TRAVEL
MAKE REYKJAVÍK, ICELAND YOUR NEXT DESTINATION:
HERE’S WHERE TO STAY by corretta l. doctor for the urban sentinel My recent trips to Iceland, a volcanic Nordic island country, left me in a wondrous awe each time. Located in the northern Atlantic Ocean the capital is Reykjavik and is home to twothirds of the population of the entire country. I have encountered the most breathtaking views of mountains and amazing views of the sea. The culture is fascinating, the local cuisine is exquisite, and the population is just at 361,000. Iceland is a ninth century settlement that gained its European Free Trade Association (EFTA) accession in May 1960. The government is a unitary parliamentary republic. While in Reykjavik I have developed lasting friendships, infused myself with the nature, specifically that of the Blue Lagoon located near Keflavik Airport and with all of that I have come to the conclusion that Iceland is my favorite place on earth. The biggest question I get from family and friends is, “isn’t it always cold there” and the next thought I have is that they must think Greenland is only green. A tad bit of sarcasm and fun is evident in that statement but the truth is that Iceland is warm. Greenland is cold. People-watching afforded me the opportunity to look into the faces of locals while I browsed in the shops. I saw serenity, calmness, and an unspoken camaraderie that made me immediately want a slice of the ‘peaceful pie’ these residents must consume. The United States military once gave many soldiers a lovely place to call home because for years our 4
