ICELANDIC TOURIST BOARD DATELINE NOVEMBER 2007
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Travel trends are heading towards a more authentic experience. People want to see what�s beyond the souvenir shops and bus-stop buffets. We like that at the Iceland Tourist Board, and wonder why anyone would want to go to tourist traps like North Pole, New York, or Santa Claus, Indiana, when they could snuggle right up and be close to the real North Pole by spending the holidays in Iceland.
Come see the awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis in its natural setting and meet elves and trolls as imagined by local artists. We have one of the biggest New Year�s parties in the world and the award-winning Radisson Hotel 1919 in downtown Reykjavik. Read on and learn why the holidays are a great time for some Northern Exposure.
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Tis the Season for Northern Lights
 The Inuit say if you whistle and rub your nails together, you can make them dance.
The Japanese believe it�s good luck to make love beneath them.
And in Iceland, under the right conditions, they�re so bright, you can read a newspaper under their glow.
These are the Aurora Borealis, a common sight in Iceland during cold, crisp winter nights.
Just 15 minutes from the international airport is an appropriately named hotel, the Northern Light Inn, that last year attracted over 1,600 Japanese guests who came to see these ghost-like images in the sky.
Named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas, they often appear as a greenish glow on the northern horizon, as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis is also called the northern lights, as it is only visible in the North sky from the Northern Hemisphere.
When is the best time to see them? The Northern Light Inn suggests visiting September to mid-April. Venture outdoors under a clear, dark sky, preferably cold, but not too cold. Usually they appear after dinner, beginning around 9 p.m., and continue to dance past midnight, sometimes until breakfast. The Inn has posted a spectacular collection of 18 images to their Web site for all to enjoy (www.northernlightinn.is). |
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1919 Hotel Wins Oscars of the Travel Industry
May we have the envelope please? The Radisson Hotel 1919 in downtown Reykjavik has won the Oscars of the travel industry. Every year World Travel Awards fever hits the global travel community when tens of thousands of travel professionals from 190 countries cast their favorites on the Web.
The 1919 Hotel won in two categories: Iceland�s Leading Hotel and Iceland�s Leading Conference Hotel.
The World Travel Awards are considered the best endorsement that any travel product could receive.
The Radisson SAS 1919 Hotel is a uniquely designed four-star hotel in the heart of Reykjavik, which offers outstanding service to both business and leisure travelers. Built for office use in the year 1919 by the first shipping company in Iceland, the building is one of the most beautiful historical structures in Reykjavik. When we visit, you can always find us in the cool Salt Lounge Bar just prior to sitting down for some great cuisine in the upscale and oh-so-trendy Salt Restaurant. (For details on the award, see http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners2007-8; learn more about the hotel here: http://www.1919.reykjavik.radissonsas.com/).
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 World�s Loneliest Traffic Cams
Web cams are everywhere these days and Iceland is no exception. Like most places, they even have traffic cams. But Icelandic traffic cams are considered by some to be the loneliest in the world. If you had a dollar for every car that passed in a month, you’d be, well, pretty poor. (http://www.vegagerdin.is/umferd-og-faerd/faerd-og-astand/vefmyndavelar/flokkadar-myndavelar/sudvesturland)
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We Can See Clearly Now
For years, Reykjavik was legendary for its wild, smoke-filled bars and nightclubs. Well they are still wild, but are now smoke-free and most Icelanders would not have it any other way. A recent opinion poll conducted by the local Reykjavik newspaper about the smoking ban, in effect since last June, revealed that 82 percent of Icelanders prefer to enjoy themselves smoke-free
The regulation prohibits smoking in restaurants, clubs, cafés and bars in Iceland. The law was established to protect the health of workers, but tourists looking for a fun time out on the town will also benefit.
Iceland joins countries such as Ireland and Norway in the smoke-free legislation as well as certain areas in America, Canada and Australia.
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Gallery Art Iceland Exhibition Features Elves and Trolls
When the holidays arrive in Iceland, thoughts turn to the elves and trolls that populate the countryside. Many Icelanders believe in these little critters (especially after a long night of merrymaking). The work of artist Álfheidur Ólafsdóttir focuses on elves and trolls from folk tales and will be on display at Gallery Art Iceland on Skólavördustígur, downtown Reykjavík, until early November, then through appointment afterwards.
Ólafsdóttir was raised in the East Icelandic countryside and the closeness to nature and folk belief influenced her as a painter. “I’ve always thought that I was kind of an elf,” the artist said. “The folk belief is so strong that we can feel it all around us. We can see clear images of trolls in rocks and hillocks if we pay close attention.”
Ólafsdóttir added, “I’m going to leave it to visitors to create the stories behind my paintings, so everyone can see them with their own eyes.” (For more information: www.art-iceland.com; articeland@gmail.com).
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Iceland Will Dance into Your Hearts
 The Iceland Dance Company, the national dance company of Iceland, is currently performing in its first U.S. tour. The group consists of 12 dancers who have a versatile background in training and experience, retaining a pronounced individuality. The Company has traveled extensively in Europe in recent years, in over 30 cities, toured in Canada in 2001, and went on its first tour to China earlier this year.
