Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/245179
AutHENtiCity sEEKEr sandra ivany/getty images, tim graham/robert harding (clockwise from left) The view from Reykjavík's Hallgrímskirkja church; alberta-raised musician Mac deMarco performs at the Iceland airwaves Music Festival last november; a statue of norse explorer leif Ericsson in front of the Hallgrímskirkja; a herd of Icelandic sheep. Join AMA's iceland tour June 28– July 7 from $4,299. "Go solo" for an additional $350. AMATravel.ca Plus, save 15% on Elding Whale Watching tours. AMARewards.ca The real Iceland alessandro grussu/getty images, mattheW eisman/getty images, erika craddock/getty images, iceland tourism With a population of just 300,000, Iceland still feels unspoiled – perfect for an authentic-experience seeker. Fly into Reykjavík and settle in for an embedded stay. learn some Icelandic. Most locals speak English, but they'll appreciate you learning basics such as halló (hello) and takk (thank you). The reykjavík Intercultural Center, on Laugavegur Street, offers one-hour courses, as well as in-depth lessons (asetur.is). get artsy. reykjavík has a vibrant arts culture. Iceland Airwaves (icelandairwaves.is), Nov. 5–9, 2014, features Icelandic musical talent, but also international acts such as The Shins and The rapture. The reykjavík Arts Festival (artfest.is), May 22– June 5, 2014, showcases hundreds of visual and performance artists in museums, libraries and streets across the city. go elf spotting. Many Icelanders believe in huldufólk, even building tiny houses for them in gardens and fields. In the town of Hafnarfjördur, a 10-minute drive south of reykjavík, a clairvoyant gives tours of local elf and fairy colonies (alfar.is). Visit a lutheran Church. Iceland is known for them. reykjavík's Hallgrímskirkja, a 75-metre-tall stone building, looks a bit like a rocket ship but is actually a modernist take on basalt lava flows. ride up to the observation deck for views of brightly coloured rooftops, and the ocean beyond. Chow down like a local. If you dare, try hákarl, fermented shark meat (celeb chef Anthony Bourdain dubbed it the worst thing he's ever eaten); and Brennivín, a.k.a. "black death," a caraway-flavoured schnapps served cold in a shot glass – Iceland's national tipple. When you're ready for something less palatepushing, downtown grill house [Side Trip] dining with danes The most authentic way to learn about a people? Sit across a table from them. The Dine with the Danes program gives visitors to Denmark a chance to eat supper with a local family in their home. For details, call an AMA Travel Counsellor. 1-866-667-4777 Grillmarkaðurinn will set your taste buds sizzling with farm-totable fare like lamb T-bone with beet salad (grillmarkadurinn.is). Spend your króna. (Icelandic crowns). Buy a chill-defying parka from Icelandic outfitter 66°North, named for the latitudinal line that touches the country's northern tip (66north.com). Then head to Kolaportið flea market, which runs weekends in a warehouse near reykjavík's harbour. The tables are stocked with everything from fresh licorice to vintage clothing and antiques. attend a réttir. Farmers ride out on horseback each September to bring home sheep and horses that have spent the summer grazing in the surrounding highlands. Head out to the countryside and watch the herding over cake and coffee; pet and photograph the animals. W S p r i n g 2 0 14 | W e s t W o r l d a l b e r ta 23 p16_25_TravellerTypes.indd 23 14-01-10 3:41 PM