic when you see your friends again.. (That's how I used to greet Palli every time I saw him. It made me happy.) All I want in my life is tons of adventures to look back on. 在我的人生里，我想要的只是無數值得回顧的冒險。 The train ride to Copenhagen from Hamburg was incredible because the train would drive into a gigantic ferry boat to continue the journey at sea. By the time we had settled in it was close to sunset and I was mesmerised with the view from the top deck of the boat. 從漢堡到哥本哈根火車的旅程非常令人不可思議，因為火車會開到超級大的渡輪在海中繼續前行。當我們進入游輪的時候，已經是日落的時分，所以我對於在船上頂部甲板上看到的景色感到非常的著迷。 Rikke, my Danish friend who I had met in Barcelona two years ago in a Spanish lesson, came to pick me up at the station in Copenhagen. She had invited me two years earlier when she left and we'd always kept touch. Although we had only briefly met and shared a meal once in Barcelona, I felt like we had been friends for a long time. Rikke struck me as a very gentle woman who had great taste and philosophy in art and life when we first met. She was also passionate about art and had been dedicated to helping artists get their work seen and appreciated around the world for many years. She was very warm and open with me, taking good care of me while I was in Copenhagen and showing me around the museums and cafes of downtown Copenhagen. There is something very special about reconnecting with old friends I met on the road in their home cities. 我的丹麥朋友Rikke是我兩年前在巴塞羅那上西班牙語課認識的，她來哥本哈根的車站接我。兩年前我們剛認識的時候，她就曾邀請我到哥本哈根找她，我們從那時就一直保持聯繫。雖然我們只有見過並且在巴塞隆納吃過一次飯，但我感覺我們就像是好久的朋友。Rikke給我的第一印象就是一個在生活和藝術都非常有品位的女性。她也對藝術非常的熱衷，並且多年來投身於幫助藝術家的作品被世界看到和欣賞。她對我非常的溫暖和敞開，當我在哥本哈根的時候也十分照顧我並且帶我去市中心的咖啡廳和博物館參觀。能夠和老朋友在他們的家鄉又再度連結上感覺真的十分地特別。 Then Palli decided to fly out from Reykjavik in Iceland and visit me in Copenhagen! Palli and I became really close after I visited Iceland early that year, and we had traveled to many cities together after my visit to Reykjavik. He had come to stay with me in Barcelona in March for a week. Then we visited Vilnius in Lithuania in May. We also had a summer camping trip to the Westfjords in Iceland and had often talked about visiting Copenhagen together. 然後Palli決定從冰島的雷克雅未克飛來哥本哈根來看我！Palli和我是在2019年初在冰島旅行認識的，我們變得很親近，從我在雷克雅未克的旅行之後，我們共同去了許多城市。三月的時候他到巴塞羅那拜訪我一個星期，然後五月的時候我們去立陶宛的維爾紐斯玩。我們夏天的時候又去冰島的西峽灣一起露營，在這段期間，我們時常聊到要一起來哥本哈根玩。 During the three years I was in Europe, I had been out on dates with some incredible men, however the only one I had a unique connection with was this Icelandic man. Palli was tall, good-looking, intelligent, strong in character and had a heart of gold. Although he was six years younger than I was, we could talk for hours on many different and interesting topics. Most importantly, he could understand my humor and always responded back with quick wit. I enjoyed looking at his grey eyes and hearing his life stories and traveling together. 在我住在歐洲的三年間，我和幾個非常棒的男人出去約會幾次，然而我只有和這個冰島男有獨特的連結。Palli又高又帥，聰明又性格很強，然而也有一顆像金子一樣的心。雖然他比我小六歲，我們總是可以聊好多不同和有趣的話題。更重要的是，他總是能理解我的幽默，而且常常可以很快速地又聰明地回應我的笑話。我非常喜歡看著他灰色的眼睛並聽他訴說他的人生故事，還有一起旅行。 Palli was also the only person who I had shared a train ride with on this Eurail journey, which made him even more special and unique in my life. We took the train from Copenhagen and went across the border to arrive in Malmo in Sweden, where we rented an Airbnb. I finally had some rest after 40 days of non-stop moving and meeting people. With Palli, I could be totally relaxed and let my guard down, and even be vulnerable at times. I felt Palli was the person who understood me the most in the world. 讓Palli更加在我生命中的地位獨特的原因是，他也是唯一一個和我一起搭上這趟環歐火車的人。我們從哥本哈根搭火車跨越國界來到了在瑞典的馬爾默。在那裡一起租了一個民宿。我終於可以在40天的馬不停蹄地認識新朋友和旅行後，來休息一下。和Palli在一起，我可以全然的放鬆，並且將我的防備放下，甚至有時可以展現我的脆弱。我感覺Palli是這個世界上最瞭解我的人。 While Palli was with me, bad news came from China where the publisher made a sudden decision against publishing my book due to the tension between China and Taiwan. I had spent 2000 euros hiring an illustrator, sent the draft, and finalized the book and all the contracts that were sent from China and sent back from Spain. All the back and forth now seemed like a useless act. Losing money also made it feel like a scam as this book had been part of the reason that I wanted to move back to Asia. I had even planned a book signing in Shanghai on Christmas day. I couldn't help but burst into tears. Seeing Palli lying by my side, I felt I might have made a big mistake by leaving Europe and having sold all my things in Spain, there was no turning back. I felt so humiliated and also saddened by the situation. Palli knew that I had been working on that book for the whole year, with all of the ups and downs that come with writing a book. He got up and played a song on his phone. My tears dried up quickly. It was magical. 然而當我和Palli在一起的時候，來自中國的出版商忽然傳來了壞消息，因為中國和台灣的緊張關係，他們決定不出版我的書了。我已經花了2000歐元請了插畫師，把書的草稿送上去了，還完成了所有從中國寄到西班牙的合約。這樣的來來回回的，現在看起來一點用處都沒有。因為出版書而損失錢這件事更讓我覺得好像被騙了。也是由於這本書的出版，才讓我想要回去亞洲，我甚至計劃聖誕節那天在上海舉辦簽書會。我忍不住哭了起來，看見Palli在我身旁躺著，我更覺得離開歐洲的我可能犯了一個大錯，然而我已經把我在西班牙的所有東西都賣掉了，已經沒有回頭的機會。Palli知道我為這本書忙了一整年還有在寫這本書所有七上八下的心情。他聽到我在哭就起身用他的手機播了一首歌。我的眼淚停止了。真的好神奇。 “Always look on the bright side of life…” He also sang along with it. 他跟著音樂一起哼著：「永遠看生活光明的一面...」 Like each of us, Palli had experienced some unpleasant events in his life but he was also often the brightest and the most positive person I knew. If he could still see life this way after all the unpleasant events, I could too. Maybe something better was meant to come later. I was also thankful that while I was having the hardest moment of my trip, I wasn't alone. 就像我們一樣，Palli也遭遇了許多在生命中令人不悅的事件，但是他是我認識最正面積極的人。如果他可以在他生命中發生的不幸的事之後，還可以用這樣的正面積極的角度看世界的話，我想我也可以。或許更好的事情注定晚一點才會來。我很感恩在我旅程中最難熬的一刻的時候，我並不是一個人。 Time seemed slow and the air had a bittersweet feeling when we were in Malmo. However, it was also time to say goodbye to Palli and continue on the rest of my journey before leaving Europe. Palli gave me lots of kisses in those three days we were together. Even though that could be our last meeting, we both knew we would cherish those memories we created dearly. 我們在馬爾默的時光感覺好慢，空氣中也夾雜的苦苦甜甜的感覺。然而，是時候要和Palli說再見了，繼續我在離開歐洲前的旅行。Palli在我們在一起的三天給了我好多吻。雖然這次可能是我們最後一次見面了，我們彼此都知道我們會珍惜共同創造的回憶。 Stay tuned...there's much more to come! In the next episode I'll be sharing interesting stories that occured in Budapest, Hungary. 敬請期待，還有好多故事呢！ 下一集我會和你分享我在匈牙利布達佩斯旅行的有趣故事。 從我的英語口語訓練營摘錄《想和你用英語聊聊天》如何回答 Excuse me. Could you please tell me how to get to Taipei 101? 對不起，你能告訴我怎麼樣去台北101嗎？ You can go along this road and turn left at the first crossing, then you'll see it. 沿著這條路一直往前走，在第一個十字路口左轉，你就可以看到它了。 I'm going that way, follow me, please! 我正要去那，請跟我走吧！

Easter in Iceland is a time that many Icelanders look forward to because they get a long holiday, and they get to indulge in even more chocolate, sugary drinks, and delicious food. Here is what you should know before visiting during this holiday. Religion in Iceland For most people around the world that celebrate Easter, this holiday is very religious. While more than 260,000 Icelanders are registered as Lutheran, most of them are not religious nor is Easter in Iceland centered around religious activities. Keep in mind that there are about 377,000 people that live in the country. One of the reasons many Icelanders are registered as Lutheran, is that it used to be that as soon as a person was born in the country, they were automatically registered to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland. Weather to Expect & Clothes to Pack It's important to understand that Spring in Iceland is about the days getting longer and not about blooming flowers or even the weather being that much warmer. I suggest packing clothing that is appropriate for winter. If you need help with what to pack, you can download my free Ultimate Packing Checklist. It has individual lists for summer and winter. Seeing the Northern Lights Around Easter in Iceland It is possible to see the Northern Lights during March and April. However, as the days continue to get longer and brighter, the possibility of seeing them diminishes greatly. It helps to check the Icelandic Meteorological Office's page about the level of Aurora activity here. Even during the darkest days of winter, it's not guaranteed that you will see them. It helps to keep that in mind, so you can manage your expectations Easter Traditions in Iceland There is a 5-day weekend, which is quite nice. We get off on Maundy Thursday until Easter Monday. Most Icelanders take this time to go north for as nice skiing holiday or even go abroad. One of the biggest parts of Easter here is buying giant Icelandic chocolate eggs that are hollow on the inside so they can be stuffed with candy and an Icelandic proverb. Páskaöl or Easter drink is essentially malt and orange soda (appelsín) mixed. Icelanders consume a lot of this over the holiday. It's non-alcoholic but filled with a lot of sugar. Easter dinner is normally lamb, green peas, picked red cabbage, caramelized sugar potatoes, corn, salad, and mushroom gravy. Some people add or take away some things but what I mentioned is pretty much what most Icelanders eat. Of course, there is some type of dessert. Because I‘m plant-based, I eat a vegan wellington in place of the lamb and a vegan chocolate egg The growth of microbreweries in Iceland continues to expand. Páskabjór (Easter beer) is very popular for this holiday, so I highly recommend trying a variety of beers, if you drink alcohol. Please note that you have to go to the government owned alcohol stores to buy alcohol in Iceland, if you are not getting it at a bar or restaurant. These stores are closed every weekend and every national holiday. So, they are closed on the Thursday and Friday before Easter, as well as the Monday after Easter. You can purchase the food I mentioned and chocolate eggs in Iceland in any of the major grocery stores, such as Krónan, Bónus, Hagkaup, and Nettó, but alcohol has to be purchased at a vínbúðin. Important things to keep in mind as a visitor Due to the long holiday, many stores are either closed or have limited hours. I highly recommend checking websites of places to see what their hours will be during Easter. Easter mug on the All Things Iceland merch shop If you would like an adorable Icelandic Easter themed gift for you or a loved on this season, check out the Easter mug on the All Things Iceland Merch shop. Festivals Happening during Easter in Iceland Aldrei fór ég suður – This annual festival is held in Ísafjörður in the Westfjords during Easter weekend. The Icelandic artist Mugison, who I interviewed years ago,

Halló! It's the penultimate week of Rob and Ellie's third journey round Iceland and this time they're in Svarthamar in the Westfjords for a rural tale of grief and a unique way of dealing with it - Metal music! Director Ragnar Bragason's 'Metalhead' stars Thora Bjorg Helga as Hera, a young lady who witnesses her brother's death and finds solace in the music of the bands he loved - Judas Priest, Megadeth, Teaze etc. With a soundtrack unlike any heard before on the podcast, these unusual elements come together brilliantly as Hera and her parents finally find a way through their guilt and grief.  Also starring Ingvar Sigurðsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson.   Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple and Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD and Instagram kvikmyndapod And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!   Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)   Music by Branches Bare ('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Urður Skúladóttir, hjúkrunarfræðingur: Hellisheiði hefur verið lokað fjórtán sinnum það sem af er ári og í dag í ellefta sinn bara í febrúar. Hvaða áhrif hefur þetta á fólk sem getur ekki unnið heima þann daginn heldur verður að komast til vinnu? Eða frá vinnu? Við heyrum í hjúkrunarfræðingi sem er búsett á Selfossi en þarf einmitt að komast á kvöldvakt á Bráðamóttökunni í Fossvogi í dag. Þórdís Þórarinsdóttir, sérfræðingur í kynbótum hjá ráðgjafamiðstöð landbúnaðarins: Kynbætur í dyrum, búgripum, eru fræði sem hefur fleygt fram - bændur sem framleiða afurðir úr skepnum stóla langflestir á kynbætur til að fá sem mest út úr dýrunum. En hvað þýðir það, hvernig er þetta gert, hvaða áhrif hefur þetta á dýrin og hver er nýjasta tæknin sem er verið að nota? Og er hægt að kynbæta út í hið óendanlega? Málfarsmínúta Halldóra Björk Norðdhal: Forvitnast um hjólakeppnina Áskorun Vestfjarðarleiðarinnar, eða Westfjords way Challenge, og hjólaleikinn Hjólað á Vestfjörðum. Skólaverkefni sem vatt upp á sig. Í júní er von á um hundrað manns sem ætla sér að hjóla í kringum Vestfirði 960 kílómetra leið á fimm dögum.

