Category Archives: Travel suggestions.

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Living off the lakes

Living off the lakes

Recently there has been some controversy regarding travelers making attempts at a hunter-gatherer lifestyle while staying in Iceland, often with mixed results. A large camper rental company encouraged its customers to try and “live off the land” for as long as they could and some highly questionable behavior of other visitors was placed in this context both by the media and the outraged native public. One group of tourists was fined a large sum after having hunted and killed a lamb while others were caught inadvertently poaching in one of the country’s most expensive salmon rivers.

First of all, we want to make clear that we would never recommend living solely off the land in Iceland. We need only to look at the nation’s history to see that simply “living off the land” is easier said than done. Despite the fact that Iceland covers an area greater than for instance Hungary, Portugal or South Korea, the land was never able to sustain more than 50.000 people during its first thousand years, from settlement in the 9th century and until the 19th century, only surpassing the 80.000 people mark in the beginning of the 20th century. Iceland is certainly rich in many resources, but we can all agree that bountiful wild fruit and game are definitely not the country’s strong suit. However, it is worth pointing out that while living completely off the land may be difficult, there is a simple and inexpensive way for mini camper travelers to provide themselves at least one ingredient towards a delicious meal.

                We have often mentioned that what makes Iceland ideal for exploration in a motor home is the numerous campsites and swimming pools spread freely around the country. A close third, in our humble opinion, would be the great number of rivers and lakes that are teeming with arctic char, brown trout and even the odd salmon. While fishing in rivers can be very expensive, especially where there’s even a small chance of catching salmon, lake fishing is mostly very reasonably priced. What the mini camper traveler can do is simply drive around with an eye open for this sign:

This sign is posted by the many farms that sell access to rivers, streams and lakes on their land and in most cases prices are fair, normally between 1500-2500 ISK for a daily permit. The farmers selling the permits are often very knowledgeable about the lakes or streams on their land, and are usually eager to provide information about where, when and how to catch something in their waters.

 Another course of action would be to buy the Veiðikortið (Eng. The fishing card, see here: http://veidikortid.is/index.php?lang=en) which grants (mostly) unrestricted access to 35 lakes around Iceland. Veiðikortið costs 6900 ISK and is valid for the full calendar year although the best time for lake fishing is usually from April through September, depending on the lakes (the Veiðikortið website provides more information about each lake’s peak season, optimal time of day, best bait etc.). As for the fishing tackle needed, the lakes mostly have trout, typically from 0.5-2.0 kilos, so catching them doesn’t require anything more than a small fishing rod which can either be bought in here Iceland or brought from abroad (in which case all fishing gear must be disinfected beforehand). What makes the Veiðikortið fishing card especially suitable for mini camper travelers is the fact that the lakes are spread around every region of Iceland and many of these offer free camping grounds for cardholders (amenities vary) so that it is easy to plan one’s journey in such a way that each day can end with some afternoon fishing and a lakeside dinner. With a bit of patience and luck you might even catch yourself the main ingredient for Iceland Mini Campers’ s own recipe, designed especially by ICM’s chef for cooking on a mini camper stove.

 

IMC’s Super Special Lakeside Fried Trout

Ingredients:

A few fillets of freshly caught trout (depending on availability)

A leek

Almond flakes

A lemon

 

Method:

Slice the leek and fry it lightly with the almond flakes in a skillet and put aside when done. Fry the fillets with the skin facing down, flip them once before they are cooked through and be careful not to overcook. Add fried leek and almond flakes and cook everything together for the last minute or so. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and some couscous, potatoes, fresh salad, nice bread and butter or whatever else you can think of.  

Bon appetite!

Drive safely and enjoy!

IMC

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Some tips and tricks for making your Mini Camper trip go smoother.

Some tips and tricks for making your Mini Camper trip go smoother.

Our customers, the dynamic duo Mel and Vin who run the website https://www.melvinout.com/, recently wrote an article about their Mini Camper trip around Iceland (see here: https://www.melvinout.com/single-post/2017/06/11/10-Tips-for-Traveling-Iceland-in-a-Campervan). All in all, their experience was positive but, as Mel puts it “There were days where I felt like I was experiencing the most incredible thing in the world and others where I felt lucky to be alive.“ Their list is very helpful and we wanted to respond to some of these issues as well in the hope of offering up some solutions and hands-on advice.

