Twenty minutes and a free movie rental was all it took to cure me of a disorder that had kept me on shore for 30 years.
In Nassau, our little cupcake of a boat is docked between two hulking Hyatt Regency-esque boats. They are huge, glass-topped megaworlds with disco lights and casino bells. “Once people sail with us they never go back,” one of our crew members says while we lean over the railing and stare. It seems to be true. All the passengers have cruised on the big guns but swear that the SeaDream has changed them forever. I have become so attached to the boat that I can barely make myself do the most perfunctory loop around Nassau, where the worst of New Orleans meets the worst of Disneyland. The point of cruising is not where you’re going anyway. The point is simply the ride, the sun setting at the end of every hallway.
After dinner that night, a truly perfect Dover sole meunière, the people we’ve gotten to know head off to the bar to drink and dance. I realize that’s where they’ve been going night after night. It occurs to me that there are two kinds of people in this world; those who follow dinner with tropical drinks and the conversation of strangers, and those who rush back to their stateroom to see what animal their bath towel has been folded into. I know for certain that I am among the latter, for it is with real joy that I discover the folded-up rabbit on my bed.
An Iceland Itinerary
Where to Stay
Reykjavik’s Hotel Holt, just minutes from the town center, is also home to Iceland’s largest private art collection, with paintings by Johannes S. Kjarval, one of the country’s best known artists. Its Gallery restaurant serves excellent seafood. (Bergstadastraeti 37; 011-354-552-5700; holt.is; from $300) Rooms at the Nordica Hotel have panoramas of beautiful Faxafloi Bay. (Sudurlandsbraut 2; 011-354-505-0910; icehotel.is; from $219) The modern Radisson SAS Saga Hotel is owned by the Icelandic Farmers Association. Its top-floor Grill restaurant, which has a wonderful view of the city, serves great locally grown food. (Vid Hagatorg; 011-354-525-9900; radissonsas.com; from $295)
Where to Eat
Like New York, Reykjavik is a city that believes a restaurant can change your life. The chefs here are young and energetic, and they make the most of the island’s incomparable produce. Try the salt cod with butter-glazed onions at Siggi Hall, a sleek spot in a venerable inn (Hotel Odinsve, Thorsgata 1; 511-6677); traditional Icelandic dishes in an elegant setting at Einar Ben (Veltusund 1; 511-5090); or a lunch of open-face sandwiches with traditional cheeses, smoked meats, and fish at Jomfruin (Laekjargata 4; 551-0100). Humarhusid (“Lobster House”) serves Icelandic lamb; sashimi, including whale; small, sweet Iceland lobsters; and great cream of lobster soup. (Atmannstigur 1; 561-3303) For a lamb dinner—baked or grilled—at Fjallakrain, a guesthouse and pub across the valley from Saudarkrokur (Road 76; 453-6956), call ahead and ask them to prepare a meal for a particular day and time. In the south coast fishing village of Stokkseyri, don’t miss Vid Fjorubordid (Eyrarbraut 3a; 483-1550), a restaurant serving only lamb and lobster. Ask for directions when you call.
Riding, Reading, Relaxing
For information on how to take an Icelandic horse-riding trek, contact Holly Nelson or Brad Vogel at Horses North/Iceland Adventure (888-686-6784; icelandadventure.com; horsesnorth.com). For essential background, read The Sagas of Icelanders; Njal’s Saga; Independent People, by Nobel laureate Halldor Laxness; and Letters from Iceland, by W.H. Auden and Louis MacNeice. And for a spot of sybaritic bathing, try Reykjavik’s largest natural hot springs pool at Laugardal (Sundlaugavegur; 553-4039); Hveravellir, in a beautiful wilderness area (Kjalvegur; hveravellir.is); or Blue Lagoon, just 15 kilometers from the airport (240 Grindavik; 420-8800).
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