"The Land of Fire and Ice " a Reykjavík Travel Page by emilienoelle

For nearly my entire adult life I had wanted to go to Iceland. When I was 18 I had envisioned it as a wild and exotic escape from the drudgery and ignorance that I percieved as surrounding me, an oasis of pure air and sea, full of beautiful and cultured people. Money was the main reason I never went. It is perhaps one of the most expensive places in the world. So when I had the opportunity this summer to stop in Reykjavik on my way home from Europe I took it. I'm so glad that I did.

When I first got to Reykjavik I was surprised by how small it was. It looks more like a quaint fishing village than the bustling metropolis I had envisioned. But this city makes up for in quality what it lacks in quantity. It is gorgeous and loaded with things to do and see. It is also very easy to walk around in.

There is a feeling that you get in Iceland, even in Reykjavik its largest city, that you have somehow traveled back in time. Everywhere you turn there is the face of the ancient. It is in the volcanic landscape, in the mountains that rise from the sea, and even in the Icelanders themselves who take great pride in their ancient viking heritage and language. Here you get a real sense of what it could have felt like to be one of those vikings landing on its rocky shores.