Two Days in Iceland

Remember how I said that I was going to write a whole separate blog post about my impending trip to Iceland?  Wellllll, here it is!  I've been here for a day and a half so far, but it feels like much longer, and in a very good way.  I was originally saddened and concerned that I was only going to be here for 5 or 6 days, but now I think it will be enough to help me really feel that I've been in another country and experienced a significant slice of it.

I am here as the guest of my good friend Joe, who knows lots of musically-oriented people.  There is an annual music festival called Airwaves that happens here in Reykjavik (the capital) that attracts folks from all over the world.  Most of the featured artists are Icelandic, but there's a good mix of people from many other countries as well.  The best part is that the whole thing is staged in multiple venues around downtown, the majority of which are very small bars or music stores--really great intimate settings to get up close and appreciate the music.  

Some fast facts about Iceland: the total population is about 300,000.  That's it.  Here in Reykjavik, they don't typically use water heaters.  Instead, the city water is piped in from local hot springs--there's tons of geothermal activity here; it's a big volcano, you know.  Sidewalks are constructed from loose concrete squares, underneath which is a lot of sand and the hot water pipes.  This way, the sidewalks stay warm and never get icy in winter.  These loose "tiles" are unmortared so that they can make repairs easily without having to jackhammer a bunch of mortar and concrete out of the way.  Pretty damn nifty engineering.  All the women here are ridiculously good looking, which is very bad for my self-esteem, but I'll get over it.  Also, the national uniform for women under the age of 60 is black leggings and skirts.  I don't blend well at all.

Oops.  Well, I have to run; we're off to downtown on the bus to watch some more shows.  I'll post more soon!!