The price and availability of things, including alcohol

At the moment, Iceland is experiencing an economic boom that is partly driven by the huge increase in tourism in the past few years. One of the results is that the value of our currency, the króna, has risen sharply, especially in the last couple of years. For visitors, this simply means that everything is more expensive and, for a destination that has never been especially cheap, this sometimes makes for some shocking numbers. For instance a common price for a large beer in a bar is now around 1000-1100 krónur, equal to around 9 EUR or 10 dollars, which most will agree is pretty high. As Mel and Vin point out, the best solution is to shop at the Iceland’s alcohol monopoly, the ÁTVR or “Vínbúðin” which has stores in most towns around the country (see store locator and opening hours here: http://www.vinbudin.is/english/home/opnunartimar.aspx). As I mentioned above this is a state-run alcohol monopoly which means that no other store is allowed to sell alcoholic beverages, including beer. Which brings us to the next issue.

                The “beer” sold in supermarkets and convenience stores is not actually beer but a very light alternative with a maximum alcohol percentage of 2.25%. In order to get passed laws that make it illegal to advertise alcohol, breweries in Iceland often manufacture low-alcohol alternatives that are almost identical to the real thing and sold in shops as seemingly perfectly normal cans of Viking, Carlsberg or whatever. To add to the confusion, Iceland‘s low-alcohol beer is usually marketed and sold as “Pilsner” which means regular lager beer pretty much everywhere else in the world. Recently stores have been criticized for trying to cash in on this misunderstanding, not batting an eye when tourists check out with case-loads of beer, on their way to party hard with what is essentially non-alcoholic beer and produces little or no effect under normal circumstances. So, as Mel and Vin advise, if you want to have a drink after a long day of travel use the Vínbúðin or better yet, stock up at the duty free store when entering the country. That said, we of course recommend taking it easy with alcohol and remember that drinking and driving is a very serious offence in Iceland.

  Mel and Vin also mention being shocked by restaurant prices and describe how they were put off the whole idea after sharing a pricey portion of fish and chips. Restaurant prices in in Reykjavík can be pretty steep but the influx of visitors has also had the positive effect of there being all kinds of different restaurants and cafés catering to different price ranges. A good idea would be to do a little research beforehand, like searching for cheap eats on Tripadvisor.com or checking out the “Best of 2017” lists in Reykjavík Grapevine magazine (see here: https://grapevine.is/tag/best-of-reykjavik-2017/) which lists everything from best brunch or late-night bite to the best place to “get lovey-dovey” with a date. In general one would do well to watch out for tourist traps that try to overcharge for food, drink and services as there always seems to be a few rotten apples trying to take advantage of foreign visitors. In the end, Mal and Vin mostly shopped for groceries and this, together with traveling in a Mini Camper, is probably the most cost efficient mode of traveling around Iceland. If the grocery stores seem underwhelming, keep an eye out for local produce at various farmers’ markets or visit the food section in Reykjavík’s Kolaportið weekend flea market.

Being wet and dry at the appropriate times

I think we can safely assume that almost nobody visits Iceland for its nice weather. Mel and Vin describe having problems with first becoming drenched but then having a hard time getting dry again while on the road. As for the ever changing weather situation in general Icelanders often say that if you don’t like the weather, you should wait ten minutes. A better solution, suggested by Mel and Vin would be dressing in layers which is sound advice. A waterproof shell, a base layer and warm sweater should do the trick for almost every season, as well as keeping a hat and mittens close just in case. If your clothes do get wet during your camping trip and the weather is too wet to dry them outside, there are several campsites around Iceland that offer a tumble dryer or a drying room (campsites are searchable by facilities here: https://en.camping.info/iceland/campsites). Also, to conclude this point, local tourist information offices are usually happy to help.

                As for the shower situation, there is a simple and wonderful answer for that. Iceland has around 170 geothermally heated swimming pools around the country, with at least one in most towns, however small. A trip to the swimming pool comes at a reasonable price, includes showers and complimentary soap (showering is mandatory to keep the pools’ chlorine levels down), and usually offers a selection of hot pots and often even a steam bath too. Guests are expected to bring their own bathing suit and towel, but these are also available to rent at most places (a list of swimming pools, searchable by region, can be found here: http://sundlaugar.is/?lang=en).

Seljavellir one of the most beautiful swimming pool in Iceland.

We have often said that it is the swimming pools, along with the frequency of campsites, which make Iceland ideal for a Mini Camper trip. Wherever you are in Iceland, you are usually not far away from the next swimming pool, which often means soaking in a hot pot, chatting with the locals and admiring the view.

Being careful and taking it slow

Mel’s travel diary describes some scary scenes from being on the road, navigating winding gravel roads, often coupled with sharp gusts of wind, sometimes even along steep cliffs. We agree that the roads in Iceland can be scary, especially at remote locations where proper upkeep tends to get neglected. What we can advise here is to driver slower than usual and, if you get a chance, consult this very useful website, http://www.road.is/, which is run by the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (IRCA). The website has the most current information on roads and weather conditions, as well as a wealth of information on driving safely in Iceland.