Urður Skúladóttir, hjúkrunarfræðingur: Hellisheiði hefur verið lokað fjórtán sinnum það sem af er ári og í dag í ellefta sinn bara í febrúar. Hvaða áhrif hefur þetta á fólk sem getur ekki unnið heima þann daginn heldur verður að komast til vinnu? Eða frá vinnu? Við heyrum í hjúkrunarfræðingi sem er búsett á Selfossi en þarf einmitt að komast á kvöldvakt á Bráðamóttökunni í Fossvogi í dag. Þórdís Þórarinsdóttir, sérfræðingur í kynbótum hjá ráðgjafamiðstöð landbúnaðarins: Kynbætur í dyrum, búgripum, eru fræði sem hefur fleygt fram - bændur sem framleiða afurðir úr skepnum stóla langflestir á kynbætur til að fá sem mest út úr dýrunum. En hvað þýðir það, hvernig er þetta gert, hvaða áhrif hefur þetta á dýrin og hver er nýjasta tæknin sem er verið að nota? Og er hægt að kynbæta út í hið óendanlega? Málfarsmínúta Halldóra Björk Norðdhal: Forvitnast um hjólakeppnina Áskorun Vestfjarðarleiðarinnar, eða Westfjords way Challenge, og hjólaleikinn Hjólað á Vestfjörðum. Skólaverkefni sem vatt upp á sig. Í júní er von á um hundrað manns sem ætla sér að hjóla í kringum Vestfirði 960 kílómetra leið á fimm dögum.

On this bonus episode, Kathryn is chatting about all things Iceland with Lael Wilcox, Brooke Goudy, Lynnee Jacks and Maria Ögn Guðmundsdóttir. This summer they will all be taking part in the Westfjords Way Challenge, a 5-day stage race in the Westfjords of Iceland that will cover 595 miles over some of the country's most remote and beautiful landscape. Lynnee is the co-director of the Westfjords Way Challenge, she wants everyone to know that it is more than just a race; the event is about meaningful interaction with the people and places you will encounter along the way. Lynnee and her organizing team have also made a commitment to equity on the start line, and they are holding 50% or all registrations for women.   Maria is a local rider and gives her insider scoop on the event, and what else you can do while you are there. She discusses with Brooke and Lael how to prepare for the race, from training to mindset. The three encourage all women to give it a try, even if you feel like it might be out of your comfort zone - you'll likely discover a community of like-minded women along the way! Toe learn more or register for the event go to: https://cyclingwestfjords.com/wfwc/ (https://cyclingwestfjords.com/wfwc/)  Follow the event on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cyclingwestfjords/ (@cyclingwestfjords)  **Support the Girls Gone Gravel Podcast** InsideTracker: get 20% off at https://info.insidetracker.com/feisty (insidetracker.com/feisty)  Zealios: get 20% off with code GIRLSGONEGRAVEL at https://teamzealios.com/ (https://teamzealios.com/) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

As a child, Eydís Evensen would stare out at the Westfjords as the wind howled around her, pretending to conduct the clouds. In these daydreams, she was a meteorological maestro: controlling the Icelandic stormfronts in the distance, bending the weather and the world to her will like an orchestra. “The weather was intense where I grew up but so inspiring. There was such harshness to our winters, but at the same time, such beauty. I used to sit there for hours,” recalls the Blönduós-born composer. Years later, Evensen is still finding musical expressions for the awe she feels when staring out at the vastness of nature. Eydis and I spoke about her album, living in Iceland, learning about her own needs as an artist and staying genuine. Learn more on Dreams Not Memes. @eydisevensen (Instagram) @eydis_evensen (Twitter) @eydisevensen (Facebook) www.eydisevensen.com

    The 494th of a series of weekly radio programmes created by :zoviet*france:   First broadcast 25 December 2021 by Resonance 104.4 FM, and CJMP 90.1 FM   Thanks to the artists and sound recordist included here for their fine work.   track list 00 Katja Institute  - Intro 01 Alejandro Remeseiro - Nuova antenna per ascoltare gli uccelli 02 Cousin Silas - The Day the Tides Stopped 03 Freetousesounds - Harbour, Ambience, Abandoned Pier, Summer Midnight, Chirping Bird, Arctic Terns, Waves Calm Splashing, Calm Wind, Westfjords, Iceland, 19232 04 Monolake - [atmo] 05 Quarantaine - _petition_? [extract] 06 Fossil Aerosol Mining Project - Emergency Excerpt (Lost Mix) 07 Otomo Yoshihide - [untitled – 'Music for Dance Art Hong Kong's Memory Disorder' track 23] 08 Jem Finer - Water and Birds 1 09 [unknown sound recordist / BBC] - Greece – Amusement Arcade, Sitia, E. Crete – Machine Noise, Clunks from Table Football, Shouts 10 Sevenism - Nanoid Apology 11 Tarxun and Siavash Hakim - The Day After 12 Janek Schaefer - Radio 109 FM 13 Three Things - Light Stops ++ Katja Institute - Outro    

Many of us struggle with perfectionism in our lives. But not many of us find a way to challenge that critical voice in our heads. Musician Heather Shannon, best known as the keyboardist for The Jezabels, did. The journey involved a life threating illness, a lot of late night jam sessions, and a month bunkered down in a log cabin in the breath-taking Westfjords of Iceland.

Engulfed in fog, you find yourself covered in a viscous ooze shimmering in the pale light of the barley moon. Crawling towards a distant sound, howls of horror echo through the air until you come upon an old radio, crackling like a thousand footsteps on fallen leaves. For a moment, terror grips you...until you hear the familiar voices of your old maniacal guides through monster mythology: Albert and Ryan. Momentarily distracted, you are caught off guard by a terrible maw that consumes your head...pity. But there in the awful depths of alien viscera you can still make out the rumblings of a mountain-top creature that haunts the peaks of the Rocky Mountains and a nauseating witch-companion from the Westfjords of Iceland. All is well when your head's in a bell, you suppose. As for you other miscreations, come get goopy with the boys and learn all about the Slide-Rock Bolter and the abominable Tilberi in this eighth installment of Do Be A Monstaaah!

Halló! For the third week of Rob and Ellie's second journey through Icelandic cinema, they remain in the Westfjords. And this time it's even colder! Starring 'X-Men' alumnus Tómas Lemarquis as the title character, 'Nói albinói' is a strange indie comedy-drama about a disenchanted teenager who wants (and needs) to escape his isolated Icelandic town. The question on everybody's lips is "is he super intelligent? or is he the opposite?" That's for the audience to decide after a trip around the town where Nói meets a girl, digs a grave and attempts to hold a bank teller hostage! Dagur Kári's debut film also features the familiar Icelandic actors Þorsteinn Gunnarsson and Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson as well as noted artist Elín Hansdóttir in an early acting role. ----more---- Next week's film can be found here   Please subscribe, rate and review and Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD and Instagram kvikmyndapod   Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)   Music by Branches Bare ('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Happy October! The podcast is back! Join me and my delightful new guest in a journey to the Great North - Shayan Pandole is a food & beverage industry veteran who found herself leaving New York and moving to Iceland to join her husband's family restaurant in the remote Westfjords. The Soho House and Ritz Carlton seem a world apart from the fish restaurant in a medieval timber tavern where I met Shayan while traveling in Iceland this summer. Take a trip with us to experience this beautiful country and different way of life!Listen now below or at www.theindianedit.com and please take a second to rate us wherever you're listening so the voices of these inspiring women can be heard all over the world!SHOWNOTES FOR EPISODE 58:Visit Tjöruhúsið in the beautiful town of ÍsafjörðurConnect with the restaurant on FacebookConnect with Shayan via her instagramBOOKS and MORE:Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia MarquezHaruki Murakami's books on Bookshop.orgKazuo Ishiguro's books on Bookshop.orgMoonstone: The Boy Who Never Was: A Novel by SjónHeida: A Shepherd at the Edge of the World by Steinunn Siguroardottir Follow us on Instagram for more on our guests and everything we mentioned in this episode! Special thanks to Varun Dhabe and the team @ Boon Castle / Flying Carpet Productions for audio post-production engineering!

Halló! The next leg of Rob and Ellie's journey takes them to the breathtaking yet creepy af Westfjords of Iceland. Adapted from the novel by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Óskar Thór Axelsson's movie version of 'I Remember You' combines the classic Scandi noir with the ghost story. Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson plays Freyr, a father looking for answers surrounding his son's disappearance. Working with the police to help solve a series of murders his story becomes entwined with three friends attempting to renovate a possibly haunted guesthouse in a very remote town. Also starring Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, Elma Stefanía Ágústsdóttir and Thor Kristjansson this is the perfect story as the Autumn settles in and the days grow darker...   Please subscribe, rate and review and Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD and Instagram kvikmyndapod   Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)   Music by Branches Bare ('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

“Bildudalur is home to the Icelandic Sea Monster Museum so listen carefully for signs of life deep beneath the waves.”

Guests are back! After watching his biking trip through Westfjords this summer, Alina had to ask Tyler Wacker to be a guest. Their conversation goes from the decision to go against the grain, moving out from the US, to slowing down - in travels and life. They also go deeper into the meaning of taking the time to understand who you are as a person and then pursue that dream while expressing their challenges in living in Iceland. Find Tyler on IG: _tylervision. And https://tyler-vision.com/. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/travellinginsideout/message

Payson, Lael, Nichole, Rue, and Chris sit down for one last Iceland recap. After eight days and 680 miles of touring the Westfjords, they talk about the most memorable moments from the trip, their favorite gear, the gear they wish they'd brought, and how they hope people might approach the route in the future. Payson and Lael also give a sneak peek of the competitive efforts they'll be undertaking in Iceland later this month. 

Payson, Chris, Nichole, and Lael talk about day seven of their bikepacking tour of the Westfjords of Iceland. With perfect weather, stunning coastal views and varied terrain, they're calling it the Queen's Stage of the route. They share their highlights and preview their final day. 

Payson, Lael, Rue, Nichole, and Chris discuss their sixth day of riding, which featured--as usual--a roller-coaster of weather and lots of eating. Evan the photographer returns for a second cameo to talk about his favorite moment of the day in the media van. Threinn the videographer (and former MMA fighter) makes his first podcast appearance to set the record straight on the pronunciation of his name, and to share a few highlights from the trip. And finally, Birna, the team "mom," makes her first appearance on the pod to reveal just how out of place the group looks in their cycling gear in the Westfjords. 

Payson, Lael, Nichole, Chris, and Rue review their fifth day touring the Westfjords of Iceland. After the previous day's tailwind, today featured 90+ miles of headwind, side wind, cold, and rain. They talk about the creeping onset of fatigue halfway through their trip, the day's animal sightings, and the brutality of the environment that dictates its beauty and its harshness. 

Payson, Lael, Rue, Nichole, and Chris discuss a very different day on the bike: 40 miles of tailwind. They talk about the impromptu piano concert they witnessed, Lael devises a nontraditional stage race for the route, and Evan the photographer makes a cameo appearance to share what goes on behind the scenes of the group's Instagram photos.

After a grueling 140 mile day of rain and headwinds, the group sits down to discuss Nichole's biggest day on the bike ever, Payson's favorite encounter with a local family, Rue's observations from the van, and Chris and Lael's misadventures with wind, mud, and horse poop. 

Payson, Lael, Rue, Chris, and Nichole recap their second day of riding, including conversations with locals, the evening's hot spring, and Nichole's first peloton experience. 

Payson, Nichole, Lael, Rue, and Chris recap their first day of riding, which encompassed 90 miles and included a glacier, an arctic fox, a feast of blueberries, headwind, tailwind, and a hot spring at the end. They share their highlights of the day and preview day 2.

