WINTER BLISS

It seems you can’t turn on the news without being assaulted by fierce winter blizzards, plummeting temperatures, cars spinning out of control. People trapped in their homes. Of course, we’re talking about the U.S. In Iceland, while, yes, it gets cold at times despite our location on the Gulf Stream, Icelanders just shrug it off, knowing that just around the corner is a free public heated swimming pool, great restaurants, a rocking nightlife, and museums, art galleries and concerts just waiting for us.

For Gerri Griswold, a traffic reporter for WTIC Radio in Hartford, winter is her favorite time to visit. In fact, to keep her sanity, she keeps the Web site for Iceland traffic cams open on her laptop – sometimes it takes 20-30 minutes before a car drives by (http://www.vegagerdin.is/umferd-og-faerd/faerd-og-astand/vefmyndavelar/flokkadar-myndavelar/nordurland). There’s nary a fender bender, back-up, or sea of red lights. “It’s actually quite calming,” she says.

Gerri, an administrator of the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, Conn., and a well-known bat conservationist, tells us, “Winter is my favorite time – I’ve feel like I’ve been invited to the greatest private party in the world. It’s just me and all those special people.” She leads trips to Iceland and plans to return in March for the annual Ice Tolt in Myvatn (http://www.icelandicsonice.com/html/sport_and_show.html), a time when the greatest riders and greatest horses gather together to tolt on ice. “It’s a really special experience.” (Read Gerri’s blog from last year’s trip here: http://www.wtic.com/pages/1742725.php?)

BOOK BY DEC. 31 FOR UNPRECEDENTED $369 AIR + HOTEL DEAL

How quickly can you make a decision to finally see Iceland for yourself? Procrastinators please skip this section. The rest of you: read on. For vacations booked by Dec. 31, Icelandair just reduced package prices from New York City. Among the trips included in this $100 OFF sale is a Reykjavik vacation (air and hotel) for $369 per person (based on two people traveling together). This is less than the cost of flights alone, and $100 less than the package deal that received so much publicity this fall.

The Iceland Budget Getaway includes:

• Roundtrip airfare to Reykjavik from New York City (JFK)
• Two nights at the Fosshotel Lind or Fosshotel Baron
(Add nights for $45 per person, per night) • Daily Scandinavian breakfast buffet (this is a huge meal; no one walks away hungry)

The offer is available on select dates between Jan. 6 and March 15 – an ideal time to see the Northern Lights, soak away your stress in a thermal pool, and enjoy the nightlife at a time of year when there’s, well, plenty of night.

Please see Deals of the Month (below) for more vacation options included in this $100 OFF sale.

(For more information: http://www.icelandair.us/offers-and-bookings/book-packages/package/item255104/Iceland_Budget_Getaway/

ICELANDAIR: ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST RESILIENT AIRLINES

In the November edition of Airliner World, the British-based magazine recognized Icelandair as one of the few profitable airlines in today's turbulent economy. It stated that profits can be made, even in the middle of a recession, if an airline can adapt and have flexibility in rejuvenating their business model.

"It looks to be that 2009 will end profitably and with an increase in passengers, which is an incredible accomplishment, considering airlines in general are losing over US$9 billion a year," said the magazine.

This year has been an exciting year for Icelandair with the addition of a new gateway in Seattle, among other expansions in service. Icelandair now offers service to 22 destinations in Europe and is the only airline to allow passengers to stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.

HOLT ON

We stopped the presses for this one: The Hotel Holt, located in a quiet but central street in the old town of Reykjavík, is offering one of the best deals we have seen in recent memory. A double room is only $125 per night, and a single with a queen sized bed just $90 from January though March of 2010. The deal even includes the Value Added Tax and breakfast buffet.

The Holt has Iceland´s largest private art collection adorning the walls, The Gallery Restaurant is available for all meals, and the hotel bar offers the best in dining and drinks. This is an excellent deal at a memorable hotel in a great location.

Click here for more information.

They say you can’t take a bad photograph in Iceland. Sure, we suppose it might be a bit dark if you leave the lens cap on, but otherwise, between the incredible scenery and a sun that usually sits low in the sky (this extended “magic hour” avoids harsh, washed out images), you can’t go wrong. New to IcelandTouristBoard.com is a stunning slide show of cruising images from Akureyri and the North Country.

The Port of Akureyri is Iceland's second largest port after Reykjavík. In recent years the port has become a popular cruise destination, bringing thousands of visitors to the area each summer. In fact, this year, Akureyri was voted Europe’s third best destination by customers of Princess Cruises, one of the largest cruise ship companies in the world.

