17 JULY 2009 TRAVEL ISSUE YOUR FREEFREE COPYCOPY TTHEHE ESSENTIALESSENTIAL GGUIDEUIDE TTOO LLIFE,IFE, TTRAVELRAVEL & EENTERTAINMENTNTERTAINMENT IINN ICELANDICELACE IssueIssue No 1100 – JuneJune 1199 - JJulyuly 2 – 20092009 www.grapevine.iswww.grapevine.is + COMPLETECOMPLETE CCITYITY LLISTINGSISTINGS - INSIDE!INSIDE!

Sigtryggur Baldursson Goes Glastonbury - Read The Legendary Drummer's Tour Diary - Björk Guðmundsdóttir Interviewed - New Music, New Methods, New Ways Of Thinking - Swimming All Over The Place - Rural Pools Rule! The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 2

Editorial | Haukur Magnússon Art Director: 009 LY 2 17 JU TRAVEL ISSUE YOUR FREEFREE COPYCOPY THETHE ESSENTIALESSENTIAL GGUIDEUIDE TTOO LLIFE,IFE, TTRAVELRAVEL & EENTERTAINMENTNTERTAINMENT IINN ICELANDICELACE Hörður Kristbjörnsson IssueIssue No 1100 – JuneJune 1199 - JJulyuly 2 – 20092009 www.grapevine.iswww.grapevine.is + COMPLETECOMPLETE CCITYITY LLISTINGSISTINGS - INSIDE!INSIDE! [email protected] Haukur’s 10th Editorial! Design: Björn Lárus Arnórsson So we got this letter: on censoring our writers - neither their This is all beside the point, though. Photographer: opinions nor their vocabulary. Agree with her or not, why should Ms. Hörður Sveinsson / hordursveinsson.com Dear editor, Now that you mention it, there were Knútsdóttir not be entitled to her opinion, Marketing Director: a lot of 'Fucks' in issue eight of the and why should we refrain from printing Jón Trausti Sigurðarson Sigtryggur Baldursson Goes Glastonbury - Read The Legendary Drummer's Tour Diary - Björk Guðmundsdóttir Interviewed - New Music, New Methods, New Ways Of Thinking - Swimming All Over The Place - Rural Pools Rule! Like all ordinary, decent visitors (and Grapevine. A brief glance through the it? Why should she not be able to point [email protected] Sales Director: potential visitors) to your beautiful paper shows the word 'Fuck' is used at out that some of the nations and folks Cover illustrations: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson country, we are surprised and disgusted least three times, once in a headline and that criticize whaling continually support Köddi [email protected] to see the widespread and quite everything. other very comparable and “equally cruel” Guðmundur Rúnar Svansson Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies. unnecessary use of the 'F word' in your I can agree that this is maybe too practices? She makes an argument; she [email protected] Reykjavik Grapevine. many 'Fucks' for the average decent and signs her name to it. If you disagree, Distribution: The Reykjavík Grapevine Before you react with the 'F word' to older and wealthy reader. We are sorry write a real argument and send it in, I will Sæmundur Þór Helgason Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík [email protected] denigrate us, and the other vast majority for that, but do remind you that you are gladly print it. www.grapevine.is Proofreader: of foreign readers who agree with us free not to read our free paper. However, I do, however, agree that it's better [email protected] Jim Rice (particularly older readers - the ones with in light of your complaints, we have being labelled sentimental than sadist. Published by Fröken ehf. the time and money to visit Iceland), just decided to try our best to not use the word This is very true. Press releases: ponder how much you are going to need 'Fuck' at all in this issue. So I hope that Lastly, our "sissy American faux pas" Editorial: [email protected] +354 540 3600 / [email protected] us tourists to boost your failing economy. does you well. was written by our American intern. Submissions inquiries: Advertising: Also, your attempts to divert attention Your next complaint seems to revolve Neither she nor us as a publication like [email protected] +354 540 3605 / [email protected] Subscription inquiries: away from the continued disgraceful around the views of a fairly recent to make broad judgements on folks' Publisher: +354 540 3605 / [email protected] slaughter of whales ("Too cute to eat?" - addition to our writing staff (and one I character or intentions (unlike, say, your +354 540 3601 / [email protected] General inquiries: [email protected] issue no 8) by pointing to the slaughter am very excited to have on board, I might wealthy, normal self), but we will grant of "cute" lambs and "clever" pigs are add), Ms. Hildur Knútsdóttir, who wrote ourselves the rights to be amusingly and Publisher: Founders: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson flawed. Why? Because it is no defence of the article "Too cute to eat" regarding verbally annoyed at whomever we feel Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, [email protected] Hörður Kristbjörnsson, anything to claim that there is something the recent news that puffins are down in like. Be they wealthy and respectable or Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, else bad or worse. numbers as of late. whatnot. Editor: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, Is a murderer or abuser let off his To paraphrase you: Ms. Knútsdóttir Besides all of the above, your Haukur S Magnússon Valur Gunnarsson crime by pointing out that other people attempts to divert attention away from entire point kinda disgusts me. Are [email protected] are also murderers or abusers? Anyway the continued slaughter of whales by you implying that because Iceland is The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 Journalist: times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from "ugly" (to use your epithet) farm animals pointing to the continued and large- currently undergoing economic hardship Catharine Fulton / [email protected] November through April, and fortnightly are at least reared for the purpose and scale slaughter of various other animals we be stripped of our freedom of speech, from May til October. Nothing in this do not require chasing with explosive that is continually condoned by the that we can no longer foster independent Contributing Writers: magazine may be reproduced in whole or harpoons to drag them to their deaths. Western nations that condemn whaling. opinions? That we should be careful not Sigurður K Kristinsson in part without the written permission of [email protected] the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine To attempt to justify whaling as Her argument is flawed because it's to offend the rich tourists that might out Florian Zühlke / [email protected] "traditional" is also irrelevant. It was no defence of anything bad to point to of the benevolence of their hearts see is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri, Sindri Eldon Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and for long traditional to enjoy the beauty of something that's equally bad or worse. fit to visit us and sprinkle some of their Marc Vincenz at key locations along road #1, and all major wild birds and animals by stuffing them Furthermore, defending whaling by precious money around? Sigtryggur Baldursson tourist attractions and tourist information and displaying them in glass cabinets, pointing to the fact that it is traditional is Good sir, I hope you do not reflect the Valur Gunnarsson centres in the country. Irina Domurath and to publicly hang, draw and quarter a flawed argument, because other things majority of our "ordinary, decent visitors" Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl You may not like it, but at least it's not criminals. Times and customs change now deemed unacceptable are traditional, - 'cause if you do, and we offend them Dr. Gunni and move on. We know better now. We too. away: good riddance, I say. What sort of Hildur Knútsdóttir sponsored. (No articles in the Rey- are in the 21st century. Firstly, I would like to assert that Ms. colonialist douchebag are you, anyway? Hugleikur Dagsson kjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. You scoff at foreigners' sentimentality, Knútsdóttir is free to form and hold her We at the Grapevine do not represent Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). confusing it with compassion, decency own opinion. While I haven't been able Iceland as a whole, nor do we claim to. Editorial Interns: and respect. Anyway, it is better to be to reach a solid stance on whaling (and In fact, I hope nobody does (least of all Jonathan Baker Esq labelled sentimental than sadist. in fact harbour some very strong doubts our president). However, we are naturally [email protected] As for your faux pas in referring to about the act), I happen to agree with the grateful to every single one of you Joyce Guzowski the "sissy American tourist", cannot journalist that a lot of people's view of "ordinary, decent, wealthy visitors" to our [email protected] you realise the effect such language the act (including yours) is simplistic and country, and wish you all the best. But Design Intern: Hailey Loman might have on the tourist trade you will hypocritical. Why the focus on whaling, we won't change for you, and we will not [email protected] increasingly need? if not for the reason that they're totally become timid. On-line News Editor If this is your gratitude to visitors cute and smart (and I remind you - the All my best, sincerely, Paul Nikolov and your wildlife heritage, we don't whales being harvested are no longer [email protected] know where we will be spending our considered endangered)? They probably Haukur S Magnússon money next year, but it certainly won't be mass farm pigs and chicken right near Editor // Reykjavík Grapevine Iceland. your house, and the mass farming of pigs Graham Bell and chicken is a truly deplorable practice. On behalf of the passengers of a cruise Mass-farmed chickens spend their whole ship which circumnavigated Iceland lives crammed in tiny cages. There are in June 2009. all sorts of verified horror stories. At least whales get to enjoy a life of freedom Dear Mr. Bell, before they're caught - I cannot say the same for the contents of your fridge Thank you for your interest, and your (unless you are vegan, in which case I letter. take it all back). Now. To address its contents: As for tradition: Americans and Neither I nor anyone else in the Canadians still harvest whale based on Grapevine's staff has ever used the word tradition (look it up). And have you even 'Fuck' to denigrate any of our readers. If considered bullfighting? Sheesh. You're you'll find the word 'Fuck' in our paper, lucky Ms. Knútsdóttir didn't bring up it is because someone from our stable the long-standing Western tradition of of writers has deemed 'Fuck' the best waging wars, of mass murder (lest we word around to express whatever they are forget all the torture you guys seem to be interested in expressing. We are not big into at the moment).

