... and then we went to Iceland: urban aesthetics

Sure, the waterfall and the volcanic crater and the geysirs were all great, but one of the things I liked and noticed most about Iceland was the societal emphasis on aesthetics. While I may not share the fashion sense of most Rejkyavik citizens -- skinny jeans and 80s boots were *everywhere* -- I do give them credit for putting in the effort to wear what they find stylish. More to my liking, there was an impressive array of museums and galleries within the city limits; most were free of charge, and were presumably run by the government. It warms my heart to see art valued so highly by a society.

Throughout the city, even, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a sculpture. It would have been hopeless to even try to photograph them all, but here's a sampling:

Viking ship, near the harbor.

In a beautifully landscaped park, next to a duck pond.

It was everywhere, I tell you. Everywhere.

My favorite part, though, was the architecture. Many of the buildings in downtown Reykjavik are made of corrugated iron because of its availability in Iceland, its resistance to damage by salt air and wind, and its strength in earthquakes. Especially when most of the buildings have been painted with vivid colors, the effect is quite different from any city block I'd see at home, and (perhaps because of that?) quite charming. The buildings that weren't made from sheets of wavy metal seemed to be carefully designed and interesting to look at.

Reykjavik's city hall. And look, another sculpture (the anchor coming out of the water).

Gorgeous. This church took 40 years to build.

Somehow I don't think this look would work quite as well on our street.

This is at the geothermal power plant we visited, for crying out loud. Everything was pretty!

... so have I convinced you to go yet?