Far-Flung Recessionary Special!
Blue Lagoon/101 Hotel
Reykjavík, Iceland
We know. Everyone hates Iceland and its unpronounceable volcano. But the island itself was basically unscathed, and with the ongoing currency crisis, it remains an awesome, otherworldy place to visit. Check in to the 101, Reykjavík's best boutique hotel, with an in-house gallery that attracts the best artists in Iceland. Once your bags are safely in your sleek Nordic room, head straight to the Blue Lagoon. The two of you will slip out of your clothes, brave the cold between the check-in lobby and the steamy water, and lather up in silica-rich mud while you soak under the northern lights. The hazy ephemeral lighting and the eerie billowing fog make your time together feel like a movie scene in which two people have just eloped to Mars. For maximum effect, go after dark (which is most of the time for most of the winter) and float in tandem to one of the secluded nooks and grottoes on the periphery of the pool. Look out at the horizon and forget you're still on Earth. —Andrew Richdale
