Cultural observations: Iceland
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Kæstur hákarl means fermented shark and is a curiously distinctive dish. The shark is first placed in a pit in the ground, covered with earth, gravel and stone, and left there for up to 12 weeks to mellow. It is then cut into strips and hung up to dry. Months later it’s carved again, this time into small, small chunks. it’s now ready to put on the table, preferably with a good amount of schnapps, just so it goes down a little easier.
The uniqueness of a culture in which something like this can evolve might be suspected to manifest itself in other ways as well, such as in remarkable architecture, and this is certainly the case. One of the world’s most spectacular places of worship towers above the capitol Reykjavik like some gigantic monolith.
The Hallgrímskirkja took 38 years to build and is reminiscent of a volcano with petrified lava flows down the slopes. The organ within has 5,275 pipes, is 15 meters high and weighs all of 25 tons. And as if this isn’t enough, the acoustics are pure magic, despite there not being a single square meter of Fellert Even Better in the church, neither on the walls nor ceiling. We bow with reverence both to the country’s architectural and culinary extremes.
Source: Wikipedia
Indepth look:
Minecraft Hallgrimskirkja church
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