Akureyri, with a university, several museums, fine dining and a lively nightlife, is the capital of the north and gateway to untold outdoor activities. As you can see from the slide show, you’ve got your golf, your puffins, tolting horses, your cruise ships with their midnight buffets (in the summer daylight, of course), even tourists in shorts (thankfully in white, not black socks). Be forewarned: one look at this slide show and you might have an irresistible urge to book a cruise yourself. To see the show, log on here: http://icelandtouristboard.com/photo_gallery_akureyri/

Want to keep up with what’s happening in Iceland and reactions from our many visitors? Here’s a Twitter tip – search #iceland. You’ll learn about an adventure trip sponsored by IcelandNaturally.com, reviews of the Blue Lagoon, news about Sigur Ros frontman’s new album, and this recent tweet from “Oelna” – “Fish is very disappointing after a week in Iceland.” Hey Oelna, want to buy Icelandic fish in the U.S.? IcelandNaturally member Icelandic USA is doing what it can. See http://www.icelandic.com/wn100.cfm

London may have its Portobello Road Market, but Reykjavik has its Kolaportio Flea Market - the opportunity to rummage through an amusing hodgepodge of goods. You can buy vintage record albums, wool mittens, and used books in this shaggy Wal-Mart of sorts. Stalls are crammed with crafts and clothes, although you'll have to really hunt for treasures. Bring an adventurous appetite–there's a fish market in back where you can snack on pickled salmon, fumar eggs, and shark. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Look for the hangar-style building right on the harbor at Tryggvagotu 19.

Reality television just can’t get enough of strange foods. From shows like Man V. Food and Bizarre Foods, to Fear Factor challenges, if it crawls, slithers, or is the part of the animal usually tossed away, it’s fair game. The Vikings knew this 1,000 years before the first cathode ray tube ever flickered.

The ancient Viking midwinter tradition – named for Thorri, a month in the old Icelandic calendar – was originally the feast of sacrifice involving the blood of oxen and goats. Contemporary celebrations – which visitors can experience at many restaurants – involve dancing, singing, drinking, and eating traditional Norse specialties (so far, so good), but are combined with eating singed sheep’s head, pickled rams testicles, and putrefied shark that has been buried for three months or more (certainly not for the meek). There’s puffin on the menu as well – nothing like eating the national bird so long as it’s cooked in a good sauce. Just don’t expect it to taste like chicken. Celebrations begin January 22 through most of February.

The new Icelandic National Concert and Conference Centre, scheduled to open in Reykjavík Harbor in spring 2011, will now be called “Harpa.” More than 4,000 suggested names were received from the public and 54 entrants suggested the name Harpa.

Harpa means harp in Icelandic, referring to the future purpose of the building to house music events of all kinds. It is also a popular girls’ name and the name of one of the months according to the old Icelandic calendar, which runs from late April to late May in the modern calendar.

Harpa will house a centre for music, culture and tourism, including the new home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Top rate conference facilities will be located there as well. The Centre will be 258,000 sq. ft. in size and 141 ft. tall. The largest concert hall will accommodate up to 1,800 people and the largest conference hall up to 750 people. In addition, there will be various types of music halls, meeting rooms and a spacious exhibition area. For more information: here.

THEY SAID IT

Travel & Leisure writer Shane Mitchell issued her Shane’s Must Do list for the December 2009 magazine. Under “Must Drink” was this listing: Austrian rum–spiked hot chocolate by the lobby fireplace at 101 Hotel, Reykjavík, Iceland. Drinks for two $20. See it here:

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/hottest-new-city-hotels-december-2009/1

“Julia Hechtman spent her summer photographing Iceland. She didn’t want to just shoot the majestic landscape; she wanted to make images that were not postcard-perfect but integrated her experience there. Hechtman also took 10 of her favorite movies with her to Iceland, to divide, she says in her artist’s statement, summer days that never ended. The photos are beautiful, with an Iceland summer’s diamond gleam.

“Hechtman’s ‘Harold and Maude’ quotes a familiar shot of two figures, side by side, seen from behind, here humbled against the backdrop of a forever sky. ‘Lost in Translation’ presents an enormous leap, from the Tokyo streetscapes where that film was set to a mossy Icelandic hummock upon which a man sprawls in his parka. These films are a common currency; they bring something familiar to the stark, unfamiliar Icelandic landscape and help us find our place there, alongside the artist.”