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I'm from a school called Bathgate Acad- Dear Scumbag who stole my scooter from the emy in Scotland. A couple of weeks ago a garden behind my house last friday night, few of us came to visit your lovely country If I ever find out who you are my father is THE OFFICIAL TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE and did the Laugavegur Trek. We stayed going to remove your eyes and shove them up in Reykjavik at the start and the end of the your ass so you, along with me can watch him holiday, and on our second day in Reykjavik kick the shit out of you. I discovered your newspaper. It's awesome! Why can't we have newspapers like yours? Sincerely, Áróra. Ours seem incredibly dull compared to the Grapevine. Dear Áróra, We've heard a lot about the crisis in Ice- land at the moment, but keep going guys. thank you for your lovely, threatening letter, and the accompanying lovely, threatening You have a beautiful country full of won- photograph. We are sure that the scumbag that was audacious enough to steal a young derful people. I loved ice climbing on the girl’s scooter from the garden behind her house is trembling with fear right now, as he glaciers and lazing about in the blue lagoon should be. Stealing is rotten, stealing from kids doubly so. spa. Keep up the wonderfulness! That said, we do hope you realise that violence is never the answer, and neither are While we were staying at Reykjavik City threats of violence (even adorable threats of violence, such as yours). Us at the Grapevine Hostel we went to an amazing cafe called sincerely hope you aren’t being raised as some sort of George W Bush Jr. We also hope you Just Food To Go. The chef, Stefan, had been find your scooter as soon as possible. having a bit of a hard time because of the Also, Áróra, even though yours is our most awesome letters, we can’t very well be financial crisis, but he was still cheery and bestowing cases of beer on minors such as yourself. That’s why we’ve decided to keep your doing a great job. If any of you are staying prize for you until you turn twenty. Give us a call when you get there. at the City Hostel get your bum over to Ste- fan's. the members of your own, or the result- came to an end. So what I wanted to ask I'm afraid to say, that while in Iceland ing unfair treatment of members of other you is: do you think I might have been ex- I learnt very little Icelandic. I do have one races”. These are quite though words, so I tremely unlucky and crossed my path with phrase for you though: Ne hoppipolla! Eg do not want to be misunderstood: I love Ice- a bunch of assholes, or will I really be isolat- er vikinger! I hope that's right and doesn't land to the point that I decided to move here ed because of my racial difference? Shortly: turn out to mean something really offen- even though the situation is currently not what would you say about Icelanders’ atti- sive! the best one, and I still strongly believe that tude towards foreigners? Icelanders are wonderful people, like any- Thanks for a great newspaper :) one else in the world. But I have been disap- Cheers, Imogen, UK pointed in more than one occasion. Just to Hanna (Netherlands) report some facts: in late may I was looking Dear Imogen, for a new place where to live. I found an in- Dear Hanna, teresting advertisement written in Icelan- thank you for the kind words about our pa- dic and, considered my decent knowledge Thank you for your compliments, and your per. As for being awesome, and your news- of the language, I decided to write an e-mail intriguing questions. You actually might papers not being awesome, well. I don’t avoiding to use English as a communica- be starting a conversation worth pursuing know what to say. We’re not really a newspa- tion’s problem-solver. After two days the here. per, for one. Also, I’m sure you’ve got some owner of the apartment told me to meet Firstly, I encourage you reader types out good papers over in Scotland. Scotland is him at the place for a visit and the contract’s there to respond to Hanna’s queries with so cool. Anyway, we try really, I guess that signature. There the problem began…He your own thoughts and observations. As a counts for something, and we are fortunate quicky understood from my pronunciation born and bred Icelander, I am perhaps not enough to have a dedicated staff of design- that I am not a native. He showed me the the best person to make any sort of judge- ers, photographers, writers and some of the place anyway, but with an almost rude be- ment on this. So come on, folks, what are best damn interns this side of whatever side haviour that I would have never imagined your thoughts on Icelanders’ attitude to- we’re on right now. from the polite tone he used in his e-mails. wards foreigners? Do y’all feel Hanna will Now, as for your Icelandic slang. I re- Then he said he had forgot the contract be isolated because of her racial difference? ally wish you wouldn’t have written that. Es- home, and that we should meet after two Send ‘em in. quire is crying as I type this, and I’m think- days. That night I got an e-mail saying As for my own thoughts on the matter, ing of packing it in. Thanks a lot, Imogen. the place had been rented to someone else here they are: Yes, you have been unlucky (does this tell you anything about “unfair and encountered a bunch of assholes. For treatment of members of other races”?) one, I do not like grouping entire nations Another fact is that since I got my job I together and assigning them opinions, Dear Haukur and Grapevine’s staff, have constantly been bullied by my boss. If character traits, etc. I believe that to be bor- there is something wrong, apparently I am ing and essentialist and a kinda... racist? I First of all I intend to congratulate you all the only one to blame. When I was once able also happen to know for a fact that there is for the excellent job you do with this maga- to prove that a mistake had been made not indeed a bunch of goddamn assholes in Simply the most comprehensive zine. It’s really helpful for us, young people by me but by another employee, he replied Iceland, as in any other country. I also know Booking Service in the City. and foreigners who are looking for some with a short: “Ha, do you think I will believe there is a great big bunch of really lovely, juicy news in an international language. this? You are a foreigner!” (“members of awesome people over here. But their awe- We specialize in customizing travel I’m writing this letter to you to ask your other races are not as good as members of someness or assholeness has nothing to do packages to suit your interests and needs. opinion (and possibly the one of other read- your own”). with their nationality, the colour of the skin We can arrange your accommodation, transfers, tours, flights ers as well) about one issue: the attitude Sadly, I can also notice a certain degree or their mother tongue. Icelanders show towards foreigners. It’s of rudeness coming from young people. and car rental, based on known that Iceland and its inhabitants For the records, I can easily be taken as Ice- your requirements. are peculiar in more than one trait, but it lander because of my aesthetical apperance; never occurred to my mind that racism was the point is that anyone who might start a Re: email by Graham Bell ? of June 28th among them. Yet this seems to be the case. conversation with me somewhere, almost Far from me any implication related to immediately backs up when he realize his I was a passenger on the ship that sailed some sadly well known manifestations of “mistake”. What then, am I not worth a round Iceland. I would like to apologise the phenomenon. According to the Cam- chat only because I was born somewhere and advise you that his comments regard- bridge Dictionary of English, racism is de- outside this island? Is there any Icelander ing whales and puffins were not shared by fined as “the belief that people's qualities who might like someone even if his or her all the passengers although his email ap- are influenced by their race and that the passport has another country on the cover? peared to indicate that WELCOME CARD members of other races are not as good as I am sad about it, and I wish these things Sylvia Duckworth When visiting Reykjavík take advantage of the best discount card on offer. Free admissions, discounts off tours and city buses, shopping, restaurants WELCOME CARD INCLUDING CITY BUS T RAN 2009 and services for 24, 48 or 72 hours. FREE SPORT ADMISSIO , - 2010 DISCOUNT NS, SHOP S OF PING, F TOURS, Great value for money. AV AND AILABLE SERVIC AN FOR ES D 72 H 24, 48 OURS. 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Interview | Music A Conversation With Björk Voltaic: What’s In The Box? massage after the long flights. You turn into a racehorse that needs to be maintained Björk is an exceptionally prolific and stay in shape – which is fun, but often artist, and her vault of must-haves frustrating. You’ll just have to focus on and curiosities is larger than most. that, so the other animal in you suffers. Indeed, the Voltaic box is packed with I often write melodies on tour, in my goodies. The basic set has a CD of head, I always write the melodies first. live performances from the Volta tour, We also worked a lot on the arrangements deemed by many to be superior to Volta for the other songs, we always rehearsed itself. It has a DVD of live performances. during soundcheck, we’d practice and add And another DVD. And another CD. new songs to the program. The only way to And some more stuff. There’s also a survive two years on the road was to keep triple vinyl + DVD version and a limited adding new songs to the programme, right edition CD version. Check out the basic up to the very last concert. Even if it was one: only one song per month, it really saved you; there was always something fresh to tackle. Disc One – CD – Songs from the Volta We studied the arrangements and changed tour performed live at Olympic studios them, and we had many options for doing so. We had a drummer and all these Disc Two – DVD – The Volta tour newfangled electronic instruments to work with, like computers and the Reactable. Disc Three – DVD – The Volta Videos The Reactable is an amazing tool, and similar developments in the world of Disc Four – CD – The Volta mixes electronic instruments have made it so that you can now create electronic music using your right brain hemisphere. Right now, you don’t have to program a song for ten years; you can make a whole record using this movement [waves hand]. Like with the Reactable, I don’t know if you saw the tour, but we used the first working model in the world. Using it is just remarkable, everything is like playing chess: The beat is here [gestures to her coffee cup], the bassline is here [points to a glass of water], you move them around in relation to one another and then you add more objects. Or pound on the console. This is such an exciting development; As part of the promotional campaign the future, I am not waiting ten years.’ The justice, standing on a mountaintop with we now have around twenty different ways for the new Voltaic box set, Björk Volta tour would be coming out in 2019, horns, waving flags. It needed to be raw. It to make electronic music live. People think Guðmundsdóttir gave out several and that makes no sense. It’s missing the couldn’t be a three-year studio record with it’s just ‘Press play’, but it’s not at all. It’s interviews to the local press. Grapevine point. doilies and patchwork. never the same two times in a row, the was invited to participate, and we of So I decided to do this as I went along, way we’re now doing it. Now you really course jumped at the chance. It’s the which is also the nature of the Volta project. So you were conveying a different have more options for live music than with Volta Tour Björk we love and respect, and when Vespertine and Medúlla were total studio emotion than on the previous two traditional instrumentation. All these she speaks, we listen. Carefully. So we endeavours; they were worked on an toyed records? More on the physical or primal Screenings At Háskólabíó new programs that nerds are making in won’t waste any more wordcount on with for a long time. I wanted... when I side of things? their bedrooms are just crazy, that you introductions, we got 35 minutes with made Volta, I hadn’t toured for four years, The Volta tour DVD that comes with can operate by moving your hand, pouring Björk, and the following details most of and I wanted to go out. So Volta took a year Yes, yes, very much so. I wanted to do all the the Voltaic box is a pretty sweet deal. It water between containers to set the filters them. to write and four years to tour. It’s the first festivals and visit all the continents this time features an entire concert from the tour on the synths... time I make a record like this. Usually it’s around. I had left them out for the decade shot in Paris, France, where Björk and On Voltaic... the reverse. Three years crafting a record prior. I hadn’t been to South America and her tight ensemble perform Volta tunes The promise of a thousand possibilities and then maybe touring it for five months. Asia for ten years, outside of Japan, and I and various re-arranged favourites Is this something you will employ on Congratulations on your new box set. That’s what I did with Vespertine; I put all thought I’d just, you know, go all the way (including Medúlla favourite Who is it?) your next album? It looks swell. Can you describe the emphasis on the creative space and writing, with this. This might even be the last project at a hall packed with admires. The latter process of making such a compilation? touring was like an afterthought. where I’m this sort of rock-animal. Volta half of the DVD features her super- Can you smell it? Yes, I am excited about How involved are you – do you yourself But with Volta, I wanted to get out of was sort of a rock-animal record. excusive 2008 concert at Reykjavík’s this. It’s more complicated than pouring choose everything that goes on them? the studio. I was stuck there, making a Langholtskirkja, an intimate and moving water around, of course, but all these record that I knew wouldn’t be good until On her next record, and past concert that is a must-see for any Björk programs are very exciting and bring Well, I did when I made the live box set that after two years of touring. Initially after records... fan. with them the promise of a thousands was released six years ago or something. its release, I felt Volta was just OK, but the As your great luck has it, you now unexplored possibilities. We’d recorded all the concerts for ten songs started coming together and by the -Do you write music while touring? In have the opportunity to experience the years, we had many hundreds of hours end they had taken a shape that I liked. rock-animal mode? That seems like it Volta Tour film on the big-screen, in What are you thinking in terms of of recordings to go through, and we did, could be interesting to hear... high quality surround sound, no less. the next record? Not so much in how Ásmundur [Jónsson, head of Bad Taste/ Rock-animal mode The Grapevine is proudly co-sponsoring it sounds, but in terms of themes, Smekkleysa] and I. It was a lot of work, So you prefer the live versions on Voltaic Well, I don’t usually write when I am screenings of the Volta tourfilm at the underlying concepts, emotional but it fit me at the time, because I was over the studio ones? touring. I keep trying, and I do travel with Háskólabíó movie theatre for a limited spectrum and ideas. I’ve experienced enveloped in my nesting hormones. I was equipment to do so, but it doesn’t happen. time. each of your records as examining pregnant, and could turn into a librarian. In the Volta project, at least. It was that Partly because you’re inhabiting that other certain concepts or thoughts, Volta being That’s not usually my strongest side; I am kind of experiment. I wanted to make world that comes with being on tour. Also, Experience the Volta tour at Háskólabíó not a collector, that’s not my thing. When raw music. The idea was all this tribal, as a singer you are sort of an athlete; you in July, Saturdays at 16:00 and I was done with that, I thought: ‘OK, in rave something, battling for equality and have to tend to your body, eat right, take a CONTINUES ON PAGE 32 Wednesdays at 18:00. WHAT? Welcome to Iceland Here’s how to find WHO? WHERE?

