travel supplement 2013ICELAND

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2 ICELAND WelcomePOST BOX

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SOME pEOplE may wonder why a supplement extolling the virtues of winter in Iceland is even necessary.

Iceland? Isn’t it always winter there?

No. And that’s the point. Iceland has four distinct seasons, each one with its own unique charm and ac-tivities to experience.

Even though Iceland is indeed, as the poet Robert plant once sang,

“ ... the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.”

It is so much more.In fact, in spite of its name and

reputation, the winters in many parts of Iceland are much milder than those experienced in other places. Often people in countries like Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and the northern US are surprised to check their smartphone and see that the weather in Reykjavik is

clear and 5 or 6 degrees while they are dealing with snow, ice

and subzero temperatures where they are.

But make no mis-take; Iceland is a Nordic

country and Icelanders know how to make

the most of winter and show their visi-tors how to have a good time in frosty

conditions. From a rugged day of climbing

glacial ice to a warm drink by a blazing fire, Iceland offers the winter experience at its best.

That is what this supplement is all about.

The great thing is, if you read something here that knocks you out, there is a good chance it is going on, no matter what season you finally decide to make that long talked about trip to Iceland. The wa-ters are always flowing over Gull-foss, Geysir is filled with steam and magic and Silfra is there to snorkel all year long. And Reykjavik ... Rey-kjavik always rocks!

The work of Halldór laxness, the Icelandic author and Nobel lau-reate, captures the attitudes and history of the Icelandic people per-fectly, so a spin through any one of his many volumes, almost all avail-able in English, is a good primer for understanding the special nature of the Icelandic people and their country. And it is also damn good literature.

One of Halldor’s most famous works is a book entitled ‘The Fish Can Sing’, and if there is a place in the world where fish could rise from a crystal clear stream and break out in song, it is Iceland.

A land of sagas, music, laugh-ter, and people that embrace life to the fullest, a visit to Iceland leaves the traveller both fulfilled and with a sense of longing. Totally and com-pletely enthralled and amazed at what they have experienced, and aching for the moment that they can book a return trip to do all of the things that they missed the first time around.

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3ICELAND Winter

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. And if that’s true, then Icelanders have a winter passion for light.As they days grow shorter, the skies gloomier and the winter holidays approach, the windows of Icelandic homes fill up with lights that stay up long into January, February and beyond until the daylight hours once again begin to outnumber the dark ones. And even though the winter sun doesn’t stay over the horizon for more than a few hours each day, the locals know how to wrangle every ray and bit of warmth out if it. Icelanders embrace their winter. In fact, they thrive in it. Celebrate it. Hike in it. Even swim in it. And they encourage and inspire their guests to do the same.But isn’t just the light that makes Icelanders a hardy folk. Life on an island has made them self-sufficient and given them a sense of improvisa-tion that seems lost in many other places. When something breaks or doesn’t go as planned, Icelanders have a laugh, fix what’s broken, change direction, find a new way and keep moving.

Winter in Iceland

A DIp IN the famous Blue lagoon about 40 kilometres outside of Reykjavik and a short 13 kilometres from Keflavik Airport has become almost a requirement of an Icelandic visit. And with good reason. In a country where it can snow in the summer, you quickly come to appreciate that its water is a constant bathtub-like 38 degrees centigrade. The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulphur and bathing in the Blue lagoon is reputed to have therapeutic benefits. Therapeutic or not, standing up and let-ting the top half of your body feel the sting of the Icelandic winter while the bottom half is basking in

38 degrees of warmth is close to a mind-altering experience.

Ordering the perfect drink to enjoy while in the lagoon is as easy as floating up to the outside bar. Lovers find a quiet corner of the large lagoon for a bit of privacy while others stand with their backs to a waterfall for a warm natural massage.

But, for those of you that think the Blue lagoon is all fun and games, consider this: it is actually a part of Iceland’s geothermal heating network. The lagoon is fed by the water output of a nearby geo-thermal power plant. Superheated water is vented from the ground near a lava flow and used to run tur-bines that generate electricity. After passing through

the turbines, the steam and hot water enters a heat exchanger to provide heat for hot water in Reykjavik and the water is then fed into the lagoon.

