ICE, ICE
BABY!
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We are Michele and Kristen, the Static Nomads. Before we met, we hiked the steppes of Mongolia, wondered at the silence in the heart of a pyramid, kissed the Blarney Stone, performed in in the reverent hush Notre Dome, and braved shark filled seas …saw the world! Now we are neighbors in a beautiful small town in southern Virginia. We still love to dream up the trips, though, even if we don’t always get to go. Join us on escapes both real and imaginary. Share your ideas and plans, and if you’ve actually been to the place, give us the low-down!
Recently, we realized, quite by accident, that we have both been thinking of how fun it would be to visit Iceland during spring break. Why on earth would you visit a country named ICEland during the winter months? One, it's the off-season, so everything is discounted. Two, many of the activities in Iceland are best seen and experienced in the winter months, so bundle up buttercups! We're going to Iceland!
HOW
TO GET THERE
WHERE TO STAY
We are making Reykjavik our home base. It has great food, great museums and everything we want to do is an easy day trip.
Reykjavik Residence Hotel
Kristen: This apartment hotel is in the heart of Reykjavik and has rooms that range from studio to three bedroom apartments with all accommodations having fully equipped kitchenettes. The rooms look clean, comfortable, and are furnished in the minimal Scandinavian style. I love it! If I'm going to splurge on accommodations, this is where I would stay. Having my own kitchenette and a 24 grocery store only minutes away may ease my guilt of spending on the accommodations if it means saving some money by cooking some of my own meals.
Michele: I can see your point that some travelers love to prepare their own meals. But there is no way I am going any where near a kitchen while on vacation.
The Marina Icelander Hotel
Michele: This place quirky, fun and near tons of shopping. It is just a stones throw from the harbor. It has a cinema room and a gym with a climbing wall. It has a variety of rom sizes. It even has suites that can accommodate 6 people, perfect for a family. The style is very Icelandic; I love the atmosphere, but perhaps a bit pricey. I recommend this place.
KEXHostel
Michele: It is a great hostel and price starts at less than $50 a person in the winter months. Don’t worry they have a variety of rooms. They also have free wireless, a heated outdoor patio, and attached is a great café with communal tables that serves hot biscuits, fresh baked bread and Icelandic jams (Kex is Icelandic for biscuits, I am rocking the language already!)
Kristen: I love staying at hostels! They are a great way to save some money and this hostel looks clean and inviting. A bonus to staying here is eating at the inexpensive in-house cafe will help me save up for the multiple trips I'm planning on taking to the tapas restaurant!
We are making Reykjavik our home base. It has great food, great museums and everything we want to do is an easy day trip.
Reykjavik Residence Hotel
Kristen: This apartment hotel is in the heart of Reykjavik and has rooms that range from studio to three bedroom apartments with all accommodations having fully equipped kitchenettes. The rooms look clean, comfortable, and are furnished in the minimal Scandinavian style. I love it! If I'm going to splurge on accommodations, this is where I would stay. Having my own kitchenette and a 24 grocery store only minutes away may ease my guilt of spending on the accommodations if it means saving some money by cooking some of my own meals.
Michele: I can see your point that some travelers love to prepare their own meals. But there is no way I am going any where near a kitchen while on vacation.
The Marina Icelander Hotel
Michele: This place quirky, fun and near tons of shopping. It is just a stones throw from the harbor. It has a cinema room and a gym with a climbing wall. It has a variety of rom sizes. It even has suites that can accommodate 6 people, perfect for a family. The style is very Icelandic; I love the atmosphere, but perhaps a bit pricey. I recommend this place.
KEXHostel
Michele: It is a great hostel and price starts at less than $50 a person in the winter months. Don’t worry they have a variety of rooms. They also have free wireless, a heated outdoor patio, and attached is a great café with communal tables that serves hot biscuits, fresh baked bread and Icelandic jams (Kex is Icelandic for biscuits, I am rocking the language already!)
Kristen: I love staying at hostels! They are a great way to save some money and this hostel looks clean and inviting. A bonus to staying here is eating at the inexpensive in-house cafe will help me save up for the multiple trips I'm planning on taking to the tapas restaurant!
