We just finished a 3-day layover in Reykjavik, Iceland, a no-cost option from Iceland Air. We were returning to the states from Europe, and Iceland Air had great fares and the stay-over option, so we opted for that.

Iceland is an amazingly beautiful and desolate place – a volcanic island with very few trees and most of the vegetation is moss on the black lava rock that is just about everywhere. That said, there are some amazing sights to see – here are a few photos.

In Reykjavik, the capital, there is an amazing food scene with great restaurants featuring inventive culinary dishes using local fare (fish and some game) and imported goodies, too. Unfortunately, the wine scene is not so good. This shouldn’t come as a surprise – remote island, small population, EU tariffs and regulations, etc. Many restaurants have wine list, and some of them are even decent in terms of quality and variety, but the prices are astronomical. A U.S. Dollar = 130 Icelandic Krona, so below, a bottle of Piccini Brunello costs $125.00; a bottle of Berringer Zinfandel costs $60.00. Not terrible, but very high. Icelandic Beer, which is excellent, is a much better value.

So, I highly recommend Iceland for a short stay-over (not the ideal place for a long vacation unless you love isolation and have a lot of $$ for food and beverages), but plan on drinking the wonderful Icelandic Beers most or all of the time.