“There goes that m-th–f—ing ice cream truck!” Dan, one of our gracious hosts, yells at a passing truck as we’re driving to dinner.
Beautiful scenery, small town living, angry kria (artic tern), and missed opportunities with the town ice cream truck…this is everyday life in Blönduós.
Blönduós is a small farm town in Northern Iceland, hometown to a Textile Museum, the river Blanda, and a close-knit community of Icelanders.
Oh yes, and my new friends, Dan and Catherine.
Originally from the U.S., Dan and Cat are both researchers in natural science working and living in Blönduós. Before visiting Iceland, my ex boyfriend Mike’s roommate Holland virtually introduced us to Dan and Cat, who he knew from time he lived in Kodiak, Alaska.
After arriving in Blonduos during a trip over to Iceland, we got in touch with them, and they graciously opened their home to the two of us (despite the fact that Cat was pregnant and only a few weeks shy of her due date). We took them up on it and ventured up to experience what it’s like to be a “Pat” living in Northern Iceland.
There’s buses and whatnot, but we hitchhiked. Thanks to a friendly fisherman headed North, we made it to Blönduós at about midnight local time. Cat had gone to bed, but Dan greeted us with a smile and oh yes, beer. We stayed up and chatted for a bit, then passed out, not to wake up again until 2 PM the next day.
Living out of a backpack abroad is fun and exciting, but has disadvantages. You get used to going without your “creature comforts” – a regular bed to sleep in, knowing the next time you’re going to eat, etc. Even the most basic of things you’re used to, like sleeping next to a significant other, doesn’t happen at a hostel.
So crashing with Dan and Cat was a little escape to some of those comforts. Especially since in a cozy town like Blönduós, it’s easy to feel at home. I spent a lot of time working (hurrah for reliable internet!), but also, spent a lot of time losing myself in the local sites and scenery.
[All the pictures of Blönduós]
Here’s everything I did in Blönduós.
Top Ten Things To Do In Blönduós
1. Climb (and slide) down a mountain
This isn’t the first time I climbed a mountain in Iceland, but it certainly was the best mountain I climbed in Iceland. I took a few hours off work and wandered off with Mike to climb a local mountain range near Húnavatnshreppur, off of Route 1 and down 722. I took a lot of great pictures, drank from mountain streams, and slid down parts on my behind.
2. Finally visit a geothermal swimming pool
Icelanders love their geothermal pools – pretty much every town has one. The day I went was extremely cold with a wind coming in directly from the North Pole. The water (naturally heated) was absolutely incredible and bonus, the pool had water slides. They may or may not have just been for kids.
3. Play an Icelandic stick game
My family loves to play yard games – croquet, badminton, etc. so I was excited when Dan and Cat introduced me to an Icelandic game called (gotta double check the name). I was terrible at it, probably since I was drinking wine while playing, but it was really fun.
4. Try fermented shark (with Brennavin)
Fermented shark gets a pretty bad rap, and I was expecting the worst. We tried the shark with brennavin, aka, the Black Death, and were surprised to find it actually wasn’t that bad.
5. Watch Twin Peaks With Scientists
I don’t watch a lot of movies/TV on the road, but Dan and Cat were watching Twin Peaks at their office, so I decided to join them. At the time, I had never watched Twin Peaks, but it’s a cult classic. As a hipster, I had to fulfill my hipstery duty of watching it. It was entertaining and disturbing, but definitely worth checking out.
6. Have the most incredible lamb ever
I promise you – you could go around the entire world and not find lamb as delicious as Icelandic lamb. Cat says it’s because the lambs are all free range and spend their time frolicking through the hills, eating herbs and “seasoning themselves” until they’re made into dinner. It was super delicious, and probably some of the best meat I’ve ever had.
7. Try horse at Potturinn Restaurant
Iceland is known for it’s weird delicacies – horse being one of them. It’s a little controversial in the U.S., but in Scandanvian and some other European countries, having horse is not a big deal. Mike ordered horse at the local restaurant, Potturinn (Icelandic for Pot), I tried some.
Note: The partners went their separate ways – Pan to Reykjavik – leaving just “Pot”. The restaurant is closed now, but there’s a few other Blönduós restaurants to choose from, such as Ömmukaffi or B&S Restaurant.
8. Visit Island Hrútey
Hrútey is an island in the river Blanda, located within Blönduós. Accessible only by bridge, Hrútey is a popular place for birdwatching, berry picking and just enjoying the outdoors. Mike and I walked around Hrútey with Dan, who showed us a geo-tag located on the island (not telling where it is).
9. Experience a real Icelandic grocery store
I had stopped at convenience stores in Reykjavik prior to this, but I hadn’t been in an actual grocery store in Iceland before going to Blönduós. I saw a lot of interesting things I wanted to eat, a lot of dairy – cheese, cream cheese, ice cream, and a ton of lamb. After mountain climbing, I was famished, and found a footlong neopolitan danish there that we collectively demolished within 10 minutes.
10. Hitch a ride
Leaving Blönduós, we had decided to either hitchhike, or if all failed, take the bus for 6000 krona each. Luckily, a Belgium couple traveling South overheard our conversation and graciously offered us a ride. We had a great conversation about Belgium beer, American film, and various places the couple had ventured so far (basically everywhere).