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WWW.CINTAMANI.IS CINTAMANI AUSTURHRAUNI 3 CINTAMANI CENTER LAUGAVEGI 11 210 GARÐABÆ, TEL. 533 3805 101 REYKJAVIK, TEL. 517 8088 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 Sigtryggur Baldursson is a legendary Icelandic drummer. He's beaten skins for The Sugarcubes, Þeyr, KUKL and several other awesome bands. 8 He also performs as sarcastic dandy Bogomil Font.

Tales From The Tour | Sigtryggur Baldursson Glastonburied With Emiliana Torrini Iceland's most literate drummer's notes from the road

Love and hate. Looks like it’s going to of David Bowie, Traffic and Fairport are actually people there apart from rain again. Torrentially. That’s nothing Convention. us. Somehow, I find that weird, but I new, seeing that it usually rains at Yet while Glastonbury still resonates shouldn’t. She is wonderful as usual, Glastonbury. Still people go there in ever with historical associations of Druidic and I’m starting to warm to this, no more increasing numbers. rituals and free love, these days it has toilet smells; I am looking over the city of I was mildly exited when I morphed into a smart operation, still tents and towers that is Glastonbury and heard Emiliana Torrini was playing donating all the profits to charities. it is actually pretty impressive. Glastonbury this June, since this meant Indeed, it has had to in order to thrive in I meet Emiliana and the boys at that I would be gracing that oldest and an increasingly sophisticated and global two to go and play at the BBC enclave biggest of English summer festivals live music industry, where juggernaut down by the Pyramid stage. We are to with my presence for the first time. I multinational promoters such as Live do a stripped down version of Jungle am her drummer for the summer, so to Nation and AEG Live battle for market Drum, which has now reached no. 1 in speak. share. Glastonbury’s size, scope and Germany and is poised to do damage Our festival run started in June and history make it the bellweather event for to charts elsewhere, though God knows will take us to the end of the summer, the British festival season. whether the Brits will ever get exited zigzagging Europe like mad, jumping This year we have the North about it. They really do have their own trains and planes with a bunch of guitars Americans storming the festival, with agenda when it comes to pop music, 80´s pop stuff. They are having fun but up some good local ale, so I am feeling and musical trinkets. Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen and are not going to let the Germans I’m finding it rather sad. I’m not big on rather perky when we trek on down the Now, truth be told, I can’t stand headlining the Pyramid stage on Friday tell them what is cool. Oh no. On the 80´s nostalgia; I was there and like to muddy path all the way to the Pyramid ruddy muddy festivals. I don’t like the and Saturday. Brit pop’s resurrected way down in the Land Rover through remember it like it was. Stage to see Neil Young at 10 o’clock. thought of being wet and miserable in a messiahs, Blur, are headlining Sunday. the mud encrusted paths, word reaches There is a changeover while our stuff For some odd reason it is way past tent with thousands of other miserables I will be well away by then. our tour manager that Emiliana is being is rolled onstage and plugged in and I’m ten when we get there and Neil has and sharing the sodden condition is bumped up to headline status at some trying to talk to the monitor engineer been playing for a while. Good thing very little consolation to me. Sod the The sweet smell of death of the German festivals we are doing in who says a lot of yes, but I have this he got warmed up for our critical ears... whole thing. It’s hit and run for me, even We arrive on Friday morning from July and she looks worried. hollow feeling he is really not listening Not quite, we hang on to every word though its Glastonbury, the granddad of Leeds on our bus and my first notion of Not all musicians want to be pop to what I’m saying. Poor man must have he says and are singing along to most all festivals in England. the place is that I hear voices through my stars. Funnily enough. a lot to do or so it seems. of his tunes except of course the ten Even though I am leaving early slumber in my bunk and figure that we It’s now just past five and we are going minute guitar solos in 11 time. Well, I Saturday morning, I can’t skip the are pulling into the festival grounds. If Paging Dr. Freud on stage at 5.15. do remember singing along to that as chance of seeing a few cool things you sleep on a bus for a while, you can The BBC stage where they do interviews The monitors take a while getting well. You see, by this time my resolve since I will be there for the Friday detect when you are on a gravel road and the odd musical performance is a ready, but finally we are on stage and the towards the damn festival ghost had night. Jumping the boat early Saturday through your slumber. Then the smell TV studio on site, complete with outdoor crowd gathers to hear; the bowl in front all but dissolved and I was, dare I morning come hell or high water. hits. I’m thinking this place smells like and indoor stages and lots of wooden of the stage fills up with people. The say, having a blast and when Neil did The rest of the band are staying until shit and in reality, we are parked next to mushrooms (paging Dr. Freud), all very set starts off pretty easy but soon picks Heart of Gold for his encore, it was an Monday to revel in peace and love, mud the staff toilets behind the Park Stage psychedelic and grrrrooovy. We play up and ends with a bang and it’s over... unexplainable phenomena to be part of and beer and God knows what else but on the south side of the Glastonbury outside since the sun just decided to we’re off stage and it’s all over with. that sea of people on a very communal me, no sir, I won’t have any of this peace site. The fumes are filtering into the honour our presence and came out from Much like teen sex, I’m told. high. At that moment I really felt that I love shit, sex drugs and mud or whatever bus aircon system and gracing my behind the clouds to bathe us in its glow. GOT the festival vibe, and some. No hate you call it. sensitive, half slumbering nose with It’s actually steaming hot now, and all No hate in my heart anywhere in my heart. Those days are over for me. their presence. I get the feeling I am in a the rain is evaporating. Now is the hard part – packing up after Virtually cured of my sarcasm, I coffin; this place smells like death. Then it’s back to the Park Stage festival – because behind the curtains made quite a few new friends that night Pilton Pop I peek out of my bunk and growl, to get down to some setting up and are risers with drums and keyboards after the Neil Young show. I don’t hate The Glastonbury Festival was founded "are we here?" only to hear someone say, soundchecking, which we shake back in that have to be stripped post haste for this place at all. by Michael Eavis at his Worthy farm "yeah! and it’s raining." I fall back with a the Land Rover to do. It is funny to watch next band. This operation is still a one- I actually managed to catch my cab near Glastonbury in 1970. It was sarcastic giggle, I already hate the place. a little sunshine making a big difference roadie thing, so I am packing drums at 6 in the morning, the train back to originally called the Pilton Pop festival I get up and fetch my pass and in the way a crowd looks as we drive while sweating like a pig after the show. London and the plane back to Iceland, and only 1500 people turned up to pay laminate and stuff and God knows all through the grounds. The drummer No wailing groupies waiting backstage which was, I’m not sorry to say, close to a the admission fee of one pound, but by sorts of trinkets and yes, it is raining and singer from Supergrass are playing with drugs and debauchery. Now that miracle. the following year it had turned into the and muddy everywhere. I go see Lay Low before us on the Park Stage with a friend would be hard work. This is easy. They do have a charming backstage Glastonbury Fayre and featured the likes open up the park stage at 11 and there of theirs on bass doing cover versions of Sigtryggur Baldursson bar at the Park Stage where they serve

