It took me a few visits to finally realise what gives Iceland its overwhelming feeling of unearthliness. Standing one day in the lee of one of the island's eerie lava formations, I finally got it - the silence. No trees, meaning no birds, no trains, no motorways, no planes (most of the time) - it was utterly silent. Living as I do near London, I long to get away from the masses of people, and only in Iceland have I felt totally isolated.

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