Join the Icelandic Roots podcast team and learn how these three unique elements are related to one Snorri individual.
By Jack Plumley, a member of the IR podcast team
The Icelandic National League of North America’s Convention in Banff was a fun and enlightening conference focused on the arts & culture of the Icelandic North American communities. Here on the media team, we aim to interview and expand on the stories shared at the convention by inviting many of the speakers to our podcast.
In the meantime, if you haven’t yet joined the few hundred others who’ve already tuned in, and if you are fascinated with Iceland's unique geological features, then you won't want to miss our latest podcast episode, where we sat down with Erik Schoonover to discuss everything related to Iceland's geology.
Erik, a member of the Snorri program, has a personal connection to Iceland to share; his grandma emigrated to the US from Iceland in the 1960s.
As many of you already know, Iceland saw its most recent wave of emigration in the 1960s, which was primarily a response to the country's economic hardships at the time. The post-World War II era brought an end to Iceland's reliance on fishing, which was previously the backbone of the country's economy. As a result, many Icelanders sought opportunities in other parts of the world, particularly in North America.
Many Icelandic families were separated during this period, and numerous individuals left their home country to start a new life in the United States or Canada. Erik’s grandmother was part of this wave of emigration and he shares her story in this podcast.
On the natural sciences side of things, with its active volcanoes, geysers, and hot springs, Iceland is a veritable playground for geologists and scientists. Erik Schoonover is one such scientist with a particular focus on Iceland's geology. In this podcast episode, Erik will discuss all things related to Iceland's geology in an easy to understand and fun dialogue - with lots of geology puns along the way!
In addition, we touch on Iceland’s unique fascination with hot dogs. Yes, that’s right, during his time on the Snorri program, Erik became very well versed with the world of pylsurs, sharing his recipe for the perfect Icelandic Hotdog, tested by his hotdog-a-day protocol during the Snorri Trip.
Interestingly, Icelandic hotdogs have a storied history, dating back to the country's early days as a fishing community. In the 1930s, a food cart vendor began selling hotdogs to fishermen in Reykjavik, and the dish quickly became a popular snack. Today, hotdogs remain a beloved part of Icelandic cuisine, with many visitors to the country seeking out this unique culinary experience.
So grab a hotdog and join us for a fascinating discussion of Iceland's natural sciences.
And be sure to stay tuned and share the podcast with friends and family. We’ll have lots of interesting episodes to enjoy over the next few months and throughout the summer.
Takk fyrir!