Get to know Your Friend in Reykjavik! When you join us for a walking tour, you will meet your special friend in Reykjavik, but getting to know them a little bit beforehand could be fun.
Be sure to check out the introductions to Barði and Ester as well.
Garðar Vilhjálmsson is a certified tour guide who graduated from the Icelandic Tourist Guide School. He was born in Oslo, Norway, but raised in Keflavík in the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Among his interests are politics, history, golf, and hiking.
Garðar is Your Friend í Reykjavík.
Let’s Ask Your Friend in Reykjavik a Few Questions!
If you could choose only one thing from Iceland, what would it be? A good book – for example, Egils Saga.
Egils saga details the story of the clan of Egill Skallagrímsson, farmer, Viking, and skáld (poet). The saga spans the years 850-1000 and tells the family history of Egill’s grandfather to his offspring.
Egill is one of Iceland’s most famous people, but apart from this saga, he is not historically recorded. However, the saga’s style is like that of Heimskringla, which has led many people to believe that it was written by the same author: Snorri Sturluson.
Check out our list of recommended reads from Iceland!
Would you change anything about Iceland if you could? No, Iceland is perfect.
What is your favorite place in Iceland? Þingvellir National Park.
Þingvellir National Park is a part of the famous Golden Circle. It is only about half an hour from Reykjavik and is one of the best places in Iceland to see the two tectonic plates pulling the country apart. The views are spectacular, and Silfra is a great place to go snorkeling.
You can also visit a few locations where Game of Thrones was shot in the area. Check out our post on Film Locations in South Iceland.
A Leg of Lamb is the Best Icelandic Food
What is your favorite traditional food? A leg of lamb.
Icelandic lamb meat is, by many accounts, one of the best in the world. Lambs roam free in Iceland’s nature over the summer months and get plenty of that clean air.
The Icelandic Sheep have been an important part of Iceland’s culture since the settlement. We probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for those little, wooly animals.
But what is your favorite national drink? Milk.
Cattle and, more importantly, cows have been important to Icelanders since the settlement.
What is the best thing about Reykjavik? It is metropolitan while still so small!
But what is the best thing about Iceland? The untouched nature.
What is your favorite Icelandic music? Stál og hnífur by Bubbi Morthens.
What is your favorite Icelandic clothing brand? 66° North
What is your favorite restaurant? The Fish Company.
The Fish Company is on our list of the best restaurants in Reykjavik. As the name suggests, it’s a fish restaurant where you can find various dishes. Some people say they serve the best sushi in the whole wide world!
What Icelandic food is most often eaten at home? Fish – especially cod.
As with sheep and cattle, fish has always been very important to the Icelandic nation. Archaeological digs show that fish wasn’t as important to the people who settled here and had a more varied diet. Still, in later centuries, fish was most of everything people ate. Check out our post on Fish in Iceland.
What is your favorite candy? Chocolate-covered licorice.
Just like the Icelandic horse isn’t a pony, chocolate-covered licorice is the best candy in the world!
