Here are two important things I forgot to tell you.

1. Everything here is in a constant state of construction because (I learned) you have to pay taxes on your property when you complete the project. Aha! Never finish, never pay taxes. Clever.

There’s always a reason for the built environment to look as it does. The key to getting to know a place is asking Why? rather than assuming you understand. And definitely hold off on that judging for a while, eh?

I learned the same lesson in Ireland, feeling myself disappointed by the incredibly modest built environment after experiencing the beauty and grandeur of England and Scotland. Then I learned… why would you ever make improvements to your home/farm/property if you’d simply pay greater rent by doing so? The wealth of Ireland, in my humble opinion, lies in its music, literature and craic – entirely intangible parts of the culture. They cannot be contained, controlled, made to produce income for absentee landlords or diminished over time.

Iceland also is a land less impressive based on its material culture – which once you understand its history, geographic and resource limitations and historic isolation make perfect sense. As does the recent explosion in visits to its raw natural environments – kept raw and mostly inaccessible until our modern age.

The world is full of learning. Vive la adventurer!

What was that second thing I meant to tell you?

Ummmm…

It’s gone. I’m sure it was very important or profound or perhaps just humorous . See? This is why I’m compelled to write to you – to share all this experience and learning. Alas, my head works faster than my fingers. By the time I’ve written to you about the first thing, the second has flitted away. Maybe it’s gone up to that bakery we visited yesterday? Maybe I should go up to that bakery we visited yesterday?

What an excellent idea.