Think Like a Tourist
I don’t drink and the smell of smoke makes me want to wear a gas mask. And just for the sake of confusion, no, I am not a nun. Based […]
If David Letterman Only Knew…
David Letterman once said that everyone should memorize three funny stories about themselves and be ready to tell them at any time. This is one of mine, and it is […]
Sour Grapes
Gabriele Gudbjartson writes “If you do say you are a believer, how well do your actions separate you from an unbeliever?” The arrogance is breathtaking. Show me one shred of [&
The Most Bizarre News Stories of 2006
In an attempt to bring to light the unbearable lightness of being, we bring you the funniest, oddest and most amazing news stories from our website in 2006. Friday, January [&helli
The Thirty Best Icelandic Albums of 2006
“I was quite pessimistic for the most part of the year, feeling that most domestic releases were quite mediocre, but the last three months of the year have proven a […]
From the Edtitor’s Chair
It is a new year, a time to wipe the slate clean. A time to start over. There is a full year ahead of us, full of exciting new opportunities […]
Defending the Welfare System
Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, leader of political party the Leftist-Green Movement, recently released the book Við öll – Íslenskt velferðarsamfélag á tímamótum (All of Us &
The Stories That Shaped the Year
In the year that passed, these news stories stood out above others. Heavy Industry to Increase Despite Growing Opposition The government’s plans for continued heavy industrializa
A New Worldview
Discussing the impact of global warming from the perspective of environmental planning with Trausti Valsson “It seemed that whenever I wanted to discuss global warming, people wo
The Optimistic Serb
The Reykjavík Grapevine met with the Serbian film director Goran Paskaljevic in a cosy downtown hotel in Reykjavík. The surroundings are a world away from his most recent films,
Religion by Numbers
In 1949 artist Dan Robbins birthed a concept allowing millions of Van Gogh novices into the sacred portal of the creative world. It is called Paint by Number. Each painting [&helli
Sour Grapes
Thank you very, very much Sveinn Birkir Björnsson for the article about the Sugarcubes reunion gig in November. I wasn’t aware it had happened and so was devastated to have [&he
Is it Time for Iceland to Join the EU and/or Adapt the Euro?
Sæunn Stefánsdóttir Candidate for the Progressive Party The Progressive Party has emphasised open and honest debate regarding European matters. At our last national convention,
A Tale Of Two New Year’s
In which a Grapevine staff journalist swaps apartments with a NY couple in time for 2006’s passing. Both parties end up enjoying themselves and learning some new things, despite
There is no Such Thing as a Safe Bet in Filmmaking
Arnaldur Indriðason, Iceland’s best-selling contemporary author; Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Iceland’s most successful and popular actor; and Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland’s most s
From the Editor’s Chair
As the holiday spirit consumes me, let me present my early Christmas present to you: Dear Readers, an all new look to your favorite magazine, The Reykjavík Grapevine. With the [&h
Nordic Gods Alive in Reykjavik
Jörmundur Ingi, a real-life modern druid, is head of the Reykjavikur Goðar, one of two officially recognized Pagan associations in Iceland. In his position as Goði, he performs
You Can Take My Life, But You’ll Never Take My Freedom!
“There are a bunch of crazy fanatics inside, but don’t worry, they’re all very friendly,” a young man tells me as I stand in front of the Nordica hotel one […]
How to Conduct Your Icelandic Christmas
Even though most western nations are by all accounts becoming more mind-numbingly culturally uniform by the minute, there are still some vast regional differences as to how we go a
Icelandic Hockey Suffers for Lack of Ice
Forget everything you think you know about Icelandic hockey. For Icelanders this will mean accepting that hockey is at least fairly popular here (500 players and counting). For out
BEZT Í HEIMI: Thorvaldsens Bazar
Located inside a dignified wooden building on the corner of Austurstræti and Veltusund, Thorvaldsen’s Bazar is among the oldest shops in Reykjavík. Opening its doors in 1901, t