FREE COPY Hotel Örk - Tel: +354 483 4700 Hótel Örk Is a Country Hotel Located in Hveragerdi on the Golden Circle Route, Only 45 Km from Reykjavik
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Spring 2007 FREE COPY Hotel Örk www.hotel-ork.is - Tel: +354 483 4700 Hótel Örk is a country hotel located in Hveragerdi on the Golden Circle route, only 45 km from Reykjavik. Hveragerdi is a small village often called Iceland´s "Health village". Hotel Örk is a first class hotel with all the comforts and services you would expect to find in a city, but conveniently situated in an exciting natural environment. Take a dip in our outdoor swimming pool, which features a water slide, hot tubs and a geothermal sauna. page 2 page 3 Editor’s Comments Happy New Year 2007 to all our readers. OK, so, it’s a bit late, but it’s the thought that counts. On a more current note, welcome to all the Mid In This Issue Atlantic Travel Seminar participants from around the world. ( 8-11 Feb) Spring 2007 Well, I thought we were headed for yet another nearly snowless winter in a place called Iceland, where temperatures have been unseasonably warm Touched by almost since the last issue. Then on January 1st, into the deep freeze we an Angel went until we reached about –10 Celcius or +17°F...BRRRR!!! They said A Truly we were going to get a lot of snow on the 10th but that storm missed us. Grand Hotel Other extended “flurries” have not and we now have a total of 16 inches.. ALL WINTER so far. Lots of good stuff in this edition along with a very spe- Little Land of cial story called “Touched by an Angel” which I am sure you will like. I did, Enchantment but then again, I wrote it. Also check out the “Little Land of Enchantment”. ...and a truly frightening collec- Hey, nobody ever writes much about it, but it’s unique, it’s there and it’s tion of the regular stuff and other very interesting. So, like enjoy as this is the last issue until April. good stuff Bob Murray EXPLORER. Vol 10 No 1 Publisher: Íslandsvinir hf. Editor: Bob Murray; Iceland Explorer Magazine is published 4 times each Bæjarhraun 14, 220 Hafnarfjör›ur, Iceland. Design: 1, 2 og 3 ehf. www.12og3.is year and is distributed free of charge to visitors in Iceland. Tel: 510 9502. Fax: 565 5355. e-mail: [email protected] Iceland Explorer is at Visitor Centers, Hotels, The Explorer E-Mail: [email protected] Tel: 552 5625/896 3109 is also distributed to tour operators and subscribers in Editors E-mail: [email protected] Sales: Went fairly well the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Editor’s mobile phone: 868 1922 The Proof reader: Last seen surfing in Hawaii Germany and Japan and by the Icelandic Foreign Ministry Visit our website www.explorer.is Printed in Iceland by: Prentcó Hafnarfjor›ur to it´s offices worldwide. Iceland Explorer is also available Circulation: 8.000 copies. Lithos by: 1, 2 og 3 ehf. on-line and can be downloaded in it’s entirety. No reproduction in whole or in part is permitted without Cover Photo: Iceland in Full Bloom Views expressed are those of the writers and not the express written consent of the publisher, the editor, Cover Photos By: Just about Everyone necessarily those of any other agency or person. Iceland the mail room or the janitor. Other Photos: Magnus Oskarsson Explorer only accepts advertising it deems appropriate. Violators will be shot where it’ll hurt. Welcome to the Mid Atlantic Travel Seminar page 2 page 3 Mid-Winter / Early Spring – 2007 A closeup and personal look at all the little tidbits of Information that come to light by themselves or we bring out of the dark since our last issue JEEPS DON’T FLOAT: ...or so a couple of folks found out when they decided to wind their way up to and on the Vatnajokull Glacier, Iceland’s largest towards Grimsvatn (site of the volcano) Crossing a pond of sorts we’d have to say in the area close by (a short cut) the weight of the jeeps and the thickness of the ice were not a match made in heaven. Normally this time of year it would be, but when on the pond a resounding crack was heard round the area and the next thing were the jeeps in an icy cold car wash.....along with their drivers. OOOPS !! THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO THE NICE POLICEMAN: Sometimes you just got to wonder where people come up with the things they come up with. Seems that during the start of the “holidays,” Reykjavik police gave chase to a car traveling on one of the main roads at high speed. With bright blues and reds flashing the pursuers noted that the pursuee was not terribly