Our first stop in our new life as nomads was Reykjavik, Iceland. We chose Iceland for two reasons: first, we liked the idea of including a country near the Arctic Circle in our itinerary; and second, it made the trip across the Atlantic more enjoyable, breaking it up into two approximately equal legs. Iceland was an enigma -- not Europe, not the Americas, not Canada, but a place with its own unique culture and philosophies -- an intriguing island nation that borrowed from many cultures but maintained its own singular approach to life.

Þetta reddast! This phrase sums up the Icelandic approach to life. Pronounced "thet'-ta red'-ast", the phrase means "It will all work out okay." When faced with difficulties, Icelanders will always find a solution; no matter how big the problem, things will work out in the end. We have embraced this philosophy in our own travels.

​Icelanders are remarkably self-sufficient, and so is the country, using its abundant geothermal resources for power, water, and heat. Icelandic people are healthy and long-lived; Iceland ranks 6th in the world for life expectancy. The island -- about the size of Kentucky -- is rife with volcanoes, glaciers, and waterfalls. The land is covered in lava. Most of the approximately 350,000 people live in Reykjavik (a gorgeous city), and most (98%) of the population speaks English. It's been a revelation and a joy to visit this place! 

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35 Grandavegur -- the house we stayed in.

Our apartment was a cozy place, away from city noise but an easy walk to downtown.

An excellent place to observe the world around us.

The abbreviated growing season meant we got loads of beautiful blooms from many different flowers.

We were very near the shores of Reykjavik Bay, and many gorgeous sunsets.

Sun goes down over Saltjarnarnes peninsula.

The Saltjarnarnes peninsula was a beautiful place to walk the shoreline.

Reykjavik is a cat haven! And cats seemed uniformly friendly. This fluffy fellow loved being petted.

The Loki Cafe served traditional Icelandic food. This is rye bread ice cream. Yummy!

Norse gods figure prominently in Iceland. You find references to Odin, Thor, Loki, Freyja, in nooks and crannies all around the country.

Hallgrimskirkja (Hat'-l'-greems-keerkya). This church dominates the Reykjavik skyline.

It's the second-tallest building in Iceland.

It's quite lovely. The building's shape is meant to resemble a pipe organ.

The Harpa concert hall. An impressive, prominent waterfront landmark.

Ingolfur Arnarson was the first settler in Reykjavik. He named the place; Reykjavik means "Smoke Bay".

Leif Eiricsson, son of Eric the Red, born in Iceland. Discovered North America.

Murals are all over Reykjavik. Local artists must compete to see who can come up with the most confounding.

But they're arresting and - mostly - beautiful.

Statue of "The Unknown Businessman", Reykjavik Square.

The architecture in Reykjavik can be quite arresting.

Reykjavik is very supportive of LGBTQ rights, and finds creative ways to express it.

Einar Jonsson was arguably the first Icelandic sculptor.

He wanted to break out of the traditional artistic mold and create a unique Icelandic expression.

His works are powerful and expressive.

On a rainy walk, we found our way to a lovely cemetery.

We love cemeteries for their ability to provide a glimpse into the past.

Also, the protected ground means trees and shrubs are allowed to grow undisturbed. This place was excellent for a contemplative walk.

The architecture in Reykjavik is eye-catching.

So is the sculpture.

Found our way to the Reykjavik Botanical Garden!

Iceland was denuded of trees through a combination of overlumbering and environmental catastrophe.

It's only been in recent times that the country has tried to reforest.

So large tracts of trees like this are few and greatly revered by the populace.

This area -- Laugardalur (Hot Spring Valley) is the largest green space in Reykjavik.

Serendipity! We found a wonderful little cafe in the heart of the Botanical Garden. In Iceland they say Namm!

Viðey (Vee'-thay) Island is a bleakly beautiful isle in the midst of Reykjavik Bay.

Videy's been inhabited for more than a thousand years. First as a monastery, then as a Governor's Mansion, later as a farm and woolen mill.

Nowadays, it's known as two things: a serene hiking venue . . .

. . . and the home of the Imagine Peace Tower.

Yoko Ono created the Tower as a tribute to John. It's conceived as a large "wishing well" . . .

. . . with "Imagine Peace" inscribed in 24 different languages, and a ring of lights reaching up into the sky . . .

. . . That are displayed continuously from October 9th (John's birthday) through December 8th (John's death).

The island features other art works, too -- like the Afangar, or Milestones, of Richard Serra.

The Afangar encircle the western side of the island.

There are 9 pairs in all, made out of native basalt.

It's a joy to bask in this isle of serenity within sight of the skyline of Reykjavik.

Once farmed, Videy has reverted to native plans like angelica and bog cotton.

Hiking trails snake through the interior and also hug the cliffs all around the island.

At the highest point of the island, a small work of art . . .

. . . looks out over the bay.

