I’ve mentioned before how much I love the smoked fish here in Iceland, and I love the rye bread here too. Since my time in Iceland is limited, I choose to take advantage of this amazing bounty. I’ve been eating smørrebrød with various Icelandic lox for several days straight. Every day.
How could I possibly tire of all this delicious salt cured and cold smoked fish? Never!

I am wrong. It is possible to have too much of a good thing.

Today, I can’t even look at fish. The very thought of another open faced sandwich for any meal or snack will make me run up the Hallgrímskirkja and scream.

Here I am at The Fish Market or Fiskmarkaðurinn. This seafood restaurant is located in the old Kvosin area of Reykjavík, which is like the city center.

Earlier today, I jumped in a water filled crack that opened up on the earth’s crust. As you do.

I’m stopping in the Bónus for some snacks, and yes, for some butter. This is Bónus. No, it's not the dollar store, Bónus is the local grocery store in Reykjavík.

Yes, their mascot is a pudgy pig that looks like it has partied way too much on all sorts of contraband. I love it. There has to be a story behind the design of this graphic, right? There has to be.

First, behold the wall of Malt Extrakt.

Happy New Year.
I already rang in the New Year several hours ago, and I hope you have a great time when the clock strikes twelve back home in BC.
I hope you don't mind, but I'll try to share a quick post or two about my travels as I make my way through three Nordic countries.

Íslenski Barinn serves solid pub grub Icelandic styles. It’s really cozy in this place. The space is fairly roomy but it feels small, in a good way.

Coffee (350 ISK; approx $3.00 CAD)

Sægreifinn or Seabaron is a little seafood shack on the marina in Reykjavík, Iceland. This is also the place where I discovered my love for malt drinks. I came for the lobster stew. A local resident, I was chatting with earlier in my visit, spoke about this shack passionately.

Lobster Stew (1,100 ISK; approx $9.45 CAD)

Bakari Sandholt is a bakery in Reykjavík, Iceland. They have some incredible looking sweet treats, but I’m here for something a bit more substantial. With only four hours or so of daylight during the winter months, I always feel as though I’m eating dinner.

Fun fact: did you know beer was banned in Iceland until 1989? During Iceland’s prohibition era some non alcoholic or low alcohol beer-like beverages became common in Iceland. Some of those virgin libations are still popular today. One of them is my current obsession: Egils Maltextrakt.

Internet. It seems we can’t live our lives without it. It wasn’t that long ago when internet was not so readily available. Remember modems? Iceland is a country where everyone freely embraces and understands the need for internet and technology. Every business, no matter how small, has a slick website and free WiFi is common and easy to find. That’s what brought us to Café Paris in Reykjavík this morning. We needed a place to work, check mail and eat.

Café Loki is located directly in front of the Hallgrimskirkja (the big church) in Reykjavík. It offers some traditional treats of Iceland, such as smoked lamb and fermented shark. It looks a bit like a Hong Kong style café inside. I chose a table in front of the window, with a great view of the Leif Ericson statue and the church. The service is very welcoming and friendly.