The Voices Unheard: Locals Living In Vans at Reykjavík Campsite Speak Up
It was a normal Friday night in Reykjavík in December. The temperature had dropped to -8°C. While most people slept through the night in their rooms, warmed up by heaters, [&hell
Word of the Issue: Fössari
“Fössari” is an informal Icelandic word for Friday, which is more formally written “Föstudagur.”There should be nothing particularly controversial about this word in itse
Icelandic Facebook Groups: Ný Orð
Icelandic has an undeserved reputation for being a prescriptivist, gatekeeping language. While this is definitely true when it comes to given names, it’s not as true for the rest
Missing In Iceland: Scrap Metal Merchants
In many modern cities, you can bring extra bits of copper and aluminium to a scrap metal merchant, who will pay you cold hard cash for the material, no questions […]
Ask A Scientist: Why Do Icelanders Live So Long?
In the present day, Iceland is hugely romanticised, whether for its stunning landscapes, its perceived gender equality, or its football team. For the fanboys and fangirls out there
PHOTOS: New Year’s Eve In Iceland’s Capital
From bonfires to fireworks, Reykjavík was a city in the throes of celebration as Icelanders rang in the new year. Icelanders love New Years Eve. Fireworks can be legally purchased
PHOTOS: Reykjavík’s New Year’s Run
The Reykjavík New Year’s Run took place at Harpa Concert Hall yesterday, with runners sprinting up the seaside highway of Sæbraut and then returning for refreshments. As ca
1997: The Last Days of Rock
Yes, rock is dead. It is dead in the sense that punk is dead. Or classical. Punk by now belongs in a museum (you can find one on Bankastræti) and […]
Snow, Sunsets, Cats & Romance: Our 2017 Instagram Top Ten
We have a lot of fun documenting Icelandic street life, culture and travel on our Instagram account, whether it’s a violent snowstorm, a particularly luminous sunset, an expl
Comics: Lóa & Elín on Björk, Krútt, Mountain Sex, Kaleo And Exercise
The Grapevine illustrators are working hard at the coalface of amusing art, as always. Here are their latest creations. See more comics here.
Editorial: Utopia – Just Make It Come True
It’s fair to say that we need to make the world a better place. The #MeToo revolution is a response to the unmistakable knowledge that there is something rotten in […]
High Rollers: The Wacky World Of Icelandic Finance
When the Panama Papers leak broke last year, then-Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson wasn’t the only Icelander revealed to be involved in some shady dealings. In fact,
Word Of The Issue: Þórðargleði
The English language doesn’t have a word for it, so it borrowed from German to express “schadenfreude”: the joy of watching others suffer. But there is a word for this [&hell
Readers Write: Should I Worry About Possible Volcanic Eruption?
Dear Grapevine, I would love to visit your beautiful country but I am very worried about some articles I’ve been reading about a potential volcanic eruption. When Eyjafjallaj
Time Capsule: Austurvöllur Square
Austurvöllur Square has been a public gathering space for Icelanders since the 1930s. Though the Square is now home to many cafés and restaurants, the presence of the statue of [
Missing in Iceland: Corndogs
Many moons ago, someone said to themselves, “Sure, hot dogs are bad for you, but there must be a way to make them even less healthy—how can we accomplish this?” […]
Icelandic Facebook Groups: Pabbatips
Facebook can affect an individual in two ways: either you end up voting for Donald Trump, or you lose hope for humankind entirely because other people voted for Donald Trump [&hell
Ask A Scientist: What If Öræfajökull Erupts?
By now most of you have probably heard of the ice-covered volcano Öræfajökull in Vatnajökull National Park. It has recently been showing signs of increasing geothermal activity
Nexus Noobs: Where A Kid Can Be A Geek
Anyone who grew up with an interest in Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons or cosplay can probably relate to the loneliness that young geeks may feel. Child and adolescent psychologi
Last Words: Maybe This Time Will Be Different
When is history a reliable predictor of future events? The last time a left-wing party formed a government with the Conservatives, it was subsequently mercilessly punished at the p
this.is/madness: Icelandic Internet Pioneer Guðmundur Ragnar Guðmundsson
Guðmundur Ragnar Guðmundsson is the type of guy who gets bored easily. This drive to always be doing something new is what led him start the first ISP in Iceland […]