Attractions were spaced pretty far apart in Iceland, and any time there was one, there was also a large gift shop accompanying it which we always visited as I’m quite interested in seeing local handicrafts. Much of the merchandise on offer had to do with cold weather – sweaters, heavy socks, caps, gloves, necks carves and such made from Icelandic wool. I did buy a lovely sweater and warm vest that will be useless in Saudi Arabia but came in quite handy in both Iceland and Copenhagen. I also bought a hooded sweatshirt during our very first gas station stop on our first long drive, which I wore along with a heavy, long-sleeved T-shirt, another sweatshirt and a jacket with a warm lining pretty much the entire time. I would say cold-weather souvenirs are very much in order!

I’m posting a few captures from these gift shops just for fun. Puffins seemed to be a favorite theme for souvenirs, which is pretty natural since Iceland is home to large colonies of them. I bought myself a small puffin stuffed toy as consolation for not getting to see any of the real thing. We were supposed to drive and ferry with our friends to the West Fjords region to visit the bird rocks there, but we decided that it would take too much time and that we wouldn’t be able to see anything else. Turned out the ride to the rocks was “harrowing,” according to our friends, and all the puffins save one had left Iceland, and they saw it as it was flying away.