The Blue lagoon complex includes a restau-rant, spa, hotel and more. The Flybus operated by Reykjavik Excursions offers an arrival Blue lagoon tour that takes you from Keflavik Airport to the la-goon and back to your hotel. Even if you’re just passing through Iceland.

bluelagoon.comre.is

the Blue lagoon

THINGvEllIR NATIONAl park is part of the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route in southern Iceland covering about 300 kilometres, circling out from Reykjavík into central Iceland and back again.

Settled by Norwegian wanderers sometime in the 9th century, the Icelandic people established their first parliament in 930 at Thingvellir. Some scholars believe that it may have been the first such body ever formed. The business of Icelandic government was conducted there until the 1700s.

Now a national park, Thingvellir literally breathes history. You can see it in the steam rising from the hot springs. One of Iceland’s most popular tourist spots, the park teems with visitors during the summer. A winter visit is a quieter and more spir-itual occasion. looking out over the broad, empty valley, it is easy to imagine thousands of Icelanders converging on this spot in ancient times to barter, argue, govern, fight, love and forge their nation’s future.

Thingvellir is also the site of a rift valley that marks the spot where the European and American

tectonic plates meet. A related story on page 6 this issue tells about a snorkelling adventure between the two.

It is here that Iceland seems at the same time very old and very young.

The history of the area combined with the volcanic landscape reminds visitors that al-though Icelandic society has a long and rich history, the land mass itself is still very young geologically and unstable and can be as vola-tile as a petulant teenager. While other parts of the planet seem to be getting older and smaller, Iceland is still in the process of being born. The island’s volcanoes have been known to stop air traffic worldwide and even when they quiet down their lava fields, geothermal pools, hot springs and geysers are still constant reminders of their pres-ence. New islands have popped up off the Icelan-dic coast in the last century and some of its south-ern beaches, fed by sand and ash from the last eruption, have grown hundreds of metres out into the sea.

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the golden CirCle

4 ICELAND Winter

THE lAST STOp on the Golden Circle tour is the geothermally active valley of Haukadalur, home to the geysers Geysir and Strokkur. This is the place that the very word ‘geyser’ comes from. The earth hisses and bubbles all around. Moving streams of steaming water are bordered by ice-encrusted plants just a metre away. Although big brother Geysir has been quiet for a number of years, little brother Strokkur still spews water and steam into the air every seven minutes or so, sending tourists streaming forward with their cameras.

There are about 30 other geysers and hot springs scattered throughout Haukadalur. A sign in-dicating water temperatures at between 80 and 100 degrees prompted a gentle warning to an American visitor who was about to cross over a retaining rope for a closer look at a boiling hot mud pot. That is centigrade, friend ... not Fahrenheit.

The best guides will make sure that you pull in somewhere along the way for a bowl of Kjötsúpa – a traditional Icelandic lamb stew made with car-rots, potatoes and rutabagas and other local ingre-dients. Everyone you talk to will tell you that their recipe is the best and of course they are all right because each one is different. Some include oats, some rice but all use local wild herbs to season the broth. It is the perfect meal to warm you during a full winter’s day in the Icelandic countryside.

geysir

goldencircleiceland.comthingvellir.is/englishgullfoss.orggeysircenter.com

ANOTHER STOp on the Golden Circle route is the waterfall Gullfoss (the Golden Falls). As the Hvítá River flows south, it turns left about one kilometer above the falls and rumbles down a rocky three-step staircase and then falls abruptly in two stages – one ten metres and one 20 metres – into a deep crevice. During the winter, ice forms on the rocks and walls all the way down, creating a brilliant white contrast to the rushing blue and green water.

The legend of Sigríður Tómasdóttir, a local woman who fought to preserve the falls, is a well-loved tale in Iceland. Throughout the last century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. The owners of the land leased the falls to foreign investors. When the investors ran out of cash, the waterfall was sold to the gov-ernment of Iceland, who had its own plans to use the falls for power. When the government changed its mind and protected the falls instead, the legend evolved that it was Tómasdóttir’s relentless cam-paign to save the falls – including threaten-ing to throw herself into the raging wa-ter while the media was watching – that saved them. Although oft told, the tale is probably mostly apocryphal. There is, however, a stone me-morial to Tómasdóttir, located above the falls – icelanders are not the type of folks to let a few facts stand in the way of a good legend!

gullfoss

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5ICELAND Winter Go home with a story worth telling!

