Visitors And Locals
The rental market in a nutshellWhile tourism has certainly been playing a critical role in bolstering Iceland’s economy, like any market force, it is not without its rippling eff
The Ceiling On Icelandic Tourism, And Apologies For “The Clinton”
In 2005, a few months into my editorship, Paul Fontaine and I did a marathon road trip around Iceland’s Ring Road—the most beautiful 1,332 kilometers of road in the world. [&he
Workers Unite!
How the service industry exploits workers, and why nothing is changingEarlier this month, a news story broke in the Icelandic media that a young Icelandic woman working at Lebowski
The Elusive Hidden People
The use and adaption of folklore is changing rapidly in a country flirting with mass tourism, and some of us worry that the highway to cliché is paved with quick […]
Sour Grapes & Stuff: Issue 13, 2014
Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to letters@grapevine.is Most Awesome Letter of the Issue Dear Grapevine. I have recently returned from another visit to your b
News In Brief Late August
Unless you’ve been literally living in a cave for the past two weeks, chances are that you’ve heard of the possible eruption at Bárðarbunga peak. In the end (at the […
Schrödinger’s Volcano
On August 16, the Western media spotlight fell on Iceland once again. As is usually the case when the outside world likes to acknowledge our existence, an eruption was involved. [&
Free Pink Street Boys Album! Free Editorial! Free Love!
Editorial In ChiefHere is a short editorial, inspired by the late, great Bill Gates and his vision, which continues to warm our hearts and our thighs through our pockets, via [&hel
What Will Become Of Bárðarbunga?
A man of science explores the optionsBárðarbunga: it’s going to explode, you’re going to be trapped in Iceland for six months and you might die a horrific, fiery death. Why?
Let The Gaymes Begin!
Mr Gay Iceland competes in the most publicised international gay contest in the worldA group of handsome young men gather in the historic city of Rome this week, in the […]
Dyngjujökull Glacier Photo Gallery
On August 21, photographer Axel Sigurðarson flew over Dyngjökull glacier in a two-seater airplane through Mýflug Air. He didn’t see any volcanic eruption, but snapped some
The Deafening Cognitive Dissonance of the Interior Minister
Minister of the Interior Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, what she does behind closed doors, and what she tells the general public.“I can say categorically that his investigati
Mexicans: They’re Everywhere!
Part 1: From City To FarmlandAccording to the Mexican Embassy in Denmark, there are currently 50 Mexicans living in Iceland. That’s enough people to fill a decent party. Maybe. I
Have You Seen Hidden People?
Unnur Jökulsdóttir gathers first-hand accountsDuring her childhood in Flói, a small rural area in Southwest Iceland, author Unnur Jökulsdóttir grew up with stories of the Hidd
“They Are A Gruesome Lot”
Monstrous cats in the Icelandic sagasIt is thought that the first cats touched Icelandic soil in the tenth century, accompanied by human settlers. Those first Icelandic cats did no
A Volcano Bigger Than Timberlake
Or How We Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The LavaHistorically, Iceland has seen some volcanic eruptions at a devastating scale. The most prominent in public memory is arguably t
In A Class By ItsELF
A visit to Reykjavík’s ElfschoolReykjavík’s Elfschool is an institution of learning unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Nestled on the second floor of a nondescript
Hiding in Plain Sight
Remote viewer Aaron C. Hanson talks remote viewing, Hidden People and Iceland’s “Next Most Significant Event”In early 2014, we at Reykjavík Grapevine were forwarded a hand-d
Readers’ Huldu-fólktales
Since our Hidden People issue came out on Friday, readers have been submitting their own elf-encounter tales left and right. Here are a couple of the submissions we’ve received s
It Was My Way, And The Highway
Gálgahraun lava field and the new Álftanesvegur roadOn the Álftanes peninsula, a good ten kilometres from downtown Reykjavík, lies a unique lava field called Gálgahraun. The t
Old Masters, New Dude
Eating babies, retroactively redesigning Reykjavík, philosophising...all in a day's work!He’s young—only 36—but creates his work using the same methods that artists employed