Merchants’ Weekend Is Here! A Guide To Entertaining Yourself
We get you ready for Iceland's most festival-filled weekendEvery year in Iceland, the first weekend in August is dedicated to celebrating Verslunarmannahelgi (“Merchants̵
Don’t Take Hiking Lightly
Always prepare, think... and enjoyHiking is a popular recreational sport in Iceland. People by the thousands are on the move in the vicinity of Reykjavík on a good day. While [&he
To The Vík-tor Go The Unspoiled Spoils
“There were only six people in my year at school,” says Eiríkur Vilhelm Sigurðarson, who is possibly Vík’s most familiar face. “The other five have moved to Reykjavík.
A School For The Beer-Curious
In a small lecture hall doubling as a private bar, twenty men raise their glasses and have a big gulp of Egils Gull as Stefán “Stebbi” Pálsson begins the bjórskólinn [&hell
Northern Lights In Raufarhöfn
Journalist and photographer, Èric Lluent, sent us these incredible photos of the Northern Lights he took two nights ago in Raufarhöfn. It’s just the beginning of the aurora
Grímsey: Hanging Out On The Arctic Circle
“You’re spending five days on Grímsey?”, a Reykjavík friend asked me in astonishment. “But there’s nothing to do there.” ”Precisely why I’m going ther
Blue Ice: Svínafellsjökull, Veronica And Elves
Birta Jóhannesdóttir is helping my daughter Veronica strap crampons over her boots. Our minibus parks in a lot minutes from Svínafellsjökull’s glacier tongue. The lot was pur
Hiking Fimmvörðuháls, South Iceland’s Greatest Hiking Trail
Fimmvörðuháls is an old hiking trail in Southern Iceland that’s flanked by two glaciers, Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. The name means “five cairns pass,R
DIY Celebrity Walk
We know you all were pretty upset to learn that it wasn’t actually the real Ryan Gosling who made headlines a few weeks ago by getting his car crashed on […]
Eyjafjallajökull: Chasing Volcanoes With Veronica
I can’t believe I am in front of the silent, even beautiful, volcano Eyjafjallajökull. You’d never know the chaos it wrought three years ago. Today it’s a powder blue sky [&
Iceland Is Gloomy
I’m exploring Iceland with my daughter. Veronica is in her ninth winter, as age is measured in Egil’s Saga. While investigating climate change I treasure having a junior advent
A Breath Of Fresh Air In Þórsmörk
Tourists have been striking yoga poses in front of Icelandic scenery since time immemorial—or at least since time Instagram-memorial. Clearly, exquisite natural settings and yoga
A Quick Journey Of Music And Hannes Hafstein
The stately building at Grundarstígur 10 in Þingholt, one of Reykjavík’s most charming neighbourhoods, was basically a palace at the time it was built in 1915. From its south
Grímsey: Island Of Chess Players
Willard is not your typical Icelandic name, but until a few decades ago it was a not an uncommon name on the island of Grímsey. Not Sigurður, Haukur, Hilmar, or […]
Walk This Gay
A tremendous amount of care must be taken for an organisation to represent an entire community to international visitors. And a notoriously outspoken community, at that. But the me
Tangling With Tupilaks
A kayaker friend who’d just returned from East Greenland told me a very strange story. He said that a tupilak had recently emerged from the sea and attacked the village [&hel
Top Tips for Driving Safely in Iceland
Visiting Iceland and renting a vehicle? Here are some tips to keep you and your travelling partners safe on the notorious Icelandic roadways. Stick To The Speed Limits Most rural [
For The Hikers: Four Fine Summits
From the hundreds of mountain hikes and climbs (both equipped and un-equipped) Iceland has to offer, I have chosen to spotlight four mountains that should be suitable for most hike
Verslunarmannahelgi Is Coming! What Shall I Do?
Verslunarmannahelgi (“Merchants‘ Weekend”) initially came about because the first Monday in August was designated a statutory holiday for merchants and anyone working in trad
Farmyard Frolics At Pólar Hestar
I don’t remember Bjartur of Summerhouses pulling wedged-in poo out of a lamb’s bottom whilst a nail perforated his welly-boots and lodged itself snugly into his foot. I know th
The Best of Reykjavík 2013: Activities and Fun-Times
Best Pool: Laugardalslaug Sundlaugavegur 30 Oh, we know, we know! Everyone has such strong opinions about their local pool and fights for their sundlaug to the death, so people gen