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Rates in EUR and ISK, valid from June 2009 Rack Special ISK Tour Code Tour Name Rate Offer Rate AH 10 Greater Area Reykjavik Sightseeing 39 € 30 € 4.500 kr AH 11 Gullfoss & Geysir Express 69 € 50 € 7.600 kr AH 12 The Golden Circle Classic 79 € 60 € 9.200 kr AH 13 Golden Circle Evening Tour 79 € 60 € 9.200 kr AH 15 Iceland from Below 79 € 60 € 9.200 kr AH 18 The Blue Lagoon Direct to Keflavik airport 33 € 20 € 3.400 kr New Day Tours 2009 AH 19 The Reykjanes Peninsula 59 € 45 € 7.000 kr Rack Special ISK AH 21 Iceland from Below & Blue Lagoon direct 100 € 80 € 12.500 kr Tour Code Tour Name Rate Offer Rate AH 22 Reykjanes Peninsula and Gullfoss & Geysir 129 € 95 € 15.000 kr AH 23 City sightseeing and Gullfoss & Geysir 99 € 70 € 11.000 kr AH 61 The Saga Trail 80 € 75 € 12.000 kr AH 24 The Blue Lagoon and Gullfoss & Geysir 99 € 70 € 11.000 kr AH 62 The Highland Road - Glaciers, waterfalls and hot springs 95 € 90 € 14.400 kr AH 25 City sightseeing & Blue Lagoon 69 € 40 € 6.500 kr AH 63 The Silver Circle 140 € 125 € 20.000 kr AH 27 The Viking Horse Riding tour and Gullfoss & Geysir 119 € 85 € 13.500 kr AH 64 The Highland Route & Golden Circle Evening Tour 130 € 115 € 18.400 kr AH 28 The Blue Lagoon Direct from Keflavik airport 33 € 20 € 3.400 kr AH 65 The Platinum Circle - Three in one 175 € 160 € 25.600 kr AH 29 The Blue Lagoon Direct 33 € 20 € 3.400 kr AH 30 Thorsmörk and South Coast 129 € 90 € 14.200 kr Tours guided in German 2009 AH 31 The Viking Horse Riding Tour & Blue Lagoon Direct 89 € 60 € 9.500 kr Rack Special ISK Tour Code AH 32 Landmannalaugar by bus 139 € 95 € 15.300 kr Tour Name Rate Offer Rate AH 35 South Coast & Jökulsárlón - available from May 17 189 € 140 € 22.400 kr AH 217 Besuch eines isländischen bauernhofs / Visit to an Icelandic farm 79 € 60 € 9.200 kr AH 38 Snæfellsnes National Park 149 € 105 € 17.000 kr Südküsteund Jökulsarlon Gletscher Lagune / South Coast AH 35 189 140 22.400 kr and Jökulsarlon € € AH 39 Cruise at Breiðafjörður Bay 189 € 140 € 22.400 kr AH 70 DPV Scooter Diving 260 220 35.000 kr AH 10 Stadtrundhtfahrt / Greater Area Reykjavik Sightseeing 39 € 30 € 4.500 kr € € Stadtrundfahrt und Blaue Lagune/ City Sightseeing and The AH 71 Magnificent fissure diving 230 € 210 € 33.000 kr AH 225 69 40 6.500 kr Blue Lagoon Direct € € AH 72 Magnificent fissure snorkelling 140 € 120 € 19.400 kr AH 61 Die Saga Route / The Saga Trail 80 € 75 € 12.000 kr AH 74 Whale Watching and Gullfoss & Geysir 118 € 100 € 15.500 kr Die Hochland Route - Gletscher, Wasserfälle und heiße Quellen / AH 75 Whale Watching 49 € 45 € 7.500 kr AH 62 95 € 90 € 14.400 kr The Highland Road Glaciers, waterfalls and hot springs AH 78 Whale Watching & The Blue Lagoon to Keflavík Airport 82 € 65 € 10.300 kr AH 63 Der Silberne Kreis / The Silver Circle 140 € 125 € 20.000 kr AH 79 Whale Watching & The Blue Lagoon Direct 82 € 65 € 10.300 kr AH 75 Walbeobachtung / Whale Watching 49 € 45 € 7.500 kr AH 88 ATV Blue Lagoon Direct to Keflavík Airport 125 € 85 € 13.500 kr AH 234 Perlen der Südküste / South Coast & Waterfalls 129 € 90 € 14.200 kr AH 89 ATV Blue Lagoon Direct 125 € 85 € 13.500 kr AH 212 Der Goldene Kreis / The Golden Circle Classic 79 € 60 € 9.200 kr AH 140 Golden Circle Super Jeep Tour 249 € 220 € 35.000 kr AH 30 Südküste und Thorsmörk / Thorsmörk and The South Coast 129 € 90 € 14.200 kr AH 142 4X4 Iceland Adventure 149 € 130 € 21.000 kr

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*According to the Dear Visitor study done by Tourism Research and Consulting in the summer of 2008 and winter 2008/2009, Iceland Excursions had a significant lead compared to compitetitors in satisfaction and quality. Authorised by Icelandic Tourist Board The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 To try and become more like a REAL MAGAZINE, we've decided to start reporting more on stuff like money and business and the ecnonomy and 10 stuff. That's what serious newsmedia do.

Business (ha ha ha) | Jonathan Baker Esq. To some, the Króna may look similar to the well-known ‘pretend money’ Opinion | Valur Gunnarsson dealt out during a popular economical domination board game. However with up to 12 security features printed on each note, this physical form of the Where is the “My Ka-róna” Króna is surely no fugazi. Have you ever wondered what the difference in the Commerce and Currency of Iceland notes detail and complexity are? Let’s take a gander. Icelandic in the values of 10 and 25 pieces. 100 Aristotle? aurar pieces made up to 1 króna, similar to the modern equivalent of the pence Iceland only seems to or cent. These were followed in 1925 by be large enough to denominations of 1 and 2 króna pieces accommodate one, or at and in 1926 by 1, 2 and 5 aurar pieces. best two, points of view at a Come the early 1960s, three banks time. While our Scandinavian were in production of printed money Value: Value: cousins were busy inventing model societies that stood somewhere in paper forms, each contributing their 500 Krónur 2000 Krónur between the two extremes of American own denomination into the cocktail Obverse Print: Obverse Print: Capitalism and Soviet Communism, and of monopoly – Ríkissjóður Íslands Jón Sigurðsson was leader of the Slap bang on the front is the mug distributing one króna notes and achieved a wide consensus among their Icelandic Independence movement in the shot of Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval, Landsbanki Íslands chucking in 25, 100, populations in doing so, Iceland was 19th Century. He believed in freedom of one of Iceland’s most famous artists. deeply divided between left and right. 500, 1000 and 5000 notes. the individual, the need for the country to Mid-century newspapers seem almost Money, money, money is certainly funny, Like all great blockbuster movies, the Kjarval was once criticized due to be independent, respect for the cultural comical to us now in their fervent Cold or in Iceland’s world at least. The local sequel tends to be a lot more confusing his unconventional blend of realistic currency – known as the króna – has a and religious traditions, especially the landscapes and mythical subjects, but War rhetoric, but how much has really and tedious than the first. Same for changed? fluctuating exchange rate that tends to which could be said about the ‘second preservation of the Icelandic language he was well respected enough in the end differ on a weekly basis; up and down, wave’ of Icelandic króna in 1981. A and no doubt, keeping its own currency. to be featured on the note. Even though A wound that will never heal stronger and weaker, fuller and bleaker. revaluation from the old 100 króna Reverse Print: it’s a note no one likes. In the Post-war era, you were either Mostly down, weaker and bleaker, as of now becoming worth 1 new króna was Jón Sigurðsson at his writing desk, with Reverse Print: opposed to or in agreement with the US late. But you get the idea. bewildering to say the least. tapestry and other belongings. Jóhannes’s painting ‘Yearning for Flight’ military presence, and the debate took Since the króna plummeted at an Króna coins now became produced Type of Paper: and his drawing ‘Woman and Flowers’. the form of sloganeering when at its best and teargas at its worst. This rift has alarming rate seemingly overnight from in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and a 50 Made of raw cotton. Type of Paper: last October, times have been good for never quite healed. In the past decade, piece in 1987. The 2000 denomination Colour: Made of raw cotton. tourists to visit, buy things, get drunk no neutral ground seems to have been of Króna was also introduced, but is no Red. Colour: or just to gloat about their stronger found between conservationists who longer used in main circulation – now Date Issued: Yellow, Green and a bit of Red. currency– the British Pound, Yankee are often portrayed as being in principle brandished as “tourist money”, meaning 1981. Dollar, the Euro, whatever. Date Issued: against modernity, and industrialists who that foreign exchange booths are more Size: 1995. seem to want to dam every river, waterfall Apart from the recent downfall, likely to dispense the notes than ATMs Iceland’s history of currency and 145 x 70 mm. Size: or hot spring they can find. In political are. The introduction of the 100 Króna discourse, you seem to have to be either commerce is a full and rich tale of Watermark: 150 × 70 mm. piece in 1995 brought the demise of for or against nature, which is quite a progression and valour worthy of its own Portrait of Jón Sigurðsson. Watermark: aurar and eventually it became obsolete remarkable feat of oppositional thinking. Blind Recognition Feature: Portrait of Jón Sigurðsson. saga. in 2003 – it was most unquestionably the When faced with the issue of joining the One vertical line is intaglio-printed on Blind Recognition: The Birth of Trade end of an eyrir. European Union, this problem becomes the obverse. A triangle is intaglio-printed on the apparent yet again. On the one hand you God Save The Króna obverse. have people who are portrayed, Cold War The evolution of Icelandic currency has style, as traitors who want to sell Iceland’s changed since ‘way back in the day’ A lot has changed since the early days independence to foreigners. On the other when precious items such as silver, of commerce in Iceland. The frequent hand, you have people who are portrayed homespun cloth and even cows were the use of debit cards for purchasing quality as wanting to sever all connections with the outside world. About the actual pros main circulation of currency between items has cancelled out most usage for and cons of joining the EU, we hear very the 9th and 14th centuries. In fact cows small coins, as it’s often typical to see little. became the most common value system lonely króna pieces dispersed across the for importing/exporting livestock and streets of Laugavegur – along with the Value: Tap water journalism goods – prices were based on the cow vomit from a heavy weekend. Could this 1000 Krónur Value: As usual, the media is at least partially to equivalent. Like a beer would cost an be said for the UK and the States too? Obverse Print: 5000 Krónur blame. Icelandic news programmes and udder, or something. Well, in the United Kingdom, for the Lutheran Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson Obverse print: papers are run on a shoestring budget by As times progressed so did the all international standards. Investigative value of a Pound you can grab yourself who helped to build the church Illustrated is Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir. trading and fish over overtook those journalism is both expensive and time a few cans of non-branded baked beans Brynjólfskirkja in the village of Skálholt – poor cows as the standard value Ragnheiður was the daughter of the consuming. The cheapest option is what and a loft of chemically altered bread. and has a beard shaped like a scrotum. priest Jón Arason and wife of two system – manly due to the avalanche Maybe a can of strong supermarket has quite appropriately been called “tap The written denomination is in the same consecutive Bishops – Gisli Þorláksson water journalism.” You get two people of foreign merchants stopping by at cider and a packet of ‘beef flavour’ corn typeface inscription as the baptismal font and Einar Þorsteinnsson (not at the same with opposing views, and then you turn Iceland’s numerous docks in the late snacks or even a plastic photo frame. of Brynjólfskirkja. time, obviously). The lettering is copied them on and off like hot and cold water. 14th Century. The pricing equivalence For a dollar, you can only grab Reverse Print: A cross-section and from the Laufáskirkja alter cloth at the With no one in a position to present the between the aforementioned methods mainly food related items. Especially portrait of Brynjólfskirkja. At the side actual facts, political debate is quickly just became ridiculous. Take a look: one cheeseburgers from a clown fronted National Museum of Iceland. cow equalled six ewes (sheep) which is an image of the Madonna gold ring Reverse print: reduced to the level of a football game chain fast food eatery or various with no referee where everyone simply equalled one hundred and twenty ells owned by Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson. The reverse depicts Ragnheiður confectionaries from vending machines. cheers their side reduction ad absurdum. of homespun, and which then equalled Type of Paper: Or even practical uses like to topping up instructing two girls in the art of Aristotle said that for every virtue there two hundred and forty fish. With the a parking meter. Made of raw cotton. embroidery. are two vices, both located at opposite impending invention of shopping malls, One hundred Króna will get you six Colour: Type of Paper: ends of the spectrum. He would no doubt iPods and coffee houses, a new form of plastic bags from your local convenient Purple. Made of raw cotton. say that those who see the EU as the currency and trade had to be established. store, a tiny chocolate bar depending Date Issued: Colour: devil incarnate as well as those who see Welcome the Crown on where you shop or a small carton of 1984. Blue, purple and green. it as the answer to all our prayers are Svali also depending where you shop. Size: Date Issued: equally wrong. The answer, no doubt, According to most folk, the best way to 150 × 70 mm. 1986. lies somewhere in the middle. Only by The Danish Coinage Act of 1873 examining things from there can we truly spend your golden crown is a small tub Watermark: Size: abolished all previous forms of currency see what is the right path. Tap water of flavoured skyr from Bónus. Portrait of Jón Sigurðsson. 155 × 70 mm. in favour for the decimal system and the actually works best when hot and cold Blind Recognition: Króna was born. The first denominations Watermark: are mixed together. How much of each of notes – issued in 1885 by Landssjóður Two vertical lines are intaglio-printed on Portrait of Jón Sigurðsson. should be the subject of political debate, Íslands – were of 5, 10 and 50 Krónur. the obverse. Blind Recognition: not either or. Even when, as with the EU, 1922 saw the introduction of Iceland’s Jonathan Baker Esq. Three vertical lines are intaglio-printed one must eventually decide one way or first coin, the aurar, which commenced Hailey Loman on the obverse. another.

