by Judy Bereza, Guest Blogger

The name is self descriptive.  Iceland.  Land of ice and snow, Northern Lights,

glaciers and persistent gloom for most of the year.  The name is a perfect 

cliche, a stereotype of expectations.  When we visited Iceland, armed with 

our assumptions, we were eager to see for ourselves what this island was all about.

We signed up for the expected tours:  waterfalls, glaciers, the Mid-Atlantic Rift,

the beaches, and The Blue Lagoon (not).

We set aside a day to explore Reykjavik on foot, and this was the revelation that

obliterated our assumptions about this city.  The city was crowded with tourists, so

there was a lively atmosphere with various languages overheard.  The sun was shining,

the sky clear, and the temperature hovering around 60.  

We walked around what is correctly called a “walkable” city.  We peeked into gardens

with colorful floral displays, enjoyed watching children playing in the sunshine, and noticed

lots of ducks on the lakes in and around the city.  (Where do they go in the winter?)

There are several museums close by, and we enjoyed them, taking advantage of their

outdoor cafe venues and water features.  

When we returned to the downtown area, we encountered a festive scene – bikers

getting ready for a race the following day, crowds milling around, live music and 

beer.  We decided to complete the experience with a glass of wine on an outdoor

patio next to our hotel, soaking up the remaining sunshine, which lasted well

into the evening.  After all, when you’re this far north in June, sunshine is an

assumption that happily is intact.