You have a friend in Iceland – Let's meet for a coffee!
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The corona pandemic has taken a toll on all of us. Most of us have experienced soft or hard lockdowns for weeks on end, staring at the same wall – being stuck at home. We need a change! So - let' s meet for a (virtual) coffee! Think of it like going to a nice café in downtown Reykjavík and meeting an Icelander sitting at the next table who would like to get to know you! Are you craving for some inspiration and exchange of thoughts? Do you long to travel again? Or would you just like to get to know people from Iceland with a similar interest? Do you love horses and would like to get to know the Icelandic Horse? Are you interested in photography, hiking, reading or do you love to cook? Same story here! Although Iceland has been doing well in containing the virus, the strict travel restrictions have had a huge impact on travelers from abroad. Icelanders miss meeting up with new and old friends, too. We love to talk about Iceland and really want to get to know you! Let's beat the pandemic and stay social! Let's make new friends! Though we haven't met before, doesn't mean we cannot get to know each other. |
How does it work?
Step 1: Find the person you would like to chat with. We give you a short introduction of who we are, about our hobbies and interests and a time when we are available for a zoom chat. Step 2: If you have found the person you would like to meet, click on the button "Let's meet" and you will be able to send a request for a zoom meeting. It would be great if you told us a bit about you as well. Step 3: You will receive an email with a zoom link for a chat at the preferred time. Step 4: Meet up with your new Icelandic friend for a chat about traveling in Iceland, the perfect route, coziest hotels, Icelandic food, literature, the Aurora borealis, history, the best beer in town or our wonderful horses - you name it! |
Meike Hi! My name is Meike. Great to meet you. I live in South Iceland, on a farm with lots of animals – most of them rescues. I love everything that has to do with the great outdoors and I am also a professional tourist guide. My favorite topics: History – Geology- Icelandic Horses – Hiking – Skiing – Politics – Icelandic Literature – Relocation advise. I speak German and English. I am usually available for a chat over coffee: Mon-Thu: 1 – 2 pm GMT. Happy to provide travel advise and travel offers. |
Steinunn Hi! My name is Steinunn, but I am usually called Steina. Lovely to meet you. I live in Álftanes just outside of Reykjavik. My home town is a hidden gem in the Capital area. Horses are my main hobby and I will become a professional tourist guide in May. My favorite topics: Horse Riding and Riding Tours – Travelling in Iceland - Icelandic Sheep Dog - Walking I speak English. I am usually available for a chat over coffee: Mon-Wed: 11 am– 12 pm GMT. Happy to provide travel advise and travel offers. |
María Hi! My name is Maria. Nice to meet you. I live in Reykjavik, the northernmost capital you can find. I'm an outdoor person and my hobbies are golf, skiing and running. Iceland has many fascinating golf courses such as in an old volcano. In Iceland you can even play golf underneath the midnight sun in June and July! My favorite topics: Sports of any kind. I speak English. I am usually available for a chat over coffee: Tue & Thu: 4- 5 pm GMT Happy to talk sports! |
Hrönn Hello! My name is Hrönn. Wonderful to meet you. My husband and I run the Barn Kitchen, where we offer cooking workshops in a cozy and rural environment. We grow potatoes and have a herb and vegetable garden. If you are interested in old or traditional Icelandic cooking recipes we surely will have plenty to chat about! Many of our recipes have been handed down in our families and carry a story of their own. I would love to tell you about the Icelandic Laufabrauð traditions and other Icelandic specialties. My favorite topics: Traditional cooking – Icelandic Herbs – Icelandic Vegetables I speak English. I am usually available for a chat over coffee: Mon 3 – 4 pm GMT. Happy to talk about Icelandic Cooking. |
Kristín Hello! My name is Kristín Steinsdóttir and I am an Icelandic novelist living in Reykjavík. I have also written over 20 children‘s books, some of them with a direct reference to my own childhood. Many of my books have been translated into German and other languages. I very much enjoy being a tour guide and have made many new friends during my travels around Iceland. It would be my pleasure to speak with you about Icelandic literature and my beloved Iceland. My favorite topics: Literature –Icelandic History and Culture – Politics – Environmental concerns I speak German and the Scandinavian languages. I am usually available for a chat over coffee: Tue and Wed: 4 – 5 pm GMT Happy to provide some travel advise and talk about books. |
Laufey Hi! My name is Laufey. Happy to meet you! I live near Höfn, close to Europe’ s largest ice cap called Vatnajökull. My whole life – work and hobby – has to do with the glacier: To go snowmobiling on the glacier or exploring into ice caves underneath the glacier. I love this wild nature, which is sometimes harsh and at the same time so beautiful. If you need any practical information about the Vatnajökull area, I am happy to assist you to find the best ways to visit Vatnajökull glacier. I love getting kids involved in the outdoors. My favorite topics: Snowmobiling - Super Jeep driving - Outdoor sport. I speak English. I am usually available for a chat over coffee: Mon-Wed: 11 am– 12 pm GMT. Happy to provide travel advise and travel offers. |
Ralf
Hi! My name is Ralf and I live in the countryside of South Iceland but relocated to Iceland some 15 years ago.
