DATELINE ICELAND

DATELINE ICELAND - September/October 2003

A periodic look at news and events from the home of the Vikings. Brought to you by the Icelandic Tourist Board.

>Show Your Colors With Iceland Holiday's Gold and Blue Special
>Ride with a Partner this September
>October Madness - Two Nights Plus Air for $299
>Reyk Rocks with Alternative Music Festival
>Iceland Jazz Festival Defines "Cool"
>A Window into Medieval Iceland
>Green Acres is the Place to Be
>Get 'em Up, Move 'em Out
>Saga Heilsa & Spa in Reykjavik Offers Ayurvedic Massage
>Hotel Dig Unearths Home of Iceland's First Settler
>Puffins for Breakfast?
>Spreading the News
>Dress Like an Islander
>They Said It

Show Your Colors with Iceland Holiday's Gold and Blue Special

Add some color to your life this September with a vacation package from Icelandair. Where else but Iceland can you fill a few days with waterfalls, hot springs, spas and Viking history, coupled with dining, culture and nightclubbing? (Is that a real verb? If not, it should be because weekends in Reyk rock!) Prices start from $479* per person double occupancy and include transatlantic air from Icelandair gateways, two nights hotel with breakfast, round-trip airport/hotel transfers, a Golden Circle natural wonders tour and visit to the Blue Lagoon.

Ride with a Partner this September

Invite your friend, your mom, your uncle, or whomever, to go on a twilight horseback ride in Iceland and save over $190 per person just for being such a good partner. There's enough daylight to enjoy action till late in the evening. Priced from $429* per person double occupancy, the package includes transatlantic air from Icelandair gateways, two nights hotel with breakfast, round-trip airport/hotel transfers, special twilight guided horseback riding tour, and gear during the riding tour.

October Madness - Two Nights Plus Air for $299

They say it's not what you make that counts, it's what you don't spend. And those of us a few kronur short of the Forbes 400 list will appreciate Icelandair's Midweek Madness with insanely low rates from just $299* per person. Enjoy the autumn colors and the intense culture of Reykjavik. This travel bargain is based on double occupancy when you fly out on a Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday during the month of October (excluding week of Oct. 12-18).

The $299* rate includes transatlantic air from Icelandair gateways, two nights hotel with breakfast, and round-trip airport/hotel transfers.

These and other special Icelandair get-away deals are available by contacting Icelandair Holidays at 800 779 2899 or [email protected].

Reyk Rocks with Alternative Music Festival

The annual Iceland Airwaves Music Festival celebrates alternative music in Reykjavik from Oct. 15-19. Iceland's location midway between Europe and North America makes it an ideal meeting point for musicians from both continents, and other parts of the world. The creative attitude of Icelanders has fostered famous alternative performers such as Björk, Sigur Rós, Gus Gus and the Leaves. Catch the latest rhythms of alternative music in venues across Reykjavik and party all night at nightclubs hosted by celebrity DJs. Festival packages start from $499* per person based on double occupancy for a two night package. Price includes transatlantic air from Icelandair gateways, two nights hotel with breakfast, round-trip airport/hotel transfers, and a special Airwaves Festival Pass.

Check out the official Airwaves website for the latest information on concerts and festival happenings: www.icelandairwaves.com Bookings are now available on-line at www.icelandair.com or call 800 779 2899.

* Prices quoted are exclusive of applicable taxes and official charges by destination of approximately $90-$150 per person (including the September 11th Security fee of $2.50 per U.S. enplanement for purchases after Oct. 1, 2003). Packages and prices subject to change. Lower priced airfares and packages may be available on www.icelandair.com.

Iceland Jazz Festival Defines "Cool"

O.k. Everyone knows the Vikings went to Greenland because they thought Iceland was too icy, right? Well, it may not be as icy as our icecapped neighbor to the west, but this fall Iceland will certainly be "cool" when the Iceland Jazz Festival grooves into Reykjavik on Nov. 4-9. The line-up for the 13th Reykjavik-Iceland Jazz Festival 2003 includes such acts as Jaguar, British pianist Alex Wilson, the New York Voices and the Reykjavik Big Band. In all, some 80 musicians and vocalists will perform from the U.S., Canada, U.K., Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Faeroe Islands, Holland and, of course, Iceland. They're all ready to show you how really "cool" Iceland can be, daddy-o. Additional information is available at www.reykjavikjazz.com.

A Window into Medieval Iceland

The Culture House in Reykjavik is showcasing an exhibition by the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, consisting of some of the most highly valued cultural treasures in Iceland. These treasures aren't, as you might expect, plundered Viking gold. They are medieval vellum manuscripts, including the Codex Regius of the Elder Edda and the two-volume compilation Flateyjarbók.

These contain ancient sagas, poems and narratives which are often the sole written records of the society and religion of early Northern Europe, from the time of the pagans and Vikings, through the settlement of the Atlantic Islands and the coming of Christianity. The Culture House is a five-minute walk from the Tourist Information Center in downtown Reykjavik and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information log onto www.thjodmenning.is.

