Nature.is

The Contryside

Land outside the urban centres is usually called the countryside. There we have an opportunity to get into touch with nature and the lifestyle that has sustained people in Iceland for centuries. The Icelandic countryside is actually the fantastic realm of nature in all it´s magnificence and glory. Glaciers, mountains, lava fields, beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers all constitute a part of the landscape. The ecosphere consists of flora (trees and wild herbs/flowers), and fauna (mammals, insects, birds and fish).

People in the countryside live a different way of life than city folk. Life is quieter and the tempo is slower than in the big city. Furthermore, in the country, people often live off the products of the land, and from what can be made from them. Cultivating vegetables, flowers and trees, however, is practiced in gardens both in the towns and the countryside.

The garden is for the city dweller a green breathing space and a substitute for the countryside on a daily basis. However, the need for being out in the pristine Icelandic natural environment drives city folk into the countryside all year round. The building of numerous new summer houses and cottages during recent decades, describes our need for being in the country for at least some part of the year.

Evaluation