THIS WET AND ROCKY ISLAND...WITH ARNAUD F

If you've been to Iceland than you'll remember the old houses throughout Reykjavík city centre. They are so vibrantly coloured as if they were painted to combat against the typical greyness of the skies. There's a similar tactic used in Tirana, Albania, where the post-communist concrete tower blocks have been painted with a bigger variety of shades than you'd find in the big 120 box of Crayolas. Hmm, Elska Tirana - shall that be a future issue?

To live in one of Reykjavík's coloured houses seems like a dream. Most of Reykjavík's housing stock isn't quite so charming - there's a lot of modern white-and-glass structures plus a good amount of semi-suburban grey pebbledash low-rises. So it's a lucky few who get to live in those fairy tale old houses. Arnaud's one of the lucky ones.

When I got into his home I fell in love. It wasn't just the house, painted in a deep blue, but the interior as well, which was impeccably decorated. Some of my favourite objects were: a book in Danish about the geology of the Faeroe Islands, laying on a shelf; his turntable which he was using when we arrived, playing something French; a framed map of Iceland (an essential for any home); a crate of tangerines creating the perfect pop of colour next to the blue of the walls.

I wish I had more time to spend with Arnaud, but he seemed kind of shy, or perhaps he just got annoyed with how often I was complimenting his decorating style. I wonder what kind of life he left behind in France. I knew he was planning to open a little wine place here, but why did he want to do it in Iceland? He's yet another immigrant to Iceland, another person who stumbled across this wet and rocky island, and fell instantly in love. I've been meaning to move here for years, but it's just not happened yet.

By the way, the story that Arnaud wrote for the issue is one of my favourites ever written for Elska. Sort of like a poem, it's a list of things that he loves about Iceland, and it's utterly beautiful. Like Iceland, like Arnaud.

Elska Boy: Arnaud F

Photographer: Liam Campbell

Location: Reykjavík, Iceland

Elska Magazine: Issue (03) Reykjavík

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