Hafnarfjörður Harbor, Iceland

I'm always fascinated by harbors; the clash and compromise of different interests. This one is no different; a small harbor not too far from Iceland's main airport. The mix of inhabitants are all here to share a calm entrance to the sea.

 On one side stands a large, impressive industrial building with trucks coming in, boats pulling out and steam spewing from a roof top. If I could read Icelandic, I might tell you what they produce. But whatever it is, the product is a major export, the pride of Iceland.

 And then there is a golf course with odd patches of green in a large black lava field, an arrangement that begs the question of what happens if you miss the green; do you trace across porous rock to retrieve the ball?

 Then along the center of the harbor, just past the coffee shop, the bakery, competing hair salons, and a Subway sandwich place... just past the small sailing club with a dozen or so boats slightly large enough to venture outside the bay .... are the various components tied to hauling in and processing fish. There is an impressive assortment of fishing boats, a few that look like they were handed down through generations of Vikings, others that are brightly painted and decorated with modern shaped technology gadgets. There is a dry dock area for repairing these boats with a matching small shop that says, "fishing boat motors" (one of the few signs in English.) And then a large windowless building that no doubt is processing the fish using tiny Asian women that I watch scurry up and down the block at odd hours of the day, always with a sack of work clothes.

 And along with all of this is the cruise ship, not a huge one, but rather one that fits the size of a country that only houses 300,000 people, most who live within 50 miles from here. A cruise ship that sits idol until suddenly buses unload curious tourists headed to an unknown destination .... "Why yes, honey, let's go to Greenland for our summer holiday. We haven't seen enough volcanic rock."

 Besides sharing the calm access to the ocean, the inhabitants also share a small grocery store, a shop approximately three times the side of a mini mart but still lacking in fresh produce. Russian speaking men dressed in large plastic pants counter preppy college kids who ride in on one of the many wide bike trails that crisscross the whole area.

 I wander the isles of the store looking for recognizable photos on the packing. I feel part of the equation, a jet lagged American on a short stop over just to see the wonders of Iceland that are "not too far from the airport." I'm the "next gen" tourist who fails to use the grand Viking hotel just up the road but instead stays at a modern Airbnb tucked quietly in the middle of the harbor.

 And while I am not here to share the calm access to the sea; I am here instead just to watch the clash and compromise. The industrial building next to the golf course. The art shop next to the fish motor mechanic. Just one of the wonders of Iceland not too far from the airport.