Food Controversy At Local Hospital
Hospital officials say that they are throwing a way a lot of uneaten food, most of it vegetables. A parliamentarian on the environmental committee believes this is due to a [&helli
You Read This Article Before It Was Cool
In the last issue of Grapevine, self-identified hipster Atli Bollason recounts in his article, “Confessions of a Hipster,” his discovery of hipsterdom and then defends hipsters
Múgsefjun: Múgsefjun
Complexity and experimentalism in rock and pop are to be enjoyed if done with the right level of panache and care (Can, Radiohead, Ariel Pink and Sparks, are the first […]
Preaching The Geothermal Gospel: A Trip To Hellisheiði
In Iceland you’re made aware of the earth under your feet pretty much everywhere you go. You sense that it is very much alive, continuously breathing, releasing energy. This is [
Truth Costs
A legal maelstrom that made its way all the way to the European Court of Human Rights erupted after journalists Björk Eiðsdóttir and Erla Hlynsdóttir were charged with defamati
Downtown Closed To Traffic For Culture Night
This year’s Culture Night – which starts this Saturday – will be held under the ambitious plan of closing off all of downtown to car traffic and making bus travel
Iceland Airwaves Sold Out
The Iceland Airwaves music festival has officially sold out. This year’s Airwaves – which will feature, among many other artists, Sigur Rós and Of Monsters And Men 
Unemployment At 4.4%
Total unemployment for the month of July in Iceland was recorded at 4.4%, according to data compiled by Statistics Iceland. The unemployment rate marks not just a seasonal decline
Government Not Breaking Up
Despite significant differences of opinion over the European Union, the parties which comprise the ruling coalition – the Social Democrats and the Leftist-Greens – do n
Man Arrested At Blue Lagoon With Marijuana
A man who brought marijuana to the Blue Lagoon was arrested, with a search turning up evidence of other crimes. RÚV reports that the suspect in question was at the […]
Four Medals in 104 Years
Since the Olympic Games were revived in 1896, Icelandic sportsmen have faced a lack of funds, lack of nationhood and general lack of population. Even so, we have managed four [&hel
Beached Whale In Westfjords
A beached whale has been spotted in the Westfjords, although it is uncertain at this time what kind of whale it is. Bæjarins bestu reports that ship captain Sigurður Hjartarson [
News In Brief: August Edition
Bad news if you plan to live in a retirement home in Iceland: the nursing home Hrafnista was denied an alcohol licence, which means that the facility cannot sell even […]
Two Step Horror: Bad Sides & Rejects
Really, if you call your album ‘Bad Sides & Rejects’ you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Or a snarky review or two. Out extends my leg for a metaphorical […]
So What’s This Icelandic Handball Team I Keep Hearing About?
Icelanders as a nation have never had very many great athletes, just as one would expect of a country of some three hundred thousand people. Sure, there have been a […]
All Is Weill With Sigríður Thorlacius
Café Rósenberg is to music what Bíó Paradís is to movies. It is somewhere the enthusiast can go to really enjoy his or her preferred art form, rather than have […]
Another Side Of The God Of Thunder
The Norse gods have certainly made their mark on popular culture. Just look at last year’s ‘Thor’ or this year’s ‘Avengers,’ where it takes a whole gang of superheroes
Sigur Rós Bring HEIMA To The World
My partner Zoë and I travelled to Iceland in the late spring and as appears to be the case with most visitors, we immediately fell in love with the country […]
Not This Year: Iceland’s Olympians
When Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was doorstepped by international reporters in London last week, he must have struggled to hide a wide smile of relief. For the first time in years, [&
Playing Dirty In Ísafjörður
Mýrarbolti (Mee-rar-bowl-ti) is the European championship in Swamp Football (or soccer). It has taken place in the small town of Ísafjörður in the Westfjords of Iceland since 2
Do You Own These Bunnies?
Capital area police are looking for information leading to the owners of the bunnies shown above. Posting on Facebook, the police say that the bunnies were all found at the [&helli