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Duty FreeUp to 50% off City Prices in the Arrivals Duty Free StoreFrequent flyers know the ropes. They getthrough Passport Control and Customsand head to the Duty Free stores. They needto think—are they entitled or not? Then, ladenwith bags, they struggle to the plane, shovingtheir precious cargo into already-overstuffedoverhead lockers. At the end of their flight,they lug the same bags down miles ofwalkways, stairs and escalators, before pickingup their luggage and struggling to the taxis,coaches or trains, hoping they don’t drop orbreak the bottles on the way.Iceland - a Different WayThe Vikings do things differently. At theInternational Airport at Keflavik, you will finda rare opportunity: a Duty Free Store in theArrivals section, right at the luggage pick-uppoint, where there are trolleys available. Merefeet from the luggage carousels, passengerscan do their shopping at huge discountscompared to city prices, especially on wines,spirits and tobacco products. Before theirluggage arrives, they can have their shoppingdone and save a lot of money.Don’t lug it with you - get it hereOpened in 1970, the Arrivals Duty FreeShop was an immediate success. In theairport expansion in 2008, it was expandedto accommodate a much larger range ofinternational and Icelandic brands. Theexpansion provided the opportunity to offera very good selection of products - often farbetter than other airports and even downtown.Today, it has the largest range of wines,spirits and beers in the country—larger, even,than many other countries’ airports—and itincludes the international award-winningEgils Gull. Cosmetics, confectionery, tobaccoproducts, toys and electronic products—including DVD titles are all availableat discounted prices, so it is an idealopportunity to take advantage of the lowerprices before starting your visit. Here youwill find all the top brands at knock-downprices. Think of it as a holiday discount!Icelanders don’t mind which countryyou’re coming from or going to: the DutyFree discount applies equally to all. Youdon’t need to worry about buying Icelandiccurrency first - all major cards are accepted.Go Home well stockedOf course, most of the things you buy in theArrivals Duty Free will probably be finished bythe end of your visit and you will be lookingfor something special to remember your tripand for gifts to loved ones and children.There is also a large Duty Free Store inthe Departure Lounge. Duty Free fashionclothing by Burberry and Boss and a specialrange of clothing by Icelandic designers,such as Kronn are on sale. In addition, thereis a special store for those uniquely Icelandicitems that make perfect gifts and souvenirsthat is worth paying a visit.Unlike most other modern airports,the walk to the plane is short and trolleyscan carry the load almost to the planes.Passengers from non-Schengen countriesdo not even have to walk to the DepartureLounge as there is a shop close to theirplanes with the same products and prices.–asfDuty FreeSail with CharcotSee what life was like on the polar pioneer’s ship in SandgerðiJean-Baptiste Charcot was born in 1867.He took an old soapbox when he was 3years old, scrawled “Pourquoi Pas?” on itsside and set sail—in the garden pool! Itsank, leaving him wet but undaunted!French society was too superficial forhim. In 1892, aged 25, he bought his firstship and sailed north to the Shetlands,Hebrides, Faroes and Iceland.His father died the following year, leavinghim a large inheritance, allowing him toleave medicine behind for a life of scientificinvestigation and sea-faring adventure.On his first trip to the Antactic, he chartedmore than 600 miles of new Antarctic coastlineand islands. Another, equally successfulexpedition followed. Scott of the Antarcticnicknamed him, ‘The Gentleman of the Pole’.After the 1st World War, he led expeditionsto the Færoe Islands, Jan Mayen Island,Iceland and Greenland. The ‘Pourquoi Pas?’was a scientific research vessel with a libraryand three laboratories on board.The ship stopped often in Iceland, whereCharcot made many friends, includingthe eminent Icelandic naturalist, BjarniSæmundsson. When the ‘Pourquoi Pas?’ putinto Reykjavik to repair its boiler, they hada meeting that was to prove to be their last.Disaster in the BayThe ship set sail on the 16 th September, 1936,heading for France, when a sudden, veryviolent storm drove them off course, acrossthe Faxafloi Bay onto the rocks. Of the crewof over 40 souls, only one survived. Thenews shocked all Iceland and a memorialservice was held in Reykjavik for them.You can get an idea of what it was likeon the ‘Pourquoi Pas?’ 1982-2012 at the SuðurnesUniversity Research Centre in Sandgerði,where part of the ship has been reconstructedwith many items from both the ship andCharcot’s personal belongings on display.This is a dramatic display that reallygives a clear impression of life on boardthe ship and is well worth a visit to thecentre, close to the harbour.Sandgerðisbær–asfMiðnestorg 3 • 245 Sandgerði+354 420 7555sandgerdi@sandgerdi.iswww.sandgerdi.isKeflavík airport • 235 Reykjanesbæ+354 425 0410dutyfree@dutyfree.iswww.dutyfree.is48 www.icelandictimes.com www.icelandictimes.com 49