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re-92 - 08:00 re-80 - 09:00 All year re-05 - 13:00 landmannalaugar Glacier Adventure relax at the Blue lagoon reykjavík Grand excursion 08-20 All year 09-19 & Saga Valley Summer For our very flexible schedule please refer All year 13-15:30 to our brochures. SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON WED FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT there is no better way to start or end your this unique part of the highlands is one of Get to know the capital with an expert by take a ride to the top of the world on a iceland adventure than by bathing in the iceland´s most awe inspiring, a real pearl, your side. We take you around reykjavík snowmobile and see the amazing sólheima- famous Blue lagoon. you can either board dotted with hot and cold springs all around. with a guide and show you the highlights jökull from above the larger mýrdalsjökull the bus at BsÍ Bus terminal in reykjavík or enjoy iceland´s tranquil silence, peace and of the city. the tour ends at the National glacier and be pleasantly surprised by the at Keflavík airport. scenery in these spectacular and magnificent views. museum of iceland where you can see breathtaking surroundings. this tour is not recommended for children return icelandic culture at its best. bus fare 2800 ISK Price 21500 ISK return bus Book now on www.re.is Book now on www.re.is fare and Book now on www.re.is Book now on www.re.is Price 17000 ISK Price 26700 ISK admission 5900 ISK Price 4900 ISK

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TUE THU FRI SUN MON WED FRI SAT SUN MON WED FRI Summer SAT Want to see and feel something completely a tour for nature lovers: lush valleys, lava this tour is perfect for all saga enthusiasts. Nature is one of the main attractions when different? Why not take a walk on a glacier fields with soft moss, abundant birdlife, on this tour we take you around the area visiting iceland. take a tour through rough and experience a surface that you have diverse flora, craters and salmon rivers. where one of the icelandic sagas took and mossy lava fields with breathtaking never been able to walk on before! take a snæfellsjökull glacier is where “the Journey place - along with enjoying spectacular views, spectacularly breaking surf and tour with us and try something new - to the Centre of the earth” begins – a world landscape. Come and follow in the colonies of thriving birds nesting in a once in a lifetime experience for most. famous story by Jules Verne. footsteps of the Vikings with us. the summer.

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BSÍ Bus Terminal / 101 Reykjavík / 580 5400 / [email protected] / www.re.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 Buy the reviewed comix - and many more - at Nexus, Hverfisgata. Check out our brand new comix page! Awesome, right? 12 Yeah!

Comix | Reviews — by Hugleikur Dagsson When Batman Met Robin

All Star Batman & Robin: control freak and Green Lantern, the The Boy Wonder douchebag). Robin is kidnapped by Batman on Frank Miller and Jim Lee the night of his parents’ murder, thrown Frank Miller's new take on the Boy into the bowels of the batcave and made Wonder's origins takes a few chapters to stay there for days without bread and to get used to. Maybe because it takes water. That's child abuse, isn't it? Well, the story a few chapters to actually it's for his own good. The boy needs to begin. But mainly because you've never be toughened up if he's gonna spend his seen the caped crusader like this. We next years running around the big city, all know he's crazy. That's his shtick. fighting the scum of the earth in his — by Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir A crazy crimefighter chasing crazy undies. criminals. But in this extravagant epic, Miller's Sin City-esque dialogue he's just weird. He constantly refers to sounds a bit strange up against Jim Lee's himself as the "goddamn Batman," has Image-esque artwork (which is flippin' outdoor sex with other sexy vigilantes gorgeous, by the way, and makes the (with masks on) and he laughs, yes, whole purchase worthwhile, whether he actually laughs, out loud – while he you like the story or not). But that too, beats his victims to a bloody pulp. Isn't will grow on you. Some hardcore batfans that supposed to be the M.O. of another will hate this thing. Others will realise certain Gotham psycho? Maybe he's that it's actually a dark comedy, and as just trying to out-flake the other flawed such, quite entertaining. superheroes in the book (including a Hugleikur Dagsson sexist Wonder Woman, Superman the Not The Best Comic Ever — by Bent The book is full of entertaining conversations between Scott and his friends and if you like Chynna Clugston- Major´s “Blue Monday” you’ll love these series. If you kind of hate Chynna's forced wittiness you will be relieved that Pilgrim and pals are a bit more relaxed in the witty department. The Scott Pilgrim series are being transformed into the movie: “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and starring Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little the awkwardly friendly Michael Cera Life Vol. 1 (Superbad). Bryan Lee O’Malley To be quite honest, the movie sounds more exciting than the remaining 5 Welcome to Toronto Canada, the home books, but maybe that has more to do of Scott Pilgrim, unemployed twenty- with the appealing combination of something bass guitarist of Sex Bob- Edgar Wright and Michael Cera than the — by Elo Vásquez and Óttar Norðfjörð Omb. When we first join our main first book being boring. This is not the character he is rebounding with a high- best comic ever but by far not the worst. schooler. Soon he meets the rollerblading Maybe a bit like the country of Canada. (yuck) delivery girl Ramona and falls in Anyway, it’s very popular you know, so love. There is only a minor problem. there must be something to it... right? Before they can get together he has to fight her seven evil martial arts/mystical power ex-boyfriends. The first evil ex is supported by a group of bat-winged Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir cheerleaders. Fíton/SÍA FI029630

