Iceland

Some days are big travelling days, in which you cover huge distances between your origin and your destination in complex and convoluted ways.  I've just had one of those days, getting from the USA to the UK.

Iceland has a small population, most of which is in the capital Reykjavik; the rest of the people are  spread out sparsely in a relatively large land.  The result of this is that, while there is public transport, it’s minimal, and not a good way to get around, especially if your stay in Iceland is a relatively short one and you need to be flexible.  A car is the only practical option for exploring Iceland outside of Reykjavik. 

Iceland is cold!  No surprises there; the name gives it away.  We are visiting Iceland in the spring; however, we have been regularly told that it is a late spring and that it is colder than it should be.  Maximum on many days is about 4°C, with blasting wind.  Some days the temperature rises to 10 or even 12°C; however, the wind pretty much always blows at 30 to 60 kilometres per hour, which feels like little sharp knives hitting the exposed skin of your face.