The world’s most northerly capital, Reykjavik was first settled in 874AD, its name meaning ‘Smoky Bay’ for the steam rising from the countryside. Austurvollur is a small square where that first settler Ingolfur Arnarson had his hayfields. The elevated statue in the centre of the square, made by Einar Jonsson in 1911, is Jon Sigurdsson (1811-1879) who led the campaign for Icelandic independence.