All I want in my life is tons of adventures to look back on.The train ride to Copenhagen from Hamburg was incredible because the train would drive into a gigantic ferry boat to continue the journey at sea. By the time we had settled in it was close to sunset and I was mesmerised with the view from the top deck of the boat. Rikka, my Danish friend who I had met in Barcelona two years ago in a Spanish lesson, came to pick me up at the station in Copenhagen. She had invited me two years earlier when she left and we'd always kept touch. Although we had only briefly met and shared a meal once in Barcelona, I felt like we had been friends for a long time. Rikka struck me as a very gentle woman who had great taste and philosophy in art and life when we first met. She was also passionate about art and had been dedicated to helping artists get their work seen and appreciated around the world for many years. She was very warm and open with me, taking good care of me while I was in Copenhagen and showing me around the museums and cafes of downtown Copenhagen. There is something very special about reconnecting with old friends I met on the road in their home cities. Then Palli decided to fly out from Reykjavik in Iceland and visit me in Copenhagen! Palli and I became really close after I visited Iceland early that year, and we had traveled to many cities together after my visit to Reykjavik. He had come to stay with me in Barcelona in March for a week. Then we visited Vilnius in Lithuania in May. We also had a summer camping trip to the Westfjords in Iceland and had often talked about visiting Copenhagen together. During the three years I was in Europe, I had been out on dates with some incredible men, however the only one I had a unique connection with was this Icelandic man. Palli was tall, good-looking, intelligent, strong in character and had a heart of gold. Although he was six years younger than I was, we could talk for hours on many different and interesting topics. Most importantly, he could understand my humor and always responded back with quick wit. I enjoyed looking at his grey eyes and hearing his life stories and traveling together. Palli was also the only person who I had shared a train ride with on this Eurail journey, which made him even more special and unique in my life. We took the train from Copenhagen and went across the border to arrive in Malmo in Sweden, where we rented an Airbnb. I finally had some rest after 40 days of non-stop moving and meeting people. With Palli, I could be totally relaxed and let my guard down, and even be vulnerable at times. I felt Palli was the person who understood me the most in the world.While Palli was with me, bad news came from China where the publisher made a sudden decision against publishing my book due to the tension between China and Taiwan. I had spent 2000 euros hiring an illustrator, sent the draft, and finalized the book and all the contracts that were sent from China and sent back from Spain. All the back and forth now seemed like a useless act. Losing money also made it feel like a scam as this book had been part of the reason that I wanted to move back to Asia. I had even planned a book signing in Shanghai on Christmas day. I couldn't help but burst into tears. Seeing Palli lying by my side, I felt I might have made a big mistake by leaving Europe and having sold all my things in Spain, there was no turning back. I felt so humiliated and also saddened by the situation. Palli knew that I had been working on that book for the whole year, with all of the ups and downs that come with writing a book. He got up and played a song on his phone. My tears dried up quickly. It was magical.“Always look on the bright side of life…” He also sang along with it. Like each of us, Palli had experienced some unpleasant events in his life but he was also often the brightest and the most positive person I knew. If he could still see life this way after all the unpleasant events, I could too. Maybe something better was meant to come later. I was also thankful that while I was having the hardest moment of my trip, I wasn't alone.Time seemed slow and the air had a bittersweet feeling when we were in Malmo. However, it was also time to say goodbye to Palli and continue on the rest of my journey before leaving Europe. Palli gave me lots of kisses in those three days we were together. Even though that could be our last meeting, we both knew we would cherish those memories we created dearly.Stay tuned...there's much more to come! In the next episode I'll be sharing interesting stories that occured in Budapest, Hungary.**参与我为期6个月的口语训练营参加每日的直播课程/旅行英语训练营，请到我的公众微信账号IFLYCLUB，回复：训练营，报名最新一期的训练营口语课程。****本系列会将中英的版本分开录制，想要进行更深入的英语听力学习或训练，可以听伴随在中文版本的下一集。得到本集节目的中英文文本，预定环欧火车旅行的资讯和网站，当时的照片和影片甚至路线图，请关注公众微信IFLYCLUB，回复文字“环欧火车21“

All I want in my life is tons of adventures to look back on.The train ride to Copenhagen from Hamburg was incredible because the train would drive into a gigantic ferry boat to continue the journey at sea. By the time we had settled in it was close to sunset and I was mesmerised with the view from the top deck of the boat. Rikka, my Danish friend who I had met in Barcelona two years ago in a Spanish lesson, came to pick me up at the station in Copenhagen. She had invited me two years earlier when she left and we'd always kept touch. Although we had only briefly met and shared a meal once in Barcelona, I felt like we had been friends for a long time. Rikka struck me as a very gentle woman who had great taste and philosophy in art and life when we first met. She was also passionate about art and had been dedicated to helping artists get their work seen and appreciated around the world for many years. She was very warm and open with me, taking good care of me while I was in Copenhagen and showing me around the museums and cafes of downtown Copenhagen. There is something very special about reconnecting with old friends I met on the road in their home cities. Then Palli decided to fly out from Reykjavik in Iceland and visit me in Copenhagen! Palli and I became really close after I visited Iceland early that year, and we had traveled to many cities together after my visit to Reykjavik. He had come to stay with me in Barcelona in March for a week. Then we visited Vilnius in Lithuania in May. We also had a summer camping trip to the Westfjords in Iceland and had often talked about visiting Copenhagen together. During the three years I was in Europe, I had been out on dates with some incredible men, however the only one I had a unique connection with was this Icelandic man. Palli was tall, good-looking, intelligent, strong in character and had a heart of gold. Although he was six years younger than I was, we could talk for hours on many different and interesting topics. Most importantly, he could understand my humor and always responded back with quick wit. I enjoyed looking at his grey eyes and hearing his life stories and traveling together. Palli was also the only person who I had shared a train ride with on this Eurail journey, which made him even more special and unique in my life. We took the train from Copenhagen and went across the border to arrive in Malmo in Sweden, where we rented an Airbnb. I finally had some rest after 40 days of non-stop moving and meeting people. With Palli, I could be totally relaxed and let my guard down, and even be vulnerable at times. I felt Palli was the person who understood me the most in the world.While Palli was with me, bad news came from China where the publisher made a sudden decision against publishing my book due to the tension between China and Taiwan. I had spent 2000 euros hiring an illustrator, sent the draft, and finalized the book and all the contracts that were sent from China and sent back from Spain. All the back and forth now seemed like a useless act. Losing money also made it feel like a scam as this book had been part of the reason that I wanted to move back to Asia. I had even planned a book signing in Shanghai on Christmas day. I couldn't help but burst into tears. Seeing Palli lying by my side, I felt I might have made a big mistake by leaving Europe and having sold all my things in Spain, there was no turning back. I felt so humiliated and also saddened by the situation. Palli knew that I had been working on that book for the whole year, with all of the ups and downs that come with writing a book. He got up and played a song on his phone. My tears dried up quickly. It was magical.“Always look on the bright side of life…” He also sang along with it. Like each of us, Palli had experienced some unpleasant events in his life but he was also often the brightest and the most positive person I knew. If he could still see life this way after all the unpleasant events, I could too. Maybe something better was meant to come later. I was also thankful that while I was having the hardest moment of my trip, I wasn't alone.Time seemed slow and the air had a bittersweet feeling when we were in Malmo. However, it was also time to say goodbye to Palli and continue on the rest of my journey before leaving Europe. Palli gave me lots of kisses in those three days we were together. Even though that could be our last meeting, we both knew we would cherish those memories we created dearly.Stay tuned...there's much more to come! In the next episode I'll be sharing interesting stories that occured in Budapest, Hungary.**参与我为期6个月的口语训练营参加每日的直播课程/旅行英语训练营，请到我的公众微信账号IFLYCLUB，回复：训练营，报名最新一期的训练营口语课程。****本系列会将中英的版本分开录制，想要进行更深入的英语听力学习或训练，可以听伴随在中文版本的下一集。得到本集节目的中英文文本，预定环欧火车旅行的资讯和网站，当时的照片和影片甚至路线图，请关注公众微信IFLYCLUB，回复文字“环欧火车21“

All I want in my life is tons of adventures to look back on.The train ride to Copenhagen from Hamburg was incredible because the train would drive into a gigantic ferry boat to continue the journey at sea. By the time we had settled in it was close to sunset and I was mesmerised with the view from the top deck of the boat. Rikka, my Danish friend who I had met in Barcelona two years ago in a Spanish lesson, came to pick me up at the station in Copenhagen. She had invited me two years earlier when she left and we'd always kept touch. Although we had only briefly met and shared a meal once in Barcelona, I felt like we had been friends for a long time. Rikka struck me as a very gentle woman who had great taste and philosophy in art and life when we first met. She was also passionate about art and had been dedicated to helping artists get their work seen and appreciated around the world for many years. She was very warm and open with me, taking good care of me while I was in Copenhagen and showing me around the museums and cafes of downtown Copenhagen. There is something very special about reconnecting with old friends I met on the road in their home cities. Then Palli decided to fly out from Reykjavik in Iceland and visit me in Copenhagen! Palli and I became really close after I visited Iceland early that year, and we had traveled to many cities together after my visit to Reykjavik. He had come to stay with me in Barcelona in March for a week. Then we visited Vilnius in Lithuania in May. We also had a summer camping trip to the Westfjords in Iceland and had often talked about visiting Copenhagen together. During the three years I was in Europe, I had been out on dates with some incredible men, however the only one I had a unique connection with was this Icelandic man. Palli was tall, good-looking, intelligent, strong in character and had a heart of gold. Although he was six years younger than I was, we could talk for hours on many different and interesting topics. Most importantly, he could understand my humor and always responded back with quick wit. I enjoyed looking at his grey eyes and hearing his life stories and traveling together. Palli was also the only person who I had shared a train ride with on this Eurail journey, which made him even more special and unique in my life. We took the train from Copenhagen and went across the border to arrive in Malmo in Sweden, where we rented an Airbnb. I finally had some rest after 40 days of non-stop moving and meeting people. With Palli, I could be totally relaxed and let my guard down, and even be vulnerable at times. I felt Palli was the person who understood me the most in the world.While Palli was with me, bad news came from China where the publisher made a sudden decision against publishing my book due to the tension between China and Taiwan. I had spent 2000 euros hiring an illustrator, sent the draft, and finalized the book and all the contracts that were sent from China and sent back from Spain. All the back and forth now seemed like a useless act. Losing money also made it feel like a scam as this book had been part of the reason that I wanted to move back to Asia. I had even planned a book signing in Shanghai on Christmas day. I couldn't help but burst into tears. Seeing Palli lying by my side, I felt I might have made a big mistake by leaving Europe and having sold all my things in Spain, there was no turning back. I felt so humiliated and also saddened by the situation. Palli knew that I had been working on that book for the whole year, with all of the ups and downs that come with writing a book. He got up and played a song on his phone. My tears dried up quickly. It was magical.“Always look on the bright side of life…” He also sang along with it. Like each of us, Palli had experienced some unpleasant events in his life but he was also often the brightest and the most positive person I knew. If he could still see life this way after all the unpleasant events, I could too. Maybe something better was meant to come later. I was also thankful that while I was having the hardest moment of my trip, I wasn't alone.Time seemed slow and the air had a bittersweet feeling when we were in Malmo. However, it was also time to say goodbye to Palli and continue on the rest of my journey before leaving Europe. Palli gave me lots of kisses in those three days we were together. Even though that could be our last meeting, we both knew we would cherish those memories we created dearly.Stay tuned...there's much more to come! In the next episode I'll be sharing interesting stories that occured in Budapest, Hungary.**参与我为期6个月的口语训练营参加每日的直播课程/旅行英语训练营，请到我的公众微信账号IFLYCLUB，回复：训练营，报名最新一期的训练营口语课程。****本系列会将中英的版本分开录制，想要进行更深入的英语听力学习或训练，可以听伴随在中文版本的下一集。得到本集节目的中英文文本，预定环欧火车旅行的资讯和网站，当时的照片和影片甚至路线图，请关注公众微信IFLYCLUB，回复文字“环欧火车21“

Alex Elliott is joined this week by Astrid Fehling, administrative director of education and teaching at the University Centre of the Westfjords. The programme was produced by Lydía Grétarsdóttir. Highlights this week include a broken ferry, waiting for lava, quake anxiety, vaccinations, and leaking 10 Years.

Alex Elliott is joined this week by Astrid Fehling, administrative director of education and teaching at the University Centre of the Westfjords. The programme was produced by Lydía Grétarsdóttir. Highlights this week include a broken ferry, waiting for lava, quake anxiety, vaccinations, and leaking 10 Years.

