Another highlight  will be a reception aboard the Einsatzgruppenversorger Bonn (pictured above) on the Thursday evening, meeting the German ambassador.

My lecture will also be on the Thursday, lunchtime at the University of Iceland, ironically in Room 101. It is entitled, "Is the EEA an option for Britain?", and will be the first opportunity to try out in public some of the ideas I have been working on for the IEA "Brexit" submission.

The feedback plus the fact-finding will help inform the final work, but there will be plenty of material for blog posts and perhaps for a separate pamphlet. Are we to see the "Iceland Option"?

Actually, it occurred to me that, being as we are looking at the EEA/EFTA model, that covers Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein, which would abbreviate nicely to "NIL". If one recalls the instructions given to British negotiators seeking entry to the EEC, to "swallow it whole", perhaps the new option could be called "NIL by mouth".

Whatever else, in the grander scheme of things, Iceland is a linchpin. As I get to understand the politics more, I will elaborate on this in a series of posts.