interested in stopping, obviously being on a mission to get somewhere in a big hurry. He was finally stopped and pulled over by Reykjavik’s finest. When they basically asked “where’s the fire” the driver surprised even them with his reasoning and excuse. The driver said he was on his ROCKET SCIENCE: way to the liquor store and absolutely had to get there before it closed. Iceland apparently has joined the “Race to Space”...well at least two He didn’t make it. enterprising hobbyists have, and they got it right the very first try.. Their six foot rocket (with no name) left the launching pad in a small safe area of the Reykjanes (southwest peninsula) with style and class, soared to a height of just over 3,600 feet in 15 seconds and slowly floated to earth again attached to a parachute which deployed on command at the end of the launch. ATM TO GO: ?? It’s not the first time it’s been tried somewhere in the world, but it is a first time for Iceland. Here however, it was a bit different. Now we can’t be sure whether two would be thieves were trying to unsuccessfully withdraw money from this particular ATM or not in downtown Reykjavik, but at some point they decided to take the entire 660 pound machine. It’s not that they didn’t have proper tools for the job, they did not have SUGARCUBES MELT THE ICE IN ANY tools for the job. Still, they managed somehow to get it rolling to COMEBACK CONCERT: the front door of the bank from its location. It was there the bank’s After being essentially “on ice” for many years as a collective group, alarm went off, so they fled. That was probably the most intelligent part the Sugarcubes complete with Bjork, the first Icelandic band to gain of the attempt. However, without any tools at all for the job, why must world attention, melted the ice on Friday night November 17th with a we believe their fingerprints are all over their attempted handiwork. Oh, complete reunion, one-time only concert. The audience, which ran the there is also one other minor problem they might have, very soon. The spectrum from young to old and punk to classic soon was in tune with bank’s security camera videotaped the entire proceeding. Gives a whole the six member band in perfect harmony. Needless to say, a great time new meaning to the word moron doesn’t it? was had by all. page 4 page 5 WANTED: ANOTHER FOOD FIGHT: So, the “survey” results are in and they have found that the prices of food in Iceland are an average of 62% higher here than in the European Union countries. OUCH !! What I do know from experience is that the food prices in places like Bonus or Kronan even Netto many times (lim- ited hours of operation) seem to be closer to reasonable more often than not with loss leaders sometimes making a trip to them more of a must than not. Then there are the others, who, when not having specials for this or that range from very high to outrageous to rediculos. In the grand scheme of things, being open until nine or midnight or 24-hours costs big time if you don’t shop before 7PM. I harken back nearly two years HORSE SPA: for the GREAT FOOD FIGHT of 2005 when milk on one day was actuallyt It was just a matter of time. It had to happen, and it has. Horses in FREE and Apples and many other fruits were less than TWO Kronur a training, the rugged and graceful Icelandic horse that is, now have their pound...( like 3 cents ) Bread got to like 12 Kronur a loaf (15 cents ) and own SPA of sorts to go to when being trained. you could fill a shopping cart for less than 1,000 kronur ($14.00 ). It was This is at the farm, Asakot in southern Iceland. Almost on the heels two glorious weeks and 10 more pounds of this announcement, another horse pool has now been opened in Reykjavik. Swimming and training horses in rivers and oceans is a 4000 year old method used by the Romans. The Spa concept is new. This allows the horses to train and gain strength without straining any muscles and works beautifully. At any rate, after their training “swim” these horses at the farm Asakot, can relax under a warming lamp...no kidding. WHAT’S THIS WHITE STUFF ?? WHERE’S MORE WHITE STUFF ?? After a glorious early winter day, albiet cold, on Saturday, November 30 ROCK, COMES TO REYKJAVIK: 18th, a mostly clear sky and the promise of a fascinating display of the In what can ONLY be seen as GENIUS, a local insurance company Northern Lights that evening, the late afternoon forecast called for a built and sponsored a skating rink right in the middle of what is known change to light snow or flurries that evening as the clouds rolled in.