Central Akureyri

The neighborhood I live in bills itself as the center of the universe. A sign at the neighborhood’s main intersection indicates the distance to a whimsical assortment of destinations to prove it. The small northern Icelandic city of Akureyri has no such pretensions. But it does have this very similar sign. Maybe that’s why I felt so immediately at home there? Because quite inexplicably, despite having only visited the place twice and for less than a total of 24 hours, I have always felt that if I didn’t live in Seattle, I’d like to live in Akureyri.