We accumulated quite the list of miscellaneous Icelandic activities, here's a recount of a few of the most memorable ones.
Visiting the Viking Museum!
The Viking Museum was short and sweet. We tried on some Viking helmets, read about how Vikings settled in Iceland and got to walk on a full size Viking ship! We also played a viking game called Nefatavl and I won!
Attempted to see the Salt Fish Museum!
The salt fish museum was supposed to be an exhibit about how the fishing industry affected the people of Iceland. However, Iceland is frequented by earthquakes because of all the volcanic activity here. Last spring an eruption occurred and, in turn, caused some pretty serious seismic activity, which kind of destroyed the salt fish exhibit. But the space has been turned into a community center and they let us have some coffee and cookies laid out there!
Tried Shark!
In Reykjavik there is a little place called Cafe Loki. There they serve traditional Icelandic food! Things like sheep head jelly, fermented shark, lamb shank, and smoked salmon (no horse or puffin at this place but maybe we'll find some next time!). The fermented shark was definitely the most unique thing we tried, it may not sound appetizing, and it does smell a bit like nail polish remover, but it's very yummy- it tastes a bit like ham, I thought. I also loved the smoked salmon, though it wasn't as yummy as my dad's, but definitely a runner up! The salmon really captured the smoke and I think it would have paired nicely with a very peaty whiskey.
Went Ice Skating!
We had a whole Ice rink to ourselves, and no one made us pay to access it either. It was a bit like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone. It was a great time, I'm really glad I can say I've Ice Skated in the Ice Land!
Went to an interactive art exhibit!
We were the only people at this one too! We got to go in a room where light was projected on all the walls around us. Then based on our movements the lights changed and danced with us. Not as breathtaking as the Northern Lights but still very exciting.
The Phallological Museum.
Got to see a very large collection of the animal kingdoms unsung (and some unhung) heroes.
Lemmy Bar
One of the coolest bars I've ever been to, this place was a mix of gothic and rock and roll. We drank overpriced beer and wished our friends were there to enjoy this place with us. I guess we'll just have to convince them to come visit with us sometime!
There were so many awesome things both in nature and in the city that Iceland had to offer. I'd love to come again in the summer and see the puffins or ride one of the little horses that live here.