Eclectic Reykjavik: Odd bits from Iceland’s capital city

Hákarl, Iceland’s notorious rotten shark. We wanted to try it but the timing was never right. Toted as one of the worst things in the world to eat, it took more nerve than my stomach could manage on this trip. Next time, putrified shark, I’m coming for you!

Reykjavik was a wonderland of charming oddities – from some of the cuisine to the names of bars, our four days there barely seemed like enough time to soak it all up.

Here’s some of the fun things we enjoyed:

A bike recycled as part of a fence on one of the main pedestrian streets

Icelandic Krónur – there’s just something fun about colorful money.

Yes, there really is a place called the Chuck Norris Grill in Reykjavik. Why not?

In the Old Harbor, there are numerous displays for all of the ships that have sunk, burned or ran ashore in Iceland this century. There are SO many that each display is only for a handful of years.

Entering the Icelandic Phallus Museum – it’s impossible not to laugh in here.

Dried whale penises, just a few of the many members on display.

My husband was very intrigued by these guillemot eggs. The woman selling them at the market said they had an “oceany” (but not fishy) flavor.

While we didn’t partake in rotten shark, we did try both smoked puffin and Minke whale – both were really good. Here’s a plate of seared whale with red currants and horseradish from The Fiskmarkadurinn. The meat is dense and rich.

What it looks like when you’re drinking an Icelandic ale in your apartment in Reykjavik in the summer…at 1 am! The 24 hours of daylight thing is no joke.

The hilarity of coming all the way to Iceland to be tattooed by a guy from Arizona. Yeah, that happened.

The Jet Nest art sculpture at the airport (technically in Keflavik not Reykjavik but still…) In a place that has Games of Thrones tours, this art piece fits right in.

Anyways, it was an amazing adventure and we totally understand why people are obsessed with Iceland. It’s such a fascinating combination of old meets new, though none of the fancy gadgets or molecular food can take away the historical magnitude of this place. You can feel it even in such a hip party town like Reykjavik, all you need to do is stroll to the harbor and take it all in.

Ship in Reykjavik’s Old Harbor

* Next stop on our vacation – Copenhagen!