Visit Saltverk onlineSupport the showApply for the eResonaid Scholarship--Fabian Geyrhalter:Welcome to the show, Bjorn.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Thank you. Thanks for having me.Fabian Geyrhalter:Absolutely. It's such a pleasure having you. You're calling in from the beautiful country of Iceland, where I made some fond memories myself. I was up in Budir actually, which seems to be like half the way up to the Westfjords from Reykjavik, where I think you're located right now.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah.Fabian Geyrhalter:It's such an unbelievably breathtaking place and I have some wonderful friends up there, but they are actually way up there in Akureyri, so I don't know if I said this right, but they're like way up north.Fabian Geyrhalter:I am really, really thrilled to have you on the show because I love what you're doing. You took it upon yourself to pick up where the Danish king left off when he established salt making in Iceland. That was in the 18th century using geothermal energy to produce salt. How did you get into this? Was it a fascination with salt, with food, with sustainability or a love for your country? Tell us a little bit about the story, because it is very unique for you to get into salt making.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Absolutely. I think a combination of the things that you mentioned. I lived in Copenhagen for 10 years, so got a little of perspective from the outside. I think for Iceland, maybe for citizens of many other countries, when they go abroad, they see their own country and their own place from another perspective. Every summer I came back to Iceland, I learned to appreciate the very same things that you mentioned, which is so beautiful about Iceland. It's the nature. It's going into the countryside. I'm from the capital, not from the remote location where we have our production, but this is something that I got fascinated to.In Copenhagen, when I started to live there, things were starting to happen around... I was starting engineering, and this was around 15, 17 years ago around 2004, 2005, and sustainability in manufacturing processes was something that came across me during my studies. But then also there was something happening with food in Copenhagen. In 2005, a restaurant called Noma starts with using Nordic ingredients and I saw them using ingredients from my home country, skyr, which is an Icelandic yogurt that's actually big now also in the United States.And there were things happening within coffee where you had the third wave coffee makers in Copenhagen Coffee Collective, someone like Blue Bottle in the US.Fabian Geyrhalter:Yeah.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Within microbreweries from Copenhagen, there are some pretty strong brands, Mikkeller, and these were things that fascinated me just as a foodie. I was a local at the Mikkeller brew pub, which is in my neighborhood, and the Coffee Collective coffee shop, where they were taking the transparency around where the sources are from the product that we're making and taking it back to the next level. I think from this, and also from the fact that... So in Iceland in 2008, there was a financial maelstrom in the Icelandic economy.Fabian Geyrhalter:That's right. Yeah.Björn Steinar Jónsson:So in the years after, and when I'm about to finish my studies in Copenhagen, then there weren't abundant opportunities to do something in Iceland, if you wanted to add that. So I think the idea is something that comes to me under these circumstances and these influences. I wanted to do something that originated in my home country.As an Icelander, I knew that geothermal energy is something that could be exploited here in Iceland, that could be used. Through that and through my interest in food, I initially over a cup of coffee discussing with a friend why isn't there salt made in Iceland. I mean, we're an island, we have these geothermal energy. Then I stumbled upon the story of the old salt production by the Danish king in the 18th century. I think that's a snowball that in the summer of 2011, got me to just try and see if this could be done. It was just a pet project, if you could say so. It's just something that I just wanted to do. I just spent my summer vacation away from school seeing if this could be done in a small scale.Took me a week to get the first 200 grams or 10 ounces of sea salt by using the geothermal energy. But also, the first five days, nothing was happening and I was probably almost giving up. Then salt started to form on this small little salt pan that I made. I took that back to Reykjavik and the very first thing that I did was to take it to Dill Restaurant, which is Iceland's only Michelin star restaurant today, where I was acquainted with the head chef. I just came into his kitchen and said, "Hey, this is a salt that I make. What do you think about it?" He was amazed and said, "Go back and make some more of that." That's sort of a snowball that starts rolling 10 years ago.Fabian Geyrhalter:That's really amazing. Let's talk about your process. So on your website, which I would invite every listener to go through to get a good sense of your brand's unique story, you state the following: You say, "During this whole process, we use 206 degree Fahrenheit or 93 degrees Celsius hot Geyser water from the hot springs of Reykjanes, where we use it in the preheating, boiling and drying process of our salt. Geothermal energy is the sole energy source used, which means that doing our whole process, we leave zero carbon footprint on the environment and no CO2 and CH4 emissions." This is unbelievable. You even use the geothermal energy to heat the building, right? I mean, everything is basically completely sustainable.Obviously, there's one thing to actually be able to get salt. It's another thing to actually create this infrastructure up there in a very remote area. I mean when my listeners go to your website, they're going to see some pictures, or in Instagram, they see how remote it really is. And looking it up on a map, I mean we're talking about remote that most people in Central Europe or in New York or San Francisco, couldn't even gas. How did you experiment to get this all right? Here in Silicon Valley, we experiment and create test pages and it's like, Oh, and does the project work? But with that, I mean, one thing you get salt, but then how do you actually create this quote unquote, little production area, facility. I don't want to call it a factory because it's far from it. How did you start creating this?You talked about the very beginning of the experiment, but how did that keep going? Was that information being handed down from generation to generation for you to pick it up? Or did you literally just have to learn everything from scratch?Björn Steinar Jónsson:I think mostly, I mean, we just had this idea that because it was done before and that this long time ago, we could reinitiate that process, and then we had the idea. I guess from my engineering perspective background, then had this idea that this production system, if you'd call it that, and all of these processes that we could do with the geothermal energy, which was abundant. That was what fascinated me in this so remote location that I came to. You just had the hot water coming from the ground, no one using it. It was something like this is a resource that should be used, and that becomes a driving factor. From that moment, everything is testing and trials on the scale one to one with all the failures that that includes.I guess as you probably know, in the Silicon Valley, a lot of your tests are going to fail and exactly the same applies here. It's about enjoying that ride which comes with all of the [inaudible 00:09:46] of... You know. We've learned a lot on how to do this. We just try and try again and we iterate and iterate until we succeed with what we want to do in each part of the step. Last week, I spent most of the week with my colleague where we were working on some improvements, and it's long days there, but then the beautiful nature and so rewarding when you finally succeed with the small step, but that always comes after a few steps or failures.Fabian Geyrhalter:Well, and the success wouldn't be as beautiful if there wouldn't be the failures. Right? I mean, imagine if there wouldn't be failures. I'd say we wouldn't even know what success was. Right?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Absolutely.Fabian Geyrhalter:On your Instagram page, I saw that you were... A long time ago, I think you were at the food show, Expo West in LA, which is obviously one of the biggest food shows in the world. And it's right down the street here from us in Long Beach. How important are US sales to your brand at this point? Is US a really big part of your consumer percentage at this point?Björn Steinar Jónsson:It's becoming a larger and larger part of our business. I would assume that this year, as the year starts off and as the last quarter of last year it was because of huge growth that we've had in online or E-commerce in the US, that it would probably be half of our business this year.Fabian Geyrhalter:Wow. That's amazing. So to play devil's advocate, sustainability is such a key ingredient of the Saltverk brand story, right? How do you balance that out with obviously, I mean, Iceland is an island, you're remote. You obviously have to ship product. There's absolutely no way around it. How do you feel about that carbon footprint that is being left because of that and how you actually produce your salt?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Absolutely. I mean, that's something that we do put consideration into. Since 2015, we have with a local organization here in Iceland offset the CO2 footprint that is generated off our business.Fabian Geyrhalter:Oh, wonderful.Björn Steinar Jónsson:So they do a calculation of that, where... I mean, essentially it's only the logistics, it's only the transportation, but then also it's about the choices that we make and how we transport our product. For example, we refuse to ship our products by air because they don't need to. It's not a fresh food. Salt has an infinite expiry date.Fabian Geyrhalter:True. Yeah, yeah.Björn Steinar Jónsson:So we ship it only by sea, which is a huge difference in the carbon footprint to do it by sea, with boats instead of by air. That's why we say no to a lot of opening up to a lot of market in UK. Our own web shop is only open for Europe and the US because in these places we have warehouses are able to ship by sea to the warehouses, and then it's distributed locally. We don't have open for any foreign markets, Asia, Australia, even though we get a lot of requests from these markets, as we just don't have the resources to be able to set that operation which we see that makes sense to us. Iceland is located, I mean, middle between Europe and North America. We have decided to focus on the markets of Northern Europe, so Scandinavia, where we are selling and then to the US. So it's the markets that are closest to where we are currently. And then we're doing the offsetting, as I said, initially. So this is something we put a thought into it, for sure and find it justifiable.Also, because if you look at in the product category we are making in, we have some plenty sea salt producers that are using natural gas or other resources that leave a huge carbon footprint. I mean, just to give a perspective, you need 20 liters, what's that two, I don't know how many gallons it is. You need to boil down 20 liters of seawater just for a small pack of our salt. So there's a lot of energy involved just in the process of evaporating the seawater. But we are just using a natural resource that's coming through when it comes into our system, and it goes out of the system. We're just working in harmony with the nature at source.Fabian Geyrhalter:I absolutely love this. Of course, you give this a lot of thought. I was wondering as a consumer coming to your website and reading the story, and then afterwards, okay, I'm going to shop, I'm going to buy one, right? And here I am in LA and there's something about this transaction that just feels... It goes a little bit against the brand story, but I love how you give this so much thought and how you ship it in containers, and you have your warehouses and everything is this... And then you offset that little bit of carbon footprint in the way. It's fantastic. I've been using your salt since December. Now I also use Himalayan and Mediterranean all for their own purposes, right?So I'm definitely one of the few salt connoisseurs amongst regular consumers who is absolutely willing to pay, I don't know, 20, 30 times more for Saltverk salt than the regular supermarket salt. Business Insider had a whole video about this price difference. But seeing how and knowing how your salt is being harvested by hand makes the $12 per jar not feel expensive in my eyes at all, because it just doesn't because you know the story behind it and the taste and the difference, and all of that. But a lot of brand strategy is about positioning and pricing. How did you go about pricing when you positioned your brand? What is too much? What is too little? How much do you simply have to charge to make Saltverk a sustainable business? There are a lot of questions like that. Like, how do you price salt?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Absolutely. I mean, initially, we probably did the mistake that many, many do that at least doing a physical product, we undervalued how difficult. We thought we could produce more at a lower cost, et cetera. So there was some steps in the beginning that we didn't really catch how much of an effort it would be. And then you have some reference points. What we haven't done is that... I often tell the story of when a retailer and we traditionally, we started out with selling to retailers, retail chains, high-end retail chains in Scandinavia locally, and in Denmark in all the markets. And then you have this bargaining. Your whole company is starting up, here comes the retailer, which has a hundred stores or 200 stores, and he wants to bargain with you.I talked to all of them, "Hey, before we start talking about the price, come. I'll buy your ticket. Come and I'll drive you to the Westfjords and I'll let you harvest some salt, and then we can talk about the pricing.Fabian Geyrhalter:Excellent.Björn Steinar Jónsson:I managed to get some of our customers this way, just to go to the Westfjords, see the remote location and understand the origin of the product and what effort is behind it, and then the understanding of what bargaining they want to do. This conversation becomes totally different, and it did also because how fascinated they were coming to the beautiful nature of the Westfjords and you could say it's partly a sales trick, but I mean, it just took that conversation to a totally different level of what is fair to pay for this product.What you're also paying for is the transparency and the trust that I mean, from day one... And I think I was looking at food manufacturing and there were some documentaries 10 years ago about how some different types of food was made, where people couldn't see. The first thing we did to the building were we were to construct them into or to change the door into a window so people could always see in. That was sort of telling the transparency of everyone can come here and see, and it's been like that from day one.Fabian Geyrhalter:That's really awesome. I mean, the story behind the brand is half of its success, right? I mean, obviously as a connoisseur and as a foodie and as a chef in a Michelin star restaurant, you can taste the difference and you can feel the difference. But as someone who is just buying salt for the restaurant chain, and they want to have something that's a little more higher end, they need to feel that story. They need to be a part of it. I saw that you had a lot of chefs up there too, and you do this regularly, and it's a really smart thing to do.Let's talk a little bit about the product. So you've got six products. One is the pure flaky sea salt, but then you also have birch smoked salt, lava salt, Arctic thyme, seaweed, and licorice salt. There must be a limited amount of salt that either you can produce or you're willing to produce. Or can you actually expand on various salt blends? How far will you or can you take your production given its location and reliance on natural resources?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah. I mean, I think within the product range that we have right now, we are comfortable with that, and don't see... So, I mean these products, they either have a reference to where we are from, from Iceland. We have the seaweed. We have the Arctic thyme which only grows in Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. So only in the Arctic region here. We have the birch smoked that's a tradition in Iceland that we used traditionally for land here. So we are smoking it in the same way. Yes. So we started to learn that from a farmer. Then we have our own smoke facility. Then we have the licorice that's a traditional thing in Scandinavia in candy and sweets. It's not something that comes from here, but it has a cultural reference for Scandinavians.So we wouldn't want to do something that... I don't see myself ever making, let's say, lemon sauce, or something that doesn't have any either cultural or natural reference to Iceland. That's also partly because also these ingredients we're working with, the Arctic thyme, we get it from a farmer and there's also limited resource available of that. Or the seaweed, which is harvested. It's wild seaweed harvested here in Iceland. So, it's definitely limited production in so many means, but also something we set ourselves some constraints about. We don't want to expand in any direction just for expanding.Fabian Geyrhalter:Yeah, yeah. That puts a whole different meaning to the overused phrase of farm to table. Right?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah.Fabian Geyrhalter:I mean, it's really that's how it is with what you guys do. I saw you did an Instagram takeover with the restaurant Amass in Copenhagen, where I was fortunate to eat a few years ago. I understand studying in Copenhagen for you that you became a foodie. It's an amazing scene up there. You're also yourself, I believe, the co-owner of the Michelin Bib winning restaurant in Reykjavik. So it goes without saying that Saltverk is indirectly linked to some of the greatest restaurants in the world. How has the global pandemic affected Saltverk? Did you start pushing direct to consumer much more as a result during the pandemic?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah. I mean, in the first wave of COVID last year, we basically, March, April, I mean we saw our sales... You know, those two restaurants that's been a big and important part of our business, basically, we suffered just like all our partners and we've both had that continuing but not to the same extent. In the second part of the year, it restarted in a way, and we've also been seeing... The thing about all the restaurants that we sell to, I know it just started with me visiting the kitchens and giving them samples and just ask them of their opinion, the chefs at the restaurants, Amass, Noma, et cetera.And then they become a user, and then a chef who comes there in the kitchen, he starts to work in another restaurant, and then he wants to order our product. So I guess on the restaurant side, we haven't been hit as much as restaurants in general have done because we just are seeing new customers coming in more, and more people wanting to use our salt instead of something else. Then organically, we started doing direct to consumer in 2017 through our workshop, but also on Amazon. That was something that we started to put as one of the channels.Initially, when starting the business, I always said that I didn't want any single customer. Then I was thinking about the retailers we were selling to. I didn't want any of them to represent more than 5% of our sales, just because I didn't want... If one doesn't want to, and it's especially important with the retailers, because if they become too big of a customer, then they have a leverage on you in terms of pricing. We couldn't do that because we simply can't with the remote location we're producing and with all the work that we put into our product.We started working on E-commerce in 2017, and in 2018, it was representing probably less than 1% of our revenues but growing at a fast pace, and that we had spent three years on that was, in hindsight, a really good decision once things happened last year with the pandemic. Because as I said, I mean in the US, our sales is mainly online and that's probably going to be half of our business this year.Fabian Geyrhalter:Yeah. Amazing, amazing. Well, just wait until this episode of the podcast airs. It's going to be up to 60, 70%.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah. Exactly.Fabian Geyrhalter:Well, you already mentioned this, but I always like to ask founders on my show when they look back at how they had their idea, and then suddenly the idea actually turned into something more. When did they know that wow, you know, it's like, I think I've got a brand here. I don't think this is a startup anymore. This is actually turning into a brand. When was that moment for you? I mean, you talked about the first big moment, which was literally handing over the salt to the only Michelin star restaurant in Iceland and saying, what do you think? And he was like, this is amazing. I mean, that's obviously one of the big breakthroughs, but when did you feel like you were actually turning into a brand, into something where people would ask for it?Björn Steinar Jónsson:I think I mentioned a couple of things. We used, from day one, restaurants to get feedback and to improve on our product and in the first years that we were making our salt, and I mean our product has improved throughout the years just by using this feedback from chefs. And it took us a few years to get a restaurant which was on our target list, Noma in Copenhagen. In the very first years, they didn't want to use our salt. They said it was not consistent enough with some other parameters of how we were drying it, et cetera, and we wouldn't want to change it up. We improved on those things. And then I guess four or five years ago, they all of a sudden say, yes, now you nailed it. We want to use your salt.We just took the feedback and said just thanks for giving a feedback. We'll try to improve and use the feedback that we get from you. I would also say another thing. I mean, we did in Iceland locally farmer's market for six or seven years, just because on the retail side, when your product is on the shelf of a store, you don't get a customer feedback. Yes, you get something through social media but that's maybe biased. It's only your super fans, et cetera, that are there for these markets.And then once our direct to consumer business started to build up, then all the positive reviews that we get there, and which is funneling organic sales and all the messages that I give to the salt makers. Everyone at the company have a job title of being a salt maker, and I give it to the employees up in Westfjords. I sent them when we get feedback from customers. We get emails from customers where people are, again, saying this is the only salt that I want to use. It makes so much difference for me in my... So I guess these product feedbacks either it's from a professional or from the retail customers is both sort of gives this a turning moment for me, but also, it's also the most rewarding thing.Fabian Geyrhalter:Of course. Of course. Absolutely. I think it goes back to our conversation earlier about failure and success, right?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Oh, yeah.Fabian Geyrhalter:That the two go hand in hand. I think it is just so wonderful to hear that Noma said no in the beginning, because that's... I mean, literally it's in the name. Noma is supposed to say no in the beginning. It's so much their brand. Right?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah, yeah.Fabian Geyrhalter:That idea that you started at farmer's markets, I hear that from food entrepreneurs here in the US all the time, and they say the same thing that you say where it is so important to stand eight hours, five hours at the farmer's market and get the feedback. You know, just sell like 30, 40, 50 jars, it doesn't matter. It's about that personal interaction where you can actually... That's your product... You know, that's Q and A. You know what I mean? That's product development really.Björn Steinar Jónsson:It's finding a product market fit, which is so important for every business. You don't do that otherwise. It was never about the revenue that the farmer's market gave to you, but it was always about the feedback that you could get and take both the negative and the positive.Fabian Geyrhalter:Absolutely, absolutely. If you could take the Saltverk brand and kind of distill it into one word... It's something that I always like to ask my founders, because it is so difficult. And I work with my clients on this to really say like, what is one word that could describe your brand inside out, right? The entire brand philosophy, the product. How could you distill it into one word? What could be one word that could describe Saltverk?Björn Steinar Jónsson:Not a sentence. A word you want.Fabian Geyrhalter:You can give me a sentence, too. You're my guest.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah, yeah. I mean, I could say a few things. I guess either transparency or sustainability, or I often like to say what you see is what you get, and that sort of puts those things into the... It can sort of include both of them.Fabian Geyrhalter:Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I like that. I really like that. Your visual brand is very understated as it even demands to be perhaps, but still you're branding Saltverk through the stories you tell, the partnerships you keep, the press you generate, and the products you sell. What does branding mean to you? I want to add to this because some listeners might have overheard this before, but you said that you were actually an engineer or you studied engineering, which now makes so much sense of how the entire brand came together. Right? Because it takes an engineer to figure this out. But after going through this entire journey and now being where you're at with your brand and selling it to the best restaurants in the world and the connoisseurs around the US and in Europe, I would say, what does branding mean to you? It's such a strange word. It's so overused. It's very often also misused. What does it mean to you?Björn Steinar Jónsson:I think in today's world and I think to a much extent, in our conversation again and again, I think in today's world, it's so personal. People demand, customers demand that they get the personality of a brand through what are the values. As I said, our values about sustainability, the trust that the customers have and what you see is what you get. I think these things and things that are basically ingrained in your organization, you can't put a statement up in today's world, which looks nice on paper, but isn't the reality, I think. You have to live through your values in every way and show them.That's what I said. We have been from day one open to everyone. Any day, anyone can come and visit. We try to get the chefs. We try to get the buyers. Really just any customer comes and visit and can come and visit us and see the production. These things are something that we are trying to get through to people as they are buying our product on the website. They should see it through all that we do and in branding, I think. But then that's a task of every day to be able to communicate that and scale it.Fabian Geyrhalter:And scale it. Yeah, absolutely. It's obviously easier when a brand has been instinctively and organically built with that foundation at the heart of it which is sustainability, it's transparency. It's basically what you see is what you get. With that philosophy, it's very different instilling this into companies where they lost it. They still have it at the heart, but they lost it. I think it's really fascinating. You're absolutely right. That's what branding is in 2021. It is all about shared values. It's all about transparency. It's all about making it personable because we want to relate to a brand again. Totally agree.What's next for Saltverk? What are you excited about in the next six months? It's been a rough ride with the pandemic for everyone, but what are you excited about?Björn Steinar Jónsson:I guess for now, I'm most excited about being able to travel and visit some of our partners and restaurant partners that have had a much more harder time than we've had and try to see and support them in any way that we can, but also to continue and to improve on. I'm super excited about that, and I feel we're just starting about working with exactly these things that I have been mentioning, about telling the story of how transparent we are in our operation, about getting more visibility about making... We're working with a local agency of making content. We're going next week with the crew to take videos of our production to be able to show people so they can come on a virtual visit and see our salt production in a better way.We feel that we are just starting these things. And then there are so many things that we can do to improve on our operation in terms of sustainability even, and the world is changing a lot there also in terms of packaging, in terms of what is the best way to offset the footprint that you generate and so on. So we've got our hands full of things that we're excited about the future. I hope that we will see in the second part of this year, once vaccinations have been rolled out, people are starting to be able to travel to some extent again.Fabian Geyrhalter:Yeah, absolutely. I love what you said about telling the story even more so than you do. Right? I think that there's a huge opportunity, and customers just love to hear that. I'm just so happy that you're excited about what's next, right? Because it seems like there's like the sky is slowly opening up again and I think there's a lot of amazing things around the corner. Talking about social media and you telling your story, where can people find you? If not on location, which most of them can, where can they find you online?Björn Steinar Jónsson:They could find me on Instagram or Facebook or through our website, saltverk.com.Fabian Geyrhalter:Perfect.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Or anywhere under the brand Saltverk.Fabian Geyrhalter:And that's Saltverk with a V. Spelled with a V.Björn Steinar Jónsson:Yeah.Fabian Geyrhalter:And that's where everyone can find you. Well, thank you so much, Bjorn. This gave me a lot of personal joy and satisfaction having you on this show. It was wonderful hearing your stories and getting your insights about how you run your sustainable brand. Thank you so much for being on the show.Björn Steinar Jónsson:My pleasure. Really fun talking with you.