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A time-lapse sequence of the geyser Strokkur erupting. Taken by photographer Stan Colcombe

6 ICELAND Winter

TO BE hOnEST, when someone mentions snor-kelling to me, Iceland is not the first place that springs to my mind. Malta maybe. Spain. Greece, even ... but Iceland?

So when Gulli, our guide, suggested a snorkel-ling excursion to Iceland’s lake Silfra in Thingvellir National Park my reaction was: “Snorkelling?” “In Iceland?” “IN THE WINTER?”

“let me know how that works out for you ... I’ll be at the pub.”

But the assignment was to experience Iceland in winter, so there I was, a short 40-minute jeep ride from Reykjavik, watching the late-morning

Arctic sunrise, and standing in a parking lot with a handful of other hardy souls while Gulli and his team explained how to put on the layers of clothing that would keep us warm while snorkelling in water that would be ice, if it was but one or two degrees colder.

You have to wear a lot of clothes when you go snorkelling in Iceland. And in December, you need to wear even more – 3 or 4 layers above what you already had on, including something called a teddy-bear suit – that had us all looking like mini-Michelin Men until we put our dry suits over them. By the time you are finished with the two suits, a hoodie, gloves, flippers, goggles and other accessories, not much is exposed to the elements.

One is, however, pretty exposed while chang-ing into all that stuff. I had to get down to my ther-

mals and socks while standing there in the parking lot. While the women were offered the jeeps and vans as changing rooms, the guides pointed out that it would not be particularly “Viking” of any of the men to try to take up space in the vehicles.

It was especially chilly for those that were wear-ing blue jeans. Cotton not being your friend if it gets wet, those who wore Mr Strauss’s finest had to strip down to their boxers before putting on the teddy-bear suit. The toughest part for me was balancing yoga-style on my coat with one foot while I put the teddy-bear suit and sock back on my opposite leg.

And yep, the inevitable happened. After we all had completely dressed and walked the hundred metres or so to the spot in the fissure where we were going into the water, a sheepish looking wom-an whispered something to Gulli. Gulli smiled and pointed toward a stand of rocks that she could slip behind while we waited. And waited ...

During the pre-dive run-through, Gulli had asked if we knew what to do should we get water in our snorkel. As a veteran of many Atlantic snorkel-ling trips, I was anxious to impress, so I said, “You blow it out.”

Gulli smiled and said, “Nah, just drink it. It’s the cleanest water in the world. You can never drink enough water.”

Of course I tried it. It was breathtakingly cold and delicious.

The glacial waters of lake Silfra are so clear that even from the surface I could see deep into

the fissures where the American and European tec-tonic plates meet. And yeah, as a Yank who lives in Europe these days, being able to try to touch continents at the same time was a big part of what had me bobbing slowly through a narrow crevice, face down, looking into water so clean that it actu-

Snorkelling SilfraInto the cold, blue yonder

let me know how that works out for you ... i’ll be at the pub. ”

“

you blow it out.”“

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7ICELAND Winter

Snorkelling SilfraInto the cold, blue yonder

Arctic Adventures is Iceland’s oldest and most experienced ad-venture tour company. Staffed by avid outdoors enthusiasts, they offer activities from snorkelling to blue ice climbing, rafting and eve-ry type of adventure in between. Their goal is to give visitors an Icelandic adventure year round. Information about their various day trips and extended tours can be found at adventures.is.

ally tricked my perception. A rock that looked like it was within arm’s length turned out to be two me-tres away. Flashes of light shimmered in the depths maybe 12, maybe 60 metres away, there was no way to tell. How far I could see into the moss and rock formations and distance was restricted only by my own limitations, not any sediment in the water. It was reality magnified through a crystal glass.

As for me, I wasn’t cold. The layers of clothing held my body heat and helped me float. The only time I was really aware of the water temperature was when I had to open my diving mask to use some fresh water to clear the condensation. That’ll wake you up in the morning!

After about 35 minutes, we had swum about 300 metres into a small lagoon. The ice crusted on the rocks as we climbed out of the water reminded me of just where I was and what I was doing. It was wild. It was a little nuts. And everyone agreed it was one of the most amazing things we had ever done.

