I want to go back to Iceland…

I first went to Iceland about three years ago and lost my heart completely. The weather wasn’t at its best, grey and rainy and rather gloomy – in February the days are very short! heavy cloud cover meant we didn’t see the Northern Lights, and the lowness of the clouds meant we didn’t get to all the places listed on the tour… however, however, I just didn’t care! I loved every moment of being there! I loved the feel of the country, I loved the spectacular sites we did see, I loved the people we met, the food we ate, the things we did and saw… There was just something about it that grabbed me… maybe it was the Norse DNA I have, maybe my lood was calling me, but whatever it was I just loved Iceland.

We went back last year and the weather was much better; we saw some of the sites I had missed first time round, such as the spectacular Þingvellir, went to cafés and restaurants I had not had the chance to go to  before such as Café Loki, wandered round Reykjavik, visited art galleries and museums, and still did not see the Northern Lights… and I loved it even more.

My only slight concern is that many, many people think the same as I do… Iceland is getting about a million tourists a year, and in a small place with a population of about 320,000 that has a big impact… especially as some tourists are so thoughtless,careless, rude and plain stupid! However, I guess it is good for Iceland’s economy, but judging by the number of hotels we saw being built in Reykjavik, there is going to be quite an impact on the very things that the tourists go for, the unspoilt nature of the island, and its distinct culture and identity.