Gastronomie, loisirs... Chaque chaque dimanche, la rédaction d'Europe 1 se réunit et fait un tour de table pour que vous fassiez le plein d'idées sorties, en famille ou entre amis.

Practicing in Iceland, Dr. Hrefna Sylvia discusses a chronic pain patient with lumbar degenerative disc disease. About Dr. Hrefna Syliva Dr Hrefna Sylvia is born and raised in a small town in the Westfjords in Iceland. In 2009 while training for an Ironman she experienced severe low back pain, that is when she first got introduced to chiropractic. Her interest for chiropractic increased with time and in 2014 she moved to Georgia to study chiropractic. Dr Hrefna Sylvia graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractor from Life University in Atlanta, GA in June 2018 and was awarded the Clinic Excellence award at graduation. During her studies she went as a volunteer to Haiti where she treated both children and adults of all ages. She also went as a volunteer to Eugene, Oregon to help out in the medical tent during the track and field tryouts for the Olympics in Rio 2016. Dr Hrefna Sylvia specializes in the Cox technique as well as the Gonstead technique. She is the only fully certified chiropractor in the Cox technique in Iceland. Resources: hrefnasylvia@gmail.com Facebook: Hrefna Sylvía kírópraktor Instagram: Hrefna Sylvía kírópraktor (hrefnakiro)   Practice name : Endurheimt - Heilsumiðstöð Website: www.endurheimt.is Phone: 832-0404   Find a Back Doctor   The Cox 8 Table by Haven Medical

In this Saga Short, we journey with Auðun of the Westfjords, an Icelander who gives everything he has to purchase a polar bear in Greenland. Why buy a polar bear, you ask? Well, what makes a more impressive gift for a king than a polar bear? In this brilliant and widely anthologized þáttr, Auðun will travel throughout Scandinavia, suffer the pangs of hunger and poverty, visit Rome, survive a debilitating illness, gain the love of a wealthy benefactor, and get the better of a certain hard-minded king. Join us for this holiday gift-giving special as we discuss The Tale of Auðun and the Bear! When you're finished you might enjoy watching this cute animated version of the story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPEsQGC4T0c And if you're one of those types that like to peruse some good bibliography: Antonsson, Haki. "The Construction of Auðunar þáttr Vestfirzka: A Case of Typological Thinking in Early Old Norse Prose." Scandinavian Studies 90, no. 4 (2018): 485-508. Fichtner, Edward G. “Gift Exchange and Initiation in the ‘Auđunar Þáttr Vestfirzka’.” Scandinavian Studies 51, no. 3 (1979): 249-72. Miller, William Ian. Audun and the Polar Bear: Luck, Law, and Largess in a Medieval Tale of Risky Business. 1. Vol. 1. Medieval Law and Its Practice. Boston, MA: Brill, 2008. Pálsson, Hermann, ed. Hrafnkel's Saga: and Other Stories. Translated by Hermann Pálsson. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1971. There ya go. Music Credits: Intro: From “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom Outro: Snæfinnur Snjókarl by Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson        

Halla Ólafsdóttir, a young Icelander, shares with me why she feels that people in her generation are moving away from the Reykjavík area in favor of the countryside. Halla has a BA degree in Icelandic language and creative writing at the University of Iceland. At the Free University of Berlin, she received an MA in Visual and Media Anthropology. Halla moved back to Iceland in 2014. Even though she was born and raised in Reykjavík, she chose to move to Ísafjörður in 2015.  While there, she's been working for news and other programs of RÚV, the National broadcasting service, in the Westfjords. It was fascinating for me to hear what she felt is driving a young Icelander, like herself, to more remote places of the country. It certainly was not what I was expecting to hear as a trend in Iceland. However, after this discussion and living in Ísafjörður for three weeks, I can see why a young Icelander would gravitate towards the countryside. I hope you enjoy this interview. All Things Iceland Won an Award! It is with awe and gratitude that I share that tonight I was presented with an Equal Rights Award from the town of Mosfellsbær. This award is for the work I’ve been doing on the All Things Iceland podcast and YouTube channel to share the experiences of different foreign nationals and Icelanders in this country. It’s an honor for me to share those stories and to shine a light on the diversity in this country. I’m so grateful that the town I live in sees the value in that work. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this award and helping to lift up diverse voices in our community. Join the All Things Iceland Community on Patreon Some of you might be aware that one of my goals for the podcast is to travel around Iceland more to interview different people in each region. In July, I set up the All Things Iceland community on Patreon. Patreon is a membership platform that was founded in 2013. It allows for creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you in exchange for a monthly subscription. I would like to give a shout out to Julia. She is one of the newest members of the Ásgarður tier in the All Things Iceland community on Patreon. Julia and the other members in the community are helping to support the evolution of All Things Iceland and I greatly appreciate it. Each month I am doing Ask Me Anything videos, Live Chats, and Folklore Friday each week. Sometimes I do updates about my life in Iceland. I do not share this content on any other channel. The support from my patrons on the All Things Iceland community on Patreon will help to evolve All Things Iceland. There are several membership tiers to choose from and each tier has a variety of benefits. If you would like to join the community, go to patreon.com/allthingsiceland. I look forward to having you join. Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeTwitter Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

In this episode I get to talk with a pediatrician who is currently living in Sweden. We talk about her medical training during which she went to Kenya to broaden her cultural views on global healthcare and learn how to care for people in different environments. She shares why the Westfjords of Iceland are so special to her and some of the things she used to do as a child while visiting there. She also talks about some of her experiences in Poland, Australia, Japan, and India. Music credit: Vlad Gluschenko - A Shore Under The Pineapple Tree and Harmony. Jingle Punks - Timed Out. RKVC - 8th World Wonder. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/travelworthliving/support

This week, I share the fun chat I had with Mugison, a talented Icelandic artist that has been making waves on a local and global scale. We talked about the time he spent living in Africa as a child, musicians that inspire him, the impact of Icelandic nature on his music, his epic music festival Aldrei Fór Ég Suður (I never went South), and so much more.  Why I was in the Westfjords During my time in the Westfjords, I had the opportunity to interview some fascinating people in the area. My main reason for going to Ísafjörður was to take an intense three week Icelandic course at the University Center of the Westfjords. I’m planning to share a full review of that experience on the All Things Iceland Patreon, so keep a look out for that. Of course, I couldn’t go to the Westfjords and not get some interviews for the podcast. I was fortunate that Mugison lives in Súðavík and was open to chatting with me. It was such a blast to chat with him, and I felt like I was talking to one of my friends. I hope you enjoy this interview and the others from that area that I will be sharing in the near future.   Questions I Asked Mugison During the Interview You were born in Reykjavík and your family moved to Ísafjörður until you were the age of six but after that your family left Iceland to live in Cape Verde in West Africa. Can you talk a bit about why your family moved there and what was life like for you? What was it like coming back to Iceland after living abroad at such a young age? At what time in your life did you start to become interested in music? Did something happen that immediately attracted you to being a musician or did it kind of gradually enter into your life? What musicians in Iceland and abroad have impacted you and inspired you as an artist? Where do you look for inspiration to create your music? What advice do you have budding musical artists in Iceland?  How has your musical style evolved over time? You’ve done collaborations with several artists, including the iconic Icelandic singer Bubbi Morthens. Do you have any dream collaborations that you would like to do? Back in 2004, you and your father started a music festival called Aldrei fór ég Suður here in Ísafjörður. Can you explain a little bit about the festival and what makes it unique? Your name is Örn but you go by Mugison, why that name? As you’ve grown in popularity here and abroad, how has it been adjusting to being known? If you go to Reykjavík or abroad and walk around, do people try to stop you for pictures? What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase? Join the All Things Iceland Community on Patreon Some of you might be aware that one of my goals for the podcast is to travel around Iceland more to interview different people in each region. In July, I set up the All Things Iceland community on Patreon. Patreon is a membership platform that was founded in 2013. It allows for creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you in exchange for a monthly subscription. Each month I am doing Ask Me Anything videos, Live Chats, and Folklore Friday each week. Sometimes I do updates about my life in Iceland. I do not share this content on any other channel. The support from my patrons on the All Things Iceland community on Patreon will help to evolve All Things Iceland. There are several membership tiers to choose from and each tier has a variety of benefits. I would like to give a special shout out to Betty, Noa, Paul, Danielle, Melton, and Mark. They are members of the Ásgarður tier, which is the Land of the Gods in Norse Mythology. Members of that tier get a special shout out on the podcast each month. There are also Live group chats with me and a special gift that was made in Iceland sent to them from me each year. If you would like to join the community, go to patreon.com/allthingsiceland. I look forward to having you join. Let’s be social!

