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NATURAL WONDER: Gullfoss
Iceland
Dan Jeoffroy4/11/2008
ON the bar in an Icelandic nightspot stands a collection glass asking customers to "give generously to save the federal bank - foreign currency only".
As the world's top bankers flew in to sort out the current economic chaos, we arrived in Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik to find the public spirit in surprisingly fine fettle.
Despite a wave of bankruptcies and city centre protests, the locals remain hell bent on enjoying themselves - a topic on which they pretty much wrote the book.
Reykjavik boasts a social scene to rival all heavyweight contenders. Night after night, revellers pack tightly into attics and basements to party until dawn and beyond.
We sit in the Kaffibarinn, a downtown hotspot made famous partly due to its association with Blur frontman Damon Albarn, who was rumoured to have a stake in the business at one time.
Trendy
Mocked up to look like a London Underground station, the trendy hangout has immediate tourist appeal and, the previous night, had beer-hungry hordes queuing up the road.
Today the bar is empty, except for us and our headaches, which we intend to cure with another pint of Viking, a locally brewed, unforgiving lager.
Nightmare stories exist about Icelandic prices being the most expensive in Europe but, especially with the current economic state, this is not the case.
Expect to pay around £12 for a decent meal. And, as the collection glass says, they need all the foreign money they can get, so think of every purchase as helping a good cause.
So, with the city cheaper than ever, it doesn't explain why it is so quiet and where all the people are on a Saturday afternoon. The Nordic barmaid soon explains the situation.
This week was the tenth annual Iceland Airwaves music festival, a week-long extravaganza which showcases the country's hottest talent alongside music industry favourites.
Tonight, US reggae-pop band Vampire Weekend and Brazilian indie-electro outfit CSS headline the supercool Reykjavik Art Museum. But first everyone is at the Blue Lagoon party.
The Blue Lagoon is a naturally heated health spa built into the volcanic countryside and, on a normal day, bathers of all ages unwind in the steaming, light-blue salt water.
But today is the Iceland Airwaves hangover session, and that is anything but relaxing. Hundreds of lunchtime clubbers line the Lagoon's rocky shores raving to guest DJs before the festival's final night.
Natural phenomena
Back at the Kaffibarinn, we're in no need of banging bass lines, and will visit the Blue Lagoon en route to the airport on Monday. Trips are organised by local tour operators and tailored to specific flights.
In the meantime, we turn our attention to the following day's trip inland for the geographic side of the weekend.
Reykjavik Excursions and Iceland Excursions run trips to see the natural phenomena that set Iceland apart from other European holiday destinations.
Glaciers, volcanoes, and the Northern Lights are all on offer with trips to suit varying wallet sizes. We decide on a route taking in the world-famous Geyser and the dramatic Gullfoss waterfall.
A geyser is a crater through which boiling water and steam erupt after a build-up of pressure. Strokkur, the only one still regularly active in Iceland, goes off roughly every 10 minutes, so you won't leave disappointed.
Down the road is Gullfoss. Not just a waterfall, but a wide chasm surrounded by potential danger. As a photo opportunity it is spectacular, but only go exploring in the correct footwear- the icy conditions are treacherous.
Back at the bar, we prepare to journey home, leaving Iceland in the same unstable financial situation in which we found it. The collection glass now contains Euros, Sterling and Dollars. Whether it is half-full or half-empty is unclear, but one suspects that the plucky people of Reykjavik would opt strongly for the former.
Travel facts
Dan Jeoffroy flew to Iceland with Iceland Air (www.icelandair.co.uk).
Return flights from Manchester cost between £215 and £250. Accommodation was a Hotel Cabin (www.hotelcabin.is) which costs £25 per person, per night.
Tour operators include Reykjavik Excursions (www.re.is) and Iceland Excursions (www.grayline.is).
For general information go to
www.icelandtourist.is or
www.icelandairwaves.com.
Got an opinion you want to share?| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| AA | 7.9% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 8.2% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Lloyds TSB | 8.9% |
| Abbey Personal Loan | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
4.50% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
1.75% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
2.25% |