Interesting facts
Strollers
Maybe because I am a mother, this is the first interesting/ funny/scary thing coming up my mind when I think about Iceland:
March 2017, not freezing cold outside but for sure still winter in Iceland: my husband, my son and I walk peacefully looking for some shop to rent a stroller (no way, never found, son carried around the city the whole time - in the nature he gets motivated and starts running around, not necessarily in the right direction, but yeah), when my husband stops for a cappuccino to go at te og kaffi. I wait outside for him to come, when I see a stroller just out of the entrance door.
First thought : Maybe the only way to rent a stroller in Reykjavik is to steal one
Second thought: Something is moving in the stroller - a cat jumped in? a mouse?
Third thought: OMG, a baby inside!
So well, after googling around I discover that apparently Icelandic babies have been taking naps outside for generations, seems kind of a tradition: fresh air let them sleep better and stimulate the immune system.
Well well, apart from the weather (which is a good point but raising up my son in Switzerland, I know every country has its way to get along with kids - Swiss Crèches for example bring the little ones for a one hour walk 365 days a year, even in case of hurricane or tsunami ) but what about bad guys going around?
Apparently Iceland has none or they are not particularly interested in stealing a crying, pooping, demanding baby (which I totally understand)
Sheeps
If you go around Iceland in summer , you will meet them everywhere: sheeps!
They are about 800'000 and they are wherever but mostly in the middle of streets or bridges (and not wanting to move from there, because eating some not existing food) , on lonely rocks in the sea ( I swear I saw a few of them on rocks around Vestmannaeyjar - how the hell did they manage to go there?? and why??) or in front of the hotel reception probably looking for a free room (see first photo below).
Moreover Icelandic wool is totally hightech: the inner layer is superlight and insulating, while the outer layer strong and water repellent. That’s why Icelanders use the two layers to knit Lopapeysa, the traditional Icelandic sweater of concentric rings.
Do not poop around
Well...what to say..if you feel like a certain kind of, let's say "pressure" inside and you would like to get rid of it and you think some human dung may be as good as cow dung you are wrong: do not poop in the nature!
River crossings
As a whise man said to us once (two virgins in river crossing) "low low (gear), slow slow "
Trains?
Strange to think there is a country with no trains. But then why creating an extra word for something you do not even have?
"lest", that's the word for train in Icelandic, but will I ever ask someone for it in Iceland? No.
So I don't even know why I learnt it 🤔
The best way to move around is renting a car, possibly a four-wheel drive: if you think " I do not need that, I will just stay on the ring road", well, I have to tell you something: even the ring road has some gravel roads part (see picture)
Another possibility is to take the bus Iceland bus but just looking at the map ( I never went by bus) it seems to me less then the tram cover in Zürich.
And last but not least you could also think of taking a domestic flight for the long routes, especially in winter, when for example the West Fjords can be quite challanging to be reached by car Air Iceland