Tyler Wacker embarked on an incredible cycling journey from California to Ísafjörður in the Westfjords.  For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram, I am currently in Ísafjörður taking Icelandic courses. Coincidentally, Tyler is at the same school, even though he is studying something completely different than me. After working in the transportation engineering industry for six years and feeling unfulfilled with his work, Tyler decided it was time to set off on a bicycle tour around the perimeter of the United States starting and ending in San Francisco, where he was currently living.  The goals he had set for the journey were to assess where his life was and figure out how best to use his hands to address the climate crisis. Having mentally and physically prepared through a variety of endurance sports over the past few years, his new lifestyle came almost naturally until COVID forced him to pause his tour. After sheltering in place for ten weeks, he set off on his bike again but had revised his plan after he learned he had been accepted into the University Centre of the Westfjords in Isafjordur. He would now bike from Texas to Minneapolis and then to Boston to catch a flight to Keflavik and bike six days through Iceland to his new home.   During the interview, we dive into Tyler’s experience cycling in the U.S. and in Iceland, some of the challenges that he faced, the positive experience he had, and more. You can find Tyler on Instagram at @tjwack. Questions I Asked Tyler Wacker During the Interview Can you share the events that led to you to do this epic journey? Had you been to Iceland before? Had you been to the Westfjords before cycling here? What was it like pre-COVID traveling in the United States? Do you encounter any difficulties when cycling in the US because of COVID? What was it like when you arrived in Iceland? What has your cycling journey been like here? We’ve been encountering a second outbreak here. How has your experience here, regarding COVID, been different than in the U.S.? How did it feel when you finally arrived in Ísafjörður? What are your studying and how is school so far? I read that your planning to due to the Boston Marathon being cancelled that people who registered for it can run it wherever they are. You’re planning to do it in the Westfjords. Have you mapped out where you plan to run? What’s your favorite Icelandic word or phrase? Join All Things Iceland on Patreon If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it is a membership platform that allows creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you. To learn more and join the community, check it out here. Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeTwitter Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

Satu Rämö was born and raised in Finland, but has been living in Iceland for almost 20 years. She shares a lot about her life in Iceland with Finnish people and she has a huge following in Finland. I think it is safe to say that she is the official Finn in Iceland, as well as a creative entrepreneur, author and social media nerd. I met Satu through her husband Björgvin. He and I used to work at the same company. One day I was talking about the trials and tribulations of learning Icelandic and Björgvin said that his wife had gone through it and I should read her book, which is titled “My Journey to Iceland: 10 Crazy years and I am still here”. It was so interesting to learn about her life, the different cultural adjustments, how she met her husband and so much more. During the interview we talked about a variety of topics. Of course one of the questions had to do with the differences she has noticed between Iceland and Finland. To connect with Satu on Instagram, her account is @satu_ramo. Questions I Asked Satu Rämö During the Interview You’re from Finland and I’m just curious about what brought you to Iceland? Your book, which is titled, “My Journey to Iceland: 10 Crazy years and I am still here”, which was published in 2016, gives a good timeline of your journey here. One story that stuck out to me is when you met some Icelanders who were on vacation. It was during the economic boom in Iceland, so Icelanders were spending money like crazy. What was it like to be in the country before the economic meltdown? What are some surprising cultural differences that you observed between Finnish and Icelandic people when you started living here? Finnish, like Icelandic, is considered a difficult language to learn. What was it like learning Icelandic here? Do you have any advice for people that are learning the language or who want to learn it? You have a large following in Finland. What is the perception of Iceland in Finland? And vice versa, what do Icelandic people think of Finnish people? You and your family moved from downtown Reykjavík to Ísafjörður in the Westfjords last year. What inspired you to make that move and what is life like for you in a smaller town? What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase? Join All Things Iceland on Patreon If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it is a membership platform that allows creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you. To learn more and join the community, check it out here. Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me: InstagramFacebookYouTubeTwitter Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

In this episode I get to talk with a nurse from Iceland who grew up on a farm in a remote part of the country. We talk about farm life, sheep herding, nursing, and travel in the Westfjords. You can follow along with her adventures by visiting https://www.instagram.com/eliningal/. Music credit: Vlad Gluschenko - A Shore Under The Pineapple Tree and Harmony. Jingle Punks - Timed Out. Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100340 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/travelworthliving/support

In this episode I get to talk with a surfer dude in one of the most unlikely locations: Iceland. Originally from France, Mathis has traveled all over Europe and is now studying in the northwestern town of Ísafjörður. We talk about his passion for surfing in the frigid waters, his love of spontaneous travel, and what he enjoys most about the Westfjords. You can follow him on social media at https://www.instagram.com/mathis_blache/. This episode was made possible by Trippaly, an online tour site that fosters authentic cross-cultural connections. Be sure to check them out at Trippaly.com. Music credit: Vlad Gluschenko - A Shore Under The Pineapple Tree and Harmony. Jingle Punks - Timed Out. RKVC - 8th World Wonder. Achaidh Cheide - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100340 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/travelworthliving/support

Alex Elliott is joined this week by the RÚV broadcast journalist Birgir Þór Harðarson and on the telephone from the Westfjords by Alex Tyas. This week's highlights include: a remarkable week for Icelandair and its cabin crew, a lot of earthquakes, six safe countries, and an orange weather warning in the middle of summer.

Alex Elliott is joined this week by the RÚV broadcast journalist Birgir Þór Harðarson and on the telephone from the Westfjords by Alex Tyas. This week's highlights include: a remarkable week for Icelandair and its cabin crew, a lot of earthquakes, six safe countries, and an orange weather warning in the middle of summer.

Valur Grettisson and Poppy Askham go over Iceland's latest COVID-19 news including travel advice, an outbreak of the virus in a Westfjords nursing home and discussions about PPE supplies in Iceland. As we start the week during which Iceland's outbreak is predicted to peak, over 1500 Icelanders are infected and six people have died from the virus.

Valur Grettisson and Poppy Askham go over Iceland’s latest COVID-19 news including travel advice, an outbreak of the virus in a Westfjords nursing home and discussions about PPE supplies in Iceland. As we start the week during which Iceland’s outbreak is predicted to peak, over 1500 Icelanders are infected and six people have died from the virus.

Alex Elliott is joined this week by journalists Anna Sigríður Einarsdóttir and Iceland Review's Ragnar Tómas Hallgrímsson. The programme was produced by Lydía Grétarsdóttir. This week's highlights include: the devastating avalanches in the Westfjords, the tragic loss of two tourists in bad weather, the fortunes of Iceland's men's handball team so far, and local government workers' struggle for better wages and conditions.

Alex Elliott is joined this week by journalists Anna Sigríður Einarsdóttir and Iceland Review's Ragnar Tómas Hallgrímsson. The programme was produced by Lydía Grétarsdóttir. This week's highlights include: the devastating avalanches in the Westfjords, the tragic loss of two tourists in bad weather, the fortunes of Iceland's men's handball team so far, and local government workers' struggle for better wages and conditions.

Happy New Year, SOTAns! We are kicking off 2020 with some great art-of-the-Midwest-and-beyond content, with a whole new year of it to come! In the words of Sarah Kuenzler, “Let's GO!” Can we just talk about Lucas, Kansas for a moment? Wait, never heard of it? Well, listen on in because it's a favorite art pilgrimage, listed on Artsy along with sites like the Getty. Next, we talk about just why is it so hard to get a job in art?? Why, though? We talk about personal experiences and greater factors at play in the scarcity of stable art employment in general. Lastly, but not leastly, we have a fun and informational interview with local artist, Alyssa Baguss! She has a show up NOW at the MAEP gallery at Mia and has an artist talk coming up on the 16th! Tickets are free, but you gotta grab em' now! References: Our Readers' Favorite Art Destinations, from a Kansas Town to the Westfjords of Iceland – Artsy Alyssa Baguss on MNArtists --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sota/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sota/support

Getting a peek inside the Cardif music scene with Boy Azooga, also Ösp from Hrím describes a hectic Airwaves week with only four songs and one prior gig under their belt, and Katla from Between Mountains describes life in the Westfjords and how to balance music duties with regular life. #grapewaves

Getting a peek inside the Cardif music scene with Boy Azooga, also Ösp from Hrím describes a hectic Airwaves week with only four songs and one prior gig under their belt, and Katla from Between Mountains describes life in the Westfjords and how to balance music duties with regular life.

Have you been to Iceland and want to go back to see something new? Or maybe you would love to see Iceland's natural beauty without the crowds you find in the Golden Circle or the South Coast? Tamara shares how to get off-the-beaten path with Hidden Iceland. Tune in to hear about her girls' trip to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the West Fjords. ON THE PODCAST 00:30 - Talking with Tamara about Iceland 02:15 - Getting around Iceland 04:00 - Tamara’s Itinerary 10:20 - Warning signs 12:55 - Driving tour 36:48 - Group trip next year 37:30 - Coming up for Kim and Tamara TIPS FOR VISITING ICELAND Getting from the airport to the capital city of Reykjavik will cost you about 150 to 175 dollars taking a taxi. A cheaper option is to take the FlyBus, which will cost you around 30 dollars to get to Reykjavik. Of course you can also rent a car if you will be driving around the country. If you see a warning sign in Iceland you really need to take heed. They don’t put up signs without reason. The warning signs can mean that someone has died there. You should really think about booking hotels in advance if you plan on visiting Iceland. They book up quickly since they don’t have as many hotels outside of Reykjavik. If you want to spend more than 3 days in Iceland, you should plan on renting a car and moving from place to place to minimize driving and see more. If you are visiting in the winter, you are better off taking group or private tours with a driver versus driving on your own. Hidden Iceland offers group and private tours to the Golden Circle, South Coast, Snaefellsnes, and the Westfjords. All of their guides are experts in their fields including volcanologists, glacier guides, and folklore specialists. Although getting from place to place takes a while, you will have a more of an experience visiting Iceland if you travel around to different areas rather than just staying in Reykjavik for your whole stay. The Westfjords can only be accessed in the summer, from May or June through August or September. MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Iceland Family Travel Tips - Episode 013 Hidden Iceland Tours Hotel Budir Eiriksstadir - Viking Longhouse Heydalur Hotel West Icelandic Taxi and Tours FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

Hello, I am Joel Ingram, and this is "Crisis to Crushin' It" Podcast. Let’s dive into this week’s talk, and help to: 1. Increase perspective. 2. Expand perception.  3. Allow you to change your reality. This is a follow up episode with Ben, there are plans for a mini series looking at the key principles that he lives by to make himself the BEST VERSION of himself. Ben Turner is an adventure athlete with a passion for extreme endurance challenges. He is the founder of Athlete Adventure, a platform on which he shares his experiences, the teachings of masters of their trades. His recent experience of cycling around the Westfjords in Iceland to create a new trail to circumnavigate the country. He found himself tired with still over 2000km to go, out of nowhere in the water next to where he was cycling, he was joined by a pod of humpback whales, breaching and swimming next to him, this was unlike anything he had experienced before and it was then that he realised that sometimes when you are driven, suffering by not stopping, and you are there for the right reasons, the world will back you up and give you what you need to keep going. for me, that was a little motivation. His mission is to help other people to Redefine their own 'Possible'. Ben, Welcome to the show! Please reach out to connect, below. https://www.athleteadventure.com/ (https://www.athleteadventure.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/athleteadventure/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/athleteadventure/) https://www.facebook.com/athleteadventure (https://www.facebook.com/athleteadventure) Thank you for listening today, I hope you enjoyed it! My name is Joel Ingram, I am a certified NLP Coach. I help passionate, resourceful and professional people, Who feel stuck and unfulfilled with aspects of life. To rewrite their narrative and chronicle a new engaging and captivating future. https://themidlifecrisisman.com (https://themidlifecrisisman.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-ingram-230002138/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-ingram-230002138/) Please rate, review and subscribe, if you found benefit.

