Sjálfsbjörg Caseworker On Strætó’s Incompetence: Driving In Circles
When an eighteen-year-old girl with severe development disabilities went missing for seven hours in early February, people were naturally worried. Like usual, Ólöf Þorbjörg Pé
The Trouble With Sustainable Outrage
The trouble with staying angry enough to drive change is that it’s exhausting and you bore everyone. If you don’t believe me, just ask a social worker. Last week, when
Lemúrinn: Do Sheep Care About Solar Eclipses?
Many Icelanders will, weather conditions permitting, get to witness a solar eclipse on March 20. The last total eclipse of the sun in Iceland occurred on June 30, 1954, when, [&hel
Don’t Ask Nanna: About Icelandic Politics
Dear Nanna, One thing I’ve always admired about Iceland is the politics. How your countrymen jailed the bankers and overthrew the shitty government. How can I motivate the
Listen, Duck, and Run: How to Avoid Falling Ice and Snow in Reykjavík
Week 6 Let me be bold: the weather in Iceland changes often. I’m not trying to start a controversy. I’ll leave that to people discussing deep-water oil drilling (what
T-Shirts Featuring Our Cover Images? Why Yes!
“WHOA, THOSE COVER IMAGES OF ICONIC REYKJAVÍK BUILDINGS SURE ARE COOL LOOKING. IF SOMEONE WERE TO SLAP THEM ON A T-SHIRT, I WOULD SURELY PURCHASE SEVERAL” Guess what:
Sour Grapes & Stuff: Issue 3, 2015
Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to: letters@grapevine.is The Loveliest Letter! To the editor of the REYKJAVIC GRAPEVINE. Dear sir or madam would you be kind e
Don’t Ask Nanna: The Best Time For Northern Lights
Dear Nanna, I am planning a trip to Iceland in July but I really hate other tourists. They’re like loud, photo snapping lemmings! Any advice for a Nordic music loving […]
Islamophobia In Iceland: Dog Whistle Politics And Outright Xenophobia
Flirting with the hater contingentThe last few weeks have seen a major outbreak of Islamophobia in Iceland. Following the attacks at the editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo, Iceland
Lemúrinn: The Icelandic Doctor Who Performed Testicular Transplants
During his studies in Vienna in the 1920s, Icelandic physician Dr. Jónas Sveinsson discovered a remarkable new form of treatment: Rejuvenation. According to Rejuvenants, ageing co
News In Brief: January 2015
January was just chock full of fun and surprises, news-wise. Well, more surprises than fun, but you take what you can get. One of the more refreshing surprises came shortly [&helli
Don’t Ask Nanna: Advanced Icelandic, 3 More Words
Dear Nanna, Your video about speaking Icelandic in three words was interesting but very misleading. Try to think about the people who take it seriously, you have done them a disse
Here Be Sleeping Dragons
A response to “Here be dragons“ by Anna ManningIn her article “Here be Dragons,” Anna Manning attempts a “summary of debates surrounding oil exploration to the north of I
Let Iceland Teach You How to Make a Tinder Profile
Northern Sights: A Regular Column of Inaccurate Observations and Outright LiesWeek 3 and 3/4 This year, be your best self, be the best version of yourself, be the skinny you, [&hel
The Curious Case Of The Banned Toothbrushes
Last month, visir.is ran a story with a headline tantamount to “Children in Reykjavík not allowed to get toothbrushes,” prompting a wave of major outrage on Icelandic social m
Don’t Ask Nanna: The Sónar Edition
Dear Nanna, I hooked up with this really nice guy at Sónar last weekend. Anyway, we were both pretty drunk and a bit careless and I’m not sure we used […]
Of Minks And Men
All the potentially guilty...In one of their best-loved hits, the members of Icelandic pop outfit FM Belfast refer to their natural habitat as a place where nothing ever happens. T
Martyrdom In Icelandic Politics
MP Worried About Freedom Of Speech Because His Opinions Are Criticised, Fails To See HypocrisyIn the wake of Charlie Hebdo and the Copenhagen Shootings public discourse on the free
Searching For The Hidden People In Society
In the old folk stories, the Huldufólk were a race of “hidden people” who lived alongside Icelanders, yet remained outside their field of vision. These magical folk were gener