WHERE TO EAT
There are TONS of amazing places to eat in Reykjavik. It is definitely a food adventurers dream, with everything from grilled Puffin to fermented shark. The list is endless but we’ve cherry picked a few.
Tapas Barinn
Michele: Spanish tapas, but more important Icelandic tapas! It’s a great way to sample a variety of Icelandic food.
Kristen: That Icelandic Gourmet Feast! Today's exchange rate puts that meal at just under $54 and even my cheap cheap self thinks that sounds 100 percent worth it! I want that right now, puffin and all!
Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Michele: The unofficial national food of Iceland is the hotdog, who knew? It is made from lamb and served with fried onions and gravy. It is THE ultimate street food. Baejarins Beztu Pylsur is the probably the most famous hot dog stand in Iceland!
Kristen: The 62nd ranked restaurant out of the 332 restaurants in Iceland is a hot dog stand that looks like it's right out of a traveling carnival! I love that a selling point is that Bill Clinton has eaten one of their hot dogs. What do you think of the pickle relish and mayo sauce? I bet it's one of those things that taste better than it sounds. Jan-Erik (my husband) said he likes Swedish hot dogs and is convinced the Icelandic dogs must taste the same. He is so convinced that he's right that I say we hop on an airplane, go to Iceland, and prove him wrong!
Hradlesstin(India Express)
Michele: I LOVE this place so much! Indian street food served with Bollywood décor in the heart of Reykjavík. Pure heaven. Indian food is one of my favorite things to eat when traveling; it is my international comfort food!
Kristen: Indian food in Iceland… I love it!
There are TONS of amazing places to eat in Reykjavik. It is definitely a food adventurers dream, with everything from grilled Puffin to fermented shark. The list is endless but we’ve cherry picked a few.
Tapas Barinn
Michele: Spanish tapas, but more important Icelandic tapas! It’s a great way to sample a variety of Icelandic food.
Kristen: That Icelandic Gourmet Feast! Today's exchange rate puts that meal at just under $54 and even my cheap cheap self thinks that sounds 100 percent worth it! I want that right now, puffin and all!
Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Michele: The unofficial national food of Iceland is the hotdog, who knew? It is made from lamb and served with fried onions and gravy. It is THE ultimate street food. Baejarins Beztu Pylsur is the probably the most famous hot dog stand in Iceland!
Kristen: The 62nd ranked restaurant out of the 332 restaurants in Iceland is a hot dog stand that looks like it's right out of a traveling carnival! I love that a selling point is that Bill Clinton has eaten one of their hot dogs. What do you think of the pickle relish and mayo sauce? I bet it's one of those things that taste better than it sounds. Jan-Erik (my husband) said he likes Swedish hot dogs and is convinced the Icelandic dogs must taste the same. He is so convinced that he's right that I say we hop on an airplane, go to Iceland, and prove him wrong!
Hradlesstin(India Express)
Michele: I LOVE this place so much! Indian street food served with Bollywood décor in the heart of Reykjavík. Pure heaven. Indian food is one of my favorite things to eat when traveling; it is my international comfort food!
Kristen: Indian food in Iceland… I love it!
THINGS TO DO
Northern Lights Tour
Kristen: From mid-September to mid-April, this is the "must do" activity for Iceland. The trick is that the best time to see the lights is on a cold clear night and that is not guaranteed to happen during your visit. If you are planning on taking a bus tour to chase the Northern Lights, make sure it is with a company that will reschedule if you do not see any lights and be willing to give a refund if you are unsuccessful by the time your trip is over. Although the Aurora Borealis better seen away from the city lights, many hotels also have a Northern Lights call service. You let the front desk know you are interested in seeing the lights and they will call your room when they appear. Sometimes the lights only last for a few minutes, so be ready with that coat once they do call!
Michele: There is a reason they call it a Northern Lights Safari. Be prepared that the lights may not come on! For me the unknown is all part of the adventure.