Ómissandi ferðafélagi Engin útborgun og 12.000 kr. inneign fylgir Nokia 2680 Slide Frábær sími með myndavél og tónlistarspilara 0 kr. út og 2.000 kr. á mán. í 12 mán. Staðgreitt: 18.900 Tilboðinu fylgir 1.000 kr. inneign á mán. í 12 mán. Komdu strax í næstu verslun Vodafone eða á vodafone.is og kláraðu dæmið Lifðu núna The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10 — 2009 14 Reykjavík Downtown Hostel Grapevine’s taxi driver Culture | New documentary Your dream location in downtown Reykjavík Tales from the Cab Side... Before Björk Enjoy the comforts of your private room There Was... or share a room with new friends It has always been Excellent kitchen and an Icelander’s common areas, WiFi greatest dream to be accepted by big city folk. The Sagas are full of stories of Icelanders’ triumphs abroad, be it at the court of the Norwegian king or the Byzantine Emperor. These may have been a tad embellished, as reports of Icelanders’ triumphs in the last few years certainly were. It was artists such as Sigur Rós and Björk who were the first Icelanders in modern times to really conquer the world. But long before them, a man by the name of Sveinn Kristján Bjarnarson had New York at his feet. No We will help to make your plans and one, however, seems to know about him. experience in Iceland unforgettable Early 20th Century quarter life crisis Now that Iceland’s reputation is in tatters, Your friends at the new HI Hostel at it is a welcome opportunity to revisit one Tonight, as opposed to those disperse at such dens of desperation of our countrymen’s more successful Vesturgata 17 look forward to welcome you covered in previous columns, is as Players in a manner eating away exploits. In the documentary “From a Turf wrapped in a cloak of boredom and at the hour as greedily as they did in Cottage to the Cover of Time,” filmmaker meagre turnover. Stranded at a slow slowly amassing in the vehicle from Hans Kristján Árnason does just that. At procession of differing taxi stands tardy goodbyes at their abandoned the age of 27, having what would now throughout the greater Reykjavik dinner parties. probably be called a quarter life crisis, area, end of the month depleted As the notion of punching out Sveinn knocked a few years off his age, passed himself off as being born in the wallets and the exam season conspire early is grabbing hold, the front USA and changed his name to Holger to rob my ilk and I of our livelihood. passenger door is swung open and Cahill. Neal Stephenson comes to the Hank Moody (an alias of course) As such he became director of the rescue in the form of The Diamond plants his lanky self in the shotgun prestigious Museum of Modern Art in Age; A Young Lady’s Illustrated seat. Hank is, as ususal, brimming New York City and supervised a program Primer, whilst in the background with animated stories and seemingly to help starving artists during the Great Neurosis lulls me into contemplative more anxious to disperse jokes and Depression. Now that depression is submission teetering on the borders good humour then to get home upon us again and artists are starving of LaLa land. and pass out. Hence I employ him even more than usual, it is a worthwhile reminder of how even the Americans The late spring evening drifts for comic relief until the point that thought is necessary for the state to chip Reykjavík Downtown Hostel uneventfully into a light shade of coincidence floats us a fare in the in to save the arts. darkness and unfolds with a two vicinity of his address. We then Cahill is also credited for helping to move Vesturgata 17 ❚ 101 Reykjavík ❚ Tel. 553 8120 ❚ www.hostel.is o’clock sunrise ripe with prank orders tour the city night performing the the world capital of visual arts from Paris and un-lucrative sprint distance fares. Moody Show on stretches of street to New York. Whether this was a good The customary post midnight as far as his home in Kópavogur. idea is another matter, but probably rush won’t pick up and I’m reduced Still, Hank’s deadpan delivery along inevitable. If Cahill was the “pull” effect to cruising and poaching middle- with his scathing doses of sarcasm of moving visual arts across the Atlantic, aged prey in the more fertile dinner often fails to elicit much cheer from Hitler was most certainly on the “push” end of things. party infested suburbs. The middle my ride sharing customers, so we aged notoriously cannot hold their mete ourselves the largest shares of Art in the time of depression liquor and the seething bickering laughter once offended customers Nevertheless, Cahill deserves credit for of an après dinner party couple, one have paid up and alighted. his work as a real patron of the arts who of whom which has inevitably over After an odd hour or two of cared equally much during bust or boom. imbibed, lends it self to a fare less sowing un-PC jokes and reaping The story is told in a straightforward rancid only to a heard of menopausal all shades of offence, we leave documentary style, which is almost a females all atwitter with the roaring a threesome of youngsters relief these days. It often seems to be rambunctiousness of a girls night uncomfortably re-evaluating the the case, especially when dealing with the visual arts, that the filmmaker sees out. sexual nature of their friendships himself more as artist than chronicler, Among the same old comments and – having depleted Hank’s stock with the inevitable result that the point along the lines of me being young of insults – call it a night. gets lost along the way. enough to be the son of a drunken -“Travis Bickle” Hans Kristján and filmmaker Guðmundur heifer, said heifers pitch beer- Bjartmarsson resist all such temptation, goggled remarks about my perceived instead concentrating on the story handsomeness and then, at my at hand. The film includes interviews failure to smile and rejoice, the with surviving family members and art cheerfully inebriated invariably turn historians. The full version was debuted at the Gimli film festival in Winnipeg in to bitchingly berating me for not late June, having received rave reviews brimming with a festive spirit. in Fréttablaðið. The DVD is available in The herds, oblivious to anything Reykjavik bookstores and select music but reminiscing in shrill shrieks stores. about girls nights of yore, pay up and -Valur Gunnarsson Fire is needed by the newcomer Whose knees are frozen numb; Meat and clean linen a man needs Who has fared across the fells.*

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AD 254x195 WU BRAND landsbanking (ICE) .indd 1 1/06/09 17:47:34 The Reykjavík Grapevine Marc Vincenz keeps delving into Transcendental Iceland. Issue 10­ — 2009 Next issue: I meet a woman who speaks to beings in flowers, and who tells me that she once came across dwarves snowboarding on the top of Eiríksjökull. 16

Transcendental Iceland | Part 4: Smoke, Mirrors and Adolf Hitler Radio To The Other Side In search of the Real McCoy

Words ‘Ólafur says Adolf was not really such a bad guy,’ Marc Vincenz my neighbour and appointed translator whispers in my ear. ‘He was a young soul; he had a lot to learn. He was seduced over to the dark side by the aliens Believers come in all shapes and that live on the Grey Planets.’ forms and, mostly, they lead quite unsurprising, even mundane lives. on a remote control, switch from Verdi to the answer to. They are never raised. the Celtic pipes of Enya. Unlike Guðbjörg, Apparently, according to the spirit of For some, talking with the dead, a another medium/channeller whom I have Ólafur, everyone is connected through hidden being, or sharing life-light spent time with, Hildur doesn’t really this silver umbilical cord, which starts with the Cosmos, is as ordinary appear to be any different from when I at the seat of the soul and spreads like a as driving a car to work or taking saw her in the reception around an hour spider web into the universe and into all a stroll down Laugavegur. And ago. When I witnessed Guðbjörg enter 10 billion dimensions on 15 billion worlds it isn’t the ones who wear mad a trance, she visibly looked and talked (he’s quite specific about the numbers), flowing costumes and flowers in like an entirely different person—even but also to multiple alter egos. This means their hair that you have to watch the tone of her voice went down to a low there’s something like at least a few billion Hitlers out there and, according to out for, it’s the ones you least baritone. The room itself is crammed to the statistical plausibility, at least one of them suspect: the lawyers, doctors, rafters with books, all sorts of tomes of the became a successful architect. I guess in politicians, and housewives, plenty unexplained, myths and legends, demons, that universe, there was no Albert Speer. and plenty of housewives—some UFOs and other unlikely phenomenon. It All of us, you and I included, have desperate, others less so—but all seems to me that Magnús possibly has the multiple-selves living alternative lives in with a special connection to the largest library on the paranormal in all of parallel worlds. Sometimes, Ólafur says, world beyond Iceland. I am wondering if he has read it can happen that you meet yourself— them all when suddenly the question and one of your alter egos; in that case, stay answer session with Hildur/Ólafur starts well clear. If you touch yourself, you may to take an unexpected turn. Apparently, well disappear in a blinding flash of light. from what I can gather, Ólafur is quite I make a note to check some of the more familiar with Adolf Hitler; it’s not quite recent Big Bang theories—cutting edge clear if they’ve taken spiritual tea together, physics talks about ‘super strings’ being but he has often conversed with him. the undercurrent of the universe. Strings Perhaps since Ólafur was a doctor— and threads and webs…hmm. rather than say, a garbage man—before After the séance, Magnús invites me I’m sitting in what doubles as a séance motley crew at the Reykjavik Paranormal he joined the spirits, people take him at to join them all in homemade pancakes. parlour in the Icelandic Elf School on Investigation Society, arrives. A shiver his word. They are, after all, the words of a I decline the invitation, but can’t resist the third floor of an office building in runs down my spine. Perhaps they see man of science. asking one more question: downtown Reykjavik. The room, hardly ghostly apparitions in here all the time. Until now, Magnús and Ólafur have ‘So how far away is the next planet large enough to swing a black cat in, is Magnús has to give everyone a run for their been rambling on about the so-called with life?’ crammed to the gills—there must be money. You can’t have a séance without soul thread which, as I have mentioned ‘Ah,’ says Magnús, popping a hefty close to seventy people. There is someone the promise of something interesting before (see Transcendental Iceland Part piece of pancake smothered in strawberry from virtually every walk of life here: from happening. That’s why, I guess, there are 3), appears to be exceedingly prevalent in jam into his mouth, ‘Ólafur told us a the Goth teenager with the Ankh tattoo to cameras all over the room; why calming New Age explanations of the soul and its couple of weeks ago. It’s not far, only 15 the Don Juan retiree in the tweed jacket. music is being piped in, and why Magnús interconnectedness with the Universe. light years away, and it looks precisely like The majority are women over sixty, mostly has donned a jacket and tie. ‘Ólafur says Adolf was not really such Earth.’ widows. One of the looks over at me and First, to get everyone in the right a bad guy,’ my neighbour and appointed Outside the stars are blinking, I light a says: mood, Magnús cracks all sorts of jokes, translator whispers in my ear. ‘He was a cigarette and notice just to the right of the then proudly recounts a story he told young soul; he had a lot to learn. He was Big Dipper, there is a small group of stars; ‘So, have you seen Them before?’ recently on his radio show; all the while seduced over to the dark side by the aliens if you were to connect them like dots, they Hildur Clausen, the medium, sits there that live on the Grey Planets.’ He’s taking might almost look like a swastika. There’s a long moment of hush. I do of slumped as if she is going into trance. He notes too. He’s completely and utterly course know what she’s talking about, strikes me almost like a vicar addressing serious. ‘You know Adolf wanted to be an but I hesitate. I don’t like to lie; yet in the his flock. After a couple of prayers—or architect, but could not live out his dream,’ scheme of the supernatural what counts rather respectful incantations for the he says. as a lie and what doesn’t? It’s all about dearly departed—candles are lit. Magnús ‘And for that, he became the Beast of perception, isn’t it? has his congregation right in the palm of Berlin?’ I want to ask. Once or twice, I his hand. can swear I catch a glimmer of a smirk ‘I mean a spirit,’ she says after my long Ten minutes of silence seem like half on Hildur, then Magnús's, face. Not silence. an hour and then, as if by magic, precisely wanting to disturb Magnús’s train of I nod, smile feebly and make to write at the appointed minute (I notice Magnús questioning—he becomes visibly quite notes. Actually, I’m doodling in the check his watch), Hildur is channelling upset if he is interrupted—I pass two 1. Infinite universes contain margins; spirally things that look like Ólafur Tryggvason. Most of the questions hand-written questions through my infinite Hitlers. They're all little black holes. I daren’t look up until are posed by Magnús himself. Meanwhile, neighbour. They are questions about douchebags. Magnús Skarphéðinsson, leader of this the fingers of his right hand, deftly poised Hitler that most people would not know

ICELAND :: FILM – Berlin – Copenhagen – Reykjavík MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS – EDDAS AND SAGAS A LOOK INTO NATURE Icelandic Filmmaking 1904-2008 The Ancient Vellums on Display The Story of the Icelandic Museum of Natural History

EXHIBITIONS - GUIDED TOURS The Culture House – Þjóðmenningarhúsið Open daily between 11 am and 5 pm CAFETERIA - CULTURE SHOP National Centre for Cultural Heritage Free guided tour of THE MEDIEVAL MANU- Hverfi sgata 15 · 101 Reykjavík (City Centre) SCRIPTS exhibition Mon and Fri at 3:30 pm. Tel: 545 1400 · www.thjodmenning.is LÉTTÖL

EXPECT HANG OVERS...