– Cate McQuaid, The Boston Globe, Dec. 16

“No other society, it seems to me, has been quite so reflective about the crisis, so ready to turn popular resentment into something constructive. And I don't just mean that Iceland has become one of the few countries without a McDonald's (though there is something pleasing about watching the kids now queue at the Reykjavik bus station for kjammi og kok – flattened sheep's head with Coke).”

– Roger Boyes, WashingtonPost.com, Dec. 16

“Face as smooth as silk, I gingerly swam a few more yards to the edge of the Blue Lagoon to gaze at the seemingly alien landscape: raw, jet black, treeless with rising clouds of steam emerging from the earth. The silica scooped from wooden buckets at the sides to make my very own facepack (creating) that newborn sensation – and those pools, bubbling up from the ground, made for the ultimate in relaxation. “It was also a chance to shed the bobble hat, gloves and warm clothing which is, of course, a must. If you can get used to that – and the fact it can be pitch-black up to 9 a.m. off-season – there’s plenty to enjoy in Iceland.

– Graeme Currie, Liverpool (UK) Echo, Dec. 15

TRAVEL DEALS OF THE MONTH

The Nights and Sights of Iceland – Book by Dec. 31 for $100 Off

Enjoy a little bit of everything Reykjavik has to offer in this package which includes airfare, two nights hotel, a Reykjavik tour, and more, including a $100 discount coupon if booked by Dec. 31, 2009. Stay at the Icelandair Hotel Loftleidir or Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, enjoy a complimentary Scandinavian breakfast buffet at your hotel, and get ready for a night to remember. Your first night includes a three-course dinner at Reykjavik Restaurant, a local favorite known for its unique Ice Bar, where guests have to wear special coats and gloves to enjoy the Arctic atmosphere. Your dinner includes admission to the bar, which is ideally located a short walk away from some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe.

Your second day in Iceland includes the Greater Reykjavik Area Sightseeing Tour, which will take you to the Pearl building with its fantastic view over the city, the lovely Hallgrimskirkja church, the Old Town area and the internationally famous Hofdi House where Reagan and Gorbachev met in 1986, among others.

Book this package by Dec. 31, 2009, and take $100 per person off the package price. From $499* per person based on double occupancy. Departures: Jan. 6 – March 27, 2010. Click here for more info.

Winter Wellness Spa Getaway – Act Fast to Save $100

Your spa vacation doesn’t need to be expensive. Revive yourself with a visit to Reykjavik, with its clean and crisp air, geothermal pools and dynamic people. Relax and recharge your body and soul, and allow yourself to enjoy the spectacular nature Iceland has to offer. Stay at the Park Inn Island, which is within walking of three of Reykjavik's best known spas (Laugar Spa, NordicaSpa and the Blue Lagoon Spa in Reykjavik) as well as the city's largest geothermal swimming pool, or the Icelandair Hotel Loftleidir, with included pool and spa facilities.

From $899* per person based on double occupancy. Book by Dec. 31, 2009 for $100 off. Departures: now through April 27, 2010.

Click here for more info.

Super Truck Excursions

Winter travel is fast becoming popular, due to people taking post-Christmas holidays to relax after the stresses that Christmas entails. Consequently, Iceland is seeing an influx of visitors from all around the world.

Icelandair, Iceland’s flagship airline, has launched an incredible winter super-package that is not for the faint-hearted. The ‘Super Truck Expedition’ is an unbelievable three-night excursion through snow, glaciers, rivers and black sand all in the comfort of an incredible 4×4 Jeep.

Enjoy as you discover the moon-like landscape of the Reykjanes peninsula; filled with lava fields, volcanoes and craters. Alternatively explore the South coast and uncover its black sand beaches, glaciers and sensational waterfalls.

If that isn’t enough, relax and rejuvenate your skin in the geothermal spas at the world renowned Blue Lagoon (www.bluelagoon.com). Explore the bubbling hot springs of Geysir, the historic beauty of Thingvellir and the breathtaking sight of the Gullfoss waterfall. To find out more about Icelandair’s “Super Truck Excursion” and to book flights for the winter period, visit www.icelandair.com

*Prices quoted are exclusive of applicable taxes and official charges by destination of approximately $100-$270, per person including the Sept. 11th Security Fee.

Season’s Greetings from the Iceland Tourist Board to you and yours! We’ll be in Iceland. We hope your holidays are just as grand.

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