There were other features of Iceland that I enjoyed. Most of it was the incredible landscapes that cover the island. I've spent most of my live in and around cities and I have never really been to a place that had such shockingly beautiful landscapes before. Having returned, it has helped me to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds every citiy that i have ever been to in the U.S. I never thought that Virginia or Louisiana were pretty states, but, as they say, familiarity breeds contempt. A good change of scenery is good for the eye.

The main thing that stood out was the bright colors that I found in Iceland. The houses and cars and boats and everythign that was made my man was often painted bright colors. reds and greens and blues and yellows. Gudrun explained to me that this helps to break some of the monotony of the winter land that has few colors for half of the year. It certainly makes for a very lovely city in winter or in summer, as I saw in the photographs.

Sheep are everywhere in Iceland. Wool is one of their main industries, so one rarely goes anywhere without seeing a sheep somewhere. The sheep are allowed to roam pretty much free and once a year all the farmers from all around gather their sheep together to separate them out by the tags that they have on their ears. Consequently, some of the sheep get out and walk on the wrong side of the fences that line the roads. That is, they can be found grazing on the side of the road. Hence, the term "road lamb" is applied to these wayward sheep. Hopefully they are not hit by vehicles.

Iceland also has breathtaking waterfalls. Skogarfoss and Seljalandsfoss were two of the major ones that we visited and, although it was not the first time that I had ever seen a waterfall up close, it was the first time that I had seen such crystal clear streams produced by the waterfalls. I even drank and cleaned my glasses in one of them. It was that clean and ice-cold. Very refreshing! I chose not to walk behind Seljalandsfoss since I was wearing a suede jacket and I wasn't in a mood to get soaked by the cold spray of the waterfall. <g>

The boats and lighthouses of Iceland are also quite unique. Again, the boats are brightly colored like the landbound buildings. The lighthouses looked different from the ones I remembered ftom the United States. Partially, I think, because they lacked any sort of markings on the side. I know that the lighthouses of the east coast of the U.S. are painted with different black and white stripes to distinguish them on charts and while the people are at sea. However, those in Iceland are more often not adorned with any such markings. How the sailors ever tell them apart is beyond me.

The Reyjkavik nightlife is also very interesting. Since Icelanders are really of Viking blood, they drink a lot and they drink fast. I guess it's a good things that the bars and pubs stay open until 3:00am, gives one a lot of time for partying. Besaides, what else is one to do on a cold, dark winter's night? That's rtight! Drink and dance! The only problem is getting home. Icelanders are very strict on alcohol and driving, so it's often very difficult to find a cab to bring you home when the bars close at 3:00am.

All in all, Iceland is a very beautiful nation whose inhabitants are very proud of. They will go out of their way to keep it clean and kept beautiful. Not once did I ever see someone litter on the street or anywhere. Even the act of putting a cigarette out in the ashtray in the car was new to me. I'm accustomed to americans who will throw a used, still-lit cigarette out of their car window without a thought. Americans could take many hints from these nordic folk. They live in a country that they have a lot of pride in, and that pride is well-deserved.