“Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?”

I get this question all the time. It’s impossible to answer, as I’ve had the huge privilege of visiting almost 50 countries in my (pretty short) life so far. How can you compare a fortnight at Walt Disney World to a tour through Australia’s Northern Territory? You can’t. They’re both completely wonderful, just in very different ways. Oh well, pretty nice first world problem to have isn’t it?!

But if I really had to choose, I would without a doubt name Iceland as one of the most fascinating places I have ever been.

I’ve actually been twice. The first time was for a school trip. This was in the days before geography trips to Iceland were common, so our presence was the talk of the town…well, the nation. We made it onto the local news alongside a stranded whale.

I returned much later at the age of 22, and fell in love. The people were charming and quirky, the scenery was outstanding, and I had far too much fun at The Icelandic Phallological Museum (okay not that much fun, get your mind out the gutter!). I got a bit carried away while shopping in Reykjavík and bought far too many books on the country and its culture before (reluctantly) leaving.

When I returned home I just couldn’t stop thinking about Iceland. My obsession got so out of control that I even looked into the possibility of moving there! Side note: I would still love to do this so if anybody has any advice please let me know! It seems like a pretty tricky thing to do successfully.

Even though tourism to this Nordic wonderland is rapidly increasing, I still get many surprised and confused responses when I tell people that Iceland is one of my favourite destinations. People raise their eyebrows and ask “Really?! Why?!”

So I thought I’d write a blog post all about it…

 

Iceland is Beautiful

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the natural beauty is one of the things I love about Iceland. Even the people who wouldn’t be able to point out the country on a map have heard about its unique, dramatic landscapes.

It’s gorgeous, in a very particular way. There are waterfalls and volcanoes, cliffs and caves, geysers and glaciers. There is the chance to see the Northern lights. It feels a bit like being on the moon, and it’s enchantingly spooky. 

There aren’t many trees, so if you’re a tree enthusiast Iceland probably isn’t for you. But for the rest of us, it’s an exquisite place to enjoy the great outdoors.

 

The Water is THE BEST!

No matter how many marketing campaigns the big soft drinks companies shove down our throats, most of us know deep down that water is water.

Well, maybe not quite. The water in Iceland is the tits.

No chemicals are added to the tap water, and the country’s geothermal activity means that Icelanders have access to plenty of cheap, naturally hot water all year round. When I stayed with a local family during my school trip, the Mum was like “stay in the shower for as long as you like, the hot water cannot run out!” and she let me and the other girls staying with her chill in her garden hot tub every night. We thought it was the coolest thing EVER (probably because it was).

The water does smell of sulphur, but in my opinion the scent isn’t too strong. It didn’t take me long to get used to it at all. And what’s important to keep in mind is that the water is so good for you. It contains huge amounts of minerals which are extremely helpful for treating skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis.

Iceland’s volcanic activity has allowed the country enjoy many outdoor swimming pools and hot springs. These are of course used for swimming and relaxation, but they are also a huge part of the typical Icelander’s social life. Coming from a country where most people do little more than get pissed down the pub during their free time, I think this is pretty damn cool.

Recognise this cave? Yes, this was featured in Game of Thrones, in that iconic love scene between Jon and Ygritte. And apparently Icelandic women bathe in it! Unfortunately the men’s pool at the other side of the cave became too hot following a series of volcanic eruptions…

 

Fascinating Folklore

The Icelanders are fantastic storytellers, and unlike their ultra-rational Nordic cousins they hold some very interesting supernatural beliefs!

Surveys have revealed that many (probably most!) Icelanders believe in hidden beings such as elves and trolls. Like me, you probably find this cute and amusing. But if you ever visit Iceland don’t be patronising about it. This is a topic that is taken seriously, a belief that is respected.

When you drive through the country you will see rocks and boulders marked to indicate that there are elves living there, and some kind humans even build little houses for them. Elves have even been taken into account when roads have been constructed! Read about it here.

 

Paradise For Women

 

Study after study finds Iceland to be one of the best places on the planet to be a woman.

Check out these impressive statistics from the UN Gender Inequality Index 2015:

• Iceland has one of the world’s lowest maternal mortality rates (3 per 100,000 live births)
• 41.3% of seats in parliament were held by a woman in 2015
• 100% of women aged 25 and over have received at least some higher education (and it’s one of the few countries where women have received more than men!)

I found even more information on the lives of Icelandic women in one of the many books I bought in Reykjavík, The Icelandic Woman by Snæfríður Ingadóttir and Örn Kristmundsson. According to them:

• Women in Iceland live to an average of 83.5 years, and 3 Icelandic women have reached 109!
• Companies with more than 3 people on the board must maintain a ratio of at least 40% of each sex on the board
• The percentage of female university graduates is the highest of all the Nordic countries
• The state has a legal obligation to ensure equal rights and opportunities between men and women in all areas of society, and each ministry has a dedicated gender equality representative

During my research for this post I found so much amazing information about the status of women in Iceland…what I’ve chosen to include is just the tip of the iceberg. There is was no way of fitting all of it into this post so I think  I will write a separate piece on the subject!

