Thursday, June 15

the plot:

Next, we hightailed it clear across town to check out the local botanic gardens (web site). Although it houses 60 some percent of the naturally occuring species of plants of Iceland, apparently they import many of their plants and experiment to see what can and can't deal with the harsh local climate. Even though it was June, since Iceland is so far north, many things were in bloom as you'd expect to see in the States in March, April, or May. It was a nice detour.

Near the botanic gardens is a small area of hot springs that used to be where all Icelanders did their laundry before the advent of the washing machine. After checking that out, I headed towards the coast and walked along it, eventually passing the house where Reagan and Gorbachev met to begin the end of the Cold War back in the 80s.

Finally, I continued experimenting with food on my own. At a grocery store near my hotel, I think I've found the best cinnamon scones on the planet. During the course of the week, I became hopelessly addicted to Skyr (web site), an Icelandic yogurt-ish dish, and I miss it already. Earlier in the week I had tried Icelandic beer, but I also went in search of their local malt ale, which was highly recommended by one of my guide books. I don't think I tried a single thing in the country that I didn't like. Hence, the food pictures below ;)

Final food note: unfortuantely it wasn't until Thursday night (my 2nd to last night in Iceland) that I figured out how to make myself sleep through a whole night without waking up on account of the light. One bottle of the malt ale pictured below while watching TV before bed seemed to do the trick... and why not? Apparently the label reads that it "helps your digestion, makes you look fresh, healthy, and cheerful, and eases your trouble". Works for me at least! ;)

the pictures:

• botanic gardens and city washhouse
  • welcome to the reykjavik botanic gardens
  • ...lounging around
  • yay for tulips
  • main garden area...
  • ...complete with tons of geese
  • cool fountain
  • orange flowers
  • red roses
  • jump for joy if you like gardens?
  • someone around here sure likes purple...
  • yellow flowers
  • more purple
  • black flowers?
  • another yellow
  • fuzzy flowers :)
  • yellowish-green
  • apparently this is how icelanders used to do their laundry in the gardens...
  • ... it's still warm! how'd you like this for a washing machine?
• walking home along the shore
  • the long way home
  • apparently this walkway is for headless pedestrians only?
  • here comes the sun!
  • the Reagan/Gorbachev house
  • Iceland, 10pm... gotta love it.
• a small ode to Icelandic food
  • Icelandic beer. by a legal snaffu, after prohibition in the 1910s, everything else got legalized by 1935 again except beer... it's only in the last 15-20 years that they're allowed to have it again. how funny is that?
  • skyr is a wonderful, wonderful thing :)
  • the best cinnamon scone on the planet
  • Icelandic malt ale (aka lara's sleeping trick)

where to next?