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DATELINE
ICELAND
January
- February 2005
Welcome to Dateline Iceland. Welcome
to an unabashedly and totally biased look at one of
the most adventurous countries in Europe. Fire and ice
make up the land, but it’s the people you will
find in Iceland that make each trip an adventure.
>Nobody
does winter better than Iceland
>New! Icelandair to Offer Nonstop Service
from San Francisco
>Seems Like Just Yesterday
>The
Quest for Northern Lights
>The Fjords Beckon
>Akureyri Express
>Volcano by the Lake
>Women's Wellness Weekend
>Iceland Food and Fun Festival is a
Tasty Winter Diversion
>Iceland is for Lovers
>Hop on Over for Easter
>Iron Stomachs Welcomed During Thorrablot
>Pretty Lights
>How Do You Say "Moolah" in Icelandic?
>Kick and Glide: Iceland's Biggest
Ski Race is Apr. 30
>Maritime Museum to open in Reykjavik
>Hollywood of the North
>Chess Fugitive Eyes Iceland Move
>They Said It
Nobody
does winter better than Iceland
The cold crisp air. The bright, starry nights. Nobody
does winter better than Iceland. According to the New
York Times (Dec. 2), it’s the favorite time of
year for many of the locals. Writes Sarah Lyall, “Many
Icelanders claim that winter ... is their favorite season.
They look forward, they say, to snuggling up by candlelight
in front of their geothermally powered radiators.”
You can take the most famous daytrip in Iceland - the Golden Circle tour
of nearby waterfalls encased in ice, visit steamy geysers,
warm outdoor pools, even heated greenhouses. When it’s
winter in Iceland, you can travel from bright sunny
skies to raging blizzard and back again in a matter
of minutes. Don’t like the weather? Wait a minute
and it will change.
Back in Reykjavik or Akureyri for the evening you can
be pampered with gourmet food, enjoy sizzling nightlife,
and then succumb to a warm, down-filled duvet in a four-star
hotel. It’s all part of the adventure of visiting
Iceland in winter. The experience starts with one of
the money-saving travel packages offered by Icelandair.
But first, some big news…
New!
Icelandair to Offer Nonstop Service from San Francisco
Thanks to the increased popularity of Iceland
as a travel destination, this spring Icelandair is opening
its sixth North American gateway in San Francisco. This
will be the airline's first direct service from the
West coast, with current gateways in Minneapolis/St.
Paul, Boston, New York-JFK, Baltimore/ Washington-BWI
and Orlando. San Francisco operations will be launched
on May 18 and continue through October 15, 2005, with
two weekly flights May 18 - June 1 and September 1 -
October 15, increasing to four from June through August.
Icelandair will operate a Boeing 767 aircraft with
a seating capacity of 260.
The popularity of Iceland as a destination has been
enhanced by the
airline's "Take-A-Break" program, which enables
travelers to visit up to seven days in Iceland at no
additional airfare while en route between North America
and Scandinavia, the UK and Continental Europe.
Seems Like Just Yesterday -
Icelandair, the flag carrier of Iceland,
has been crossing the North Atlantic since 1948, offering
regularly scheduled flights for more than half a century.
Founded in 1937, Icelandair is one of the few airlines
in existence today with such a long and distinguished
record on the transatlantic route, made more so by the
fact that the airline has always been privately-owned.
Safety, convenient schedules, short flying times, on-time
performance and customer service have been the hallmarks
of Icelandair operations.
Now for those money-saving packages…
The
Quest for Northern Lights*
Ever been engulfed under a sky
of Northern Lights so bright, they cast a shadow? Want
to know the difference between Northern Lights features
such as sheeting, spiking, and curtaining? Then this
is the trip for you. Eager photographers are taken out
to a darkened area known for its aurora borealis sightings.
A guided tour of the spectacular landscape and information
about how the Northern Lights occur is included. Since
you’ll already be in the Iceland countryside,
a few additional add-on options feature non-celestial
sights as well. Packages start at $539** per person
based on double occupancy. Departures are Fridays in
February and March.
The
Fjords Beckon*
Step back in time with a side trip
to beautiful and peaceful Skagafjordur. Tucked into
a northern fjord, the town boasts horseback riding,
Viking history and the Northern Lights. Skagafjordur
is also the home of Vidimyri, one of the last remaining
Icelandic turf churches. Built in 1834 it still serves
as a parish church. Packages start at $879** per person
based on double occupancy. Departures are Mondays and
Wednesdays.
Akureyri
Express*
You may want to enjoy the northern charms and
fairy-tale beauty of North Iceland's winter resort town,
Akureyri. Nestled in a stunning fjord, the scenic town
of Akureyri offers fun and culture. Once a Danish port,
Akureyri has still maintained its Scandinavian heritage
in its charming, colorful buildings and festive traditions.
Enjoy outdoor adventure, swimming, galleries and museums
by day. There are numerous restaurants and nightclubs
and bars to explore once the sun goes down. A two-night
add on package from March 27 - May 15, 2005 is $296**
per person double occupancy.
