Iceland

A few weeks ago, I joined Celebrity Cruises for a whirlwind trip to Iceland to discover a national food speciality – the dramatically-named thunder bread.

We caught all the behind-the-scenes action on a shoot with Waitrose filming a new episode of their inspiring A Taste of Travel series. I think all of us were relieved that we wouldn’t be examining Icelandic delicacies such as fermented shark, whale or puffin – it’s hard to go wrong with rye bread!

The Journey

I’ve only ever seen Iceland from the air on stopovers to Boston, but on this short trip with Celebrity Cruises I was really charmed by its natural, unspoilt landscape, interesting architecture and that dry Icelandic sense of humour. The love affair started from our super comfortable Icelandair flight (three hours of in-flight movies and the most amazing spiced fruit oatmeal) and the drive from the airport through the barren yet beautiful volcanic countryside towards Reykjavik.

The Hotel

We swiftly checked in at the cosy, nautical-inspired Icelandair Reykjavik Marina Hotel. I wasn’t sure what to expect from an airline hotel, but this boutique hotel is hipster central with a dash of Wes Anderson quirkiness and everything you need for a comfortable stay – free wifi, a great bed, gorgeous Icelandic Soley Organic botanical bath products and a cool bar. I can even forgive that there was a Pantone mackerel on my wall staring at me in bed.

Lunch at The Laundromat Cafe

Happily, the sun was still shining late afternoon, so we had a few hours to explore Reykjavik. The first stop was for a refuel at The Laundromat Cafe – a casual all-day dining spot that does an awesome Club Sandwich and enourmous gourmet salads.

Hallgrímskirkja

This set us up for a trek uphill to Reykjavik’s iconic Hallgrímskirkja (named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson).

This Lutheran church is the tallest in Iceland and was designed by architect Guðjón Samúelsson in 1937 to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape. It was consecrated around 50 years later and houses an imposing pipe organ and some pretty ‘out there’ contemporary religious art.

Sólfar (Sun Voyager)

We strolled back towards the marina, admiring the colourful low-rise houses, cute cafes and interiors shops, until we reached the Sólfar (Sun Voyager).

The striking aluminium sculpture, designed by Jón Gunnar Árnason, was constructed in 1990 and is a sun ship, symbolising the promise of new, undiscovered territory. Also in this part of town is the magnificent Harpa Concert Hall, which is the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and The Icelandic Opera.

Dinner at Slippbarinn

Dinner that evening was at the hotel’s cool Slippbarinn restaurant and bar that offers dishes like fish in a pan, grilled langoustine tails and a selection of flatbreads, as well as excellent cocktails. Extra points to the staff for allowing me to take some chocolate cake up to my room to eat in bed – the perks of being a hotel guest.

It’s not easy getting a whole production team into a small walk-in seafood shack, but if you’re in a smaller group than we were, try the renowned Sea Baron for the ‘best lobster soup in Iceland’.

Þingvellir National Park

The next day we rose early for a tasty buffet breakfast at the hotel (I highly recommend the spiced apple cake) and then Operation Thunderbread was on! We drove through rural Iceland towards Laugarvatn Fontana, stopping briefly to admire Þingvellir National Park – a World Heritage Site and one of Iceland’s most visited tourist destinations.

Laugarvatn Fontana

Laugarvatn Fontana is a delightful spa and wellness centre built on natural hot springs by the Laugarvatn lake. Guests can relax and detox in the steam baths and geothermal pools, followed by a bountiful buffet lunch or dinner. It’s also home to some rather delicious thunderbread, produced by managing director and master breadmaker Sigurdur Hilmarsson – Siggi for short.

Meeting Rosie Lovell

As the Waitrose production team set up, we had the chance to meet the host of the series Rosie Lovell- cookbook author and owner of Rosie’s Deli Cafe in Brixton and Peckham. Rosie has a magnetic personality – she’s an energetic, passionate foodie with the urban smartness that comes with being an entrepreneur and hard-working mother.

Here are a few fun facts about Rosie:

– Rosie was inspired to open her first cafe after a trip to Glastonbury and graduating from Edinburgh Uni.
– She is so hands-on with running her two cafes that many people don’t often realise she is the Rosie of Rosie’s Deli Cafe.
– Japan and Morocco are top of her travel wish list to discover the national cuisine.
– One of her favourite London restaurants for a slap-up meal is Quo Vadis in Soho.
– She loves eating locally in south London when she’s just after just ‘a really flipping nice supper’ with her husband DJ Raf Rundell and son.

How To Make Thunder Bread

The cameras started rolling and Siggi shared with Rosie his own special recipe for thunder bread. It’s a basic rye bread recipe – simply rye, plain flour, sugar, milk and a pinch of salt – but with a few local variations.

Bake Time

Where the real fun comes in is the baking process. The mixture is placed in a metal pot and then buried beneath the black volcanic sand on the shoreline and naturally heated by the thermal springs for 24 hours. So powerful are the hot springs, with their little bubbling pools, that they power the entire village (so our thunder bread was in no danger of failing).

Tasting the Thunder Bread

Happily, Siggi had prepared a batch for us to freshly dig up and slice. The warm, springy bread resembled a spice loaf and had nutty, slightly sweet flavours and a moist texture.

We devoured slice after slice right away with a slick of butter, but thunder bread can also be enjoyed with smoked trout, herring, smoked lamb or to mop up an Icelandic fish stew. It was absolutely delightful and and well worth a trek to Iceland for a truly authentic experience.

A Taste of Travel has so far given us a cinematic bite of manti ravioli in Istanbul, gelato in Florence, gin in Barcelona and there’s another exciting Scandinavian sweet treat on the way.

See the full Waitrose A Taste of Travel series with Rosie Lovell, in partnership with Celebrity Cruises, here.

All photos by Chérie City

For more Celebrity Cruises travel inspiration, read my reviews of:

How to Bake Thunder Bread in Iceland