ANCHORAGE

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TORONTO

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WASHINGTON D.C.NEW YORK

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Fly Icelandair to 10 destinations in North AmericaTake advantage of an Iceland stop-over at no additional airfare

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Wifi on board Throughout 2013 we will implement WIFI on board our fleet

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ANCHORAGE

SEATTLE

DENVER

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL

TORONTO

ORLANDO

WASHINGTON D.C.NEW YORK

BOSTONHALIFAX

ICELAND

ST. PETERSBURG

HELSINKI

STOCKHOLM

OSLOGOTHENBURG

COPENHAGEN

BILLUNDHAMBURG

FRANKFURTMÜNICH

ZÜRICH

PARISMILAN

BARCELONA

MADRID

TRONDHEIM

BERGEN

BRUSSELSGLASGOWMANCHESTER

STAVANGER

AMSTERDAM

LONDON

ANCHORAGE

SEATTLE

DENVER

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL

TORONTO

ORLANDO

WASHINGTON D.C.NEW YORK

BOSTONHALIFAX

ICELAND

ST. PETERSBURG

HELSINKI

STOCKHOLM

OSLOGOTHENBURG

COPENHAGEN

BILLUNDHAMBURG

FRANKFURTMÜNICH

ZÜRICH

PARISMILAN

BARCELONA

MADRID

TRONDHEIM

BERGEN

BRUSSELSGLASGOWMANCHESTER

STAVANGER

AMSTERDAM

LONDON

Fly Icelandair to 10 destinations in North AmericaTake advantage of an Iceland stop-over at no additional airfare

■ Friendly & professional service■ Three classes of service, Saga Class, Economy Comfort & Economy■ Comfortable leather seats in all cabins■ Seatback interactive entertainment system■ Easy & short transit at Keflavik airport

Wifi on board Throughout 2013 we will implement WIFI on board our fleet

+ Book your flight at www.icelandair.com

10 ICELAND Winter

The Icelandic Book of Settlement holds that a Norwegian viking named Ingólfur Arnarson tossed something called high seat pillars from his ship into the sea when he saw the south-eastern coastline of what was to become Iceland and, in the viking tradition, settled where the pillars came ashore.

Scholars these days believe that Ar-narson’s tale is probably just a legend, but Icelanders like their legends a lot more than they like scholars, so the story endures.

What is true is that before it began developing into a major city in the 18th century, Reykjavik – which translates to ‘the Bay of Smoke’, a name inspired by the area’s hot springs – had already been inhabited for 1,000 years.Reykjavík 871±2 is an exhibition on the settlement of Reykjavík based on the ar-chaeological excavation of the ruin of one of the first houses in Iceland.

The exhibition, located in Reykjavik’s old centre, is based on theories about the life and work of the first settlers. The focus of the exhibition is the ruin of a longhouse from the Settlement Age that was exca-vated in 2001.

The house itself was inhabited be-tween 930 and 1000. On its north side are remnants of a wall that was clearly built sometime before 871 – plus or minus a couple of years, thus giving the exhibi-tion its name. precise dating is possible because a major volcanic eruption from the Torfajokull area spread ash across the region, which can be dated using glacial ice in Greenland from around the same time. The hall is among the oldest human-made structures so far found in Iceland. It takes a visitor, perhaps jaded by too many museum dioramas, a moment to realise that they are not looking at a mock up of a wall from the ninth century – that’s the real wall. Those are the actual rocks, from around 871.

various interactive methods explain and interpret the remains of the building, including a 3D image of how the house may have looked. This is not a dusty mu-seum tour – there are holograms, comput-er-generated images and enough touch screens to keep even the most iEvery-thing-happy visitor engaged.

Even if you head straight for the mu-seum, your next stop is visit Reykjavik, located just down the hill, in order to get an overview of the city. They know what’s going on and how to get you there. A 24-48- or 72-hour Reykjavik Welcome Card is available different prices and is a good

investment for travellers looking for dis-counted admission to museums, thermal swimming pools, zoos, culture houses ... you name it. It also lets you ride around free on the city buses.

