DATELINE ICELAND - August/September 2002
A periodic look at news and events from the home of the Vikings. Brought to you by the Icelandic Tourist Board.
> Iceland Airwaves Rocks Reykjavik
> See Sheep on the Cheap
> From Sheeps to Creeps
> Broadway with Ice
> Reykjavik Is Spa Central
> A Bridge Too Far?
> Let�s Take a Meeting
> Shop �til You Drop
> Welcome Home
> Vacation with Icelanders in Hveragerdi
> They Said It
> Ain�t it Grand?
Iceland Airwaves Rocks Reykjavik - Oct. 16-20, 2002
Every October, the Iceland Airwaves alternative music festival in Reykjavik
celebrates the best of alternative rock and jazz music with famous
performers from Iceland and abroad, along with a host of international
celebrity DJ's. Iceland's surreal landscape and culture has fostered an
ideal environment for its own musical sensations as well, including Sigur
Ros, Qarashi, the Leaves and others from the land of Bj�rk.
From Oct. 16-20, the progressive and innovative Icelandic music scene will
be showcased in numerous venues and bars in downtown Reykjavik. With more
than 50 Icelandic bands and DJ�s on the bill, Iceland Airwaves will blow
away any musical taste, from hardcore to electronic, rock to hip hop, deep
house to pop and everything in between.
A grand finale in Laugardalsholl Arena on Oct. 19 features Fatboy Slim
(U.S.), Remy Zero (U.S.), The Hives (Sweden), and GusGus (Iceland). Packages
start at $499 pp/do. (For more information: see www.icelandair.com or www.icelandairwaves.com).
See Sheep on the Cheap - Sept. 12-15, 2002
Ever wonder where that wool sweater comes from? While most mass produced
clothing today can trace its ancestors back to the same ingredients used to
make polyester leisure suits, natural Icelandic wool comes right from the
source - healthy and sturdy sheep that roam the countryside foraging on
mountain grass and herbs. Each September, the sheep round-up - or rettir -
attracts thousands, especially nature photographers. At the rettir corral
you can take pictures, mingle with the locals and, if you wish, even lend a
hand sorting sheep.
Experience this Icelandic tradition for yourself on Sept. 12-15, starting at
$665 pp/do. (For more information: ask for the Autumn Sheep Round-Up
package, 800 779 2899, [email protected], www.icelandair.com).
From Sheeps to Creeps - Nov. 7-10
Visit in September and you can see sheeps. But come in November if you
really want the creeps. Scare yourself silly with Icelandair Holiday�s
Haunted Weekend, Nov. 7-10.
For centuries Iceland's otherworldly landscape has inspired eerie tales of
ghosts, trolls, shapechangers, elves and scary things that look like the bar
scene in Star Wars. Experience a delightfully frightful weekend of ghost
stories, including a special haunted party in the swirling mists inhabited
by creatures from the Blue Lagoon, just a few miles from Keflavik
International Airport. Package rates start from $659 pp/do and include
transatlantic air, accommodations, a ghost story tour, transfers and haunted dinner party at
the Blue Lagoon. (For more information: Icelandair Holidays, 800 779 2899;
[email protected], www.icelandair.com).
Broadway with Ice
Enjoy an evening of theater during your next adventure to Iceland. On
Thursdays and Fridays in October and November you can experience the dazzle
of Broadway combined with the force of Icelandic talent. "Broadway,"
Reykjavik's premier theater and nightclub, is heating up the fall with "Le
Sing," a rousing dinner show featuring the best from musical theater,
cabarets and popular music. It's food and fun at the top of the world,
priced from $569 pp./do. (For bookings contact Icelandair Holidays, 800 779
2899; [email protected], www.icelandair.com).
Reykjavik Is Spa Central
It�s been said that you go to a pub to meet a Londoner, a coffee house to
meet a Parisian, and a swimming pool to meet an Icelander. Reykjavik has
over 55 million gallons of thermal water that is put to good use at the city�s pools, hot pots, and steam baths. People have known the therapeutic
effects of hot water for thousands of years and nowhere is this more
prevalent than in Iceland�s capital city.
The city operates seven thermal pools and baths, most located outdoors. The
pools are heated to about 84 degrees F. and hot pots are heated
approximately 110 degrees. The pools are great places to get inside
information on life around town from the locals.
"There are so many aspects of Reykjavik that provide people the opportunity
to improve their health, relax, and simply enjoy life. In fact, we view the
city as one giant full-service spa," said Sigmar Hauksson, project manager
of the Spa City Project. (For more information: [email protected], www.spacity.is).
A Bridge Too Far?
Last July 4, the Prime Minister of Iceland, David Odsson, took a stroll from
Europe to North America ... and it only took him a minute. Impossible, you
say? But you�d be wrong. Visitors to Iceland have the unique opportunity to
walk between continents now that thousands of years of geological separation
have ended with completion of the "Leif the Lucky Bridge." This bridge,
situated in the dramatic surroundings of the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest
Iceland, spans the Alfagja rift valley, a yawning chasm that marks the
boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates.
Named in honor of Icelandic explorer Leif Eiriksson, famous for discovering
America 500 years before Columbus, the bridge is 60 feet long and covers a
gap 20 feet deep. Upon going over the bridge tourists may purchase a
certificate for $8US showing they�ve walked in the footsteps of the gods by
crossing the bridge between two continents.
