As I sit in this Irish Pub, in Reykjavik of all places, being forced to sit through soccer on the television, I suddenly have time to think because God knows watching this is comparable to seeing two male dance troops saunter around…
I always find the little differences to be the most interesting part of travel. I’ll be brief since I can only imagine the normal tens of you reading this could care less. I’ll get to sports soon I promise. But the two little differences that I keep thinking about are food related. The first being that the grocery stores here are much more utilitarian and selection is not a spice of life here in Iceland. I wanted some fruit for breakfast to go with the 10 eggs I picked up and my options were limited to pears, apples, oranges, or the world’s smallest watermelons. I opted for pears because pears are the single most underrated fruit out there (I feel an argument coming on in a future Flagship episode).
But the grocery stores themselves were very minimalist, I was unable to take photos because I have couth and try not to take pictures where unsuspecting people will end up in them (I know what a concept, being considerate and not a narcissistic, self-centered asshat). But coming from a place where there is literally an entire aisle in Wegmans dedicated to different barbecue and hot sauces, and being in a Bönus that has three varieties of each at most is quite the stark contrast.
The other difference I noticed is takeout/fast food. In an ever-more globalized world (NOT a political podcast), there are exactly three chain/fast casual/fast food places that have a foothold in the country. Go ahead, take a minute to think and guess.
I promise you, you will never get all three unless you’ve been here.
Nope. McDonald’s was here, but it is no longer in the entire country. Reason: no one liked it, and gas station burgers are far better here (no joke gas stations have actual food and it is crazy good, made to order).
The first is Domino’s pizza. I obviously did not try, I’m a foodie. That would be palate suicide. But locals tell me that it is not the traditional pizza you’d get from Domino’s in the States so I’ll take their word for it.
Second is Subway. I know. I’m stunned too. Subway is trash. I did not walk inside to decipher if there were any differences between them here and home. My argument about it being basically the same is simple. So I’m walking through the streets of Old Reykjavik this very afternoon and I immediately catch a familiar whiff of that overly processed bread. And I look up and sure enough, fucking Subway is a little further down on the block. That smell is omnipresent and the only place it is not a detrimental odor is Walmart, because it overpowers the other aromas…
The last one threw me for a bit of a loop, KFC! That’s right Kentucky Fried is prevalent here. The gentleman who showed me around the Eimverk distillery told me it’s a treat for him and his family. Maybe once a month at most because of how bad the food is for you. I won’t argue. I did ask about Popeyes because if you know me, you know I have an affinity for Louisiana fast food. He said it was here but went out of business in a little under a year because the locals basically thought it was refried and re-salted KFC. Halthrök and I were able to find common ground on other things, so I gave him a pass.
Very cool tour by the way. 5 stars.
Alright enough pontificating about the subtle differences in cultures. I know the general expectation is that I will spend our remaining time this Sunday talking about the trade deadline. Well you’re wrong. Instead I’m going to do an entire show about the trade deadline that should drop tomorrow! Also, don’t worry, we have Eagles to talk about too so I’m sure even my non-puckheads will enjoy.
No, instead I’m going to talk about a concept used in European sport that I think needs to be adopted by one segment of one sport in ‘Murica. I am talking about the system of promotion and relegation in European football and how, with the ever-changing landscape of college football, we should implement it in at least Division 1, if not the whole sport!
We are moving closer to a “Superleague” in college football comprised of the SEC and Big Ten. Instead of this gradual stratification of the sport based on television ratings and revenue, why don’t we instead implement the system of relegation and promotion exactly like the English Football Pyramid?! It basically does what the sport is doing now, but it still allows for there to be movement into and out of levels based on performance, not tradition or legacy. I think it’s a great idea and instead of going too in depth, I have just decided to table this until the next flagship show to see what the other numpties think. Besides, the Flyers are on and I need my phone to watch… Cheers.
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