Iceland is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever visited. While we were only there for 4 days and 3 nights I fell in love with the place. Some people may think that the middle of winter is not the best time to visit but you get a whole different perspective on the landscape when its covered in snow.

We flew Southwest to BWI to catch Iceland Air (FI) to Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport (KEF). The airport is small and very user friendly. Upon clearing customs you have access to a bank and an ATM. There are several car rental options at the airport but the easiest way is to check in at the FlyBus desk (A subsidiary of Iceland Air) and buy a roundtrip ticket into the main city terminal which is located at the Reykjavik domestic airport. You will then be transferred to any hotel in the city for no extra charge.

If you would then like to rent a car your hotel will help make the arrangements. All car rental companies will pick you up at your hotel and then retrieve the car at the end of the rental. Your hotel will arrange a FlyBus pickup on your day of departure for the trip back to KEF.

The tourism industry in Iceland is very small. During ALL of 1999 only about 270,000 people visited this island nation. Compare that to the island of Oahu in Hawaii - on any given DAY there are that many tourists on the island. Even though the numbers of people who visit are relatively small the country has fantastic facilities offering information and a vast number of guided and self-guided tours. The main tourism office is located in the city center and will have all the info you need to get started.

Take a day and see the city. Visit the Althing, which is the national parliament. It is the oldest sitting governmental body in the world founded more than 1,000 years ago when the country was first settled. Right next door you'll find the Lutheran Cathedral, more than 90% of Icelanders are Lutheran. And behind that is city hall with a very large scale relief of the island. Reykjavic is the northerly most capital city in the world.

There are many great restaurants in the city. Fishing is the largest industry and that is reflected in the menus. The seafood is nothing short of excellent. The best of the restaurants in Reykjavik is "Þrir Frakkar Hja Ulfari" (this is the closest to the correct spelling I could get since I don't have Icelandic language characters on my PC). The prices are moderate to expensive but well worth it. We ate dinner there twice! Reservations are required, which your hotel will be happy to make for you.

Your next stop in the city should be Halgrims Church. It is a beautiful structure on one of the tallest hills in Reykjavik. You can take a lift to the top of the clock/bell tower and get a breathtaking, panoramic view of the city. There are many fine museums and galleries in the city that can be visited as time permits.

Then, get out of town! It's a must! You can take a guided motor coach tour to any number of places. Some of the tours take you by plane to remote parts of the island and still others will allow you to go whale watching (during the right season) or a trip to Greenland. We chose to rent a car and drive to Geysir and Gullfoss.

Geysir is a hot spouting spring about 100km northeast of Reykjavik. If the name Geysir looks familiar its where we get the word geyser. I have never seen a geyser before and was quite impressed. We then drove on further up the road to Gullfoss. It is a waterfall that is truly beautiful. During the winter about 70% of it is frozen. Dress warm even in summer! The wind whips down off the mountains and across the tundra. I have never been as cold in my life! But it was well worth the drive. We wanted to drive to the place where the Althing was originally founded but the road was closed due to snow. A snow storm had passed through a few days prior to our arrival and had dumped more snow in Reykjavic and the surrounded regions that had been seen in decades.

Iceland is a place that you have to plan to visit or you will never end up there. It is very remote and at the same time very connected to both Europe and North America. Language is no problem most everyone speaks English fluently. All school students at all levels must take Icelandic, English and one other Nordic language of their choice. Icelandic is hard to pronounce without some study and practice because it is written with an alphabet that is very different than ours. Nevertheless try to pick up a few words before you arrive and don't hesitate to ask how to pronounce something.

Make the trip, I highly recommend it!

Article and photos submitted by
Randy, Nonrev Correspondent - Chicago