Any, any, any old iron!

One striking thing (at least to some people) about Reykjavik is the dominant number of buildings clad in corrugated metal.   Hubby babbled on about this during the whole visit, despite a ban on the topic after the first day.  And even when he obeyed the ban, I knew he was still thinking about the reasons why, when he mumbled the odd delayed epiphany like 'very few trees', 'not much clay in volcanic soil', 'surplus material from Quonset huts?'...

In Australia, corrugated iron is a common roofing material, especially in the outback where tiles would be considerably more expensive to transport in, but for walls it is generally confined to sheds and outhouses which rarely see a coat of paint.  In Iceland though, corrugated metal appears to be the material of choice, from simple bungalows and shops, through stately and ornate embassies, to imposing churches, with nary a hint of rust.

Our opinions of the attractiveness of corrugated metal clearly differed, but we did agree that the Harpa, the spanking new concert hall in Reykjavik, is stunning, especially inside.