ICELAND

The land of fire and ice. Totally reliant on renewable energy, maker of puffin vodka, purveyors of delicacies like rotten shark (don’t try it). I spent five day hiking through its beautiful landscape with a group of army friends. Fresh released from military training we were fit and fearless and attacked the hike like we were charging at the enemy. In the late morning of the first day our guide finally lost it with us. “What are you idiots doing?” he asked, exasperated. “For Christ’s sake, slow down, look up, and take a photo!”. We had covered the day’s toute of 20km by lunchtime and I hate to say it, could barely recall the landscape. Quite rightly chastised the next three days we passed through volcanic plains and ice fields at a more sedate pace.