To the left, a deep blue sea sends bright white waves lapping against a black coast of volcanic basalt. To the right, deep green pastures, dotted with bright red farmhouse roofs and swatches of bright yellow buttercups, roll away toward brilliant white glaciated peaks. The haze-free landscape gleams as if waxed and polished. But scenery is only part of Iceland's weird allure. It's the size of Kentucky, with fewer people than Louisville.
Extremes extend even to the mundane.
They were, too. Iceland sits astride the volcanic Mid-Atlantic Ridge, its back against the Arctic Circle. One of every two Icelanders, for a grand total of 130,000, lives in this quiet metropolitan area, but the city's roomy, medium-rise apartment blocks make it look more like home to half a million. The streets are clean, right down to the cracks in the sidewalks. Modern sculpture adorns almost every plaza.