Hello, I am Joel Ingram, and this is "Crisis to Crushin' It" Podcast. Let’s dive into this week’s talk, and help to: 1. Increase perspective. 2. Expand perception.  3. Allow you to change your reality. Ben Turner is an adventure athlete with a passion for extreme endurance challenges. He is the founder of Athlete Adventure, a platform on which he shares his experiences, the teachings of masters of their trades. His recent experience of cycling around the Westfjords in Iceland to create a new trail to circumnavigate the country. He found himself tired with still over 2000km to go, out of nowhere in the water next to where he was cycling, he was joined by a pod of humpback whales, breaching and swimming next to him, this was unlike anything he had experienced before and it was then that he realised that sometimes when you are driven, suffering by not stopping, and you are there for the right reasons, the world will back you up and give you what you need to keep going. for me, that was a little motivation. His mission is to help other people to Redefine their own 'Possible'. Ben, Welcome to the show! Please reach out to connect, below. https://www.athleteadventure.com/ (https://www.athleteadventure.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/athleteadventure/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/athleteadventure/) https://www.facebook.com/athleteadventure (https://www.facebook.com/athleteadventure) Thank you for listening today, I hope you enjoyed it! My name is Joel Ingram, I am a certified NLP Coach. I help passionate, resourceful and professional people, Who feel stuck and unfulfilled with aspects of life. To rewrite their narrative and chronicle a new engaging and captivating future. https://themidlifecrisisman.com (https://themidlifecrisisman.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-ingram-230002138/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-ingram-230002138/) Please rate, review and subscribe, if you found benefit.

Spine specialist, Dr. Hrefna Sylvia from Iceland shares two patient success stories using Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction Manipulation.  The first story involves a 54 year old father with a disc prolapse resulting in foot drop.  The second story is an 84 year old gentleman with severe degenerative disc disease who is unable to turn his head. Dr Hrefna Sylvia is born and raised in a small town in the Westfjords in Iceland. In 2009 while training for an Ironman she experienced severe low back pain, that is when she first got introduced to chiropractic. Her interest for chiropractic increased with time and in 2014 she moved to Georgia to study chiropractic. Dr Hrefna Sylvia graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractor from Life University in Atlanta, GA in June 2018 and was awarded the Clinic Excellence award at graduation. During her studies she went as a volunteer to Haiti where she treated both children and adults of all ages. She also went as a volunteer to Eugene, Oregon to help out in the medical tent during the track and field tryouts for the Olympics in Rio 2016. Dr Hrefna Sylvia specializes in the Cox technic as well as the Gonstead technique. She is the only fully certified chiropractor in the Cox technique in Iceland. Resources: Contact Dr. Sylvia Find a Back Doctor

Alex Elliott is joined this week by Jóhann Páll Ástvaldsson, a journalist and features writer for Iceland Review, and Halla Ólafsdóttir, RÚV news correspondent for West Iceland and the Westfjords, in a live link to our studio in Ísafjörður. The programme was produced by Lydía Grétarsdóttir. This week's highlights include the cold weather hot water shortage, the palm tree art debate, the drop in tourist numbers, and the idea of subsidising private media.

Welcome to Season 2 of Showing Up Messy! It's just like Season 1 except it will be released from all over the world, starting with this episode in a little town called Flateyri in the Westfjords of Icelend. I got stuck in a snowstorm there for a bonus day and had the pleasure of meeting my first international guest, Agnar Jón Egilsson, an improvisor, actor, and director from Reyjkavik. Agnar was teaching a 2-week improv class to a group of Icelandic students aged 17-62 doing an imersion-style "communal college" program, and he generously invited me to co-teach one of his classes with him. Afterwards we had this talk, where he shared about his experience of waking up to his life when he quit drinking, how he practices mindfulness and trust through improv, and about how the "doing" culture of Icelanders. I said, "that's so beautiful" about 50 times during our conversation because everything Agnar says is full of refreshing honesty, insight, and humility. Enjoy!!

#Episode #7 WAY OUT WEST, WAY UP NORTH Lydia and Jonas take to the road this episode—Lydia to the Westfjords and Jonas to Akureyri—and discuss the trials, tribulations and pastries they encountered along the way. What dangers lie in the mountains and valleys of the Westfjords? What secrets does the sleepy town of Akureyri hold (hint: they bring local food to a whole, new, gruesome level)? And what is this ferming ritual you've heard so much about? Your endearing diamonds in the rough—Jonas and Lydia—answer these questions and more. THIS IS NOT SPONSORED CONTENT, Y'ALL. FER REAL. Just so you know, we are absolutely not getting paid for any of this. None of this is an advertisement or sponsored content or a "collaboration" (can you sense our collective eye roll?) with any companies or organizations or whatever other euphemism you have for getting paid to pretend something is your honest opinion. This is pure, unadulterated solid gold from our brainses. Enjoy. Wanna say thank you? Rate us and/or leave us a review. SHOW NOTES In this episode we mention a few places to visit. Go nuts with our Google Map (we made it just for you with ♥︎) Other links Westfjords Official tourism page for the Westfjords Region - We only talk about a teeny-tiny part of this region. There's lots more to see and do. We'll probably circle back to this region sometime soon. Info on Þorskafjarðarheiði mountain pass - This is the mountain pass where Lydia and her mountain man got stuck. Djúpidalur no-poop farm accommodation - There are lots of Djúpidalurs all over the country, but this is the one in the Westfjords and is clearly sign-posted as a do-not-poop-on-the-ground facility (see our Instagram feed for a picture of the sign). You can stay here in your sleeping bag and get a chance to see a working sheep farm. What you can't do here is poop on the ground. Djúpidalslaug pool + hot tubs - This site is actually a great resource for finding hot tubs and pools, but the interface is a little busted. It's hard to link to a particular pin, but here you can typically find GPS info and a picture. Akureyri Official tourism site for the town Indian Curry Hut - Have no idea what the food is like, but this place is cute as a button! Safnasafnið - The Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum - Unfortunately their webpage is entirely in Icelandic, but once you get to the museum, their exhibition notes are available in English. The important info is that it's open daily from 10a - 5p from mid-May through August. Admission is 1200 kr. and worth every króna. Check out our Instagram feed for some examples of the work on display. Bláa Kannan Café - Very cool interior. We weren't too crazy about our lunch, but according to TripAdvisor if you stick to the baked goods and coffee you won't be disappointed. Kaffkú / Cowshed Café - Bizarre farm café where you can eat burgers while watching the cows who have yet to become burgers. If you can look beyond the somewhat disconcerting menu options, the food is actually quite good. You don't have to go full-sadist while you dine. You can also get bagels, soups and homemade pastries if you're not feeling cruel for lunch. FERMING / CONFIRMATION A somewhat bleak take on traditional Icelandic confirmations A more positive take on traditional Icelandic confirmations Info on civil confirmations in Iceland - Although a lot of kids have a traditional Christian confirmation (and the laptop or pile of cash that often waits on the other side of it), a growing number opt for a non-religious ceremony. A popular choice is the civil confirmation put on by Síðmennt, an association for ethical humanism in Iceland, where kids forego the Lutheran catechism in favor of discussing bad-ass topics like media literacy, critical thinking, consumer culture, privilege and the like. FOLLOW US Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Stitcher Our Website Facebook Handy dandy Google Map Instagram Pinterest Twitter Email: raisinandhotdog@gmail.com Takk, takk and bless, bless y'all!

#Episode #4 A TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE: HAIR-RAISING STORIES FROM ICELAND Now that the days are finally getting longer, Jonas & Lydia feel it's safe to tell some dark stories from Iceland without hurling themselves into a deep depression. Lyd uncovers a grizzly chapter from the history of the Westfjords wherein the locals hunted down and mutilated a group of Basque sailors. And Jonas regales us with the bloody story of Iceland's only serial killer (with the exception of mayonnaise-induced heart disease). THIS IS NOT SPONSORED CONTENT, Y'ALL. FER REAL. Just so you know, we are absolutely not getting paid for any of this. None of this is an advertisement or sponsored content or a "collaboration" (can you sense our collective eye roll?) with any companies or organizations or whatever other euphemism you have for getting paid to pretend something is your honest opinion. This is pure, unadulterated solid gold from our brainses. Enjoy. Wanna say thank you? Rate us and/or leave us a review. SHOW NOTES In this episode we mention a few places connected to the stories. You can find more info on the show's Google map as well as at the other link's below. Go nuts with our Google Map (we made it just for you with ♥︎) Other links Basque massacre Wikipedia article on the massacre Article from the Post - breaking news when Iceland repealed its law that permitted people to kill Basques on sight… in 2015. Info on the memorial to the massacred Basque sailors - In 2015 (along with the timely repeal of the law above) Iceland erected a memorial to the Basque sailors in Hólmavík. Axlar-Björn, Iceland's serial killer Wikipedia article on Axlar-Björn Roadside info sign - This is the info sign posted on route 574 (also called Útnesvegur on some maps) near the site of Axlar-Björn's murder farm. Wikipedia article on Laugarbrekka farm - This is the site of Axlar-Björn's gory execution but also the home of Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, the badass 10th century Norse explorer who was the first European woman to bear a child, Snorri, in North America (the little statue of the woman and child at the farm is of Guðríður and Snorri) FOLLOW US Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Our Website Facebook Handy dandy Google Map Instagram Pinterest Twitter Email: raisinandhotdog@gmail.com Takk, takk and bless, bless y'all!

#Episode #3 UP, DOWN & THROUGH ICELAND, PART 2 This is Lydia's first time living in Iceland and Jonas' second time. They've both lived here for almost a year now and are both married to Icelanders so they've visited often and have travelled up, down and through Iceland. They have recommendations, do's and don'ts and tales of adventure to share. These are their stories. Insert Law & Order sound here. We had so much to say we had to split it into two parts (episodes 2 and 3). And then we still weren't done, so we served up a hot plate of bonus episode on our tips and recs for the ring road. THIS IS NOT SPONSORED CONTENT, Y'ALL. FER REAL. Just so you know, we are absolutely not getting paid for any of this. None of this is an advertisement or sponsored content or a "collaboration" (can you sense our collective eye roll?) with any companies or organizations or whatever other euphemism you have for getting paid to pretend something is your honest opinion. This is pure, unadulterated solid gold from our brainses. Enjoy. Wanna say thank you? Rate us and/or leave us a review. SHOW NOTES In this episode we mention lotsa places to visit. You can find more info on these places on the show's Google map as well as at the link's below. Go nuts with our Google Map (we made it just for you with ♥︎) Links to places mentioned for nature lovers (con'd) Icelandic horseback riding - tons of riding companies—some better than others—but you can check out reviews and other info on TripAdvisor Réttir sheep round-ups - great activity for the fall that happens all over the country, sheepy smells, lots of sweaters and sinning, a good time for families with kids (but know that drinking happens and some people get tipsy). This links to an Icelandic page with all the regional roundups (click on the map) and their dates (scroll down to the list). Unfortunately it is all in Icelandic and all for 2017, but you can at least get in idea of where they are and when they might happen. Seljavallalaug pool - We think we might have mistakenly called this "Seljalandslaug" in the show, but the correct name is Seljavallalaug. This is one of those "secret" pools that everyone actually knows about and is, ipso facto, very heavily trafficked and a little grody because of it. Also, the water temps are apparently not always dependably warm. Hrunalaug natural pool - Not gonna be too specific about this one since this pool is still relatively unvisited Landmannalaugar region - Amazing area to explore in the highlands (but not super easily accessible) Nýidalur Mountain Hut - Middle-of-nowhere oasis, waaaaaaaay up in the highlands, little piece of heav', you gotta wanna get there Reykjanes pool (Westfjords) - Great concrete pool outside a former children's boarding school (nothing creepy about that, right?) Mount Esja - Dramatic AF mountain situated across the bay from Reykjavík (meaning it's what you see any time you look north from the city). Readily accessibly with a great hiking trail until the last little bit, when you have to do some light climbing. You can even reach the trailhead with Reykjavík city bus. Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon - Simply one of the most stunning things you'll see in Iceland. You can pay through the nose to take an amphibious vehicle or zodiac out on the lagoon, and if you can afford, it's a pretty great experience. These days you have to book those trips way in advance, so don't wait until the last minute, y'all. for arty-farty, tooty-fruity folks Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum - Don't need to overthink these sculptures. Everything is pretty accessible if your not too keen on a deep dive into arty-farty interpretations. Also, there is no admission charged for the sculpture garden behind museum. Ásmundarsafn Sculpture Museum (City Art Museum) - One of the campuses for the City Art Museum. Great, weird building and neat collection dedicated to 20th century Icelandic sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson and his role-poly work. A little outside of downtown towards Laugardalur recreation area. Hafnarhúsið (City Art Museum) - Another campus of the City Art Museum with rotating exhibits and a really nice space on the old harbor downtown. Kjarvalsstaðir (City Art Museum) - Third campus of the City Art Museum dedicated to beloved Icelandic painter Jóhannes S. Kjarval (some people LURVE him—others don't get it at all). Located in a park just east of downtown. Punk Museum - Located in a former public restroom, so, you know, shoes on. Very, very tiny. But crammed with fun things to see. Also, admission is pretty cheap (relatively speaking). Freddi Arcade & Toy Museum - Across from the Punk Museum above, this place is also a) tiny and b) located in the former public restroom. You can pay a flat fee here for an all-you-play old-school arcade game buffet. National Museum of Iceland - really great exhibits, great audio guides, neat collections and exhibits. Also, great coffee shop downstairs and one of the best museum shops in Reykjavík (local designs, curated selection of books and great postcards from the national photo archive) The Settlement Exhibition - Super fancy, hi-tech interactive but small exhibit about the settlement age in Iceland. Located in the basement of the hotel, which was the reason the relics were found in the first place (when they dig the foundation for the hotel) Bíó Paradís - art house theater in downtown Reykjavík with multiple screens (and also some blah Hollywood movies too) Tjarnarbíó - great, old art house theater with a cute lobby and some arty-farty shows (both live theater and movies) Ísafjarðarbíó - tiny af movie theater in the capital of the Westfjords, Ísafjörður Kaffibarinn bar - scenester INSTITUTION in downtown Reykjavík. Others have come and gone, but Kaffibarinn endures. Like a bad herpes outbreak. JK. Great music. Great vibe. But be prepared to pony up for the drinks. Don't miss our bonus episode dedicated entirely to navigating the ring road: One Ring Road to Rule Them All! FOLLOW US Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Our Website Facebook Handy dandy Google Map Instagram Pinterest Twitter Email: raisinandhotdog@gmail.com Takk, takk and bless, bless y'all!

