Iceland 1 – unsung foodies’ paradise.

Iceland has many things in common with New Zealand. This is amazing considering in many aspects Iceland is New Zealand’s opposite.

When I visited the mid-Atlantic island in September this year the time difference was exactly 12 hours. Iceland’s population in 2018 stands at 350,000. This compares with 388,000 in Christchurch, New Zealand’s second most populated city. Iceland’s land area is 103,000 sq. km. Little wonder, then, some maps label the country ``Island.’’

       

                                     Flying Icelandair 

Iceland’s prime minister, since November 2017 is 42-year-old Katrin Jacobsdottir She is Iceland’s second woman PM. In photographs she looks remarkably like our slightly younger Jacinda Ardern.

Iceland is popular for its spectacular natural features – volcanoes, waterfalls and even active geysers.  (Geysirs is the Icelandic spelling.)

I ask myself why go to the other side of the world to see the ``same as?’’ Well, I do enjoy spectacular natural landscapes. I am not a city person.

So Iceland was definitely my cup of tea as a travel destination. Mention of a cup of tea reminds me of the first question asked of unusual holiday destinations.

``What was the food like?’’

Iceland is an unsung foodies’ paradise. And it is the unusual, bizarre even, that frequently makes it interesting. I refused to eat puffin bird dishes offered at Reykjavik’s downtown Geysir Restaurant but I did agree to a whale sashimi entrée. It was my Japanese companion’s choice. Haruko is an employee in a sushi shop chain in Christchurch. Hence her curiosity. Sashimi is typically expertly cut raw fish. In this case the whale meat was lightly grilled. It was garnished with the usual sashimi trimmings of wasabi, ginger and soy sauce. I admit it was very good indeed or as my companion said, ``Roy san, oishi desu.’’

                           Whale sashimi 

As elsewhere where whales are hunted, whaling in Iceland is controversial. Whale is not significant in the Icelandic diet. Tourists cop the blame (arguably unfairly) from the International Whaling Commission for Iceland continuing hunting Minke whales. Tourist demand for whale is, however, declining.

We spent a couple of excellent days in Grundarfjorour (pop. 850), a delightful fishing village on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula west coast. The village was founded in 1786 by the Danish king. It soon became popular with French fishermen (1800-1860) who profited from the excellent harbour. The French arrivals established their fishing operation and built a church and hospital. When they eventually departed, the French people dismantled their buildings and even exhumed their dead, taking their remains to France.

We discovered a lobster and seafood pizza to die for in Laki café near the fishing port. Curiously, the woman proprietor chatting to other staff near our table did not appear to converse in Icelandic. She sensed something different about me also. She had spotted the New Zealand patch on my jacket.

``Where are you from,’’ she asked.

``Christchurch,’’ I replied.

``Me too, she smiled. ``I lived in Riccarton. When travelling in Europe I met an Iceland guy and have been here in Grundarfjorour for 30 years.’’ She did know about the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.

Laki café is part of an adventure tourism and whale watching business.

                         Lobster and seafood pizza

 Our well-appointed International Hostelling apartments were overlooked by one of Iceland’s most photographed mountains. Kirkjufell (Church Mountain). Merely 463 m high and rising from the fjord it is certainly distinctive. Kirkjufell Identifies Grundarfjorour village. It is so named owing to its steeple appearance, a sharpened top and curved sides. But it depends on the angle viewed. It is also called a witch’s hat or scoop of ice cream. Close by we dined at Bjargarsteinn House of Food Mathús restaurant in a quaint, old building on the seaside. It is sometimes claimed as the best dining experience in Iceland The century-old very Scandinavian building existed elsewhere and was relocated 70 km. to its present location. The restaurant opened in 2005. We experienced excellent service in a warm environment with a magnificent view of Mt. Kirkjufell and the beautiful fjord of Grundarfjörður. The restaurant is a family-run business led by the professional experienced chef, Gunnar Garðarson. The inspiring menu changes according to the season and the chef's choice. My companion chose fish of the day while I went for a lamb dish, lamb being essential to the customary Icelandic diet. Excellent wine was either French or Italian.

The standout was the entrée, an interesting assembly of smoked lamb, dried cod and small cubes appearing like cheese. It definitely was not cheese. It was fermented shark, Hákarl, a traditional Iceland dish.  It is Greenland or other sleeper shark that has been hung out to dry for some months. Its ammonia aroma gives rise to the unfortunate myth it has been buried and urinated on.

                          House of Food entree- served on a beach stone

Fermented shark is an acquired taste, more likely to be savoured by devotees of strong cheese.  While challenging my taste buds, my eyes are attracted to the magnificent mountain framed by our table’s window. The sun is setting and red streaks flow above Kirkjufell. We have wonderful mountains in New Zealand but I have never seen anything quite like this. Grabbing my camera I excuse myself in hope of a perfect image.

                          

                           Kirkjufell at sunset