First on our list of 5 popular summer activities is the grillveisla / grillpartý, or barbecue party.

People barbecue all year round, but only in the summer time will you be able to invite friends and family to your house or flat for a proper garden or balcony grillpartý. The word grillsumar (barbecue summer) is a commonly used one now, as in Þetta verður/var gott grillsumar (This will be/ was a great barbecue summer). It will probably rain, but no one cares if the food gets a little wet, as long as you‘ve got good company, good music, nice decor, and the possibility of retreating to the kitchen during the occasional deluge.

Here are just a few things to prepare you for your first grillpartý of the summer.

The typical grillpartýmatur (barbecue party food) will include pylsur (hot dogs), lambakjöt (lamb), svínakjöt (pork), hamborgarar (hamburgers), grænmeti (vegetables), salat (salad) and/or some kartöflusalat (potato salad). This will be washed down with gos (fizzy drinks), some bjór (beer), vín (wine), or perhaps some vatn (water), or djús (juice) for the kids or for mixing.

Your host will have prepared diskar & glös (plates & cups) for you to use, along with hnífar & gafflar (knives and forks), and of course servíettur (napkins).

Last but not least: you will need a few phrases to help you mingle, and there is no easier way to make fast friends than speaking (favourably!) about the food you're enjyoing together. Follow our posts on Facebook and Instagram, where we'll be supplying you with some helpful grillsumar words and phrases!

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Other posts in the series: ‍

What on earth do Icelanders get up to in the summer?

The one about sleeping in god's green nature

‍The one about "going the ring road"

The one about public soaking

‍The one about a favourite overnight chillaxing option

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And here are links to two posts about being careful when travelling, any time of year - because we care :)

The one about the way in which Icelanders (and you!) choose a destination

The one about travelling safely