Iceland was uninhabited until sometime in the middle-800's. Ingolfur Arnarson was the first to settle, in 874. He named Reykjavik (Steam Bay).

In early Iceland, laws were enforced at an annual gathering called the Althing. The Lawkeeper was an individual who had memorized all the laws of the land, because there was no tradition of writing.

In A.D. 1000, Icelanders voted to make Christianity the national religion, mostly to avoid a costly war with Norway. The old gods were still worshiped, but quietly and at home only.

Iceland, a volcanic island, is covered in old lava rock. In many places, lava flow created tubes beneath the surface. We went to one called Leiðarendi (lye'-thar-endee") -- literally "end of the road". Here's the entrance.

It's as if a serpent crawled through the earth, leaving a snaky hole in its wake.

It's lava rock, not limestone. Stalactites and stalagmites form, but they're much smaller than traditional caves and, if broken, will probably never be replaced.

The remains of Carl, a poor sheep who wandered in at some point and never found his way out. He's why the cave is named "End of the Road."

It felt good to get back to daylight.

We've never seen hills quite like this. Moss covers much of the land here.

In fact, Iceland has over 600 species of moss. It's useful in breaking down lava rock into useful soil.

Iceland's horizon is mostly mountainous. Most of those mountains contain glaciers. Many of the mountains are volcanic.

Gullfoss ("Goo'-tl-foss"), or Golden Waterfall. It's a two-stage falls, and one of Iceland's most iconic features.

Gullfoss is, by volume, the largest waterfall in Europe.

The falls is at a bend in the Hvita (White) river, along what's known as the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route.

There are over 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland, but Gullfoss is one of the most impressive.

Þingvellir ("thing'-vet'-leer") ("assembly field") was the place selected by early Icelanders for their annual Althing.

It was considered a sacred ground, and no killing was allowed on the spot. It was a place intended for dispensation of law and resolving problems.

Early Icelanders weren't aware that Þingvellir was significant for another reason: the American and European continental plates meet at this spot.

The plates have been moving apart for centuries, creating a valley in between them, called "Middle Earth".

Middle Earth is rent with fissures and valleys where rivers and lakes have formed.

The Althing was conducted near this spot.

This is Geysir ("gay'-seer"). It's famous for its steam cauldrons and geysers.

In fact, the word "geyser" comes from Geysir.

This is Perlan ("Pearl"), a structure that dominates the Reykjavik skyline.

The silver cylinders at Perlan's base contain geothermal hot water piped from the mountains outside Reykjavik. At the top is a very nice restaurant.

Scene from atop Perlan. That's Hallgrimskirkja in the distance.

Nice place for coffee, snacks, and contemplation. The macaroons were delish! Icelanders like to combine licorice with chocolate; turns out it's a taste treat!

A pleasant place to visit.

Great place to boogie with the locals.

Growing seasons tend to blend in Iceland; we saw blooms, like peonies and this honeysuckle, all around the city and countryside.

We had to check out this one of a kind museum in the heart of Reykjavik.

The Phallological Museum is the largest collection of penises in the world.

Couldn't believe they came in so many shapes and sizes . . .

This was the life's work of one man - Sigurður Hjartarson - who brought it all together.

The museum's gotten bequests of penises from humans, as well as donated models from the entire 2008 Icelandic handball team.

Solheimajokull. "Jökull" ("Yo'-k-tl") means "glacier". This one's between two very large volcanoes.

One volcano is named Katla. The other is Eyjafjalljokull; that's the one that shut down travel in Europe when it erupted in 2010.

Black sand beach at Reynisfjara. In the distance is Dyrholaey (Door Hole Island).

Reynisfjara is known for its black sand, for basalt sea stacks like these . . .

. . . and caves carved out of the basalt, like this one.

The sea at Reynisfjara can get very rambunctious.

The town of Vik, along the southern coast. Some say it gave its name to the Vikings.

Off the coast of Vik, behind me, are a sea stacks believed in legend to be the petrified bodies of trolls.

Skogafoss waterfall.

One of the closest encounters either Cindy or I have ever had with a waterfall!

Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We were able to walk behind the waterfall.

This was a once in a lifetime experience for us.

The noise and splendor were exhilarating.

Seljalandsfoss is one of a string of waterfalls in this area.

One of them is Gljúfrabúi ("Dweller in the Gorge"), a waterfall ensconced inside a cave.

It was a wet trek to gain entrance, but worth every drop!

What an enchanting spot.

Outside Seljalandsfoss, bog cotton plants offered a billowy backdrop to the land.

We chose not to go to the Blue Lagoon; it seemed a little too touristy for our taste.

Instead, we found our way out to Flúðir, a small town northeast of Reykjavik, to the Secret Lagoon.

Iceland has scores of hot springs around the island, and this one was pleasant and, blissfully, unpopulated. It was the perfect cap to our adventures in Iceland!

Our leetle friends sadly say farewell to Iceland at the Keflavik airport.