Today started with an incredible spread at the farm we were staying at. Lots of cheeses, local meats, local strawberries and breads, cereals and something I have come to love - sour milk, which seems to be a tangy, thick thick dairy product, usually mixed in with cereals.
Our host Jon and his wife Martina were delightful, regaling us with little known facts about Iceland (Icelandic is more rooted in Gaelic than any Nordic language; the majority of the modern Icelandic population is descended more from the Irish than the Norse; and something about a saga). He also gave us some quick tips about travel in Iceland (do NOT call an Icelandic persons horses ponies; do not expect sheep to move as they are an incredibly stubborn breed) and engaged me (Matt) in a deep conversation about skyr and how it has changed and become much more commercialized to suit modern palates over the years ("I used to eat it from parchment in a little but of milk with sugar...it was much firmer back then").
Their daughter had a little table set up with various items she had knit and was selling (I was shocked when Jon told me his daughter had knit them, and not his wife).
After breakfast Jon strongly encouraged us to explore the lush green mountains that were quite literally in his backyard, pointing out a cave that we failed to locate. It was fun nonetheless, as I was content to just bound around the hills like a sheep, trying to reach one of the low outcroppings before leaving.
A couple of waterfalls and a whole lot of puffin close-ups later we found ourselves back in Reykjavik.
Two hours later we had what I could confidently say was one of the Top 5 meals of my life at Dill Restaurant. Highlights there included a parade of delicious modern Icelandic food, a drying lamb leg hanging in the dining room and just talking with our server whom was the embodiment of service excellence and regional knowledge.
Up at 350am tomorrow. Off to Italia!
No comments:
Post a Comment