#7 Way Out West, Way Up North

#Episode #7 WAY OUT WEST, WAY UP NORTH Lydia and Jonas take to the road this episode—Lydia to the Westfjords and Jonas to Akureyri—and discuss the trials, tribulations and pastries they encountered along the way. What dangers lie in the mountains and valleys of the Westfjords? What secrets does the sleepy town of Akureyri hold (hint: they bring local food to a whole, new, gruesome level)? And what is this ferming ritual you've heard so much about? Your endearing diamonds in the rough—Jonas and Lydia—answer these questions and more. THIS IS NOT SPONSORED CONTENT, Y'ALL. FER REAL. Just so you know, we are absolutely not getting paid for any of this. None of this is an advertisement or sponsored content or a "collaboration" (can you sense our collective eye roll?) with any companies or organizations or whatever other euphemism you have for getting paid to pretend something is your honest opinion. This is pure, unadulterated solid gold from our brainses. Enjoy. Wanna say thank you? Rate us and/or leave us a review. SHOW NOTES In this episode we mention a few places to visit. Go nuts with our Google Map (we made it just for you with ♥︎) Other links Westfjords Official tourism page for the Westfjords Region - We only talk about a teeny-tiny part of this region. There's lots more to see and do. We'll probably circle back to this region sometime soon. Info on Þorskafjarðarheiði mountain pass - This is the mountain pass where Lydia and her mountain man got stuck. Djúpidalur no-poop farm accommodation - There are lots of Djúpidalurs all over the country, but this is the one in the Westfjords and is clearly sign-posted as a do-not-poop-on-the-ground facility (see our Instagram feed for a picture of the sign). You can stay here in your sleeping bag and get a chance to see a working sheep farm. What you can't do here is poop on the ground. Djúpidalslaug pool + hot tubs - This site is actually a great resource for finding hot tubs and pools, but the interface is a little busted. It's hard to link to a particular pin, but here you can typically find GPS info and a picture. Akureyri Official tourism site for the town Indian Curry Hut - Have no idea what the food is like, but this place is cute as a button! Safnasafnið - The Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum - Unfortunately their webpage is entirely in Icelandic, but once you get to the museum, their exhibition notes are available in English. The important info is that it's open daily from 10a - 5p from mid-May through August. Admission is 1200 kr. and worth every króna. Check out our Instagram feed for some examples of the work on display. Bláa Kannan Café - Very cool interior. We weren't too crazy about our lunch, but according to TripAdvisor if you stick to the baked goods and coffee you won't be disappointed. Kaffkú / Cowshed Café - Bizarre farm café where you can eat burgers while watching the cows who have yet to become burgers. If you can look beyond the somewhat disconcerting menu options, the food is actually quite good. You don't have to go full-sadist while you dine. You can also get bagels, soups and homemade pastries if you're not feeling cruel for lunch. FERMING / CONFIRMATION A somewhat bleak take on traditional Icelandic confirmations A more positive take on traditional Icelandic confirmations Info on civil confirmations in Iceland - Although a lot of kids have a traditional Christian confirmation (and the laptop or pile of cash that often waits on the other side of it), a growing number opt for a non-religious ceremony. A popular choice is the civil confirmation put on by Síðmennt, an association for ethical humanism in Iceland, where kids forego the Lutheran catechism in favor of discussing bad-ass topics like media literacy, critical thinking, consumer culture, privilege and the like. FOLLOW US Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Stitcher Our Website Facebook Handy dandy Google Map Instagram Pinterest Twitter Email: [email protected] Takk, takk and bless, bless y'all!