Two Meanings for Viking
The idea didn’t sound promising: someone at Vífilfell Brewery—the people who make Coca-Cola, Viking Beer, Thule, even the Icelandic version of Tuborg, invited the Grapevine to
The Most Complete Laugavegur Store Review Ever
{Red Green}A Sporty lifestyle wear for both sexes from the Danish Red Green label. Scandinavian influences are apparent with wool coats, sweaters and shirts dominating. Laugavegur
The Neighbourhood Mall
As much as many of us have been conditioned to loathe anything to do with large, characterless malls located far from historic city centres, to see them as community destroyers, [&
HAMBORGARABÚLLAN
They say the best indicator of a restaurant’s quality is not the way the place looks but the number of locals you’ll find dining inside. Hamborgarabúllan (“the hamburger joi
CULIACAN
Welcome to Mexican Cuisine 101. Today’s lesson: How to Make Authentic Mexican Cooking Popular in Iceland. Case Study: Culiacan restaurant, situated in the strip-mall wastelands o
VIÐ TJÖRNINA
ATTENTION TOURISTS! Are you looking for an authentic Icelandic dining experience? Then Við Tjörnina is just the place for you. It’s how you would imagine the genuine thing; ign
Hótel Borg
The classy atmosphere was well-suited to those on a romantic dinner. There was a fresh rose on each table, intimate lighting, and Nina Simone crooning in the background. There was
Salt
Described as “chic, upscale and casual” on its website, the hotel restaurant, Salt, actually is. Each table is decorated with a small porcelain bowl with pink, white and black
Thorvaldsen
For regulars to Thorvaldsen in the evenings, it’s hard to shake the idea that you’re paying what seems like a lot to dine in a nightclub. Thorvaldsen deserves to be […]
The Legislation Behind Iceland’s Baby Culture
Portions of the rules and regulations for Child Welfare Payments in 2005, from the Director of the Internal Revenue: Child welfare payments are paid for children up to 16 years [&h
Protecting the Parents:
According to World Health Organisation statistics from 2002, the average number of live births per 1000 in Scandinavia, among women aged 15 to 19, is 10.4. In Iceland, it’s 19. [
Imagine You Didn’t Have to Buy Moon Boots
It is late November as I write this, and the season of “What do you want?” has just begun-it will last in Iceland until about 3 am on December 24th. […]
Political Philosophy 101
Recently, I had the pleasant opportunity to study the Ethical Guidelines for Icelandic ournalists. Generally, ethical guidelines (also referred to as codes of conduct) are a set of
Inconsistent, Antisocial, and the Only Talk Show Host Worth His Salt
Egill Helgason started out as a cultural affairs journalist for the Progressive Party newspaper Tíminn in 1981. Since then, he’s worked in numerous media, both in print and on t
To the Furthest Extent of the Law
On 10 October of this year, Phu Tién Nguyén was sentenced in Reykjanes District Court to 16 years in prison and fined 12 million ISK (about 200,000 USD) on the […]
Far From Santa Claus,
Grýla and Leppalúði are the parents of the Yuletide Lads, and their pet is the Christmas Cat. Children feared all these characters in times past. On December 12 the Yuletide [&h
Pay No Attention to That Plane on the Tarmac
It’s not often that Iceland gets to play with the big boys. We only ever seem to draw international attention when whale hunting season begins, but whaling will soon be […
The Rape of the Prime Minister
Imagine a quiet evening in December. Imagine Halldór Ásgrímsson, prime minister, lighting a candle with his family after dinner. Imagine his family members decorating the house.