THE BIGGEST CLUB IN DOWNTOWN REYKJAVIK. LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEKEND. WWW.NASA.IS The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 18

Issues | Asylum seeker special “Criminal” Immigration Officials Still At Large

In recent months, the treatment of refugees in Iceland and the failure of the authorities to uphold the domestic and international refugee law has finally come under some scrutiny. At the heart of the matter is the principle of equality or the lack thereof, not just in the treatment of refugees as second-class citizens, but also in the strange legal immunity that only government officials (and bankers) seem to have developed. If the average citizen steals a chicken from the supermarket, they can expect to face the legal consequences. Government immigration officials, however, can blithely ignore supposedly binding refugee legislation, and continue to walk the streets. Just as with the economy busting bankers, it seems that the more spectacular one’s crimes, the less likely one is to be brought to account for them. Perhaps the only way to protect decent society from such dangerous offenders is to lure them through the turnstiles at Bónus with the hope that, in a moment of madness, they may pilfer some poultry. Unfortunately the actions the immigration directorate go beyond mere petty theft or even bureaucratic incompetence involving several breaches of national and international law

without any semblance of due process. Words The report claims that conditions have John Boyce, improved, and to the intense surprise Jórunn Helgadóttir of nobody, recommends returning Guðjon Abbes Icelandic refugees there. Back in the real world, the EU officially rebuked Illustration Greece less than a month ago, for Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir failing to meet minimum standards of care for refugees. Cited in particular was a detention centre originally built In March, the current Minister for 280 people that currently houses of Justice made a public show of almost 2000. meeting with refugees to hear their Just last Sunday, in a dawn raid, grievances. At this meeting, Ragna Greek police demolished an illegal Árnadóttir pledged to apply fair migrant camp, in what the Red Cross and just procedure. However, as the described as deliberate attempt to months go by and little changes, it terrorise the occupants. The camp had begins to look more and more like been in existence for almost thirteen a cynical public relations exercise. years, the direct result of Greek refusal And speaking of going through the to establish proper procedures for PR motions, Björg Thorarensen, the dealing with immigration and asylum. head of the committee on refugees, At the end of the day, the refugee issue recently turned down a request for a in Iceland comes down to political meeting with several individuals who expediency, the golden rule of politics have been working tirelessly in support that transcends the conventional of the refugees. Refusal was on the political spectrum. Refugees have bizarre grounds that the committee no votes, no family connections, no had not planned on meeting with influence, and, ultimately, no political “agents of the refugees,” an entirely capital. sensible policy only if one’s central aim All of which brings us to is to avoid informing oneself on the Dostoyevsky, who wrote that the issue for which you have been made ultimate yardstick of a decent society responsible, for fear you might actually was the way it treats prisoners, its most be forced to do something about it. powerless and vulnerable members. This Pontius Pilate approach to Such a litmus test could equally public policy is also evident in the apply to refugees, in which case it is sham report produced recently for a test that this Republic has thus far the Ministry of Justice on the thorny miserably failed. issue of returning refugees to Greece, the principal land route for refugees into Europe. Sending refugees back there under the third country rule has long been controversial due to appalling conditions and lack of legal protection they face there. Many are simply imprisoned before being returned to their country of origin

The law clearly states that a For years, Iceland has Both the Dublin Convention When not breaching the letter Under refugee law, it is also refugee has the right to be successfully managed to evade and United Nations directives of the law, the immigration illegal to deport refugees en 1.informed on every aspect 2. its fair share of responsibility 3. stipulate that illegal entry 4.directorate busies itself 5.masse, as each have the right of their case and the “rights” to for European refugees by invoking by refugees should not be held breaching its spirit, with vindictive to be treated as an individual case. which they are entitled in Iceland in the third country rule, whereby a against them, or prejudice their raids on the refugee hostel in Keflavík Apparently undeterred by such minor a language they can reasonably be refugee can be returned to the original case. However, in a cynical attempt and deportation operations on ten legal details, Haukur Guðmundsson expected to understand. In clear legal country through which they entered to tarnish the reputations of refugees minutes notice, despite the right was on the verge of kicking out a group breach, refugees receive most relevant Europe. Under the Dublin Convention, in the eyes of the public, the recently of refugees to at least query their of five refugees until the minister for papers, and even deportation orders, however, if the third country does not departed head of the immigration deportation order (in the unlikely event justice, Ragna Árnadóttir, stepped in Icelandic. Such theoretical rights make an official request, within three directorate, Haukur Guðmundsson, they would actually be able to read it!). in ordering a temporary stay on the are rendered worthless if the relevant months, to the original European disclosed to the press that some of deportation order. After effectively information is disseminated in a country of entry to take back the the refugees had made it to Iceland turning a blind eye to the goings on language obviously incomprehensible refugee, then the refugee becomes the using false papers. As well as being a for years, the Ministry of Justice, the to its recipients. responsibility of that third country . clear breach of the law guaranteeing ultimate authority in these matters, In such circumstances, a refugee in refugees’ right to case confidentiality, finally seemed to have become Iceland having come from Denmark, it is also the most idiotic of counter- engaged on the subject. for example, would then have the right intuitive statements. Of course they got to have their case heard in Iceland. In here using false papers: if they were flagrant breach of this internationally in possession of genuine ones, they ¹ Laws and regulations on language barriers being broken: Article 24, chapter V of Laws on Foreigners (Lög um útlendinga); Article 57, chapter IX of Regulation on binding agreement, Iceland routinely wouldn’t be refugees in the first place! Foreigners (Reglugerð um útlendinga); Article 5.2 of the European Convention on Human Rights; Article 3.4, chapter II of the Dublin Convention. 2 Laws and regulations on informing being broken: Article 25, chapter V & Article 30, chapter V of Laws on Foreigners; Article 57, chapter IX and article 64, chapter returns refugees months, and in some XI of Regulation on Foreigners. Article 3.4, chapter II of the Dublin Convention (Council Regulation (EC) No 343/2003 of 18 February 2003). 3 Article 17.1, chapter IV of the Dublin Convention. cases years, after the deadline has 4 Dublin Convention, article 9.5 chapter III and article 31 of the Appendix on Refugees of the UN Human Rights Convention. 5 Article 18, chapter IV of Laws on Rights and Duties of Employees of the State (Lög um réttindi og skyldur starfsmanna ríkisins). (According to the 38th article of expired. VII. chapter of the same laws the director of the institution (Haukur Guðmundsson) is responsible for its service to be in accordance with law and what is to be expected of the institution. If it is not the Minister of Justice (Ragna Árnadóttir) has the authority to reprimand or to dismiss the director. 6 Breaking on law bound rights stated in Article 30, article 31 & article 34, chapter V of Laws on Foreigners. Abusing article 33, chapter V of Laws on Foreigners. Breaking article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 7 Article 4 of State Laws on the European Convention on Human Rights. Music, Art, Films and Events Listings + Eating, Drinking and Shopping + Map Your essential guide to life, travel and entertainment in Iceland. Issue 10 2009 www.grapevine.is

Mudball 2009 FTW!

