A land of fire and ice

I’m in Iceland and in the middle of a four-hour hiking tour of the Glymur region organised by the Danish shoe brand, Ecco. Having only ever associated the label with comfortable sandals, I had no qualms about agreeing to come on this trip to try out its latest shoe collection.

I’d envisaged splashing about in hot springs in trendy sandals, perhaps a leisurely amble or two – but it turns out the company is actually a specialist in hardy outdoor footwear, and this trek is all in aid of trying out its new Biom Terrain hiking boots.

It’s impossible to forget that Iceland – nicknamed the land of ice and fire – is a country of extremes. One of the youngest land masses, geographically speaking, the 20-million-year-old island was formed from a volcanic explosion, and it continues to be both at the mercy of and to profit from its location on the hot spot – a volcanic region fed by its underlying mantle – that gave birth to it.

Our group met yesterday at the Blue Lagoon, a famous geothermal spa not far from Reykjavik, where we luxuriated in the steaming mineral-rich water, perfectly warm and toasty despite the icy rain flecking our faces. But the same forces that create this healing hot spring and provide plentiful geothermal heating and energy to all Icelanders can also produce an epic ash cloud that lingers for weeks and throws the entire European flight timetable out of whack, as it did following the eruption of EyjafjallajÖkull in 2010.

Something undeniably magical

Mysterious creatures who can be either well-meaning or mischievous, roads have apparently been built with bends specifically to avoid known ‘elf-dwellings’, and stories regularly hit the Icelandic headlines about houses saved in earthquakes or cars saved from rock falls supposedly due to elvish magic. And then there’s the trolls of course – but Gaddi assures us we need not worry about them. They only come out at night (sunlight turns them to stone) and during our June visit to this northern country just south of the Artic Circle, it is practically 24-hour daylight.

However, there is something undeniably magical about the Icelandic countryside, and it’s easy to see why this island and its Norse heritage served as such an inspiration to the fluent-in-Icelandic Tolkien when he penned Lord of the Rings, and why the makers of Game of Thrones decided to set so much of their fantasy series in its bleak and beautiful surroundings.

In the middle of the lake, Gaddi asks us all to make a chain of kayaks, lining up and linking oar to oar. Here he explains that the scarecrows that blot the shores of the fjord are put there to protect Eider bird nests, the seaducks that provide the soft feathers that fill Eiderdown pillows and duvets. Farmers must collect the feathers from the nest, wash and sterilise them before selling them on. It sounds like an arduous process, and it’s just one of the ways in which Icelanders are trying to make money in an economy that has suffered terribly in recent years following the 2008 global financial crisis.

It’s almost 8pm, but it is still broad daylight, and we paddle back to shore to get ready for dinner.

Not your normal capital city

While the unmatched natural landscapes and wildlife are a huge draw for tourists – I am riddled with envy at another tour member’s tale of eating breakfast to the sight of orca whale pods in a Northern Iceland hotel – the country’s capital is another must-see. So once dinner is over, it’s time for us to bundle into the bus again for a 45-minute drive to Reykjavik (which means ‘cove of smoke’, after the rising geothermal steam spotted by the first settlers).

For a country with only around 320,000 inhabitants, there seems to be a high proportion of artistic talent. Original art adorns the walls in every bar and café we visit, and there are more than enough choices of live music on offer. Although Bjork might be its most famous export, Iceland hosts large music festivals throughout the year where homegrown bands with international fame like Sigur Ros play alongside huge international names, and Reykjavik has recently been awarded Unesco City of Literature status – if you like a bit of Lord of the Rings, you should try reading some of the Icelandic sagas, all written between the 12th and 14th centuries.

At midnight I know it’s finally time to drag myself away and go to bed. As I wander reluctantly to my hotel, the sun is still weakly out and the eerie gloam and twittering birds makes it feel more like dawn than the middle of the night.

It’s been a long but fascinating day and even though the hotel curtains can’t block out all the light outside, I know that when my head hits the pillow I’ll fall straight to sleep.

A land of dramatic landscapes, fascinating folklore and amazing people, there is so much more to see and I wish I could stay longer in this incredible country. I came here to try out shoes, but ended up taking back far more than just new footwear. Iceland, you swept me off my feet.