#Bonus #1 ONE RING ROAD TO RULE THEM ALL! Traveling along the Ring Road (Route 1) is a great way to experience the natural beauty of Iceland. It takes you around the entire country, with the exceptions of the Westfjords and Snæfellsnes peninsula and you can do it in less than two weeks. If Jonas and Lydia can do it, so can you. THIS IS NOT SPONSORED CONTENT, Y'ALL. FER REAL. Just so you know, we are absolutely not getting paid for any of this. None of this is an advertisement or sponsored content or a "collaboration" (can you sense our collective eye roll?) with any companies or organizations or whatever other euphemism you have for getting paid to pretend something is your honest opinion. This is pure, unadulterated solid gold from our brainses. Enjoy. Wanna say thank you? Rate us and/or leave us a review. SHOW NOTES In this episode we mention lotsa places to visit along the ring road. You can find more info on these places on the show's Google map as well as at the link's below. Go nuts with our Google Map (we made it just for you with ♥︎) Links to places mentioned (listed on the ring road going counterclockwise from Reykjavík, i.e. South Coast first) Veragerðin web site - Check road conditions here before you go. Conveniently, the URL is just "road.is" for the English version of the site. Hveragerði town - The little town you see when you're coming down from the mountain pass from Reykjavík. There's a lot of geothermal activity around town (which is why there are so many greenhouses), so it's not a bad stop. Eyrarbakki - Cute AF seaside village. But what they DON'T say on the tourist web site is that this little piece o' heaven is also home to Litla Hraun maximum security prison. It's not exactly Sing Sing, but it might be worth a drive by. Stokkseyri - Eyrarbakki's partner in crime (pun intended) is this adorbs little village. More historical homes on the seashore. But instead of the max sec prison, this place got a cute little restaurant called Fjöruborðið where they specialize in Iceland's teeny-tiny lobsters (they look like crawdads, folks). But they serve 'em by the pailful here with boiled potatoes so it's a fun place to have dinner. Seljalandsfoss waterfall - The parking lot will probably be full. Just figure it out, Francis! Just park the damn car. Skógafoss waterfall - Yes another stunning, life-changing waterfall. Again, parking is going to be a nightmare unless you visit at midnight in the dead of winter. Just make it work, Mary! Get the damn picture. Plane wreck at Sólheimasandur - Park on the roadside and walk down to the wreck. Nothing is marked, so just look for a gravely area and an opening in the fence with a cattle guard. It's a 4-km hike, so give yourself about 45 minutes to get there. If Justin Bieber can figure it out, so can you. Because nothing is marked, use our Google Map to find your way. We dropped pins for the parking area and the wreck and we've also got a walking path marked in. I know, I know. You're welcome. Vík village - Vík used to be a wide spot in the road (albeit a jaw-droopingly beautiful wide spot), but with the boom in tourism the village has really swollen—and I mean that in mainly a "infected and swollen" kind of way. The shop in town has gotten criminally expensive and it with all the clamor for tourist money, the village has lost its charm somewhat. Nevertheless, its swimming pool is fantastic and the locals are still very kind. Reynisfjara beach - Stop the car. Bring your camera. It's just the black volcanic sand beach and columnar basalt formations to make all your Instagram followers jelly. Don't miss the Reynisdrangar sea stacks and the Dyrhólaey arch. It's all right there on the coast. Skaftafell National Park - Just super gorgeous and windy. Right there under the glacier. If you are not carried off by the gales, then don't miss Svartifoss waterfall and all the columnar basalt insanity happening around it. Djúpivogur village - Good pit stop with little hobbit huts. Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon - Simply one of the most stunning things you'll see in Iceland. You can pay through the nose to take an amphibious vehicle or zodiac out on the lagoon, and if you can afford, it's a pretty great experience. These days you have to book those trips way in advance, so don't wait until the last minute, y'all. Atlavík - Pretty great camping spot with… TREES! Like, an actual forest-type situation. You're also right next to gorgeous Lagarfljót lake. Hallormsstaðaskógur - The largest forest in Iceland, which, honestly, is not saying much. But it is woodland wonderland if you care to make a day of it. Fjarðabyggð (the villages of Reyðarfjörður, Eskifjörður, Neskaupstaður, Stöðvarfjörður, Fáskrúðsfjörður and Mjóifjörður) - Really super cute group of little villages in the East Fjords. Some of the street signs Fáskrúðsfjörður are in French since back in the day some French sailors got stuck there at some point and just decided to stay. Borgarfjörður eystri - Very remote but also very beautiful. The slogan for the village is literally "better than you expect", but it really is a remarkable place to stop of you've made it all the way out east. Dettifoss waterfall - Iceland's big daddy waterfall. It doesn't get any waterfallier than this. Kind of a pain in the ass to get to—you probably need a 4x4 and the road is closed in the winter and spring. But if you have the wheels, you won't regret the side trip. Lake Mývatn - While the lake is called Mývatn, the region that surrounds it also goes by the same name. There is lots to do here like all kinds of hiking, some crazy volcanic craters and Mývatn Nature Baths (the poor man's Blue Lagoon, and by poor man's, we mean only slightly more reasonably priced). Lots of little flies and lots of duck poop. So watch your step and keep your goddam mouth closed! Akureyri - Iceland's second largest city (and when I say city, I mean around 18,000 people, so keep your MetroCards in your wallets). Hrísey Island - This is like the Newport of Iceland. Anybody who's anybody has a summer house on Hrísey. Catch the ferry from Árskógsandur and don't forget your steamer trunks, egg cups and scullery maids. Grímsey Island - This is Iceland's northernmost point and the only part of Iceland that's actually above the Arctic Circle. It's a very small community and heart-stoppingly beautiful. Catch the ferry from Dalvík or fly from Akureyri. We skipped two large regions in the west—the Westfjords and Snæfellsnes—in these notes since they're not on the ring road, but we'll probably come back to them in later episodes. So fast forward to though the west all the way to Borgarnes. Borgarnes - Great little town just north of Reykjavík. If you have time visit the Settlement Center with its two museums. The museums are small and really well done. The exhibitions are a little old, but some of them include these amazing screwed-together, rough-hewn wooden sculptures. Audio guides are well narrated too. And whatever you do, do not miss the frikin' amazing buffet at the museum restaurant—especially if you're a veggie. Some of the best food and not just in Borgarnes, but in the WHOLE GODDAM COUNTRY. And it's only like 2000 kr. for insanely good vegetarian food. If only it were closer! Hvalfjörður and the tunnel - If you just haven't had enough of all Iceland's frickin' amazing natural beauty, you can extend your trip by an hour on the last stretch into Reykjavík by driving Hvalfjörður fjord instead of taking the subterranean tunnel (which is kind of rad in its own right). FOLLOW US Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Our Website Facebook Handy dandy Google Map Instagram Pinterest Twitter Email: raisinandhotdog@gmail.com Takk, takk and bless, bless y'all!

In the Westfjords of Iceland, people wait for birds to come ashore so that they can gather the feathers they leave behind.  These birds, called Eider Ducks, are the source of eiderdown, a ridiculously expensive and rare stuffing for bedding. This has landed the Arctic Fox in the crosshairs (quite literally).  These relatively common foxes are opportunistic eaters who snack on eider ducks if they get the chance.So the Icelandic government placed a bounty on each fox killed (if you can provide its tail as proof).  Hunters of the Westfjords set up elaborate baiting ambushes for the foxes, and wait in darkened houses with rifles in the middle of blizzards.But some foxes are smart enough to outfox the hunters.Megan Perra heard a rumor of a three legged Icelandic fox named “Tripod” that beat the odds.  A fox that grew to almost twice the normal size from stealing food from traps for three full years (or so the legend goes).  Megan is an illustrator/journalist from Portland, Oregon, and she’s currently working on a video documentary about the foxes’ interactions with humans. Megan retraces the steps of Tripod, from his birthplace in the Westfjords, to the lab in southern Iceland where he was dissected, and to his current home in a glass case at the Arctic Fox Centre.But some foxes are smart enough to outfox the hunters.Megan Perra heard a rumor of a three legged Icelandic fox named “Tripod” that beat the odds.  A fox that grew to almost twice the normal size from stealing food from traps for three full years (or so the legend goes).  Megan is an illustrator/journalist from Portland, Oregon, and she’s currently working on a video documentary about the foxes’ interactions with humans. Megan retraces the steps of Tripod, from his birthplace in the Westfjords, to the lab in southern Iceland where he was dissected, and to his current home in a glass case at the Arctic Fox Centre.She visits a rural gas station where she finds Jóhann Hannibalsson, the hunter who finally shot Tripod after years of trying.  The two of them go on a snowmobile ride that brings them to a cabin where, in the dark, Megan witnesses Jóhann’s version of a fox hunt. Along the way, Megan also speaks to Ester Unnsteinsdóttir (a fox researcher), Siggi Hjartarson (a hunter), Stephen “Midge” Midgley (Manager at the Arctic Fox Centre), and Þorvaldur “Doddi” Björnsson (the taxidermist who preserved Tripod’s body).Producer: Megan PerraEditor: Jeff EmtmanMusic: The Black Spot, SerocellImages: Feral Five Creative Co / Megan Perra

In the Westfjords of Iceland, people wait for birds to come ashore so that they can gather the feathers they leave behind. These birds, called Eider Ducks, are the source of eiderdown, a ridiculously expensive and rare stuffing for bedding. This has landed the Arctic Fox in the crosshairs (quite literally). These relatively common foxes are opportunistic eaters who snack on eider ducks if they get the chance.So the Icelandic government placed a bounty on each fox killed (if you can provide its tail as proof). Hunters of the Westfjords set up elaborate baiting ambushes for the foxes, and wait in darkened houses with rifles in the middle of blizzards.But some foxes are smart enough to outfox the hunters.Megan Perra heard a rumor of a three legged Icelandic fox named “Tripod” that beat the odds. A fox that grew to almost twice the normal size from stealing food from traps for three full years (or so the legend goes). Megan is an illustrator/journalist from Portland, Oregon, and she's currently working on a video documentary about the foxes' interactions with humans. Megan retraces the steps of Tripod, from his birthplace in the Westfjords, to the lab in southern Iceland where he was dissected, and to his current home in a glass case at the Arctic Fox Centre.But some foxes are smart enough to outfox the hunters.Megan Perra heard a rumor of a three legged Icelandic fox named “Tripod” that beat the odds. A fox that grew to almost twice the normal size from stealing food from traps for three full years (or so the legend goes). Megan is an illustrator/journalist from Portland, Oregon, and she's currently working on a video documentary about the foxes' interactions with humans. Megan retraces the steps of Tripod, from his birthplace in the Westfjords, to the lab in southern Iceland where he was dissected, and to his current home in a glass case at the Arctic Fox Centre.She visits a rural gas station where she finds Jóhann Hannibalsson, the hunter who finally shot Tripod after years of trying. The two of them go on a snowmobile ride that brings them to a cabin where, in the dark, Megan witnesses Jóhann's version of a fox hunt. Along the way, Megan also speaks to Ester Unnsteinsdóttir (a fox researcher), Siggi Hjartarson (a hunter), Stephen “Midge” Midgley (Manager at the Arctic Fox Centre), and Þorvaldur “Doddi” Björnsson (the taxidermist who preserved Tripod's body).Producer: Megan PerraEditor: Jeff EmtmanMusic: The Black Spot, SerocellImages: Feral Five Creative Co / Megan Perra

Hear about travel to the Westfjords of Iceland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Katie Hammel of Vaitor.com about her trip to this remote region of the island.

Hear about travel to the Westfjords of Iceland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Katie Hammel of Vaitor.com about her trip to this remote region of the island.

Hear about travel to the Westfjords of Iceland as the Amateur Traveler talks to Katie Hammel of Vaitor.com about her trip to this remote region of the island.

I remember very well the first time I saw the Aurora Arktika and her captain Sigurdur “Siggi” Jonsson; it was in the fantastic short movie Iceland – A Skier’s Journey by Jordan Manley. Somewhere along the way I came in contact with Siggi and I was offered a place on the boat for a week of skitouring in the Westfjords. This is episode thirteen of the Husky International series – get introduced to the wonderful town of Ísafjörður, the local backcountry community, the visitors and get to know the captain of the Aurora Arktika. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I remember very well the first time I saw the Aurora Arktika and her captain Sigurdur Jonsson; it was in the fantastic short movie "Iceland - A Skier's Journey" by Jordan Manley. Somewhere along the way I came in contact with Siggi and I was offered a place on the boat for a week of skitouring in the Westfjords. This is episode thirteen of the Husky International series - get introduced to the wonderful town of Ísafjörður, the local backcountry community, the visitors and get to know the captain of the Aurora Arktika. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This Show:Stargroves! From a three month hiatus in Iceland writing songs, working with Abigail Breslin, to being recognized by Perez Hilton Stargroves has been making strides in the music scene. Included in the interview are their songs "Westfjords" and Within Me a Lunatic Sings"

The tree-shaped Westfjords peninsula in Iceland is pictured in the eighty-eighth edition.