[Curiosities] 12 curiosities you probably didn't know about Iceland

[Mindsphere.]

[EN]

It is a well-known fact that every sentient being comes to earth with his quirks and we would not stray too far from the truth by saying that the same is true of the nations of the planet. Things that are too curious for the untrained eyes of foreigners are happening within the borders of each country. We agree with them and accept them, but when it comes to Iceland, things seem to take on a completely different dimension. Find out what are 12 of the things you had no idea existed on the territory of this northwestern corner and far from Europe that most transatlantic planes pass through and it is so well known for geysers and the northern lights.

 

1. In Iceland, cash is not very po[CENSORED]r
No, not because Icelanders are so hippie that they want nothing more than to learn to live on 2 euros a day, to grow their own vegetables in the living room and to wear the same sweater 5 winters in a row. So do not hope that if you are among the "damsels" who could not save 1 lion in a lifetime, you will feel here like a fish in water. No way, no more dreams! Cards, gentlemen, that's what is used here even for the fee to use a public toilet.

2. Literacy rate of 100% and writers… how many leaves, how many grass

 

No matter how bad you upset an Icelander and no matter how much you want to tell him something that hurts him, you can't make him "illiterate". That would be nonsense. What's more, they eat books on bread, and these are the most common Christmas presents they make. But they are not content to passively devour literature - the figures say that 10% of the country's po[CENSORED]tion will publish at least one book in their lifetime (if you are still proud of the masterpiece hidden in the attic and called the "high school diary"), and UNESCO itself declared Reykjavik in 2011 as the City of Literature.

3. Her tongue is one and she is holy
Well, yes, with Icelandic it's not like with Romanian and you can't put words into your speech the way you cut your head. To understand that these are not saga words, today's Icelandic is very strikingly similar to the one spoken by the inhabitants in the Middle Ages (try to read something about Grigore Ureche and see if you can penetrate it without two coffees ). The idea is that the official institutions will, instead of borrowing words from other languages, create new ones from the material that already exists in the dictionary.

4.… and people's names are no exception
You do not understand how the situation is! The children are named according to the father's name, to which is added the suffix "son" (son) or "dottir" (daughter); so Tom, Erik's son, will be called Tom Eriksson, a situation in which even the name "Tom" was chosen from a database of approved names.

5. There are no mosquitoes here

 

We don't know about you, but we would be quite offended to know that our absence from a destination adds another brick in favor of the balance of visiting that destination. Mosquitoes would probably be offended if they knew, but, well, in life it still rains sometimes.

That's the way it is, you can travel here during the glory days of summer, sleep in the open air or sit under a light bulb at night and you don't risk any unbearable stings. Due to the ever-changing climate, mosquitoes do not seem to have enough time to complete their life cycle and end up in unfavorable conditions. We would be quite hypocritical to express any compassion.

6. Iceland has one of the oldest democratic systems
Democracy was established here in 930, and the benefits it currently brings are an unbeatable equality between women and men; but for Icelanders this does not mean much, precisely because the two sexes are exactly the same, so I see no reason to engage in endless and heated discussions on this issue. Moreover, Iceland was the first democracy in the world to have a woman president.

7. The Icelanders invented an application to help them avoid incest.

 

Stay! Before you allow your eyebrows to jump up in disapproval, listen to the explanation and you will find the case hilarious. The entire po[CENSORED]tion of the country numbers a total of about 300,000 souls (imagine a neighborhood in Bucharest), and most of the nation comes from a group of Vikings who settled here, at their home, not far from 19th century Given the facts, the chances that when you go out on a romantic date, there is a more distant cousin on the other side of the table… are very high!

Naturally creative, people have created an online database that includes all the genealogical branches, turning it into an application. So, the phone starts going crazy and emitting warning signals when approaching a close relative. Brilliant!

8. The menus include foods that you may find difficult to digest

 

No matter how cold and impenetrable your heart may be, it still can't stay in place thinking you're eating a little smoked. We are talking about those polar, adorable birds, with white feathers on their chests and beaks that beat in shades of orange. Smoked! And served on a decorated plate, but these are our Icelanders and they consider the puffins a specialty. Maybe not exactly the same indignant compassion will awaken you and the sharks that went through a fermentation process for 4 months, served in the form of cubes and succeeded by a few shots of Brennivin alcohol.

Now we don't know exactly what feelings another goodness from the place will move in you: Svið. And you wouldn't say, but behind this short and cute name is a boiled sheep's head from which, after an Icelandic feast in which the diners fought on the tongue and cheekbones (considered the best parts), all that remains is brain. Bon appetit!

9. Fast food and carbonated drinks
Once in Iceland, no fast food will get in your way, say goodbye to the burgers that melt the slice of cheese soaked in dye or the spicy chicken wings with a sinful taste. The last such fast food restaurant closed in 2009 and you would rightly be inclined to take off your hat out of respect. Everything until you find out that there is no po[CENSORED]tion on this planet that swallows several liters of carbonated drinks.

10. The Nordic Lights can be seen from almost any piece of Icelandic sky

I always agreed with the idea that fate takes you with one hand and gives you with the other. Maybe they, the Icelanders, can't get enough of their eyes with bodies covered by just a few patches of a bathing suit, when their heart desires. But they can look up at the night sky and see… Northern Lights! Of course, each with his preferences (some prefer Aurora Borealis and others, by far, swimsuits), but when you graze every night, for 8 months a year, the danger of one of the most beautiful spectacles of nature, we frame the situation in the category of divine luck.

11. In Iceland, trees are an endangered species

 

Don't be sad, the country abounds in natural beauties and you will find volcanoes, mountains, fjords, glaciers, glacial lagoons, but in terms of "forest"… the situation is not exactly like roses. It seems that the Vikings have taken seriously the clearing and, despite the government's efforts to reforest the country, it does not promise to catch much. Only 2% of the surface is covered with trees and, to put it bluntly, glaciers, lava fields and volcanoes probably don't help much. A word from the local folk humor says that if you ever get lost in a forest in Iceland, all you have to do is stand up.

12. Mothers quietly leave their strollers with babies outside when entering, for example, a store
Do not draw any malicious conclusions by throwing the label "distorted". No, Icelandic mothers are as loving and caring as anyone else. What is different in Iceland is a tiny rate of crime and violence. So insignificant that the policemen don't even bother to take their guns with them when they go to work in the field in the morning (thus leaving more room for donuts). Compared to the security and peace that reigns here, even countries like Denmark, Norway or Sweden may seem crammed with criminals and without laws. A pertinent explanation for this societal ideal is that there is almost no difference between social classes, everyone has just as much, and economic tensions are completely absent. Another plausible reason is the absence (or extremely low rate of consumption) of strong drugs.