Aerial view of "Lava Laden" Blue Lagoon Spa property.

here were two things I never expected to see in Iceland – a dentist and a huge banana plantation. I was also mesmerized by their phone books. Since almost every Spa I've enjoyed around the world was INSIDE a building, I was – at first – surprised to see "Iceland's Finest" Spa out in the open – even more extraordinary, was that it sat near snow blessed mountains. Or was this, I pondered, some sort of Disney make believe fantasy into which I'd been magically transported?

To add to all this imagery of (to me) inconceivable "things," are Iceland's phone books. Why, I wondered, when I looked in the Reykjavik one, did it have so many listings with the words "Dottir" and "son," and why did it seem (as you see in the photo below) that so many Christian names came First – and not last – as in American phone books?

Have YOU ever seen a phone book like this? An inside look at one of Reykjavik's phone books

Iceland has, traditionally, operated without surnames. Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark have, by tradition, used a patronymic naming pattern whereby children's last names are derived from their fathers' first names. Under this centuries-old Scandinavian naming pattern (now get THIS) Icelanders consider it a joke to address someone by his or her surname – so, someone's first name is his/her official name.

Something for YOU to remember when YOU visit this intriguing destination.

To give you another example. Petur is an Icelandic boy, whose father's first name is Jon, who would be known as Petur the son of Jon (Petur Jonson). The same premise forms a girl's name, except the suffix dottir (daughter of) is added to the father's first name. Petur's sister, Hildur, would be named Hildur Jondottir.

OK, got it???

Yes, this is "Seeing is Believing!" Bananas' in Iceland!!!

My first "Icelandic Tourist Attraction" was equally unique. It was when we visited a huge banana Greenhouse. Yes, bananas in Iceland! It was cold outside, and yet here we were in this warm, "banana yellow glowing Greenhouse," almost overflowing with tropical plants, and row upon row of bananas! Bananas were grown in Iceland in 1945 – up to late 1958. However, due to myriad legal challenges, plus a key factor called sunlight, they disappeared.

Almost.

To this unique fruit's rescue came the Agricultural University of Iceland. They maintain the last remaining vestige of this "Growing Bananas in Iceland Experiment," with over 700 banana plants in their vast greenhouse. Sadly, none are for public consumption.

The "Misty Magic" of the warmly inviting Blue Lagoon Spa.

My next surprise was the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa – located outside – yes, outside for heaven's sakes! – in an enormous black lava field, with its occasional small geysers of warm, refreshing waters, and marvelous misty shrouds emanating skywards that all enveloped you in their magic. So much so, that you want to change into your swim trunks – immediately – and enjoy this intoxicating, healthy environment. Which is what I did. Check it out at www.bluelagoon.is

Traveling Boy's John Clayton all "bundled up" by the Gullfos Falls.

I'm sure many people have this image of Iceland as always being cold and perpetually snowy. Well it isn't, but on the third day of my visit there, and just after we'd done the Snowmobiling adventure detailed in Part One of this article, we went to see what some feel is Iceland's Niagara Falls – The Golden Falls or, in Icleandic, Gullfos.

So cold, most of it is frozen over – the Gullfos Falls

Its located 75 miles northeast of Reykjavik, and it was snowing so hard when we got there, you could hardly see more than a few feet in front of you. It was so cold in fact, that much of the rushing, heaving, surging water over the Falls, had frozen! I was bundled up so tight and snug, I hesitated about even getting off our tour bus. But I knew from research I'd done, that Gullfos is one of THE most popular attractions in Iceland. The wide Hvita River rushes Southwards, then just above the Falls itself, it turns sharply to the right, and flows down into a wide curved 3 step staircase – and then, VERY dramatically, plunges into two crevices 105 feet deep. It is a truly spectacular sight, and has one's complete attention relating to its majesty, grandeur, and the overwhelming power of Mother Nature.

On the way to the Geyser – Icelandic directions.

The Dentist. On my 5th day in Iceland a 30 year old filling became lose, and it needed immediate attention. I went to the Front Desk of the Nordica Hotel – which, by the way is superb – and said – rather sheepishly – "I'm sure you get some strange questions during the year, but I need to get some dental work done. Do you have any idea on how I can find a good dentist – right now?" Well, you could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather, when I was told that not only did they know of a top notch dentist, but they also laid on a taxi to take me there and back! How's that for top notch customer service!

Departing Iceland, a great view from our Icelandair aircraft of this intriguing destination below

If there is one – perhaps negative aspect – to this mesmerizing, truly one-of-a-kind country, it's probably "high prices." I agree, but Iceland is such a unique destination, it should be on the "Bucket List" of places world voyagers must visit in their lifetime. It's a vastly interesting country, filled with spellbinding scenery, and what I can only call "Enchanting Enticements" that'll captivate you from start to finish.

I wonder how many American travelers – and readers of Traveling Boy – know about the amazing deals they can get when they go to Europe, by doing it via Iceland? It's a new "travel experience" that'll make your trip more special – and more fantastic – than you can imagine. On my trip I flew from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, and then onto Iceland, followed by a trip to London; then onto Scotland, and from Glasgow back to Iceland – and then home to the USA. Check it all out at www.icelandair.us

Related Articles:
Have You Been to Intriguing Iceland?; Iceland in Spring; Norway's Fjords; Norwegian Arctic; Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo: Norway's 3 Capitals; The Northern Lights and Norway's Historic Hurtigruten; Cozy in Copenhagen