Apart from its geological and historical significance, it is hoped that the
"Leif the Lucky Bridge" will also serve to further boost tourism in the
Reykjanes region, which among other things, is home to the Blue Lagoon,
Iceland�s most visited tourist attraction, and Keflavik International
Airport, the country�s international gateway. (For more information on the
Reykjanes area, see www.reykjanes.is).
Let�s Take a Meeting
Reykjavik�s Icelandair Hotel Esja is undergoing a $20 million renovation
this year that will create Iceland�s largest meeting and convention center
by April 2003. The renovation will offer better service to business
travelers, incentive groups, conference delegates, and tourists.
The full-service four-star hotel will add 125 rooms, bringing the total to
285. Over 22,000 sq. ft. of new meeting facilities will include a
prefunction area and 5,630 sq. ft. ballroom with a seating capacity of 620.
The Esja will also feature a full-service business center along with two
bright boardrooms and seven meeting rooms.
The Hotel Esja is located a short distance from midtown Reykjavik and
Kringlan, Iceland's major shopping center. Reykjav�k's main recreation
center, Laugardalur, with one of the city's best outdoor swimming pools, is
just a short walk away, making it easy for hotel guests to relax in
Iceland's naturally relaxing geothermal waters. (For more information: tel.
011 354 5050 950, www.icehotel.is)
Shop �til You Drop
Iceland�s Leifur Eiriksson Air Terminal at the Keflavik International
Airport has expanded shopping within its new South terminal this summer.
Improvements include two new duty-free stores. As in the existing North
terminal building, prices for a wide range of Icelandic and imported
products will be discounted up to 50 percent lower than in most major
European cities, including Reykjavik, 30 miles away.
A wide range of quality brands in men�s and women�s clothing is available at
Saga Boutique, with prices 25-40 percent lower than in most European cities.
Other shops offer a range of Icelandic food, drink, woolens, and
handicrafts. Islandica, for instance, sells a brand of hot dog called SS
Pylsa that has become a cult favorite among fans of Icelandic cuisine.
Various food products are sold vacuum-packed or frozen. Delicacies such as
smoked salmon, herring, smoked trout, or gravlax (dill-cured salmon) are
available along with Icelandic cheese, lamb, and Iceland Spring bottled
water. (For more information: www.airport.is).
Welcome Home
The 75-ft. Icelandic Viking ship replica that toured the U.S. in 2000 is
finally heading home. The Islendingur ("Icelander" in English), built and
captained by Gunnar Marel Eggertsson, 47, of Iceland, toured the East Coast
from Newfoundland to New York Harbor two years ago to celebrate the 1,000th
anniversary of Leif Eiriksson�s discovery of the New World.
The oak and pine ship traced the historic 2,600-mi. voyage of Leifur
Eiriksson, or Leif the Lucky, to Greenland and Newfoundland - the country
the Vikings called Vinland - exactly 1,000 years earlier.
The Islendingur was recently sold to the Icelandic town of Reykjanes, 20
miles from the capital city of Reykjavik. In August, Capt. Eggertsson will
sail the ship to the harbor at Njardv�k (near Keflav�k International Airport
in southwest Iceland) where it will remain on permanent display. (For more
information on the Reykjanes area, see www.reykjanes.is).
Vacation with Icelanders in Hveragerdi
Where do Icelanders go on vacation? Many head to the town of Hveragerdi,
just 45 miles from Reykjavik. Glaciers and volcanic activity have
transformed Hveragerdi into a surreal wonderland of geysers, streams, and
lush green vegetation with a silent volcano named Kambabrun presiding over
it all. In fact, plumes of steam from the ever-present thermal vents rise
continually to the sky. The town is a popular destination for tourists every
fall, offering . hiking, fishing, and golf. The Varma River and its two
waterfalls, Baulufoss and Reykjafoss, flow through town as they slowly carve
their way through the Olfusdalur Valley and to the sea. (For more
information: www.icelandtouristboard.com, www.south.is).
THEY SAID IT
- Speaking of sheep, The New York Times Magazine recently featured
Icelandic lamb in its Food section. The article discussed the cleanliness of
the Iceland countryside and states that Icelanders eat 55 pounds of lamb per
capita per year, versus a mere one pound per capita in the U.S. One
favorite recipe involves roasted lamb loins with roasted tomatoes and summer
peas. (For more information on this national food, see
www.icelandnaturally.com)
- National Geographic Adventure magazine examines the mythology and
legends of Iceland, a country it calls "Europe�s last great wilderness."
The August issue speaks at length about one such tale: The Saga of Grettir
the Strong. It�s the story of Grettir Asmundarson, a man who actually lived
in 11th century Iceland. Grettir has been compared to the medieval version
of Jesse James who outwitted his pursuers for nearly 20 years, wreaking
havoc across the remotest corners of the country. The author of the article,
Tom Clynes, set out to follow the path of this legendary hero in a story
titled, An Outlaw�s Guide to Iceland.
Ain�t it Grand?
Iceland's "Grand Canyon," Jokulsarglijufur National Park, is the country's
newest attraction. It includes Iceland's largest gorge, luxurious
vegetation, bizarre rock formations and caves, and waterfalls that put the
dancing waters of Las Vegas to shame. Visitors are awestruck standing next
to Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall. The National Park is east of
Husavik in northeast Iceland.
For information on other exciting activities in Iceland, be sure to visit
www.IcelandTouristBoard.com or www.IcelandNaturally.com
