Icelandic banking or British politics?

You know how there's always something you forget when you go on holiday? Well I've forgotten my guidebook. But actually it's not really that much of a disaster. I've been before, have a rough idea of a couple of the things I'd like to see, and am meeting up with a(n) acquaintance(s) who have offered to take me to hot rivers and to bars (I'm still assuming the names I was given were names of bars and not strip joints... I'll probably still go anyway mind..).

I have no actual plans and won't until I get there, but I think that's actually the kind of trip I want. I'm going to Reykjavik (amidst cries of "plug up that bloody volcano while you're there"; "so you're going to see the volcano then"; "is it safe?"; "HOW are you going to get there, aren't all the flights cancelled?" and "ooh isn't it expensive?"), and I loved it so much last time I went, I'm actually going this time to find out a  bit more about the real Reykjavik and Iceland, and seeing if it's somewhere I could live. Not having a guide book will mean I have to ignore my instinct to have lots of lie-ins, go buy some tourist tat and end up in Sodoma every night, and talk to people who live there, do as many different things as possible, and maybe even learn some Icelandic. Even though I can't roll my "R"s. One thing is certain, there will be lots of late nights and lots of stupid photographs taken :)

Despite all this yet-to-be-written adventure, I'm a little bit sad to be out of the UK this weekend, as I'll miss all the bitching, backstabbing and coercing that will see the future of my country unfold. A hung parliament (in any other country it would be referred to positively as an opportunity for coalition government, where politicians - gasp! - work TOGETHER!), negotiations on people actually cooperating for positive change, and discussions on how electoral reform might happen, plus of course the incessant genius, sarcasm and insight of twitter - I'll miss it all as it happens and have to wait to find out how people are actually dealing with it (and exactly how much transparently obvious spin David Cameron thinks he can fool us with).

But onto more immediate things - I have a volcano to go and investigate! I've no idea which side of the plane Eyjafjalla will be on my trip up (some have told me right, some have told me left) - but I've got a right hand window seat and will be there like a sad geek with my camera and if nothing else I'll get some cool pictures of clouds. Or the glacier. While I glug coffee and dream of leaving the chaos behind.

[I'm posting this from Terminal 1 on an overpriced internet connection and the right click doesn't work so I am unable to copy picture links into this today. But I'll try my best for next time, promise x]

Introducing.... Iceland

€I recently went to Iceland. In December. For a holiday. No the weather wasn't too bad at all (although we were lucky with a ridiculously mild spell). No it wasn't really all that dark - much the same as in the UK in fact, other than the late sunrise (at 11am), but I dealt with this by deciding it conveniently legitimises very long lie ins. No the booze wasn't as expensive as you might think - partway between a night out in Leeds city centre and a night out in London. Thankyou the unfortunate Kronur! (We won't mention Icesave and the impending referendum on the Bill..)


But oh yes was the scenery amazing! Oh yes was the light indescribably unique! Oh yes did the people we meet make us feel at home! Oh yes did the water do wonders for the skin!  Oh yes is there an impressive literary legacy! Oh yes is there bonkers mythology!
   


 And OH.. YES.. is the Icelandic music scene utterly, eclectically, image-eschewingly, vibrantly, riffily (I made that word up, shh), electrically, beautifully wonderful. 
6 live bands and £200 worth of CDs in 4 days will either confirm this for you or give you an small insight into the state of my mental health when it comes to music. And no, there wasn't a festival on.