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Adventurous night owl Olivia May heads for Iceland
Geysers, thunderous waterfalls & boiling mud pools
By: Olivia May
We wanted to meet, he from New York, me from London. We decided on Iceland. Many head straight for Reykjavik’s trendy nightlife but we also wanted to venture to remote regions, to explore such amazing natural phenomena as geysers, thunderous waterfalls, boiling mud pools and moss-covered lava fields.
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We based ourselves at the 55-room Hotel Borg, close to main shopping (my favorite suite, in the tower, a flagpoled terrace overlooking the main square, Austurvöllur).
First, some sightseeing, with Luxury Adventure guide Simmi. We did the Langjödull Glacier, climbing to the summit with ice-picks and crampons, and then abseiled back down. We saw dramatic, vast caves shorn from the side of the glacier by the biting southerly winds, where the snow is smooth and there are no footprints. At Pingvellir National Park we saw the site of the Althing, the oldest democratic parliament in the world.
Back in Reykjavik for dinner at Sjàvarkjallarinn (The Seafood Cellar), where chef Gunnar Jónasson's taster menu included lobster with lychee and pepperdew chili and reindeer with pomegranates. Then it was time for the nightlife, which only gets going after other cities begin to wind down. Among the hottest places in town at the moment is the bar at 101 Hotel. Edgy contemporary design, with bulbous curved walls and dramatic lighting, is offset by interesting rotating displays of contemporary Icelandic art. You perch on stools along the high, long white bar that stretches the length of the room.
Before leaving the following day, of course we headed for the famous Blue Lagoon, near the airport. We soaked in the milky turquoise geothermal waters, which maintain a constant 36-39 degrees centigrade, and rubbed ourselves in the cleansing white silica mud. This all had a wonderful restorative effect, especially after our late night.
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Olivia May, an inveterate traveler, has taken six months' leave from her
London-based consulting job to explore the Middle East, Bhutan, Cambodia and India. livmay.smugmug.com
Mary Gostelow says:
The 50-room Hotel Borg was built by US wrestling champion Johannes Josepasson in the 1930s. The two Tower Suites are always cited as the best but can be a bit noisy if there is a festival outside - check before you go.
www.hotelborg.is
Hotel 101, a Design Hotel named for the city's former postcode, is a
conversion of the Social Democratic Party headquarters. It has 38 rooms, decorated by its owner, Parsons School of Design graduate Ingibjorg Palmadottir. Top floor rooms have best views over park and water.
www.101hotel.is
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