We came here from the Dallas area to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. It took two flights, one train, and 5+ hours in a rented SUV, and it was worth every minute it took to get here. Walking through the door that first day, my husband shouted, "Holy shmoly, this is great!" It really was.

There were no real surprises arriving at Nollur Farm. The place is as advertised -- breathtaking views of the fjord and mountains, impeccable decor, spacious rooms, high-quality appliances. The location is perfect -- twenty minutes from Iceland's second-largest city (Akureyri is lovely), perched near the head of Eyjafjord, just far enough from the lights to get a really good showing of the Aurora Borealis (twice!). Nollur is within easy driving distance of numerous interesting places. My husband, a geologist by training, was in heaven. And the fact that we were in the off season made it even better -- no fighting for a good view with other tourists, etc.

But our main objective coming here was to get away from it all -- the people, the heat, the traffic, the noise. We accomplished all of that and more. The dramatic beauty of this place, the utter silence, the solitude left us rested and wanting more. We travel a lot. I can't remember ever being this completely satisfied with a holiday, and it all started with this incredible rental. We'll be back in the next year, the only uncertainty is whether or not to bring the kids!