262345 Tue Feb 04 21:30:44 -0800 2003 9 26 International 0 1386178 Decided this is the trip for 2 old broads this year and need all the advice I can get ! !!!!! HELP PLEASE !!!! Tue Feb 04 21:30:44 -0800 2003 0 BBK 1 1386184 I strongly recommend Vid Tjornina (it means by the lake and it is by the lake) Very cosy old house, lots of Iceland things like Cod cheeks (which are great), Pippen (a local sea bird) and a cozy lounge for a coffee and after dinner drink while sitting in a sofa. All alcohol is very expensive so spend money on food instead. Wed Feb 05 05:01:13 -0800 2003 1386178 0 mdibiaso 1 1386188 We had a nice meal at a place called Aquavit or something like that. Right in the middle of town. Pretty trendy but fun and good food. Also had decent Italian at a little place off the main street that had a garden like back room to eat in. Sorry, can't remember the names. Reykjavik is good for about 4 days, hopefully you won't be there too much longer. Wed Feb 05 08:39:23 -0800 2003 1386178 0 Joanie 1 1386192 We spent a week in Iceland a few years ago and loved it -- except for the food. The country is beautiful, uncrowded and pristine in many areas, and, not surprisingly, the seafood and lamb are really wonderful. The problem is that the vegetables tend to be of the greenhouse-flavorless variety, and the preparations are often old-style continental. So, that immaculately fresh fish ends up breaded and coated with viscous white sauce, accompanied by sad, lifeless vegetables. The good news is that breakfasts are really good in the Scandinavian way: breads, sliced meats, and various forms of herring, plus jam and butter. Reykjavik has more and better dining options than the other places we visited; unfortunately I have no names to give you there or in Akureyri (second-largest city, in the north). We hoped to eat at the Paarl (Pearl) restaurant our last night in Reykjavik, but couldn't for some reason. The Paarl is a huge, luminous dome place on a hill overlooking the city. No idea whether the food is good, but it seemed like a cool place. Otherwise, Iceland really is a great place to visit. We rented a car and travelled from Reykjavik to Akureyri over several days, then flew back to Rekjavik to go home. The big peninsula (can't remember all those consonants in its name -- starts with Snae...) is beautiful, and you can visit the glacier there. We rode ponies on the beach, which was great fun. There are interesting geothermal sites all over too, where you can see mud and rocks doing strange things, and the Blue Lagoon is a real treat, even though it's probably the most touristy place in the country. Two more things, and then I'll shut up...the summer is very short there, and things outside Reykjavik are likely to be closed when few people are vacationing. We were there the first week in September, and it was not so easy to find hotels and restaurants that were open. Either make arrangements before you leave home or go in June, July or August. Finally, Iceland has wonderful literature that's fun to read while you're there. The sagas (_Egil's Saga_, _Njall's Saga_ and someone else's saga) are epic poems from the middle ages -- very evocative. I also enjoyed _Independent People_ by Halldor Laxness, which is about a sheep farmer in the early 20th century. Have a great time! Wed Feb 05 12:22:08 -0800 2003 1386178 0 Millicent 1 1386194 I disagree strongly with the person who had negative comments about the food in Iceland as well as the person who said it was only good for four days. I've been there three times --once for about 9 days-- and have had a great time every time. If you are going to get out of Reykjavik you definitely need more than 4 days. That said, Iceland is a place for people who like to be outside and if the outside scares you, you aren't going to have fun. I presume you are traveling on Icelandair to get there---their website has a lot of links to webpages with things to do in Iceland. Food-wise, I had some of the best meals ever in Iceland [Rey] but most of them were admittedly pretty pricey. Try to have one meal at the Hotel Holt--its packed with art and great food and the service was the best I have ever had bar none. Be daring in your restaurant dining--I tried a variety of game and found it all quite tasty and expertly prepared. Also, there is what appears to be a great list of restaurants and food places on the International Slow food website set-up by a local resident---I think the directory is the slow world guide or something like that. The list looks very good. Our family will have three days there in early June [my 4th trip]. We are planning to eat, go whale watching and try to hike around. Depending on when your trip is planned for, I would be happy to share our finds with you. Link: http://www.icelandair.com Wed Feb 05 14:20:37 -0800 2003 1386178 0 jenn 2 1386198 "I disagree strongly with the person who had negative comments about the food in Iceland as well as the person who said it was only good for four days." I said Reyk. was good for 4 days, not the whole country. I feel like it's a really small city that can be done very quickly. As far as traveling in the off season, I didn't notice many things closed the two times I've been there in March. Except the sex museum. Wed Feb 05 15:15:58 -0800 2003 1386194 0 Joanie 3 1386200 Didn't mean to offend--I was reading quickly. I still think that 4 days is pushing it if you arrive on day 1 and leave on afternoon of day 4 if you are going to try horseback riding or visit the geysir etc. As far as things being closed, hmmmm, I was there in November years ago and I have to say, the closed things became a joke between my friend and I. You'd look at a guest book and the last entry would be early October or late September. Lots of things were closed and the Icelandars seemed amazed to see a tourist in November. We got to the point where we introduced me as "the tourist for November." But it may be different now because I was there about 10 years ago. That said, the place was eiry [sp] pretty and I was glad to be there. The northern lights were fantastic. Id love to go back at that time of year but my spouse is a weather wimp---although it wasn't that cold. Wed Feb 05 16:11:57 -0800 2003 1386198 0 jenn 1 1386213 Tkanks to all for the imput, I know we shall enjoy it. Thu Feb 06 07:56:33 -0800 2003 1386178 0 BBK 2 1386296 Here is my advice for people traveling to Iceland: TAKE MONEY. Sun Feb 09 16:22:56 -0800 2003 1386213 0 N Tocus 1 1386965 Are you still looking for help on Iceland? I just got back 2 weeks ago. I've been 5 times now and love it. What type of info are you looking for - sightseeing, food, nightlife? We had excellent food at Apotek. It's pricey, but then again everything is. Amazingly fresh seafood and delicious lamb in a beautiful atmosphere. Tapas was a great fun place. It's a Spanish restaurant, but with some dishes with Icelandic influences, like lamb skewers with licorice sauce (sounds strange but was very good), lots of lobster dishes (not typically Spanish). For super cheap, try the Pylsur, Icelandic hotdogs. They are made out of lamb. The typical condiments are remoulade sauce, a special sweet-hot pylsur mustard, and fried onions (like the ones on top of a green bean caserole). Tveir Fiskar was recommended by several people but we didn't have time to try it, but it's supposed to be one of the best seafood restaurants. 101 Hotel also has a nice restaurant with fusion cooking - everything from Indian curries to roast fish. Tue Jun 03 17:03:41 -0700 2003 1386178 0 Agnes Gooch