Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [287]
It’s usual to take seasickness medication half an hour before you sail. Bring your preferred brand from home, or buy over-the-counter medications such as Dramamine from a pharmacist before your journey. Seasickness medication is not available on board any of the Icelandic boat services.
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TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
All travellers with children should know how to treat minor ailments and when to seek medical treatment. Make sure the children are up to date with routine vaccinations, and discuss any possible travel vaccines with your doctor well before departure, as some vaccines are not suitable for children under 12 months.
Remember to avoid contaminated food and water. If your child is vomiting or has diarrhoea, lost fluid and salts must be replaced. It may be helpful to take rehydration powders for reconstituting with boiled water.
For more information on travelling with little ones, see Lonely Planet’s Travel with Children.
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SEXUAL HEALTH
Condoms are widely available, and can be found most easily at apótek (pharmacies) and supermarkets. When buying condoms, look for a European CE mark, which means they have been rigorously tested, and then keep them in a cool, dry place or they may crack and perish.
Emergency contraception is most effective if taken within 24 hours after unprotected sex. It’s available from the national hospital in Reykjavík, and at other hospitals around Iceland.
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Language
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CONTENTS
Alphabet & Pronunciation
Accommodation
Conversation & Essentials
Directions
Emergencies
Eating Out
Health
Numbers
Shopping & Services
Time & Dates
Transport
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Icelandic belongs to the Germanic language family, which includes German, English, Dutch and all the Scandinavian languages except Finnish. It’s the nearest thing in existence to Old Norse, the language spoken by the Vikings. In fact, modern Icelandic has changed so little since the Settlement that present-day speakers can read the language of the 12th- and 13th-century sagas without difficulty. Interestingly, Icelandic still retains the ancient letters ‘eth’ (Ð) and ‘thorn’ (þ), which existed in Old English but have disappeared from modern English.
Icelanders are proud of their literary heritage, and they are particularly keen to stick to their language when it comes to the written word. To avoid having to adopt foreign words for new concepts, neologisms (new words) are created – útvarp (radio), sjónvarp (television), tölva (computer) and þota (jet) are just a few that have become part of the Icelandic vocabulary.
Icelanders are rather informal, and a person is rarely addressed by title or surname. They use the ancient patronymic system, where son (son) or dóttir (daughter) is attached to the father’s or, less commonly, the mother’s first name. The telephone book entries are listed according to first names.
Most Icelanders speak English and often several other languages too, so you’ll have no problems if you can’t muster any Icelandic. However, any attempts you do make to speak the lingo will certainly be much appreciated. If you’d like a more in-depth guide to Icelandic, pick up a copy of Lonely Planet’s Scandinavian Phrasebook or Small Talk: Northern Europe. For a food and drink glossary, Click here.
Be aware, especially when you’re trying to read bus timetables or road signs, that place names can be spelled in several different ways due to Icelandic grammar rules. For example, the sign that welcomes visitors to the town of Höfn in the southeast reads Velkomin til Hafnar (Hafnar is the grammatically correct form of Höfn in the context of this sentence).
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ALPHABET & PRONUNCIATION
Many letters are pronounced as in English;