Reykjavik is a walking city. Everything is close, the shopping is world class and the city is clean. Car traffic defers to foot traffic ... and the occasional sheep that may wander into town. Iceland is still a free range country and dealing with live-stock comes with the territory. And if a bunch of overly-partied frat boys decide they simply must pose for a picture while performing a mock viking battle in the middle of a downtown street, the traffic just waits until the shot is done and then honks and smiles as they drive by.

Reykjavik has long been at the cross-roads of the world. The residents are com-fortable with people from other countries, speak excellent English and love showing off their city.

A night-time trip through the city’s hip 101 area with Jakob Freeman Magnus-son, a well-known Icelandic musician who has performed on many world stages with his Jack Magnet Quintet, is a crash course in Reykjavik’s musical and literary his-tory. Magnusson is known as the unofficial mayor of the 101, and he is a whirlwind. Giving a speech here, shaking hands with a new restaurant owner there and all the while taking phone calls, talking to every-one who passes by and pointing out local points of interest while a soundtrack of his own jazz and electronica music blares from his land Rover.

“That building was part of the wool in-dustry that drove this city for a long time,” Magnusson says, points, and moves on.

“That is an archaeological dig – did you know there is a whole other city under this street?”

“That is where one of the guys that caused the financial cri-sis lived. We put him in jail,” he says with a glint in his eye.

The only time he slows down is when he drives past what looks like nothing more than a standard issue, graffiti cov-ered skateboard-ing park.

“This park is called Hjartareiturinn – the heart spot. It is the breeding ground for some of the most important art in Ice-landic history,” he says reverently as he points across the tiny park to some small-ish houses.

“That’s where Björk got together with the rest of the band and started the Sugar-cubes and over there is where Sigur Rós used to practice.”

It is easy to sense the pride Magnus-son takes – and remember, he is no slouch as a musician himself – in Reykjavik’s con-tributions to the worldwide music scene.

Of course, Reykjavik’s nightlife and music scene are legendary. The fun starts late, about 11pm, and runs until four or five in the morning. Beautiful people in the lat-est fashions line up in front of the dance club of the moment – which right now is apparently one called Austur. Those look-ing for something a bit more traditional will hit the Dubliner or English pub. Na-tional acts and local yokels play the same streets. The choices and variety of sounds are virtually endless.

It is easy to luck out and catch some-one hot like Jónas Sigurðsson – whose CD you heard at a friend’s house the night before – at a small club. Music is literally everywhere. A stop into a storefront com-bination travel agency and backpacker’s rest area finds an impromptu but excellent six piece folk/bluegrass band doing a sev-en minute ramble in Icelandic that must be riotously funny – because everyone is laughing. And whether you understand the words or not, the fun is contagious.

Thoroughly modern, Reykjavik offers everything an urbanite could want with the added benefit of being the gateway to an unlimited number of year-round rug-ged adventures just beyond the city limits. Hangover permitting, of course.

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s Reykjavik is the world’s northern-most capital city. It is the gateway to all things Icelandic. Even if you never get outside the city limits, a visit to Reykjavik is a visit to one of the most unique places on the planet

ray Weaver

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11ICELAND Winter

Jacob Magnusson

Jónas sigurðsson

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12 ICELAND Theme

Traditional Icelandic cuisine brings to mind sheep’s head and rotten shark - not that there’s anything wrong with that! In reality, Iceland, and especially Reykjavik, is filled with great restaurants doing modern dishes with fresh local ingredients. From corner coffees shops featuring local pastries to the finest of fine dining, it’s all there for the tasting. Here is just a small sampling of what’s on offer in “the big little city”.

This not a typical hotel restaurant. Specialis-ing in fresh, organic and Icelandic fare, they offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. Brunch is served on the weekends. Deciding on fish for both appetiser and main course can be risky, but not at Satt. The Arctic Charr appetiser complimented the plaice served over potatoes and vegetables. Both were deliciously prepared, the plaice had been cooked with just the right amount of butter to bring out the flavour of the fish, and the waiter was able to sug-gest the proper bottle from Satt’s diverse wine list to complement both dishes. And the desert of a fresh-baked chocolate brownie with warm choco-late sauce inside that flowed into the assortment of fresh fruit on the plate tasted as decadent as it looked. Satt is comfortable enough for families and still upscale enough for a fine dining experience.

