Some things I have learned about Iceland after watching six episodes of Trapped (BBC4, Saturdays).
1. They seem to feel much the same way towards the Danes as the Irish or the Scots do towards the English.
2. Some typical Icelandic first names: Andri, Ásgeir, Dagný, Hjörtur, Hrafn, Þórhildur. But even if you did Anglo-Saxon at university and know what a ‘thorn’ looks like, they’re still pronounced nothing like they’re spelt.
3. They drink more coffee than booze, even at night. Only tourists, millionaires and politicians can afford alcohol.
4. If it weren’t for the excitement provided by the swimming-pool, the kids in remote Icelandic towns would die of boredom.
5. Everyone in Reykjavik is poncy, effete, synthetic. You can tell by the way the men dress — a confection of greys and blacks and charcoals, with prissy gay ties and scarves and mincing, shiny anoraks with puffy sections, like you get from Uniqlo but presumably way more expensive.
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