Geothermal Bathing
Kristen: After a night of chasing the Northern Lights in the bitter cold, soaking in a geothermal pool sounds like the best way to spend a day in Iceland! One of the most popular spots is the Blue Lagoon Spa. Silica mud masks, steam rooms, and soaking in beautiful blue waters? I can feel myself relaxing just thinking about it. Since it is close to the Keflavik International Airport, this may be a great idea for a first destination in Iceland but not the last thing you do before going home. We are told you leave feeling quite sticky.
Michele: What a great final activity, I would rush to the plane with my hair still wet from the pools, even though I would be sticky!
Whale Watching
Kristen: This isn't the only whale watching company out there, but I do like that they have a whale diary on their website so you can see your chances of spotting a whale during the time you plan on visiting and they provide you with warm overalls during the tour to stave off the bitter cold sea air. That's good news for me since I'm a winter wimp, but I'd love to see some whales!
Michele: They offer whale watching at midnight makes going in summer very appealing. I think I am going to have to go in the winter and summer.
Artic Surfers
Michele: For those of you who ignore our advice and head to Iceland in the summer I suggest you try a Surf/snowboarding tour. Who wouldn’t love to say they surfed Iceland?! They have a variety of tours year round and all sound amazing. If you go PLEASE send us a t-shirt!
Kristen: I want to be the person that can pull this off, but there's nature AND camping involved and that's just not happening. How cool would this be though? I can see taking Jan-Erik on a day trip and watching him from the beach. He would go nuts for this!
ÍSLENSKI HESTURINN –The Icelandic Horse
Michele: They offer horseback riding year round! A tour company that provides all the gear needed for a warm winter ride.
Kristen: Once again...nature! I also need to tell you about my sixth grade horseback experience sometime (it didn't end well). This would be the one thing that would get me back in the saddle again, especially if they give gear to keep you warm.
Kristen: From mid-September to mid-April, this is the "must do" activity for Iceland. The trick is that the best time to see the lights is on a cold clear night and that is not guaranteed to happen during your visit. If you are planning on taking a bus tour to chase the Northern Lights, make sure it is with a company that will reschedule if you do not see any lights and be willing to give a refund if you are unsuccessful by the time your trip is over. Although the Aurora Borealis better seen away from the city lights, many hotels also have a Northern Lights call service. You let the front desk know you are interested in seeing the lights and they will call your room when they appear. Sometimes the lights only last for a few minutes, so be ready with that coat once they do call!
Michele: There is a reason they call it a Northern Lights Safari. Be prepared that the lights may not come on! For me the unknown is all part of the adventure.
Geothermal Bathing
Michele: What a great final activity, I would rush to the plane with my hair still wet from the pools, even though I would be sticky!
Whale Watching
Kristen: This isn't the only whale watching company out there, but I do like that they have a whale diary on their website so you can see your chances of spotting a whale during the time you plan on visiting and they provide you with warm overalls during the tour to stave off the bitter cold sea air. That's good news for me since I'm a winter wimp, but I'd love to see some whales!
Michele: They offer whale watching at midnight makes going in summer very appealing. I think I am going to have to go in the winter and summer.
Artic Surfers
Michele: For those of you who ignore our advice and head to Iceland in the summer I suggest you try a Surf/snowboarding tour. Who wouldn’t love to say they surfed Iceland?! They have a variety of tours year round and all sound amazing. If you go PLEASE send us a t-shirt!
Kristen: I want to be the person that can pull this off, but there's nature AND camping involved and that's just not happening. How cool would this be though? I can see taking Jan-Erik on a day trip and watching him from the beach. He would go nuts for this!
ÍSLENSKI HESTURINN –The Icelandic Horse
Kristen: Once again...nature! I also need to tell you about my sixth grade horseback experience sometime (it didn't end well). This would be the one thing that would get me back in the saddle again, especially if they give gear to keep you warm.
We knew that Iceland had the northern lights to entice a winter traveller but now we find there is so much more this destination has to offer. From whale watching to horseback riding to munching Icelandic hotdogs we have decided to invest in good parkas and head to Iceland as fast we can!
What a fun blog! I am totally ready to book my trip to Iceland!
ReplyDeleteEach title is a song reference! Awesome!
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