hotel naturanautholsvegur 52reykjaviksattrestaurant.Com

MAR is new. Brand new. So new you can smell it. And they strive to take a new approach to food as well. Specialising in what they call Icelandic food with a South American flair, MAR aims to be a fine dining experience and an alternative to what the owners feel are a glut of tapas and casual joints in Reykjavik. These folks love food and love to com-bine and present it in unexpected ways. Ever con-sider a salt cod ball topped with sesame and served with a tomato and raspberry jam? How about fresh fish prepared ceviche-style and garnished with popcorn and orange slices? Yes, popcorn. Sounds crazy, but it works. Otherwise, try breathtaking lob-ster risotto followed by a South American steak that melts on the tongue. MAR sits on the edge of Reykjavik’s rapidly developing old harbour district. Here is the chance to say you were one of the first to experience a great new eatery.

geirsgata 9reykjavikmarrestaurant.is

The restaurant and bar at Hotel Marina is as quirky and fun as the hotel itself. Housed in a former paint factory in a working marina (there is a dry-docked ship being worked on just outside the window) in Reykjavik’s hot 101 district, both the hotel and bar are the place to see and be seen. The chefs put together an original menu, heavy on unique tapas-style creations like mini-turkey burgers and small meals featuring local ingredients and thankfully devoid of the usual pub fare. The decor is crazy-quilt, antique store funky and the staff is young and talented. The headwaiter makes it a point to go from table to table and check on every party. On the weekends, the tempo and volume of the music picks up at around 11pm and Slippbarinn fills up with Reykjavik’s beautiful people ready to sample the city’s fabled nightlife.

hotel marinamyrargata 2 reykjavikiCelandairhotels.Com/hotels/reykjavikmarina

If you hit the Fish Company for lunch and decide to go for the lobster tempura salad, the waiter will ask if you want the small of large size. If you plan on eating anything else, like some of the su-shi choices on offer, go for the small; the large is more than enough for the heartiest appetite. The Fish Company has been called a fish restaurant for meat lovers because along with its array of seafood dishes, there is always a wide selection of choices for the carnivore, including a rack of Icelandic lamb or a US-style barbecue. Centrally located, the Fish Company’s unique design and excellent food make it a choice for locals and visitors alike. Reykjavik’s movers and shakers are regular lunch and dinner guests.

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satt mar restaurant

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13ICELAND Theme

The contemporary Viking

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66°NORTH was founded in 1926 with the purpose of making protective-wear for Icelandic fishermen and workers. Today we make quality clothing for all types of outdoor activities designed to meet the needs of contemporary living.

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina is one of the most unusual hotels you will ever experience. Reykjavik’s newest hotel – it opened in the spring of 2012 in the city’s trendy harbour district – the Marina combines Reykjavik’s rich maritime history with its vibrant and modern present day culture. look, the hotel is located in a repurposed paint factory next to a working dry dock – there really is a ship being worked on just outside your window – but this no drawback: it offers a unique experience that connects you with Iceland’s heart in a way no bland corporate hotel ever could.

The Marina received the 2012 City of Reykja-vik Beautification Award for its stylish and original look.

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, in the tra-dition of the Icelandic people themselves, strives to make sure that its guests are comfortable and happy while at the same time not taking itself too seriously.

The hotel is colourful and quirky, with surprises and smiles around every corner. Invoices from its days as a paint factory hang on the walls and a sign in the toilet reminds you that there is no reason to hang around too long in such a small space when Reykjavik’s exciting downtown is right outside. The decor is bright and whimsical, featuring colourful wallpaper, real Icelandic antiques and other odd curios. The hotel’s common area features lots of comfortable, cosy seating and a large fireplace.

The Marina’s restaurant and pub, Slippbarinn, reviewed on page 12, and where the hotel’s self-assured attitude ends, the restaurant picks right up, thanks to its helpful staff and unique dishes.

The staff and management at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina have the perfect combination of youth and experience to point their guests to the best of what’s hot in Reykjavik, while at the same time making sure that they enjoy comfortable ac-commodations and friendly service.

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura has been a part of the city of Reykjavik for nearly five decades. Newly remodelled, the hotel’s warm, unique at-mosphere is accented by works from local artists and feels deeply Icelandic and completely modern.