My absolute favorite hobby is fishing and every free minute I love to spend with my fishing rod – luckily there are plenty of good fishing streams close to where I live. I´d be happy to speak to you about great places to fish and what to keep in mind when coming over to Iceland to fish. I am also a keen outdoor enthusiast and have been on several highland horse trecks and on a fascinating husky dog tour in Northern Norway.
My favorite topics:
Fishing – Icelandic highland – dog sledding – relocating.
I speak German and English.
I am usually available for a chat over coffee:
Fri: 6-7 pm GMT
Happy to provide you with some insider advice!
My absolute favorite hobby is fishing and every free minute I love to spend with my fishing rod – luckily there are plenty of good fishing streams close to where I live. I´d be happy to speak to you about great places to fish and what to keep in mind when coming over to Iceland to fish. I am also a keen outdoor enthusiast and have been on several highland horse trecks and on a fascinating husky dog tour in Northern Norway.
My favorite topics:
Fishing – Icelandic highland – dog sledding – relocating.
I speak German and English.
I am usually available for a chat over coffee:
Fri: 6-7 pm GMT
Happy to provide you with some insider advice!
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FAQ
Is there a price tag attached to it? No, it is absolutely free! We just want to get to know you and hopefully inspire you to visit Iceland, our lovely home! Do I have to book something now or later? No, this is merely a cultural exchange. You do not have to book anything now or later. If I do want to get free direct travel advise like for a good route, it that possible? Yes, absolutely. Just make sure to pick a person with travel advise experience. If you want to speak to somebody about a concrete offer, pick someone who is happy to give you an offer. Then you can talk to a person who currently works in a travel agency and can give you advise and prices. You will find with the relevant information about our participants in the information field underneath the pictures. Personal Data Policy We do not collect your personal data, we will neither keep your email nor transfer it to other companies. We leave it up to you to contact us again after our call has ended. I do not trust zoom, can I use another system? Sure, just let us know and we are happy to use Skype or any other preferred and safe option. |
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Testimonials
"Ich bin leider noch nie in Island gewesen, habe aber schon viel davon gehört und gelesen und finde diese Insel sehr spannend. Es war sehr hilfreich, konkrete Tipps für eine Reise zu bekommen, ohne das Gefühl zu haben, dass man auch gleich buchen müsste. Es war ein bisschen wie ein virtuelles Reisebüro und nach ein paar Minuten auch völlig locker und entspannt! Super Idee, kann ich nur weiterempfehlen! Ganz easy mit Zoom! Man verabredet eine Zeit und bekommt dann einen Link geschickt. "
Kathrin W., Germany
"I loved chatting to Meike – she is such a fountain of knowledge about Iceland! I have spent a summer in Iceland some years ago and it was just wonderful to relive those memories in our chat. I love horses, too and we shared horse pictures and it worked really well. At first I thought it would be awkward to speak to a stranger but since we had a common interest, it was actually really nice and relaxed. Now it feels like I have a friend in Iceland and I would definitely like to go back to this super nice island some day! "
Lena R., Germany
"So lustig! Ich habe von dieser Aktion gehört und wollte es einfach mal ausprobieren! Jetzt bin ich total begeistert, Meike war gleich so sympathisch und wir haben eigentlich mehr von meiner letzten Islandreise gesprochen als alles andere. Ich hatte auch nie das Gefühl, das ich irgendetwas buchen müsste, es war total locker! Ich mache das auf jeden Fall nochmal!"
Kristina H., Austria
“Great concept helping to keep the lines of communication between so many of us across the world and our friends in Iceland. Wonderful to share stories, talk horses, culture, laugh and even have a song ! Love to know what is happening in Iceland, how life is carrying on there and how much we look forward to coming back.” Shona S., Scotland.
"Ich bin leider noch nie in Island gewesen, habe aber schon viel davon gehört und gelesen und finde diese Insel sehr spannend. Es war sehr hilfreich, konkrete Tipps für eine Reise zu bekommen, ohne das Gefühl zu haben, dass man auch gleich buchen müsste. Es war ein bisschen wie ein virtuelles Reisebüro und nach ein paar Minuten auch völlig locker und entspannt! Super Idee, kann ich nur weiterempfehlen! Ganz easy mit Zoom! Man verabredet eine Zeit und bekommt dann einen Link geschickt. "
Kathrin W., Germany
"I loved chatting to Meike – she is such a fountain of knowledge about Iceland! I have spent a summer in Iceland some years ago and it was just wonderful to relive those memories in our chat. I love horses, too and we shared horse pictures and it worked really well. At first I thought it would be awkward to speak to a stranger but since we had a common interest, it was actually really nice and relaxed. Now it feels like I have a friend in Iceland and I would definitely like to go back to this super nice island some day! "
Lena R., Germany
"So lustig! Ich habe von dieser Aktion gehört und wollte es einfach mal ausprobieren! Jetzt bin ich total begeistert, Meike war gleich so sympathisch und wir haben eigentlich mehr von meiner letzten Islandreise gesprochen als alles andere. Ich hatte auch nie das Gefühl, das ich irgendetwas buchen müsste, es war total locker! Ich mache das auf jeden Fall nochmal!"
Kristina H., Austria
“Great concept helping to keep the lines of communication between so many of us across the world and our friends in Iceland. Wonderful to share stories, talk horses, culture, laugh and even have a song ! Love to know what is happening in Iceland, how life is carrying on there and how much we look forward to coming back.” Shona S., Scotland.