The Iceland Dance Company will perform several pieces from its repertoire in early to mid-November in Hampton, Va., and in the New York area. Or you can see a performance in their natural habitat, the City Theatre in Reykjavík, one of Europe's finest theaters for dance. (For more information on the U.S. tour see www.icelandnaturally.com; visit www.id.is for details on the group itself and performance schedules in Iceland).
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Icelandic Stocking Stuffers from the Blue Lagoon
We all started to get into the holiday spirit when we saw this special offer from Blue Lagoon Iceland - exclusive gift sets just for readers of Dateline: Iceland.
Blue Lagoon Iceland is offering a selection of skin care products based on the Blue Lagoon’s unique active elements. They cleanse, boost and nourish skin.
This gift set offer includes special collections of selected Blue Lagoon skin care products such as hand and face creams, toners, and silica mud masks, and is only available to readers of Dateline (you know who you are don’t you? you’re the world’s most passionate Icelandophiles). (For more information: www.bluelagoon.com/dateline).
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Music from Airwaves Available
It's time to add to the Iceland section of your music library. One can’t live by Bjork alone. Check out the Airwaves Music Shop.They've got a special online store totally dedicated to the best acts of this year's Iceland Airwaves festival. You can download whole albums or individual tracks. Head on over and get enough tunes to last until next year. The cost is about $1.40 (one Euro) per song. Log onto: https://airwaves.grapewire.net.
Valid from: Nov. 1, 2007 – Apr. 30, 2008. (For more information, click here. |
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They Said It
Raving About Ravens – “The only thing bad about Iceland is that they have no bats,” says certified Icelandophile Gerri Griswold of Winsted, Conn. A seven-time visitor to the country, she ought to know. Gerri, who operates a traffic report service for Connecticut TV and radio stations, is called the Bat Lady in her spare time and is licensed to rehabilitate and exhibit live bats.
“But on the other hand, Iceland has plenty of ravens. They’re intelligent and the most brilliant bird. I swear to god they could play chess, which is a good thing since Iceland is famous for its chess fanatics.”
“Iceland speaks to my soul,” says Griswold who likes to log onto Reykjavik traffic cams from her Hartford, Conn. office (see related story). "I love the purity of the air, the water, the culture, the horses, and the open space. I can be in a world capital then within minutes, experience one of the great wildernesses of the planet. In the western fjords we must have driven about 100 miles before we saw a soul.”
Moving to Reykjavik – When you’re a small country the size of Ohio with the population of Staten Island, N.Y., and a major TV network mentions you, it’s time to celebrate. Icelanders broke out the Reyka vodka on Oct. 18 when the hit show Grey’s Anatomy focused on Iceland as part of their story line. When a patient at the hospital is told that she only has a short time to live, she decides she would like to spend the rest of it in Reykjavik, where the sun never sets. Later in the show she finds out that the diagnosis belonged to someone else in the hospital (oops ... we hate when that happens) and that she is healthy as a horse. Instead of suing the hospital, she settles for a three-bedroom apartment in Reykjavik. You can read about the episode and actually watch it here: http://abc.go.com/primetime/greysanatomy/episode?pn=epguide.
Beam Us Up – For those of you who can’t help but imagine that their Motorola Razr cell phones with the cool flip lids are really Star Trek communicators, take heart. Heroes' Zachary Quinto was featured in a recent story in USA Today where he spoke about his role in the upcoming Star Trek movie, the 11th in the popular science fiction franchise and due out in December 2008.
According to published reports, this month he will check out of Heroes to beam aboard Star Trek's 85-day shoot. He says 11 stages have been built on the Paramount lot, and two weeks will be spent shooting in Iceland. The film will reportedly relive the earlier adventures of Capt. James T. Kirk and his pointy-eared sidekick, Mr. Spock. It’s all pretty hush, hush, of course, but sometimes it’s just hard to keep a secret around here.
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 Deals of the Month
Two Nights Free In Iceland
Everybody likes getting more than they paid for, and we�re here to make that happen. Get two nights in a double room at hotel in Reykjavik, with Scandinavian buffet breakfast daily except arrival day and round-trip airport/hotel transfers for free when you book with Icelandair. The package price even includes Icelandair Holidays booking fee. $399* per person based on double occupancy. For more information, click here.
(http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/lifestyle/detail/store65/item110236/)
Viking New Year's In Iceland
New Year's Eve in Iceland is one spectacular celebration. Celebrations start with a dinner, followed by bonfires where people sing traditional Icelandic folk songs accompanied by trolls, elves and other strange beings. At midnight all hell breaks loose with a spectacular display of fireworks as well as bonfire parties in many communities.
This is an amazing moment for those who spend this special evening in the capital city, something to remember for the rest of their lives. But this is only a start of the night. Parties, club outings and fireworks continue into the early morning hours welcoming the New Year the Icelandic way. From $1,379* per person based on double occupancy. For more information, click here.
(http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/lifestyle/detail/store65/item45872/)
Earn Free Flights With The Icelandair MasterCard
Sign up for the new Icelandair World MasterCard and immediately earn 10,000 � 15,000 Customer Club points on your first use, plus points for every dollar spent on Icelandair travel and standard purchases. The card comes in an attractive gold and blue color design and is available without an annual fee. For more information, click here.
(http://www.icelandairmastercard.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.
*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. Click here to view approximate taxes by destination. Click here to read the General Terms and Conditions of Icelandair Holidays Packages. |
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For information on other exciting activities in Iceland, be sure to visit:
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