This is not some by-the-numbers corporate hotel. There is a full slate of amenities, including an indoor salt water geothermal-heated swimming pool and hot tub. The pool is part of the new Soley Natura Spa, which offers beauty and massage treatments using all-natural Icelandic products. There is nothing quite like starting or ending the day with a dip in the warm pool and a trip to the sauna.

Their hotel offers music, movies, video art ... even bedtime stories for grownups. Yep, bedtime

stories. Folks gather in their nightclothes under blankets and listen to stories by Icelandic authors, usually read in English. The hotel provides hot chocolate, but the bunny slippers are up to you. Don’t be shy. It sounds a bit odd at first, but it is actually quite a bit of fun and very relaxing.

The Natura’s in-house restaurant, Satt, is re-viewed on page 12.

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura is located in one of the city’s greenest areas and is surrounded by biking, running and walking trails. The city cen-tre is just a few minutes by car or taxi – or an easy 20 minute walk – and the hotel provides free city bus tickets to guests.

Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura is an elegant combination of history, fun and luxury.

iCelandairhotels.Com/hotels/reykjaviknatura iCelandairhotels.Com/hotels/reykjavikmarina

iCelandair hotel reykjavik natura iCelandair hotel reykjavik marina

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14 ICELAND Spring • Summer • Autmn

No matter the season, Iceland has it all.

The truth is, there simply isn’t a bad time of the year to consider going to Iceland. Once you have checked that winter trip off your bucket list, it is time to take a look at what the other seasons have to offer

Winter, spring, summer or autumn

Spring in Iceland is like spring in much of Eu-rope and North America – it comes in like a lion and goes out ... well, you know ... a nice, succulent Icelandic lamb.

Temperatures start to rise and the sun is up for many hours, making the days longer and more enjoyable. There is plenty to see and do in the spring, and prices and crowds are still below what will they will be during the summer high season. The Northern lights are still visible at night and the skiing is still good for a while.

Caving, horseback riding, hiking, golfing – it’s all there, and it is a bit easier to get around now that the days are longer and the snow is receeding.

There are also some unique springtime festivals.

Every year, on the first day of March, Ice-landers celebrate the repeal of the country’s 75-year ban on beer by – surprise! – drinking lots of beer.

In April, Icelanders celebrate the First Day of Summer (Sumardagurinn Fyrsti) on the first

Thursday after April 18. Summer starts in April in the Old Norse calendar, and Icelanders celebrate with parades, sporting events, free/discounted museum admission and parties throughout the country. In May, the Reykja-vik Arts Festival offers exhibitions, concerts, dance, theatre and opera performances from national and international artists.

The volcano Thrihnukagigur opens again for visits from the public in mid-May. Tell the truth – did you have anything nearly as cool as drop-ping by a volcano on your spring holiday list?

ICElAND HAS a concentrated high tourist season, peaking from mid-June through Au-gust. Icelanders have been known to compare the flocking tourists to migrating birds, and the tourists have often marvelled at the sight of locals in shorts and t-shirts in 10 degree weather. Hell, just lie down a bench next to ‘em – summer is summer where ever you are.

Although the theatre, symphony and opera take the summer off, some museums outside Reykjavik are only open in summer, and arts and cultural festivals are every-where. In Reykjavik, they tend to gravitate

to the ‘bookend’ seasons of April to May and September to October. Those bookend sea-sons can be wonderful times to visit. In fact, a good general strategy is to shoot for the outlying weeks.

And yes, you can swim in the summertime in Iceland. The geothermal outdoor swimming pools are open, and you can actually take a dip in the ocean at the beach in Nauthólsvik close to the Hotel Natúra in Reykjavik. Warm water is pumped out into the sea resulting in a water temperature of about 20 degrees dur-ing the summer months. And you can always

relax in the hot pots on the beach. play golf. Yes, golf. Icelanders are golf

maniacs: there are over 60 golf courses in a country with a population of 315,000. One of them is actually in the middle of the lava field at the foot of the volcano Eyjafjallarjokull – you know, the one that erupted a few years ago. players have to sort out on their own how an eruption may affect their handicap.

When you come to Iceland in the summer, remember that the sun never goes completely down. Ask a local when it gets dark and they are likely to reply, “around September”.

