Hrafnkels Saga Freysgoða RECAP: The One With The Goddamn Horse
This Saga begins the same way Iceland did, and the same way many Sagas do: some Norwegian guy (this one is named Hallfreður) settles his family in Iceland to farm. […]
Wintern Diaries #1: SADwatch
Winter is kind of scary, especially on this ungodly windy, hella random rock in the middle of the ocean. And it’s even scarier when the sun all but vanishes from […]
Your Amazing Letters, We’ve Been Getting Them!
Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to: letters@grapevine.is — Most Awesome Letter of the Issue! Hello and hi there, I had the supreme pleasure of visiting
Don’t Get Too Excited, It’s Only Paper: An Editorial
Here is an anecdote: I ventured inside that Alþingi building the other day. I believe it was a Tuesday. The time was 3pm. The weather was mostly OK. I […]
The Case For Sex Work Decriminalization: Global Frameworks, Local Contexts
Ragna Rök Jóns and Salvör Gullbrá spent weeks tackling sex work as a nebulous problem before the final culmination of this article, in relation to Amnesty International’s cal
Killing Your Darlings With A Lawnmower To The Face: We Visit An Icelandic Horror Set
Despite possessing a desolate landscape, long winters, and prominent bodysnatcher demographic (sorry, Alþingi), Iceland is not really a landmark when it comes to horror movies—e
The Ultimate Walk of Shame: STD Testing In Reykjavík
Few things strike fear into the heart of a person like the thought of having a sexually transmitted disease. An unfamiliar bump or strange rash, that little sting, the uncomfortabl
This Year’s Réttir In Photos (Pt. 1): The Guidance Of The Lambs
Grapevine’s hardest working photojournalist, Art Bicnick, was out in the countryside this fall to witness réttir, the annual sheep round-up. Every spring, sheep are tagged a
LORD PUSSWHIP’S SECRET; MACABRE HISTORY OF FUCKED UP REYKJAVÍK SPOTS
“In psychogeography, a ‘dérive’ (“drift”) is an unplanned journey through a landscape, usually urban, on which the subtle aesthetic contours of the s
Don’t Ask Nanna: About Where To Party
Dear Nanna, I’ve been with my boyfriend for five years and we’re talking about marriage, but I’m also kind of thinking about breaking up. To be honest at this point […
So What’s This I Hear About Bankers Defunding Poets?
In 2011, a teacher named Þórarinn Hannesson established the Poetry House (“Ljóðasetur”) in Siglufjörður, a small fishing hamlet up north. Its operations have been mostly
The Second Day Of Icelandic Winter, Sunday, October 25, Near Vík
Winter is upon us, according to the old Icelandic calendar. Yup, Saturday marked the beginning of Gormánuður (the month of Gor, “slaughter month” – the month in
Money Never Trickles Anywhere But Up: Seven Years in Iceland
Iceland has changed a lot since I moved here just over seven years ago. The scary part is what has stayed the same. I moved to Iceland from the U.S. just […]
If You Don’t Burn The Goat…
It will disappear. Fire is the fuel for this ongoing marketing campaign. Fire and a human sacrifice, that’s what IKEA wants. It’s a form of marketing that’s surpr
Don’t Ask Nanna: About Your In-Laws
Hi Nanna, I’m a new mom and while I love love love my “tengdamamma” I am a little overwhelmed by the barrage of advice that she “gives” me. It’s
Why Are These People Studying In Iceland?
As legend has it, Iceland has served as a cold, unpredictable haven for adventurous, outcast or outlawed Vikings since the good ol’ 800s. Every now and again, a portion of [&hell
It’s Time To Close The Directorate Of Immigration
If you’ve been following the news from Iceland lately, you’ve probably noticed the Directorate of Immigration has been coming up frequently. While their decisions are o
Don’t Ask Nanna: About Obama
Dear Nanna, It seems Icelanders were in an uproar over Obama proclaiming Leif Erikson Day while honouring Norway. But he was Norwegian right? Seems like a stupid thing to get up
My Fall Foilage Tour To Connecticut, USA
Last fall, I was fortunate enough to go on a fun trip to New England. This is the story of that journey. My trip was facilitated by a woman named […]
UNCOVERED: Gerri Griswold’s Sordid Affair With Iceland!
If you happen to find yourself in Winchester, Connecticut at just the right time this month, you can observe some bona fide Icelandic horses grazing below the autumnal foliage as [
Meet Two Icelanders Who Want You To Eat A Bunch Of Crickets
Best friends Búi Bjarmar Aðalsteinsson and Stefán Atli Thoroddsen have been tight since they first met up in secondary school. All grown up now, the duo are getting ready to [&h