Reykjavík’s Zoo: Unexpectedly Fun
One of the first things you learn about things to do in Reykjavík is what isn’t available. You can’t buy beer in the supermarket. You can’t attend a boxing match
They Are Not Leaving
More than 20.000 immigrants are currently living in Iceland. They enjoy the safety and serenity in this country, a rich cultural life and a functioning social system. Some of them
The Fate Of Small-Town Iceland: An Update From Flateyri
Back in January I wrote an article for The Grapevine about the bankruptcy of the fish factory in Flateyri, a tiny village in the Westfjords of Iceland, where I happen […]
WHY I BOTHER
For the past year or so, my inner feminist has been developing at a pace I can hardly keep up with. This is something that happens to a lot of […]
Mayor’s Address: WELCOME TO REYKJAVÍK
Dear reader, Welcome to Iceland. Whether you’re here for fun and travel or for business, I hope you’ll enjoy a good time here and will get to know some locals. […]
Clean Up Your Act!
When thinking of things to do on a late summer evening, I have to say that rummaging around in a giant rubbish bin of expired fruit and vegetables would not […]
The After-After-After Party
GusGus is the name given to an elite collective of party veterans, a collective that began life as a multi-method art troupe at the height of the gay nineties, and […]
Joining The Queeropean Union
Three topics—fisheries, agriculture and currency—have been prominent in the Icelandic debate on the European Union since the country applied for EU membership in July of 2009.
Building Giant ATMs
Real estate prices, which had remained stagnant in real terms between 1988 and 2003—that is, they simply followed inflation—took off. Between 2003 and 2007 however, real estate
Pure Iceland?
Iceland is—against all common notions and expectations—not a very environmentally friendly country. In many ways, the environmental legislation does not go as far as EU rules c
The Amazingly Accurate Relationship Checkup
The Icelandic dating scene might at first seem like one gigantic free-for-all. But as any sociologist worth his salt will tell you, even the most anarchic system follows its own [&
THE REYKJAVÍK ONE
A little more than a year ago, several Icelandic bankers were arrested and kept in custody in relation to the Special Prosecutor’s investigation into the 2008 economic collap
Justice Or Revenge?
Last September, the Icelandic parliament took the conclusions of the Special Investigative Commission (SIC) under advisement and voted on whether or not four key political figures
Will Malcolm Walker and Twitter Sort Everything Out?
A bidding war is looming regarding the sale of Iceland, the supermarket chain, a UK frozen food specialist that is 67% owned by Landsbanki and 10% by Glitnir. The chain […]
Up In The Air
Imagine if cigarettes were sold exclusively at pharmacies as a prescription drug. If Alþingi approves a proposal for a ten-year plan on tobacco control, Iceland could become the f
Is It ‘A Nation Of Book-Lovers’? Is It ‘The Future Of Music’? No, It’s A Proto-Fascist Tanning Salon
The University of Reykjavík (not to be confused with the University of Iceland, located in Reykjavík) recently published the results of a 2010 poll about the lifestyle and habits
Sour grapes and stuff
MOST AWESOME LETTER: Here’s a story for you. I have taken three vacations to Iceland over the past several years and enjoyed my experiences, until last night. &n
Words Mean Things
Baldur Kristjánsson, a parish priest with a Masters in theology from Harvard University, is also a blogger on the popular news website Eyjan. Recently, he put forward the idea in
THE PEN WIELDER, THE POET AND THE ROGUE
On June 17, Jón Sigurðsson will be the man of the day. This is Iceland’s ‘Independence Day’ with festivities all around the country, parades and the waving of flags, but [&
Building Momentum In Moss
The sixth-annual Nordic Biennial is coming up on June 18 in Moss, Norway. But don’t worry if you can’t be there. The theme, ‘Imagine Being Here Now’, stretches time as [&he
MILLIONS OF TIPS ON ‘ENJOYING YOUR STAY IN ICELAND’
Hi, I thought I would write down some handy tips on how you can ‘make the most of your stay in Reykjavík and Iceland’. Why? Well, I imagine some of […]