 Pic 1. Preserved turn-of-the-last-century architecture in Reykjavik.  Pic 2. The Blue Lagoon – one of Europe's most visited attractions |
Icelanders, let it be known, are not adverse to a good time. Even an official tourism guide for the 'Capital of Cool' declares that: " the nightlife scene in the city centre at weekends is one of hedonistic mayhem". The rise in profile of what was once dismissed as an "unlikely tourist destination" has been dramatic. It is no longer just a place to fly over. At the 2003 Guardian/Observer Travel Awards Iceland was decreed Favorite European County by British readers. Singer Bjork is at the head of a creative community that has reshaped Rekyjavik as one of the most culturally vital cities in Europe - one surrounded by a thermal wonderland of geysers, springs, lava flows, mudpots, craters, active volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls. In 1992 the geothermal spa complex known as Blue Lagoon instantly assumed the status of one Europe's most popular attractions, drawing more than two thirds of the country's annual visitor intake, which now exceeds the population by a good 30,000.
Photography by Glenn A. Baker
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