When the layover knocks you out - Iceland!

I admit: I've never really had Iceland on my mental map. I couldn't really pinpoint it. 'Somewhere up there. Near Greenland.' Landscapes, whales, maybe even volcanoes, icebergs. Are there polar bears there too?

No DPs emigrated to Iceland, at least not that I know of. And yet I hear Polish at every corner. I even met a Thai person who has been working in Kraków for the past 8 years, speaks fluent Polish, and is now immigrating to Iceland. He heard about Iceland in Poland.

Iceland doesn't have many residents: there's a lot of land and few people. The largest minority - with less than 3% - has Polish roots, about 10,000 people; before the 2008 economic crisis, it was said to be over 20,000.

The bus driver, the saleswoman, on the streets of Reykjavík, while waiting for the bus: I often hear Polish. The supermarket also has a good selection of Polish products, including Prince Polo.

Although Iceland is not part of the EU, there is a visa agreement, so EU citizens can work here without major problems and vice versa. Poles came mainly after joining the EU in 2004. Many only wanted to come for a short time; and they stayed.

But the fact that I'm making a layover here has nothing to do with Poland, only partially with my doctoral thesis; it's simply because I had to change planes here anyway and the Icelandic airline IclandAir connects Europe/UK and North America well, advertising that you can also use the layover between continents for a short multi-day stopover - what a word!.

'Why not?', I thought. 

And the next moment: 'Awesome! I'm doing it!'. So I had more or less four full days on this island and I'm blown away. 

Two days on the coast in the south near Vìk: cliffs, waterfalls, absolute silence; bird chirping that I've never heard before; sheep, wind, waves. 

And along black sandy beaches; - where does it come from that we mainly imagine romantic beaches with white sand?

Either way: I'm excited and impressed and after London and the conference in Newcastle and before what will come in the Ukrainian-Canadian archives, this complete opposite was totally beautiful - and relaxing! 

A toast to hostels and smaller accommodations and the many people you meet while traveling - a couple from Italy, who now live in Belgium, took me to the Black Beach, the starting point of my hike; two French women who work/played for the French women's basketball national team, let me see waterfalls that I wouldn't have been able to reach without a car; breakfast with an older couple from New Zealand, who are currently on a tour of Europe; an American woman who has been living in Iceland for many years. These encounters - that's what traveling is all about, at least for me.

Also exciting: a volcano erupted yesterday between the airport and Reykjavík.

And one last thing: This is also part of Iceland: a beer for 15 euros...