Green Acres is the Place to Be

As that great philosopher, Eddie Albert, once sang:

Green acres is the place to be.
Farm living is the life for me.
Land spreading out, so far and wide.
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.

For those ready to say goodbye to city life, at least temporarily, Icelandic Farm Holidays offers accommodations in 120 farms all over Iceland. Aside from the pastoral beauty of rural Iceland, the farms also offer such diversions as horseback riding, fishing, hunting, sailing, swimming, glacier tours and golf. You may also choose a self-drive package including rental car and farm accommodations. Tell them Arnold the pig sent you. For more information log onto www.farmholidays.is.

Get 'em Up, Move 'em Out

Travel the countryside of Iceland and you'll notice herds of wild sheep and horses just milling about. Somebody must own them, you think, and someday does. They just have to find them. That's why Iceland has a "Réttir" or Sheep and Horse Round Up in September, one of the most popular events in the country. The Round Up is an entertaining and interesting process that can take up to a week as farmers set off on horseback to gather sheep and horses that have spent the summer grazing in the highlands.

With the advent of the fall season, the sheep and horses are herded into pens where they are identified and sorted. This most festive Icelandic occasion warrants a country holiday commemorating a major event on the farming calendar. Don't be sheepish. Join in this lively community celebration in September, which is "shear" to make you smile.

Saga Heilsa & Spa in Reykjavik Offers Ayurvedic Massage

Just the name of this relatively unknown Indian massage is enough to make us pack our bags. About.com is raving about Shiva, a therapist at the Saga Heilsa & Spa who learned to give Ayurvedic treatments in India from his grandfather and has been in Iceland for three years providing Ayurvedic treatments to lucky tourists and locals. The massage is one part of Pancha Karma, an extensive Ayurvedic cleansing and rejuvenation program. Pancha Karma treatments are designed to first help rid the body of toxins, then help rebuild and rejuvenate it. To start, Shiva pours generous amounts of warm, herbal oil over the body while deeply massaging and vigorously rubbing it into the skin. Then, according to About.com, Shiva wraps herbs in cloth and heats it. He presses this herbal pack all over the body, a procedure said to smell wonderful and feel great. Saga Heilsa also offers:

Saga Lava Massage: A unique two-hour Icelandic massage using lava from Hekla as well as hot sea polished lava to release tension and restore energy. The massage oil is made from Icelandic heather plants.

Jet Lag Massage: A unique full body massage which masks the body in coarse salt, oils, honey and aromatic fresh and dried fruit. The treatment is said to be invigorating and nourishing for all skin types. Sign us up. For more information: www.sagaheilsa.is.

Hotel Dig Unearths Home of Iceland's First Settler

The construction of a hotel on Reykjavik's oldest street, Aðalstræti, uncovered an important archeological discovery: the ruins of the home of Iceland's first settler, Ingólfur Arnarsson. All plans for a hotel went on hold at that time, but plans are now underway to construct an exhibition hall underneath the hotel to protect the ruins. An exhibition showing the daily life of Vikings will be set up alongside the ancient homestead. The 89-room hotel will incorporate an historic building dating from 1764 which also resides on the site. Aðalstræti formed the core of the first town in Iceland, and all the streets in Reykjavik are numbered around it. For more information: www.visitreykjavik.is.

Puffins for Breakfast?

We know Icelanders eat just about anything that tastes good, but puffins for breakfast? Actually, Americans are eating them. Barbara's Bakery of Petaluma, Calif. offers a breakfast cereal named after our favorite bird. But don't worry about getting feathers caught in your teeth, they're made of flour and molasses. We love the great facts on the back of the box. For instance, how did the bird get its name? Answer: because of the silly way it puffs out its chest when it walks. For more information: ww.barbarasbakery.com ; to learn more about these unique coastal birds in abundance in Iceland, see www.projectpuffin.org.

Spreading the News

How do Icelanders spread gossip and dish on their neighbors? While the French might mingle in a smoky cafe and the English over a pint of lager, Icelanders chat up a storm as they soak away the daily grind of work in a hot pot or steam bath. It's as much about socializing as it is about staying healthy. For the hot pot nearest you, log onto www.spacity.is.

Dress Like an Islander

Soon, Americans will be able to dress like Islanders - no, we're not talking about the Long Island hockey team. You see, "Island" is the Icelandic name for Iceland and Icelanders all seem to be dressing in outerwear made by a homegrown Icelandic company called 66 Degrees North. Next fall will mark the debut of this line of fleece and waterproof/breathable outerwear in the U.S. Can't wait? Visit their shops downtown and at the Kringlan mall. For more information: www.66north.is.

They Said It

The readers of Travel + Leisure magazine, with nearly one million subscribers, cited Icelandair as one of the World's Best International Airlines. Placing eighth with 73.62% of the vote, Icelandair received high marks for cabin comfort, food, in-flight service, customer service and value.

In an article titled, "The Snows of July" in the July issue of Islands magazine, writer G.Y. Dryansky quotes the Lonely Planet's description of Iceland:

"The island with the chilly name - the most isolated nation in the Western world - is rapidly becoming one of Europe's hottest travel destinations, and once you've seen it, you won't wonder why."

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