Move over Oscar Mayer, it’s all about Bæjarins beztu pylsur.

As anyone within range of my constant facebook status updates on the subject will know, Neil and I spent the week between Christmas and New Year in Iceland.  Possibly a bit of a strange choice for the time of year, considering there’s only about 5 hours’ daylight each day, but the flights were cheap, and if you’re the type of person who likes to relax on vacation instead of getting up at 6am for a 12-hour sightseeing marathon, then Iceland in December is the place for you.  Reykjavik wakes late and stays up late this time of year, and most attractions and shops seem to open at 11am, so it is possible to sleep in and still get a hefty day of vacationing in.  As it was, the sun rose at about 11am, so technically we were out and about at the crack of dawn.

When people speak of Iceland, after extolling its many natural wonders, it seems that the subject most often mentioned is that it’s expensive.  That certainly is the case, though prices for alcohol are not as steep as they once were – they’re more on par with any major metropolitan hub.  A pint of beer runs around £5-£6, which is definitely on the pricey side, but not the heartstopping £9 I’d heard was the norm before the banking crisis.

Food isn’t cheap either, but what many people fail to mention is that Icelanders seem to effortlessly produce some of the most mindblowingly delicious food you’ll ever eat, and it’s worth every krona.  I do intend to wax lyrical about the Icelanders’ way with seafood, lamb, and national delicacies such as reindeer, whale, foal, and puffin in future posts on our trip, but first, one of the most memorable meals we had was a couple of hot dogs.

Yes.  Hot Dogs.

Icelandic cheese

Bar snacks at Islenski Barinn (the Icelandic Bar) in Reykjavik: Icelandic cheeses, served in a little jar with blueberry compote, thyme and angelica crackers (croutons). The cheeses are mild sheep milk cheese, with a spicy herb coating. I think I may have to eat all cheese with blueberry from now on.

Here’s a taster of the other bar snacks on hand, including whale and puffin.  We tried both.  More on those later.