Iceland was destined to be unique. As one of the last countries in the world to have human settlers, and as a tiny island located north of almost everywhere, it’s not surprising that we have our own way of doing things.

      – from the Icelandic information website arctic adventures

This is peppercorn mayonnaise. I know this because of Google Translate. I discovered it in the fridge in the apartment in which I am staying. This was a pleasing discovery as I am a fan of flavoured mayonnaises. When the idea of a peppercorn one enters your mind, however, your initial reaction is “well that’s just weird, I’m not sure about that.” But, dear readers, it works. It works a treat. The combination is, as it turns out, beautiful, and you are left thinking “this is amazing, why did no one else think of this?”

I write from the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik. It is my seventh day of ten, and for good reason. Another three days and I will be boarding a plane to Heathrow having spent ten days in a country on the UK green list. No quarantine needed, and I will have had a lovely holiday somewhere interesting. A cunning plan indeed, but the truth of the matter is the means didn’t concern me anywhere near as much as the end. Anywhere was going to be better than Heathrow Prison Hotel and so I would be content with wherever I ended up.

How lucky I was that I ended up here.

I am not going to go into detail about the geographical wonders of offer here, mainly as I am no geographer and do not understand them. Instead I will let pictures paint what I could never do in a thousand words. My day tour of the Golden Circle took in some of the most popular sights the country has to offer…..

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The small waterfall (centre picture) is on the site of the oldest parliament in the world and also features in Game of Thrones (so I am told, that is one of very few series from which I have escaped addiction). The original geyser was called Geysir, it is one of those instances where something gets its name from the original name of the original thing. Like hoover, maybe? Possibly not the best example. Apparenty some viking or other hid all his gold in the large waterfall (behind me in the picture) so no one would find it. There was a path leading down to the base of it; beautiful views came at the expense of a refreshing misting. Hilarity ensued when, on the way back up from this viewpoint, a somewhat crass American walked up to me without a by-your-leave and demanded to know “is it wet?” Our tour guide stopped at a well known ice cream parlour on route back to Reykjavik, a well chosen detour if I do say so. However, mid-queue, we spotted my verbal assailant enjoying a tub of salted caramel with his party. I was dared to stride up to him and shout “was it wet?” but, upon shirking my task, we set a course for Reykjavik and a well deserved sleep.

(I say a well deserved sleep, however this is not entirely accurate due to the fact that it was the England Denmark semi final that evening. I will not recount what ensued in detail, suffice to say it involved an Irish pub, a group of stranded geologists and a Danish shot called Gammel Dansk).

The city of Reykjavik is equally as impressive as its surrounding area. Dominating the skyline is Hallgrimskirkja, the famous gothic revivial Lutheran church. Just as architecturally imposing is the glass-fronted Harpa, the modern concert hall that sits on the waterfront. A walk around Tjornin, the lake in the city centre, has become an almost daily ritual as it is very close to my apartment and is a very pleasant area for a stroll….

• 

• 

• 

It is, simply, put, beautiful. I know several people who have visited previously (prep school geography residentials were quite the fashion a few years back) and it has lived up to everything I have been told. In fact it has exceeded. But what I have been told is what you see above. What I have been told is of the land of volcanoes, geysers, tectonic plates and moon-like topography.

What follows is equally impressive, but perhaps lesser known….

Iceland holds the number 1 position on the Global Peace Index. It has no military. It rates top or near the top of most quality of life metrics. It is frequently named one of the most LGBT friendly countries in the world. The rainbow Street pictured above used to be a temporary piece of street art for Reykjavik Pride Week. A few years ago the local community,  including the mayor, got together and made it a permanent fixture designed to remind the people about respect, inclusivity and love.

• 

• 

• 

Walking through the streets, the aforementioned qualities are palpable. I tried to find a comparable place I have been to and, honestly, the closest I could get was the Lanes and North Laine area of Brighton. This is purely down to the vibe you get that anyone and anything really is accepted. What transpires from such tolerance, naturally, is an atmosphere of creativity. Downtown Reykjavik has to be one of the quirkiest, least commercial city centres I have seen. And they love their nightlife. A bar dedicated to the Cohen brothers’ cult classic The Big Lewbowski (they serve 24 different types of White Russian) and a pub with a pig outside (in a dress) are two examples of many. I can certainly recommend the food in the latter: the 7 course ‘Icelandic Journey’ tasting menu included smoked puffin, smoked whale and a lamb rump steak that was worth it just on it’s own.

It seems I have inadvertently stumbled across a spiritual home. But we have, so far, only scratched the idiosyncratic surface. My outing yesterday was conclusive evidence that arctic adventures was spot-on: these people really do do things their own way…

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is the jewel in the crown of eccentricity. Upon purchasing your entry ticket the staff inform you that you are allowed (and encouraged) to take a drink from the bar into the exhibition with you. I’m not surprised.

So, in three days time, I will return to the UK and A Teacher Abroad will be one year old. With this will doubtless come time for reflection, and it seems to me that so much of this year has been about expectation. Either not knowing what to expect, or managing expectations, or finding that expectations were completely wrong. Or, in this happy case, having your expectations completely blown out of the park.

I had expected the stunning landscape, the geological wonders and the 25 degree difference in temperature. But I had not expected the atmosphere; the art, the music, the creativity, the freedom, the acceptance. In short, the mindset. It is the combination of the expected and the unexpected that make this a truly incredible place, one that I will never forget.

After all, everyone likes mayonnaise. It is very nice. We know what to expect from it. But who would ever expect anyone to put peppercorns in it? No one else would have thought of it.

And it is delicious.