The Case For Sustainable Whaling
World food prices have soared in recent years, not least after the financial crisis of 2007–8. The poor are expectedly hit hardest. But a large source of cheap, healthy food [&he
They Said What? (issue 8 2013)
“I will miss Sámur more than I will miss Ólafur. Ólafur can come and visit me but Sámur canʼt visit me and then return to here.” – First Lady Dorrit […]
Celebrating One Thousand Years Of Alþingi In 1930
In the summer of 1930, 28-year-old Swedish photographer and scholar Berit Wallenberg travelled to Iceland where she spent a couple of weeks. She was a member of the Wallenberg dyna
Welfare Society, You’re Doing It Wrong
As far as outrage goes, having to pay seventeen thousand, five hundred and thirty eight ISK for a few packs of test strips and insulin pens ranks pretty high on […]
Beauty Never Goes Out Of Style
After taking a hiatus in 2012 for the first time in 30 years, Miss Iceland is back! And it seems that the annual event has been dearly missed. A record […]
So What’s This Airport Dispute I Keep Hearing About?
Like many long-running political disputes in Iceland, it’s the fault of the British. During World War II, the UK occupied Iceland and built an airport on the then-outskirts of Re
Surely, You Can’t Be Serious
Do you know what really grinds my gears? Seeing developers tear down vibrant city hot spots like Nasa and Faktorý in order to build another stinking four star hotel. Don’t [&hel
Sour Grapes & Stuff
Most Awesome Letter of the Issue Love your publication! (I’m currently reading it on my patio at my home in Minneapolis, Minnesota in preparation for my third trip to Iceland
A Future Citizen Of Iceland?
Just three years after WikiLeaks first published classified information with help from volunteers in Reykjavík, another massive national security scandal in the U.S. has managed t
Iceland Might Not Have Elves, But It Does Have Giants
Iceland might not have elves, but it does have giants. You’re looking at proof of that in this photo. The giant standing beside me is Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Iceland’s St
Hanging With Giants
Adjusting the squat rack to cater to his 2.06m height, Iceland’s Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson begins his Friday afternoon workout. The 240kg he adds to the 20kg bar seems to put
Coca-Cola In Iceland In 1944: Come, Be Blessed And Be Happy!
A Coca-Cola Company ad campaign from 1944 is evidence of the far-flung places that World War II took American soldiers. In the series of ads, the soldiers are not only […]
Money For Nothing
An unsteady, elderly man spends the better part of a minute dismounting from his stool. He hobbles over to the counter, props his walking stick up against the desk and […]
A Visit To The Sand Man
Aegis Hands is the last remaining inhabitant of his wing at Höfðabakki 9. The steps are crumbling from the nibbles of a nearby bulldozer. The windows, coated in construction dust
On A Date With Cindy Gallop: Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby
“Bloody hell. Good god… It’s quite extraordinary, actually,” Cindy Gallop said mere minutes after walking into the Icelandic Phallological Museum. This was the first stop o
So What’s This State-Run Liquor Store I Keep Hearing About?
The Icelandic government, like governments in most of the Nordic countries, several US states and some other countries around the world, runs a chain of liquor stores. It has a [&h
The Icelandic Eyebrows
I heard the other day that a foreigner living here thought for the longest time that Icelandic women naturally had black, pointy eyebrows. It was only later when she saw […]
10 YEARS AGO
When the first issue of the Reykjavík Grapevine came out in June 2003, there were still more locals than tourists in Iceland in the summer, the spectacular and far-sighted transfo
I HATE THE REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE
So. We are ten. Free street rag Reykjavík Grapevine is ten. WTF. — I remember the first time I heard about The Reykjavík Grapevine. It was the spring of 2003. […]
Dressing Room Dicks
I tend to get a lot of questions about all things Icelandic when people find out that it’s my nationality. The most common ones are related to Sigur Rós, Björk, […]
An Apology To Obladi Oblada
It was brought to our attention today that there is a mistake in our Bar Guide, which appears in the latest issue of The Reykjavík Grapevine. Specifically, we mistook Obladi [&hel