Iceland is not exactly a cheap country, but Keflavik airport provides one of the best airport shopping experiences in the world.
There are two duty-free shops in the airport: one upon arrival and one before departure. The shops carry a wide variety of goods, from liquorice flavored chocolates to birch liqueurs… Continue reading “Shopping at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland”
Iceland Naturally is a co-op based in New York that promotes tourism, products and the culture of Iceland to North America. As part of their campaign, Taste of Iceland dinners are hosted once a year in several North American cities. The schedule in 2015 includes Edmonton, Canada in April; Denver in September; Seattle in October; and Toronto, Canada in upcoming November.
Taste of Iceland landed in Seattle in 2012. Since then, it has occurred every year around the first weekend of October. Visiting chefs change from year to year, and bring with them, local ingredients unique to their country:
2012: Hákon Már Örvarsson Bocuse d’Or recipient and World Culinary Cup winner
2013: Þráinn Freyr Vigfússon Co-chef of Lava Restaurant in Blue Lagoon
2014: Viktor Örn Andrésson Nordic chef of the year 2013, co-chef of Lava Restaurant in Blue Lagoon
Tom Douglas‘ Dahlia Lounge has been hosting Taste of Iceland dinners since 2013. This year we are honored to meet chef Ylfa Helgadóttir, chef de cuisine and owner of Kopar restaurant in Reykjavik. Continue reading “Taste of Iceland”
Four years ago I took a much needed vacation to Iceland. it was just a quick get away, labor day weekend plus two days. But it was one of the most relaxing and satisfying trips I’ve taken.
Iceland is perfect for short trips. For one thing, it is close to the United States, 5 hour flight time from New York and merely 7 hours from the West Coast. Secondly, it is a land blessed with many natural beauties: glaciers, volcanoes, hot springs and countless waterfalls, not to mention aurora borealis sightings most time of the year.
Unlike other bigger European countries such as Italy, France or Germany, Iceland provides just enough sights and activities to keep you busy without feeling overwhelmed. During my short trip, I soaked up the healing powers of the Blue Lagoon on the first day; Visited Gollfoss, the golden circle, and rode snow mobile on a glacier the second day; Treked one of Europe’s largest glaciers on the third day before hopping on a boat at this photogenic glacier lagoon; And on the fourth day I took a hike in Thórsmörk and checked out the volcano ashes of the Eyjafjallajökulll eruption in 2010.
I have also had some amazing meals in Iceland with fresh local ingredients, including local seabirds/waterfowls, wild berries, foraged mushrooms and the Icelandic lamb. Continue reading “Icelandic Lamb”
Travel-Gourmand.com 