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Experiences from the countryside and the city life of Reykjavik

To anyone that reads this review and has never been to Iceland I strongly recommend starting planning your next holiday in this fascinating far away island.  It's definitely one of those places in the world one should visit at least once during a lifetime. This is the story of my recent and first experience of visiting the western part of Iceland.

Landing at the end of March at the international airport in Keflavik, a small town about 40 km from Reykjavik, I realized what I had been told was true; arriving in Iceland must be the closest experience you can get, if you are not an astronaut or planning to become one, to landing on the Moon! The countryside surrounding the road from the airport to Reykjavik is made of black lava rocks and it's the only thing you see along the way apart from the sea on your left side. It takes about 30 minutes to drive to the city centre of Reykjavik. The mountains that create a beautiful frame around the city were still covered by snow and the air was fresh and frizzy. Living in Brussels, situated in one of the most polluted regions in Europe, I have to say that it was a joy for my lungs to take in the clean and pure air!

The quality of life for the people living in Iceland is from my point of view very high, considering air quality and the closeness to nature. However, as you might have heard, Reykjavik is one of the most expensive capitals in the world. The prizes are almost double from what you are used to coming from the continent. So, going out to restaurants and bars at night will leave you with an empty wallet if you are not careful! It's worth every Icelandic krona though to go out for a meal in the restaurants down town. The menu and the food are of the highest quality and the service is excellent. The friends I was visiting took me out for dinner in a few restaurants. The one I indeed recommend is called Apotek. The interior is very trendy and visitors seem to be quite aware of the latest fashion trends . Personally I just adore the lamps they have pending from the sealing; very stylish! I was told the restaurant previously had been a pharmacy and from there comes the name of the restaurant. While going through the options of the menu my attention was drawn to a fish dish which contained the kind of fish they call "saltfiskur". I was curious to taste the Icelandic version as I had already sampled it many times in Sicily, from where I am partly originated. It's in fact the same kind of fish that is eaten in Sicily and that has been imported from Iceland for many centuries. It was very good and it really has to be tasted! A few evenings later I was invited to go to a traditional Icelandic restaurant called Lækjarbrekka. The restaurant is in a traditional old Icelandic house situated in the heart of the city.  The interiors are very cosy and the atmosphere romantic. I was not incredibly impressed by the food, apart from the lobster soup; although it was worth the experience for the atmosphere and the interiors. There are also many nice cafés in Reykjavik, my favourite is definitely beinh the one called Kaffitár on the main road Laugarvegur.- great café latte and delicious cakes.

There are so many activities to try out in Iceland. What I loved to do and what I often dream about since I left is to bathe in the hot tubs in Icelandic swimming pools. All the swimming pools have them so it's very easy to visit and find them. Although they are outside it's an incredible feeling of wellbeing to just lie in the hot water and stare up in the clear sky. Some of the hot tubs are also Jacuzzis! In other words what you get is a real spa treatment.

High on my priority list was to visit the Geysir area, the biggest waterfall in Europe, Gullfoss and riding an Icelandic horse. All of my desires where fulfilled. A more unexpected trip that I was taken to was towards the north west of the island, to Snæfellsnes and the Snæfellsnes glacier. We drove for almost 3 hours crossing fantastic landscapes formed by big steep mountains shaped by the wind. Again I saw lots of lava, small farm houses here and there and horses. We finally arrived in a place close by the coast called Búðir where we stayed for the night. This has to be the most isolated hotel I ever slept in. As arriving there out of season we were the only guests at the hotel, apart from a business man with his laptop. Opening the curtains the first thing in the morning, I discovered an astonishing view. On one side the sea and a little brown countryside church and on the other side the impressive glacier. Rumours say that the mountain has incredible healing and magical powers! I'm truly convinced that there are many magical things about that place! '

After my stay in Iceland I felt restored deep down in my body and soul. Looking forward to see you again Iceland!

Author: Lisa Scordato
Date: 6th April 2006