Talking Travel: Iceland – more volcano, less stripping

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3 (15:04)

This episode of Talking Travel might start with this question: what do you think of when someone says “Iceland?” Well, there could be a few answers, if you’ve paid attention to stories aired on The World lately. For starters these days you’ve got the financial crisis, which has really battered the North Atlantic nation. Then there’s the Eyjafjallajokull volcano (pictured) which has been spouting off about 75 miles away from the capital, Reykjavik. If you’re a traveler, then maybe you’ve made the Rúntur pub crawl there in the capital. But one thing that might not spring to mind when it comes to Iceland…is strippers. Well, Iceland’s parliament recently decided to ban striptease clubs altogether. So, we turn to Lonely Planet’s intrepid duo, Robert Reid and Tom Hall, to find out if it’s still possible to find smut and filth in Europe. Unsurprisingly, the answer is yes. Listen in to hear more.

Here are some helpful links for the episode:

• Stigamot: An organization fighting against violence against women in Iceland
• Lonely Planet: Iceland
• Iceland Airwaves music festival
• Blue Lagoon Spa
• Utrecht’s floating brothels

Remember, there are three ways to enjoy Talking Travel:

• Subscribe to Talking Travel on iTunes
• Subscribe to Talking Travel via email
• Subscribe to Talking Travel via RSS

And here are some Icelandic chants we found. Too cool:

Remember, you can follow us on Twitter here. Lonely Planet’s Facebook page is also an excellent place to find more resources.