News In Brief Early June
With a heavy heart Reykjavík waves goodbye to Mayor Jón Gnarr who concluded his four years in office this week. The parting is bittersweet though as the city welcomes Dagur [&hel
Summer Solstice In The Age Of Aquarius
A Kundalini Yoga Teacher shares her wisdom about the combined powers of summer solstice, nature and meditationFrom Hljómskálagarðurinn park, she takes me on a meditational walk
So What’s This I Hear About Iceland Almost Being In The World Cup?
If you have sat next to an Icelander while watching this year’s World Cup, you will have heard that Iceland almost reached the tournament. That is true, up to a […]
Sour Grapes & Stuff: Issue 8, 2014
Most Awesome Letter of the Issue In may 2013 my partner and I traveled around Iceland. I am mildly obsessive about litter collecting, especially in beautiful and unspoilt areas of
A Guide To Watching The World Cup In Reykjavík
Where to watch, and who to supportWorld Cup season is finally upon us. Every four years, football fanaticism surges during a month-long period before reaching its apex in the tourn
Here For A Dirty Weekend?
Anna’s 43rd EditorialYou’ve probably heard Iceland referred to as a hot destination for so-called “dirty weekends.” Icelandair certainly did its part in spreading that mess
The Great ConSkyracy That Wasn’t
Real sugar, new recipes, and how Finns are the real gourmandsIceland’s MS Dairies began exporting skyr to the US’s high-end grocery store Whole Foods in 2006, following the yog
Pylsuspjall: Iceland’s Bar Scene
1. Hot Dog Chat 2. A Brief Conversation Held With Strangers Holding Sausages What’s your name? Dean Where are you from? Fairbanks, Alaska (USA) What do you think makes these [&he
Icelandic Bar Life
...Through the eyes of the maternal figure behind Boston and the late SirkusSigríður “Sigga” Guðlaugsdóttir’s induction into the world of running bars began by chance. Sh
Help! I Need A Place To Live!
”Room for rent in 101 Reykjavík. 11 square metres. Internet not included. 65.000 kr. per month.” “Room for 1 person. 50.000 kr. monthly, plus deposit. The room is very small
Over The Edge
On May 17, a massive torfæra rally briefly turned Hella into one of the most action-packed corners of Iceland, attracting 18 drivers and some 3,000 spectators. Organisers used the
So What’s This City Election I Keep Hearing About?
Oh, you heard about it? It seems like a lot of people did not. Turnout was at an historic low for all municipal elections around Iceland, including Reykjavík. Since 2002, [&
The Truth Is Out There
The Truth Committee reviews proof of Iceland’s legendary Lake WormAmidst municipal election projections, heated whaling debates, and a run of contentious labour strikes, an
News in Brief Late May
With the municipal elections on June 1, many politicians scrambled at the end of May to tilt public approval in their favour, even if it meant appealing to some voters’ […
Masters Of Peace And Harmony
The Progressive Party went hunting for xenophobic votesOut with the new, in with the old: Municipal elections were held in Iceland last Saturday with a record low voter turnout.The
Danish Surveyors On A Road Trip Around Iceland
In the years 1900-1910, several teams of surveyors from the Danish Geological Survey institute travelled around Iceland, taking photos and working on a map of the country. In 1985,
Reykjavík’s DJ Queen
Andrea Jónsdóttir says silence is too loudShe must be the coolest 65-year-old in Iceland. Long, flowing silver hair. Black coat, black trousers, black ‘With the Beatles’ shir
Cheers! Skál! Bottoms up!
Anna's 42nd EditorialSo far, there really hasn’t been much to celebrate this year. We didn’t win the Eurovision Song Contest. Only a third of us are happy with the government.
So Long Jakob!
The rise and fall of Svarta Kaffið’s controversial mascotSvarta Kaffið (“The Black Coffee”) on Laugavegur has been a fixture of downtown Reykjavík for more than two decade
Nothing Progressive About It
Let’s just be honest here: the Progressive Party has, for at least the past several years, been Iceland’s xenophobic nationalist party. And tomorrow, they might win a
Pylsuspjall: Downtown Hotels
Pylsuspjall: Noun: 1. hot dog chat 2. a brief conversation held with strangers holding sausagesWelcome to our second edition of Pylsuspjall, a feature in which we accost strangers