In the Atlantic Ocean between Norway and Greenland, touching the Arctic Circle with its northern edge, there lies a land that cherishes the memories of the Viking Age, where our journey in Travel Photography has taken us for the first time. The land of Volcanoes and Geysers and yet the land of ice. The ‘far far away’ Iceland, with its population of only over 300,000 people, earned the status of the most developed country of the world and the fourth most productive per capita by the United Nations’ Human Development Index in 2008.
Situated to the southwest of the island, the highly modernized capital Reykjavik is home for 60% of the total population of the country. Here is one of the warmest places of Iceland not only because of its numerous spa centres and night life, but also due to the warm waters of the Gulf stream that moderate the climate. The temperature in winter hardly ever drops below -10 degrees. In summer, however, it rarely goes above +15 degrees.
The visitors of the city will enjoy an amazing scenery of snowy mountain ranges merging with the Ocean. Most of the buildings in Reykjavik are not high, so mountains can be seen from almost everywhere. But one can get the fullest view of the natural beauties of the place from Perlan. Once serving as Reykjavik’s water reservoir, Perlan is now ‘the city’s most striking building by day and it’s finest restaurant by night’. The city centre is quite small and easily conquerable on foot, but if you plan to go to the suburbs, you can either take a bus or a taxi, which are the only means of public transportation. If you have much free time and decide to have a walk, let your feet have a good rest before you go. On your way you might see a lot of remote areas, large fields to cross and very few pedestrians. But if you suddenly got lost and saw someone passing by, don‘t be shy t
o ask for help. Extremely friendly Icelanders are always glad to assist confused foreigners with directions. They will kindly take time to explain the way in full details and perfect English. Along with Perlan and magnificent scenery, food is another attraction of the capital. There one finds some of the most pleasant restaurants with incredibly delicious menu. They are especially recommended for fish lovers. After the restaurants, happy tourists can join the local crowds enjoying themselves at night clubs.
The crown of the place, as we already mentioned above, are the spas. It should be noted here, that the Vikings, who settled on the island more than 1100 years ago, paid greater attention to cleanness of their bodies than their southern neighbours at those times. They also combed their hair much
more often that it is generally assumed. The Vikings fully utilized the hot sulphur waters coming from the earth of the land and were known for their custom of bathing every Saturday. From this tradition comes the name of the respective weekday - Laugardagur meaning ‘washing day’. Spas in Reykjavik nowadays are not only the pleasant luxury, but also a necessary element of the weekly life. Especially if you happen to visit Iceland in winter or early spring as in our case.
So if you decide to visit Reykjavik, don’t forget to take a swimsuit with you.
