Iceland
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Left Orlando about 6 PM on a Tuesday, and arrived Reykjavik a little after 6 AM the next morning.
Given they are five hours ahead, that made the trip a little under seven hours.
Stereo Pair
Keflavik is a relatively small airport, but quite nicely done. As soon as you get off the plane, Scandinavian design escorts you into the terminal. Large smooth wall surfaces of natural materials, angled in surprising geometric planes, immediately announce to the visitor that they have indeed arrived in northern Europe. Passport checks were quick and I completed in-processing in just a few minutes.
The Airport is 30 minutes from Reykjavik. The main highway runs through volcanic lava fields, and aside from the moss on the rocks, there are no plants in view. During daylight though, from the highway it is possible to see huge plumes of steam from several points on the horizon. At night, a solitary string of streetlights leads the way through the dark all the way to town.
In March, days and nights were of comparable lengths, and the temperature (F) was about 35 at night and 45-50 during the day. Turned out the first few days were rainy, wet and cold, but the last few were clear and sunny. I spent most time in Reykjavik, with a couple of day trips to remote areas and higher elevations, where snow still covered the ground. Europcar offered the best rental rate on a small car (Renault), but I should have selected the unlimited mileage rate; the 100km/day I got for $31.00/day turned out to be inadequate for the driving I did.
Reykjavik roads are busy, and drivers are quick to honk their horns. Very few American vehicles, but lots of 4WDs such as Nissan Patrols and other Makes not sold in the US.
Iceland has one of the highest standards of living in the world, and it becomes apparent rather quickly. I saw no homeless, no panhandlers, no run down buildings, no litter. Iceland has a sophisticated, orderly society and enjoys the best of everything we have here in the States, except that there is no crime.
I like it.