                In conclusion we will quote Mel and Vin’s article once more where they hit upon the matter with a needlepoint (rem acu tetigisti, as the Romans used to say). Thanks for your insights Mel and Vin, we hope you will be returning soon!

“For many, a trip to Iceland means hustling along from one site to the next. Iceland can still be enjoyed this way – the popular sites are incredible and there’s a reason people flock to them – but it’s a place begging to be thoroughly explored. Our fondest memories from Iceland are when we went off the beaten trail and stumbled upon unexpected beauty. Whether it was the site of a dog herding sheep down a mountain, going out of the way to find a natural hot spring to relax in for the evening, or just pulling over on the side of the road to enjoy a stunning sunset, Iceland is about exploration and discovery. Take your time and enjoy the ride.“

IMC.

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Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri: Ghosts and very good seafood

Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri: Ghosts and very good seafood

In recent posts we have covered some far away places in Iceland, such as the Eastfjords, Westfjords and the south-east corner of our lovely little island. And while the mini camper traveller would usually do well to get a little further away from Reykjavík, there are still plenty of interesting places the are close by.  We have already mentioned some of those, such as some interesting places along the Reykjanes peninsula and the Golden Circle route. This time around we want to talk about two small fishing villages that are both close by, around 45 minutes drive, and well worth a visit either for a part of the day or to spend the night.

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Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri are two villages that are quite close to one another and share a similar architecture, small colorful houses, turf structures and garden ornaments; as well as being located at a beautiful seaside. Both towns are small, even by Icelandic standards, with around 600 people in Eyrarbakki and 400 in Stokkseyri, but historically they were once quite significant ports for merchants and fishermen. For example Eyrarbakki was once considered to be the natural choice for Iceland‘s capital becuse of its standing as main port and trading center for the entire Southern side of Iceland but that was not to be. Eyrarbakki‘s other significant claim to fame is the settler Bjarni Herjólfsson who set sail from Eyrarbakki towards Greenland in the year 985 but sailed passed it and accidentally discovered the eastern edges of the North-American continent in 986. According to Greenlanders Saga, Bjarni was unimpressed by what he saw and refused to stop and investigate. Bjarni‘s account then paved the way for another explorer, Leif “the Lucky“ Eiríksson, who is usually credited for being the first Western “discoverer“ of America, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

Today, both Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri have museums that document some interesting aspects of their past, from the heritage and maritime museum in Eyrarbakki (see here: http://www.husid.com/english/) to Þuríðarbúð in Stokkseyri, which is dedicated to Þuríður Einarsdóttir, a famous fisherwoman who wore men‘s clothing and sailed open fishingboats from Stokkseyri for 50 years, mostly as captain. The most interesting museum is the Ghost Center in Stokkseyri (see here: https://www.facebook.com/Ghost-Centre-of-Iceland-126222207413810/) which documents Iceland‘s gruesome ghost story heritage. As one can imagine, a country that has through the years often been cold, dark, wet, windy, and scarcely populated, Iceland has been an excellent breeding ground for horrific ghosts and even more horrific ghost stories.

Even if the mini camper traveler isn‘t interested in the rich history of these little villages there still remains one very good reason to visit. The proximity to the sea and the abundant marine life just off the coast makes it ideal for good seafood and both these villages have some really excellent restaurants serving locally caught/reared produce. In Eyrarbakki a restaurant named Rauða húsið, or the Red house (see here: http://raudahusid.is/en/home/), prides itself on both its seafood and lamb dishes, and in Stokkseyri the Fjöruborðið restaurant (see here: http://www.fjorubordid.is/english/), serves mounds of langoustine as well as a famous langoustine soup. These two restaurants aren‘t exactly on the cheap side but then again it seems that in Iceland these days nothing is.

Eyrarbakki and Stokkseyri are well suited to accommodate a mini campers since their campgrounds have excellent facilities (see here: http://tjalda.is/en/?s=eyrarbakki). For other interesting places we recommend the Knarrarósviti lighthouse close to Stokkseyri, a 26m high structure built in functionalist/art nouveau style. It nearly goes without saying that there‘s a nice swimming pool with all the trimmings in the area (located in Stokkseyri), but additional activities could include taking in the vigorous sea bird life or fishing for sea trout in the Ölfusá river (licences available from the Eyrarbakki gas station). All in all, whether you plan to stay for afternoon or a couple of days even, these charming little villages are well worth a stop.

Drive safely and have fun!

IMC