A noble nation fueled by clean geothermal energy and a strong dose of quirkiness (they actually believe in elves, diddle around with Matthew Barney, etc.), the Icelanders are fun-loving, open, and pure at heart. I can make these broad generalizations after spending just five days in Iceland checking out the Airwaves Music Festival because there's only 300,000 Icelanders total, which is basically the population of Manhattan below 14th Street. So when stumbling around from venue to venue checking out the bands, you encounter a representative chunk of Icelanders in toto. The dudes are friendly and a tad aggro and like to throw them 'bows a bit too much as they jostle around the club -- they are Vikings after all -- but not in a headbutt-you-for-kicks sort of Glasgow Kiss way. The girls are pretty forward, pretty blonde (though not exclusively), and pretty fun. All in all a charming bunch, which makes Reykjavik a killer place to host a festival. They have a famous, stunning hot spring called the Blue Lagoon, which is worth the trip right there. But one thing the Icelanders do not have are jokes.
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