Akureyri - 20.03.2014, Side 22

22 11. tölublað 4. árgangur 20. mars 2014
Iceland -a free lunch?
A big debate is now underway
as to whether admission should
be charged for the world-famous
natural wonders of Iceland-
-including Geysir, Dettifoss and
Dimmuborgir. Iceland
has a landmass not much
smaller than England,
and this is inhabited
by the equivalent of the
population of Stoke on
Trent! It is not surpris-
ing that keeping things
running is quite a task
for such a small num-
ber of people. Iceland
is, however enjoying a
tourist bonanza, and
is visited by more than twice its
population every year-and the
figures are rising fast.
Iceland is no free lunch. It is
an expensive country, and food
and lodgings come quite dear. But
there is a lot you can do for nothing.
Hiking, cross-country skiing, biking
and hitching a lift. Gazing up at the
amazingly clear sky and watching
the northern lights in winter, and
the summer skies all night in the
summer. And standing outside the
parliament bashing pots
and pans. Swimming is
pretty cheap and renting
a car will give you access
to the incredible but
dangerous highlands.
However many tourists
underestimate the dan-
gers of the glaciers and
the mountains and huge
amounts of money and
man-hours are wasted
every year searching for
human “lost sheep” camping out
in blizzards on glaciers. Some of
them are found. Strangely many
of the natural wonders of this
country are wholly or partly under
private ownership. In some cases
the “owners”-that is to say if you
agree that anyone should be able
to own rivers, waterfalls, mountains
and geysers, the sun or the moon,
argue that they are responsible to
maintain services and safety in the
area. Up to now they have supp-
orted themselves quite successfully
by selling hot dogs, postcards and
plastic elves. And arguably some of
the bigger attractions here are very
far from free-The Blue Lagoon will
really rip you of, as will the salmon
rivers. Doesn’t seem to stop the
invading hoards!
Many countries, including
Iceland’s super-rich Scandinavian
cousins, charge for everything from
taking a pee to parking a Porsche.
Only in city centres here do you
have to pay to park, and even then
you can find a free spot if you drive
around a bit. You certainly won’t
get clamped! In the U.K. you have
to pay to park even in the middle
of deserted Scottish islands. So
why all the fuss? I have a sneaking
suspicion that putting up fences
around mountains, glaciers, hot
springs and waterfalls may prove a
quite a technological challenge even
for the ingenious Icelanders. And
it would take a pretty high fence
to stop the “free lunchers” peeping
over the top! Not to mention spoil-
ing the view! The smaller attractions
may manage it, but I can’t see the
entrance fee stretching to pay the
wages of the ticket collectors, let
alone the fence builders. And there
is the danger that the visitors might
just as well decide to drive on to
the next valley where there is en-
ough to see unimpeded. However it
is perfectly honest and acceptable
to charge for car parking and use of
bathroom facilities. In Sweden you
pay with your mobile phone.
Another idea would be a Nature
Permit to be paid on arrival like
visas in other countries. The only
thing wrong with that idea is how to
earmark the funds so that they can
be kept out of reach of the greedy
grabbing mitts of politicians with
krona signs for eyes hoping to find
yet another way of diverting public
funds to subsidize their rich relati-
ves’ Dallas Style vacation ranches,
and their free lunches.
THE ENGLISH CORNER WITH MICHAEL CLARKE
MICHAEL CLARKE
MATARGATIÐ FLEIRI UPPSKRIFTIR Á WWW.ALLSKONAR.IS
Helga Kvam
allskonar.is
Strangely many of the
natural wonders of this
country are wholly or
partly under private
ownership
Spínatbollur
Spínat er alveg brjálæðislega hollt og
ofboðslega gott ferskt og brakandi.
En við getum líka borðað spínat á
veturna þegar það vex ekki hér því
það er hægt að frysta spínat. Hér
eru æðislega góðar spínatbollur sem
kosta lítið en eru bæði hollar og góð-
ar. Láttu hugmyndaflugið stjórna
því hvernig dýfu/sósu þú berð fram
með bollunum. Ég ber oft fram með
þeim Raita gúrkusósu eða kryddaða
jógúrtsósu, það er líka hægt að nota
guacamole eða bara hreinan sýrðan
rjóma.
» 450gr frosið spínat
» 130gr hveiti/spelt/mjöl að eigin vali
» 3 skallottulaukar, fínsaxaðir
» 3 hvítlauksrif, marin
» 1 tsk garam masala
» 1 tsk kóríander, malað
» Undirbúningur: 10 mínútur
Steikingartími: 15 mínútur
Kreistu allt vatn úr spínatinu og
tættu það með fingrunum niður í
skál. Bættu lauknum, hvítlauknum,
kryddinu og um hveitinu saman við
og hnoðaðu þessu saman. Ef þetta
er of blautt og klístrað þá bætirðu
hveiti við, ef of þurrt þá bætirðu
vatni.
Bleyttu lófana og hnoðaðu þessu
saman í kúlur á stærð við borð-
tenniskúlu, eða þægilega lófastærð.
Settu um 1.5-2cm lag af olíu í
pönnu, þú ætlar að grunnsteikja
bollurnar, olían þarf að ná 1/3 upp
á þær. Hitaðu olíuna vel og steiktu
bollurnar þar til þær eru brúnaðar.
Láttu olíuna renna af þeim á eldhús-
pappír. Það er gott að setja þær inn
í 140°C heitan ofn á meðan þú býrð
til sósuna, en þær eru samt líka mjög
góðar kaldar.
JÓGÚRTSÓSA
» 1/2 tsk olía
» 2 tsk sinnepsfræ
» 2 hvítlauksrif, marin
» 1 tsk turmerik
» 1 grænt chili, fræhreinsað og
fínsaxað
» 2 dl hrein jógúrt eða grísk jógúrt
» Undirbúningur: 2 mínútur
Hitaðu olíuna á pönnu og steiktu
sinnepsfræ, hvítlauk, turmerik og
chili í 30 sekúndur, eða þar til allt fer
að ilma og sinnepsfræin að poppa.
Hrærðu öllu saman við jógúrtina
í skál.
Skíðasvæði Fjallbyggðar
Siglfirsku alparnir
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nema þriðjudaga.
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