Iceland

Who would have thought of Iceland as a quick February getaway? Can you imagine going with forty of your best friends for a weekend in “the land of fire and ice”? Two of my friends, Otho and Greg, twin brothers, did just this to celebrate their fiftieth birthday. The brothers and their guests all traveled on short nonstop night flights from New York and Boston—so easy!—leaving Thursday night, arriving Friday morning, and leaving Sunday afternoon after a two and a half days of exploring and celebrating.

On Saturday, the party took a day long bus tour over the island—learning on the way that “Geysir” is the grand hot spring from which our term “geyser” is derived. The guests had ample opportunity to walk and explore the dramatic fields—calling them dramatic is a gross understatement! Iceland's climate is kept surprisingly temperate, thanks to the Gulf Stream currents, so walking and even swimming are easy! Volcanic crater lakes and lava fields give way to glaciers. Natural geothermal spas beg for a skinny dip!

Summer may be the best time to visit Iceland , but this February holiday was spectacular. The sun rose late and set early—the opposite to what the guests did! Iceland is also known for its food. The excellent tour operator knew where to prearrange wonderful dinners for the group. There are also lots of local pub meals that can turn into all night affairs.

The last day they stopped at the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport. The blue color of the lagoon is caused by the reflection of sunlight from very small silica molecules in the geothermal seawater. Blue Lagoon algae are the Lagoon’s most distinctive organism. Iceland's long summer days are the algae’s peak growing conditions. New scientific studies show that both the Blue Lagoon silica and algae have effective properties against skin aging!

Greg and Otho certainly proved that Iceland is a wonderful all-year destination! For more of their pictures of Iceland, click here!