Volcano
By the Lake*
Travelers in search of the exotic seek
out Lake Myvatn (Mee-van) and the exotic landscapes
created by eruptions from nearby Mt. Krafla. Winter's
freeze allows the locals to transform the lake into
a winter playground. Try your hand at racing go-karts,
playing soccer, badminton or bowling on ice. Other winter
sports abound, from snowmobiling to cross-country skiing.
Prices start at $431** per person double occupancy.
Women's
Wellness Weekend*
Treat the woman in your life, and maybe yourself,
to a special getaway at the soothing geothermal spas
of Iceland. Enjoy a trip to the famous Blue Lagoon,
stay in a deluxe room with all the special touches and
enjoy the famous Nordica and the World Class Laugar
Spas. The Nordica Spa, for instance, offers luxury treatments
with mineral salt baths, steam room, a well-staffed
fitness center and a genuine Finnish sauna in its own
outdoor garden. Relax after your treatment in a special
lounge while you are serenaded by music or birdsong.
At World Class, don’t miss the saunas and showers
that are scented with orange, lemon, or coconut. Packages
start at $939** per person based on double occupancy.
Iceland Food and Fun
Festival is a Tasty Winter Diversion, Feb. 16 to 20*
Heat up your mid-winter blahs at the
Fourth Annual Food and Fun Festival in Reykjavik. This
week-long festival of special promotions at restaurants
and bars brings to light achievements of chefs and brew
masters, as well as manufacturers of Icelandic gourmet
products such as caviar, shrimp, lamb and cheese. Savor
cuisine prepared by celebrity chefs from Europe and
the U.S. and watch them compete in the Mystery Basket
Cookoff involving dishes made from all Icelandic ingredients.
Afterwards there’s a gala dinner featuring the
best of the gourmet restaurants of Iceland’s capital
city. Packages start at $719 ** per person based on
double occupancy. Departure: February 17, 2005 (Actual
festival dates are February 16 - 20, 2005). Save $100**
per person when you book this package before January
20, 2005. More...
Iceland
is for Lovers*
Spend your Valentine's Day in romantic
Reykjavik, an utterly charming place to spend quality
romantic time with that special someone. Enjoy exotic
scenery, soothing spas ... and a few fun surprises during
the trip. Prices start at $549** per person double occupancy.
Departures: February 9 or 10, 2005.
Hop
on Over for Easter*
In Iceland, Easter week is a time for giant
chocolate eggs and for getting away to enjoy the natural
wonders of Iceland. Hop on over and enjoy the fun!
Packages start at $719** per person double occupancy.
Departure: March 21, 2005.
* For more details on any of these packages, or to
learn about others, call 800 779 2899 or log onto www.icelandairholidays.com
** Prices quoted are exclusive of applicable taxes
and official charges by destination of approximately
$100-$180, per person including the Sept. 11th Security
Fee of $2.50 per U.S. enplanement.
Iron Stomachs Welcomed
During Thorrablot, Jan. 20 - Feb. 21
(Break out the Tums)
When Vikings sat down for their annual midwinter
feast, it wasn't exactly tea and crumpets time. Vikings
celebrated February - the fourth month of winter - with
plenty of dancing and singing and hearty Viking-sized
meals of Slatur - sheep's blood pudding rolled in lard
and sewn up in the stomach. They consumed half-boiled
lamb's heads called Svid, seal flippers, rotten shark,
and scarfed pickled ram's testicles. While these delicacies
are not part of the normal everyday diet of Icelanders,
visitors and locals alike can eat like a Viking during
special events in February in restaurants, homes, and
community centers throughout Iceland. Come to think
of it, pack some Pepto-Bismol as well.
Pretty
Lights
The Reykjavík Winter Lights Festival,
Feb. 17-20, celebrates the Nordic winter world and welcomes
the growing light after a long period of darkness. The
program is a mixture of events celebrating arts and
crafts, environment, history, sports and culture and
the festival provides entertainment for Reykjavík’s
locals as well as guests.
All the major institutions of culture and education
participate in the festival along with churches, sports
clubs, art galleries, artists, shops, and restaurants.
Festivities begin Feb. 17 in downtown Reykjavik with
song and dance. Feb. 18 is Museum Night with free admission
to the capital city’s museums. On Feb. 19, Perlan
- the massive restaurant and meeting facility
on a hill overlooking the city - celebrates the
positive influence that increasing diversity has had
on Icelandic society. Representatives of various societies
promote their own countries and cultures with works
of art, posters, photos, books, and food. There’s
also a light show planned where strange and unusual
creatures will appear, especially after a few glasses
of Iceland’s locally brewed Brennavin (a.k.a.
"Black Death").
How
Do You Say "Moolah" in Icelandic?
The Akureyri Art Museum is opening an art exhibit
in January all about money. On display will be 100 million
Icelandic Krona (about $1.6 million in U.S. dollars).
