Island Life – News From The Countryside
To address the lack of tourist accommodation in the countryside, a new shiny hotel is being built in the proximity of Geysir in Haukadalur. Designed by Leifur Welding to interfere
Saga Spots: Krosshólar
With not so much as a gas station along the road, the peninsula that juts out into Breiðafjörður between Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords is a seldom-visited region in Western Ic
Word Of The Issue: Flugdólgur
Until 1989, beer was illegal in Iceland. However, there was one place where beer was legal—the international airport in Keflavík. There, drunks entered an exotic beer-filled pur
Starr Power: Reykjavík’s Drag Renaissance
Gógó Starr emerges from behind the red velvet curtain with a glowing smile, wearing an exaggeratedly glamorous sequined black dress that sparkles under the stage lights. She step
Wild At Heart: Capturing The Rawness of Iceland
The book Wild At heart is the work of photography super couple Einar Guðmann and Gyða Henningsdóttir. Around ten years ago they had a realisation they wanted to follow their [&h
F*CK GENDER: Drag Photography Exhibition Opens At Gaukurinn
“One love,” reads the subtitle of Drag-Súgur’s Tumblr page, which shares intimate portraits taken of and by the eponymous Icelandic drag collective. Such universalising rhet
Iceland Behind The Shutter
Icelanders are slowly getting used to the idea of temporarily sharing their country with massive amounts of tourists. As tourism industry revenue has grown to a staggering 31% of t
Show Me The Money: 10,000 ISK
Until the mid-to-late 19th century, most financial transactions in Iceland were conducted in vaðmál (homespun wool). However, since 1922, Iceland has issued its own currency, the
“Restored Honour” To Be Reviewed
In the previous issue of the Grapevine, we discussed the concept of uppreist æru, or “restored honour.” This is a legal procedure whereby someone who has been convicted of a [
Time Capsule: The Settlement Exhibition – Reykjavik 871±2
The Settlement Exhibition is located beneath Hótel Reykjavík Centrum, and is built out around the archaeological remains of a Viking Age longhouse. Immersive and informative disp
Everyone’s Sorry About The Shit In The Harbour
In our previous issue, we reported on how raw sewage came spewing out of Reykjavík’s sewer system and into the waters southwest of town – by Ægissíða – at a [&hel
“I Thought Quality Of Life Mattered More”
Residents in Reykjanesbær in Suðurnes felt the effects of pollution from the nearby United Silicon plant last weekend. This is yet another incident of many between the town and t
Icelanders Less Favourable, More Neutral Towards Tourists
A new poll from Market and Media Research shows that the majority of Icelanders still view tourists favourably, albeit in lower numbers than years previous. Those who are neutral o
Iceland Tops List Of Most Expensive Airbnb Prices In Europe
Iceland has once again distinguished itself in the tourism arena, albeit not in a way it would necessarily consider good for the industry. According to data compiled by Voucherclou
Where Was It Shot: ‘Noah’
“Russell Crowe ate here while filming in Iceland,” I gawk at my friend over a steaming pile of pad Thai. Back in 2014, Crowe reached biblical heights as “Noah” in, [&hellip
Missing In Iceland: Nail Salons
There are spas in Iceland where one can pay exorbitant amounts of money to get one’s nails painted, but those are not “nail salons.” No, not even close. To women […]
Word of the Issue: Kviðmágur
The word of the issue this issue is kviðmágur, which roughly translates as “belly cousin.” And it does describe a relation of sorts: that is, when two men have had […]
Icelandic Facebook Groups: Away From Home – Living In Iceland
Perhaps due to Sigur Rós or maybe the Panama Papers, Iceland has become a hubbub of immigration. According to Statistics Iceland, around 32,000 immigrants live in the country, whi
Editorial: Silly Season With A Taste Of Cucumber
There are two news stories I remember reading in the past two weeks. One was about a twenty-something makeup artist who went shopping and couldn’t find any clothes in her [&helli
Reader’s Letter: “Help Womans To Make Love”
Hello, I’m Flo from Romania. I’m looking for dating and job in Iceland. I remember one article when it says “Iceland government is paying for boys to immigrate to help [&hell
Blast from the Past: The Ghosts of Höfði
So, they‘ve met. Not in Reykjavik as we had all hoped, but in Hamburg. Last time the leaders of East and West needed to end a Cold War, in 1986, […]