 

Icelanders Are Sex-Positive

As far as I can tell, they are perhaps more sex-positive than any other culture. This is one of my favourite things about the Icelanders. I can’t stand prudishness, and I strongly believe that a refusal to discuss sex openly and honestly as a society is both unhealthy and dangerous.

One morning during my school trip to Iceland, something happened that I was astonished by. The Mum of my host family told me that her 15 year old son had been out all night with a girl, and that she hadn’t heard from him. She showed absolutely no signs of anger, or even worry. She was just curious to hear what had happened when he eventually chose to come home! Most British parents wouldn’t be happy with their teenager doing something like this. The thought of their child engaging in sex, a perfectly healthy and normal activity, would quite simply be too awful and cringeworthy for them to bear.

But in Iceland, people are grown-ups about sex and never forget that it’s supposed to be something fun and enjoyable. The age of consent is 15, and most teenagers begin to have sex around this time. According to the authors of The Icelandic Woman, there are “no hard and fast dating rules” and women often make the first move. They add that “matters can move very swiftly”, and that there is no pressure to go on a certain number of dates with a partner before becoming intimate. In other words, none of that slut shaming nonsense.

Homosexuality is embraced in Iceland, and gay couples are able to marry and adopt children. The former Prime Minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, was the world’s first openly homosexual PM.

Icelanders are also able to act like adults when it comes to nudity. For example, if you use a public bathing pool you are expected to shower completely nude before putting on your swim gear and getting in. To skip your shower or to have it whilst wearing something is considered a huge social faux pas.

In the UK we still have a ridiculous, almost Victorian-esque attitude when it comes to nudity, and I’m bloody sick of it. We have grown adults who find it embarrassing to talk to their children about how the body works, and use stupid pet names for the vagina and penis. If somebody gets naked in the gym changing rooms everybody freaks the fuck out.

Enough is enough, I need to move to Iceland where people don’t lose their shit at the sight of a naked body. I mean, these people have a museum specifically dedicated to the penis. This place was made for me.

Icelanders Love Their Enchanting Language

The Icelandic language is beautiful to listen to, and beautiful to look at in writing even if you can’t understand a single word!

During my second visit to Iceland one of my tour guides told us all about how proud the Icelandic people are of their language, which has apparently changed very little since Norse settlers arrived on the island in the second half of the 9th Century.

When we were looking around a museum he showed us a book that was written in the 11th Century and said that most Icelanders would be able to read and understand it easily. I found this incredible –  just think of how difficult it can be to make sense of the works of Shakespeare and Chausser (who were around much later!). There is no way the average person could read a piece of text that old in English and know what the fuck was going on.

During my tour I also learned that Icelandic children are taught to read by their parents at a very young age and that everybody loves literature and reading. One in ten Icelanders have even written and published a book of their own! They are quite right to be proud of their handsome, distinctive language.

 

They Love a Drink!

Well, so I’ve heard! The first time I visited I was a child, and the second time didn’t fall on a weekend. Reykjavík is supposedly one of the best nights out ever, even though it’s a tiny city. The bars are open until about 5am at the weekends and apparently the locals love to get completely wasted. What a bunch of legends. A Saturday night out is definitely on my to do list next time I’m there!

 

Modern Family Values

Most countries are unfortunately still at the stage where single mothers are looked down on and divorce is considered by many to be a huge failure.

In Iceland, things are different. People are very positive and forward thinking when it comes to family. It is common for babies to be born out of wedlock and having children by more than one partner is no big deal either. Blended families are the norm, and people are perfectly happy with that.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the world’s first single mother to be elected President of a country way back in 1980. This is good evidence of how little stigma there is towards raising your children alone in Iceland.

I recommend watching this  CNN interview with an Icelandic couple to hear more about how Icelanders view marriage and family. The part I find most interesting is when the lady expresses how upsetting she finds the English term “broken family”. I’d never thought about this before…she’s so right, it’s horrible!

I think Icelanders are setting a great example to their children by refusing to be unhappy in their relationships and showing no fear of divorce or “unconventional” family structures.  I think we can all learn from this. Obviously the end of a marriage isn’t exactly the time to throw a fuck right off party (unless you really despise your spouse), but it doesn’t need to be the end of the bloody universe either does it?

It Just Gives Me “That Feeling”

I love Iceland, and despite everything I’ve written about in this post I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why  I’m so obsessed with it. I’m just drawn to it. Whenever I think of it I just picture this wonderfully beautiful and spooky Utopia, a place I desperately want to get to know much better…

Perhaps the elves have put a spell on me? 

So what are your thoughts on Iceland? Have you been? Would you like to go? And if anybody reading this is lucky enough to call Iceland home…how accurate do you find what I’ve written? I’d love to learn more!

Lots of love xxx