The crisp notes, all legal tender, are counted, bunched
and banded and stacked into sculptures in three carefully
lighted museum galleries. The idea is that paper money
has all but disappeared in Iceland, being replaced with
electronic money. Large amounts of cash catch the eye
as nothing else can. Mounds of money, wads of banknotes,
oodles of moolah. One's vocabulary fails to convey the
sheer vulgarity of the exhibit but at the same time
it is irresistibly attractive, mesmerising, representing
wealth, opportunity, freedom and a far better life.
Founded in 1993, The Akureyri Art Museum is the youngest
art museum in Iceland and the only one of its kind outside
the capital city of Reykjavik. More...
Kick
and Glide: Iceland's Biggest Ski Race is Apr. 30
Winter lingers longer in Iceland. In fact,
on April 30, Isafjordur will celebrate the 70th anniversary
of one of the longest-running sports events in Iceland,
the Fossavatn Ski Race. It is also by far the biggest
cross-country ski race in the country, attracting around
150 participants. Come as a spectator, or come to compete.
Four distances are offered: 50 km, 20 km, 10 km and
7 km. For the main race there are four age groups for
men and women, ages 16-34, 35-49, 50-65 and 66 and older.
It is also possible to participate in a team competition
where three skiers, racing over the same distance, make
one team regardless of age or gender. You haven’t
skied the world until you’ve skied Iceland. More...
Maritime
Museum to open in Reykjavik
A new maritime museum is to open at Reykjavik
Harbor in the summer of 2005 to celebrate Reykjavik’s
age-old relationship with the sea, as a fishing and
international shipping port. The entire Icelandic economy
was long based upon the fisheries, and even today the
ocean and its resources play a key role in Icelandic
life. The museum will focus on maritime history and
the fisheries over the centuries, presenting information
through exhibits and models, as well as state-of-the-art
video and computer technology. Watch for its grand opening,
appropriately enough, on Seamen’s Day, June 6,
2005. Almost every vessel is in harbor on this day of
games, contests, and tributes to Iceland’s heroes
of the seas.
Hollywood
of the North
Icelanders love movies. They go to them, on
average, more than any other people in the world, edging
out Americans (second place) and Australians (third),
film industry data indicate. This means about 5.4 visits
a year for each of the country's roughly 293,000 inhabitants.
And at about $11.50 a ticket, this is no idle passing
of the dark winter months. This is passion. Maybe one
reason they go is because they like to recognize familiar
scenes.
It’s not just James Bond who’s thrilled
about shooting in Iceland. Coming soon to a theater
near you: watch for "Beowulf & Grendel," shot on a lagoon by the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland,
Europe's largest.
Thykkvabaer, in southern Iceland, stars in the forthcoming
thriller "A Little Trip to Heaven." In what
is believed to be a first, it’s a movie that used
Iceland not for its volcanoes and glaciers but as a
stand-in for the U.S., specifically Hastings, Minn.
The filmmakers used signs and props to make the scene
look American. It stars Julia Stiles and Forest Whitaker.
Chess
Fugitive Eyes Iceland Move
It’s not often that a fugitive from justice
asks to be sent to Iceland, but maybe we should feel
honored. Fugitive chess master Bobby Fischer, who is
fighting deportation to the U.S., asked Japan to allow
him to go to Iceland, which has offered him a home.
Iceland extended a residency permit to the former world
chess champion, who has been detained by Japanese immigration
authorities for almost half a year. Iceland wants to
recognize its historic connection with Fischer, who
has been held in great esteem since winning the chess
World Championship in Reykjavik in 1972. His historic
win over Russian Boris Spassky in Reykjavik in 1972
shone the international spotlight on Iceland as never
before.
"For us he has the status of a football player,
he is like our David Beckham," said Pall Stefansson,
of the Iceland Review news magazine and website.
Fischer, 61, is wanted in the U.S. for violating economic
sanctions against what was then known as Yugoslavia
by playing a chess match there in 1992. He has been
held in Japan since July, when he was stopped with a
passport that U.S. officials said was invalid.
THEY
SAID IT
Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s
what leading magazines, newspapers, and TV shows are
saying about visiting Iceland.
Iceland is another planet, a primeval near-arctic
island of glacial mists and intermittent volcanic eruptions
made temperate by the Gulf Stream. The modern world
doesn't have many places as strange and beautiful as
this, and over the past decade Iceland has captured
the imagination of adventurous travelers, approaching
a mythical status alongside places like Patagonia and
New Zealand. … In fact, when I returned from Iceland,
I felt like a minor celebrity. Everyone I knew demanded
a thorough debriefing: Was Iceland as great as they'd
heard? Should they plan their trip right now? …
Iceland, where a scant 300,000 people live in coastal
towns and hamlets (the interior is uninhabitable), is
still marvelously unspoiled. - Joseph Hooper,
Departures Magazine, January/February 2005
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