This undated photo released by the Icelandic Tourist Board shows an aerial view of the Namafjall geothermal area near Lake Màvatn in Iceland. (AP Photo/Dieter Schwarzer)
(AP)
On our last day, we shook off the cobwebs of a late night out for a trip to a farm and a ride on Icelandic horses. The beautiful creatures are unique to Iceland, about the size of a hefty pony. Our driver said they are as revered in Iceland as the cow is in India. But only to a point.
"We love our horses," he said. "But we eat them, too."
And more often, lately: sales of horse meat — cheaper than beef — have been rising with the bad economy.
The horses were mild-mannered, easy even for beginners. At the end, their saddles removed and the day's work done, the horses ran off to play in a meadow, rolling around in mud.
Our only disappointment was a failure to see the aurora borealis, the so-called Northern Lights. The weather was changeable during our brief trip, never consistently clear enough for our drivers to say it would be worth a ride into the countryside.
Even though the name Iceland sends shivers, we were told Reykjavik in December felt much like it did in New York at the same time, and that proved to be true. It has an intoxicating beauty — just like its intoxicating nightlife — and for a U.S. resident is as easy as the trip from one coast to the next.
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If You Go...
ICELAND: Icelandair frequently runs package deals including round-trip airfare and hotel at http://www.icelandair.us. Other tourism information available at http://www.goiceland.org.
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