IT IS A BIT of a challenge to differentiate be-tween the activities available in Iceland during any given season, because so many things just continue year round. Reykjavik is as charming in November as it is in June, maybe even more so when the visitor is greeted by the sight of locals enjoying a dip at a municipal geothermal swimming pool while snow falls into their hair.

One activity specific to fall is something called the Big Round-Up. visitors in early Sep-tember – especially experienced riders – can discover Iceland’s beautiful and remote back-country on horseback while participating the fall sheep round-up. Hundreds of thousands

of Icelandic sheep spend the summer grazing in highland pastures. Before winter sets in, lo-cal farmers spend up to a week herding them home.

Most participants are experienced rid-ers, but some go along in 4WD vehicles or on foot; others just watch and join the party that happens once the round up is complete. And Icelanders know how to party! visit Reykja-vik can help you find a round-up in a part of the country that you would like to see. In fact, horseback riding is a major activity in Iceland all year round, but especially in the summer and fall. Rides can be arranged to last from as little as two hours to a full 10 days.

...and as the autumn fades, and winter settles in again, life in Iceland adjusts and continues. Icelandic golfers hit snow-covered links with bright orange golf balls. When the Christmas season begins in late November, Reykjavik and the rest of Iceland remains lively and full of fun. The town of Hafnarfjörður hosts an elaborate Christmas village with car-olling choirs, gift stalls and costumed elves. On New Year’s Eve, many visitors shuttle to Reykjavik just to take part in the celebration.

And then there is helicopter sightsee-ing, whale watching, hiking, camping ... the list goes on all year long and all around the country.

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15ICELAND Directory

ICELAnDAIR – it's in the name. No airline knows more about Iceland than Icelandairicelandair.dkicelandair.com (English)

VISIT REykjAVIk – Even before you leave home, start your trip here. They know what's on and how to get you there.visitreykjavik.is

REykjAVIk EXCuRSIOnS – Information about buses, tours, attractions, deals ... and there’s an app!re.is

ARCTIC ADVEnTuRES – there are a lot of adventure companies in Iceland. AA is one of the most experienced.adventures.is

FLyBuS – connected with arriving and de-parting flights at Keflavik airport, the Flybus

gets you comfortably and economically to your hotel, the Blue lagoon and points in between.flybus.is

InSIDE ThE VOLCAnO – Really. You get to go inside. Not to be missed.insidethevolcano.com

WEAThER – You can experience all four seasons in Iceland inside of an hour. Al-ways good to keep an eye on the weathervedur.is

Fjallajeppar – Owner Anton Gudmundsson has some of the coolest vehicles and ar-ranges some of the wildest trips in Icelandfjallajeppar.com

nORðuRFLuG – Helicopter tours. Iceland. From the air. ‘nuff said!nordurflug.is

LAXnES hORSE FARm – Go riding. For two hours or a week. These are the folks that can help you find your inner cowboylaxnes.is

ELDInG ADVEnTuRES AT SEA – Whale and bird watching. Angling. You’re on an is-land for pete’s sake ... get out on the water!elding.is

InSPIRED By ICELAnD – very modern website filled with social media opportu-nities, up to the minute blogs and photos and interactive content. Iceland for the cool kids!inspiredbyiceland.com

GOLF ICELAnD – play golf at midnight surrounded by lava fields. Think about what you just read!golf.is

ThE BLuE LAGOOn – No, not the bad Brooke Shields movie from the 80’s, but one of the true wonders of the world. Heal-ing, spiritual and soothing geothermal wa-ters. A must when you visit Iceland.bluelagoon.is

AIR ICELAnD – Iceland’s domestic airline offering reasonably-priced flights and day tours to the country’s more remote cities. Also to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Go ahead, fly up to the Arctic Circle!airiceland.is

hARPA – Reykjavik’s stunning concert and culture hall located on the harbour. Consid-ered one of the world’s great venues, there is always something on!hapra.is

Winter, spring, summer or autumn

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Your Iceland experience begins with Icelandair

Always included when you fly Icelandair: ■ Seatback interactive entertainment system ■ Free meals for kids ■ 23kg baggage & 10kg cabin baggage ■ Free seat selection

Wifi on board Throughout 2013 we will implement WIFI on board our fleet.

+ Book your flight at www.icelandair.com