Unemployment Near 4% Mark
Unemployment in Iceland for the month of November was measured at 4.4%, continuing a trend that is seeing more Icelanders returning to work. While many Icelanders still find themse
“The Deep” Receiving More Accolades
Baltasar Kormákur continues to draw the attention of the film world with his latest offering, with increased speculation for Oscar material. Baltasar has been as much attraction f
A Christmas Commerce Carol
As Tom Lehrer once famously sang, “God rest ye merry merchants may you make the yuletide pay.” Whether you celebrate with midnight mass and Gregorian hymns or Tim Allen movies
Sale Of Perlan Approved
The sale of Reykjavík landmark Perlan has been approved, although the city council minority says it amounts to the city paying itself. Originally owned by the deeply in debt compa
Central Bank Found Guilty Of Breaking Equality Law
The Central Bank violated Iceland’s laws regarding the equal rights of men and women in the area of employment, a committee for the Ministry of Welfare found. In April 2012,
Thousand Eyeglasses For Charity
About one thousand pairs of eyeglasses will be donated to those in need in South America. Last week, optics company Pro-optik asked the general public to donate their used and [&he
Mackerel Dispute Has No Bearing On EU Negotiations
Despite tensions running high between European Union member states over the issue, Iceland’s mackerel dispute with the EU has no effect on the current state of negotiations,
Checkmate
Recently, sculptures around Reykjavík have been disappearing. Either a science fiction movie is coming true with aliens abducting earthly monuments or officials in Reykjavík have
Beans, Beans The Magical Fruit
You cannot find authentic Mexican food in Reykjavík. I’ve tried. It’s something I know. More importantly, it’s something I feel. I knew this the second a fellow ex-pat, who
Brák: Tómhyggja
Damn. Daaaaammmnn. This here debut EP from Brák is really quite fantastic. It is the work of one Þorsteinn Kári Guðmundsson who resides in Akureyri. As its title suggests, ‘T
A Very Brief History Of Icelandic Literature
When he was at Leeds University in the 1920s, J.R.R. Tolkien formed a drinking club where he and his fellow students would recite Old Norse poetry and sing Icelandic folk […
Stretching Out Your Lunch Break
Feeling suitably limber after my first lunchtime yoga class at Harpa, I get up off the mat and wander over to thank instructor Ingibjörg for the class. “This was a […]
Iceland Asking For Whaling Exception
Minister of Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson has confirmed for the Grapevine that Iceland is seeking an exception in EU negotiations, wherein the country would be allowed to
About Half Of Icelanders Use Fake Christmas Trees
Over half of those Icelanders polled intend to use a fake Christmas tree this year. However, live trees might actually be more environmentally friendly. According to the results of
Rabbits Causing Increasing Damage
The rabbit problem in south Iceland is growing, as more damage is being done to farms than farmers are able to repair. As reported, the wild rabbits are descendants of […]
Police Seize Illegal Milk
Icelandic police took part in a massive international sting operation to fight illegal and counterfeit food. The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police reports that they hav
Reindeer Lichen Helping Fight Against Cancer
Vísir reports that reindeer lichen is starting to show encouraging results when it comes to fighting cancer. Reindeer lichen (cladonia rangiferina) can grow in both warm and cold
Garðabær Not Interested In Combining With Kópavogur
The town council of Garðabær has rejected a proposal from Kópavogur to enter into talks of combining into a single municipality. The proposal comes scarcely two months after the
Icelandic Shorts Are Actually Really Good
Reporting from Berlin's International Short Film FestivalWhat is life like in Kazakhstan? Is it really a nation of old, wrinkled ladies with shawls and skinny dudes hoarding goats?
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN?
The Grapevine is looking for the woman who took part in the search for herself this summer. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here it is: Woman Takes Part In […]
Naked Tourist Victim Of Prank
A tourist who was arrested by police for running naked around the Prime Minister’s office explained that he had been tricked by some Icelandic girls. Capital area police repo