You really haven't lived until you've broken some bones (or at least participated) in a swampy, muddy game of football in Ísafjörður. The Westfjords town's annual Mudball tournament rules the hell over every other sport there is, pretty much. It plays sorta like football, except that it takes place in a muddy swamp, it's rough, it's drunk, it's dirty; it's AWESOME. Further info, programme, registration, pics and love at www.myrarbolti.com MUSIC CONCERTS & NIGHTLIFE FRESH & HEALTHY MEXICAN FAST FOOD Prescribing with love 21 Grand Rokk TUE 22:00. music for your live Hemmi og Valdi Dubliner 23:00 Grapevine Grassroots followed by DJ experience 22:30 Live Music. Ugly. Prikið Hressó 22:30 Beatdown Night with Introbeats 22:00 Dalton followed by DJ Elli. How to use the listings and Gestir. Jacobsen Venues are listed alphabetically by day. Q-Bar 00:00 Damien Eie and Sexy Lazer. For complete listings and detailed 23:00 Youtube night with Unnur Andrea. Kaffibarinn information on venues visit Rósenberg 23:45 Gísli Galdur. 21:00 Mogadon. London/Reykjavik www.grapevine.is 00:00 Ghozt's Birthday Bash. Prikið 22 22:30 House band and Danni Deluxxee. WED Q-Bar 17 23:00 Árni Sveins Kaffi Sæli (Tálknafirði) FRI B5 Rósenberg 20:00 Trúbatrix Party. 21:00 Live Music. Fri 5 B5 23:00 DJ Beatur. 23:00 DJ Simon GorillaFunk. Dubliner Café Paris 22:30 Live Music. 22:00 Cocktail Night. Jacobsen 25 Celtic Cross 00:00 Late Hour Night feat Oli Ofur. SAT 01:00 Live Music. Kaffi Hljómalind Cultura 18:00. Ghetto Yoga followed by Alana at B5 20:00 House DJs. 20:15. 23:00 DJ Einar. Dubliner Hallgrimskirkja Celtic Cross 22:30 Live Music. 12:00 Lunchtime concert Feat Chamber 01:00 Live Music. English Pub choir Schola Cantorum Reykjavicensis. Cultura 22:00 Live Music. 1000ISK. 22:00 Live DJs. Grand Rokk Prikið Dubliner 22:00 Troubadour Night. 22:30 Arnar. 22:30 Live Music. Hemmi og Valdi Q-Bar English Pub 5 RESTAURANTS IN AND AROUND REYKJAVÍK 23:00 Live DJ. 23:00 Pub Quiz. 22:00 Live Music. Hressó Rósenberg Hemmi og Valdi 22:00 Napóleon. 21:00 Bob Haley. 23:00 Live DJ. Jacobsen Hressó 00:00 Maggi Lego and Pedro Speh 23 22:00 Ímynd followed by DJ Elli. Lisboa Underground. THU Jacobsen Kaffibarinn 00:00 Daniel Howe, DJ Jack Schidt, 23:45 DJ KGB. B5 Superdiskant. London/Reykjavik 21:00 Live performance by Þrjár Raddir. Kaffibarinn 00:00 Andri Ramirez . Cultura 23:45 Sexy Lazer. Nasa 22:30 Live DJs. London/Reykjavik 23:00 Familjen. Dubliner 00:00 TBC. KRINGLAN SHOPPING CENTER / / N1 GAS STATION - HRINGBRAUT 12 (NEXT TO THE BSI BUS TERMINAL) Prikið 22:30 Live Music. Prikið SMÁRALIND SHOPPING CENTER / / N1 GAS STATION - BÍLDSHÖFÐI // DALSHRAUN 11 - HAFNARFJÖRÐUR 22:30 Live Music English Pub 22:30 DJ Gísli Galdur. Rósenberg 22:00 Live Music. Q-Bar 21:00 Gylfi Ægisson. Hemmi og Valdi 23:00 DJ Kári. Sódóma Reykjavík 23:00 Live Electro. Rósenberg 20:00 Elín Ey, Adda, Heiða Dóra, María Hressó 21:00 Live music. Magnúsdóttir, Songbird, Uni. 22:00 Acoustic Böddi and Davíð. Sódóma Reykjavík MEXICAN FAST FOOD Jacobsen 20:00 Kimi Records present FM Belfast, www.serrano.is/english 00:00 Kiasmos Live Set and Orange Asli Sudden Weather Change, Skakka- [email protected] 18 Live Set. manage, MIRI and Swords of Chaos. SAT Kaffibarinn Entrance: 1500ISK. 23:45 Maggi Legó. B5 Kaffi Hljómalind 23:00 DJ Jay Oh! 17:30. Ghetto Yoga follwed by Esoteric Celtic Cross Gender at 20:00. 26 01:00 Live Music. Prikið SUN Cultura 22:30 DJ Húsins. 22:00 House DJs. Q-Bar Dubliner Dubliner 23:00 Circus Night. 22:30 Live Music. 22:30 Live Music. Reykjavík Cathedral (Domkirkja) Hallgrimskirkja English Pub 12:15 Lunchtime concert feat. Organist 17:00 International Organ Summer Feat 22:00 Live Music. Guðný Einarsdóttir. Hosted by the Society Douglas Cleveland (Seattle, USA) Hemmi og Valdi of Icelandic Organists in collaboration with 1500ISK. 23:00 DJ Ugly. the Friends of the Arts Society in Hallgrím- Prikið Hressó skirkja. Entrance: 1000ISK. 22:30 Hangover Cinema with FREE 22:00 Penta. Rósenberg POPCORN. Jacobsen 21:00 Danny Pollock. Q-Bar 00:00 Krooks and Árni Sveinsxx. Sódóma Reykjavík 23:00 Open Decks. Kaffibarinn 21:00 Oki Doki present For a Minor Rósenberg 23:45 Már & Níelsen. Reflection, Rökkuró and Agent Fresco. 20:00 Sunday Parlours, Mysterious Kaffi Hljómalind Entrance: 500ISK. Marta, Ivar. 1000ISK. 20:30 Mamas Jam Boys. London/Reykjavik 27 00:00 Frigore or Paul Moritz. . 24 MON NASA FRI B5 00:00 Techno.is Presents Marco Bailey. Dubliner 23:00 DJ Funky Fleivur. Entrance: 1500ISK. 22:30 Live Music. Café Paris Prikið Kaffi Hljómalind 22:00 Cocktail Night. 22:30 DJ Danni Deluxxe. 20:00 Audiobook Night. Celtic Cross Q-Bar Kaffi Zimsen 01:00 Live Music. 23:00 Porno Night with Dj Shaft and 21:00 2 for 1 BEER! Cultura Gestir. Prikið 20:00 House DJs. Rósenberg 22:30 DJ Old school G Bastard. Dubliner 21:00 Varsjarbandalagið. Rósenberg 22:30 Live Music. Sódóma Reykjavík 21:00 Joni Mitchell concert. 22:00 Jet Black Joe. English Pub 22:00 Live Music. 19 SUN Music & Entertainment | Venue finder

Dubliner Amsterdam Dubliner Nýlenduvöruverzlun Hemma 22:30 Live Music. Hafnarstræti 5 | D3 Hafnarstræti 4 | D3 & Valda Hallgrimskirkja Laugavegur 21 | F5 17:00 International Organ Summer feat. An- Apótek English Pub dreas Sieling, organist of Berlin Cathedral. Austurstræti 16 | E3 Austurstræti 12 | E3 Næsti Bar Entrance: 1500ISK. B5 Glaumbar Ingólfstræti 1A | E5 Prikið Bankastræti 5 | E4 Tryggvagata 20 | D3 Óliver 22:00 Hangover Cinema with FREE Babalú Grand Rokk Laugavegur 20A | F5 POPCORN. Skólavörðustígur 22 | F5 Smiðjustígur | E5 Ölstofan Q-Bar Vegamótastígur | F5 23:00 Open Decks. Batterí Highlander Reykjavík Cathedral (Domkirkja) Hafnarstræti 1-3 | D3 Lækjargata 10 | F3 Prikið 17:00 Pianist Mark Damisch. Bar 11 Hressó Bankastræti | F5 Rósenberg Laugavegur 11 | E5 Austurstræti 20 | E4 Q-Bar 21:00 Andrea Gylfa and Eddi. Barbara Hverfisbarinn Ingólfstræti 3 | F4 Laugavegur 22 | F6 Hverfisgata 20 | E5 Rósenberg 20 Klapparstígur 25 | F6 MON Bjarni Fel Jacobsen Austurstræti 20 | E4 Austurstræti 9 | E3 Sódóma Reykjavík Dubliner Boston Kaffi Hljómalind Tryggvagata 22 | D3 22:30 Live Music. Laugavegur 28b | F6 Laugavegur 23 | F6 Sólon Kaffi Hljómalind Café Cultura Kaffi Zimsen Bankastræti 7A | E4 20:00 Audiobook Night. Hverfisgata 18 | E5 Hafnarstræti 18 | E4 Thorvaldsen Kaffi Zimsen Austurstræti 8 | E3 21:00 2 for 1 BEER! Café Paris Kaffibarinn Nordic House Austurstræti 14 | E3 Bergstraðastræti 1 | F5 Vegamót Vegamótastígur 4 | F5 20:00 Pianist Mark Damisch. Balthazar Karamba Prikið Hafnarstræti 1-3| D3 Laugavegur 22 | F6 22:30 DJ House. Celtic Cross London/Reykjavík Rósenberg Hverfisgata 26 | E5 Tryggvagata 22 | D3 21:00 < 3 Svanhvít. Dillon NASA Laugavegur 30 | F6 Þorvaldsenstræti 2| E3 28 TUE 19 Dubliner July 22:30 Live Music. Kjöt og Kúnst (Hveragerdi) 21:00 Sunday Parlours, Mysterious Marta, Ivar. Prikið 20 22:30 Skate Night with skate videos and July live DJ. Rósenberg 21:00 Þrjár Raddir amd Beatur. 29 WED Goodwill Hunting Bæjarbío (Hafnarfjörður) 20:30 Amiina + Seabear. Entr 1500ISK. By Jonathan Baker Esq. Dubliner 22:30 Live Music. Kaffi Hljómalind Pianist Mark Damisch 18:00. Ghetto Yoga followed by Alana at 20:15. Reykjavík Cathedral Domkirkja 17pm Hallgrimskirkja 12:00 Lunchtime concert Feat Chamber Nordic House at 20pm choir Schola Cantorum Reykjavicensis. 1000ISK. “It’s a beautiful country!” proclaims Chicago based Pianist Mark Damisch, who is Prikið embarking on a 25-day tour across Europe and stopping by to perform two special 22:30 Live Music. Q-Bar and unique concerts over two separate days here in Iceland. The first concert will be 23:00 Pub Quiz. held at the Reykjavík Cathedral Dómkirkja on the 19th of July and then on the 20th Rósenberg at the Nordic House, Sturlugata 5. 21:00 Guðbjórg and band. This is not the first time Mark Damisch has performed in Iceland – he first performed back in 1977 at the Keflavík NATO base to boost the morale of the US 30 troops then stationed there. Now, 34 years later, he has returned with his two THU daughters to help improve the relationship between Iceland and the States once B5 again. 23:00 DJ Sensual Seduction. Unlike celebrities such as, say Chris Martin or Bono, Mark Damisch has raised Bar 11 the awareness of charity and political profiling through music most of his life without 21:00 PORQUESI. accepting anything in return, apart from the respect of his peers. Humbly stating Dubliner “We don’t take any money for the concerts, we pay our own way.” 22:30 Live Music. Mr. Damisch first began arranging and performing concerts in 1975, touring Cultura Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the Soviet Union promoting goodwill and 22:00 House DJs. English Pub international relations. He has performed in Hanover, West Germany; the Houses 22:00 Live Music. of Friendship in Moscow, Kiev and Leningrad, Soviet Union; Schiller College in Hressó Strasbourg; and the University of Dijon, France. The Hanover Zeitung newspaper 22:00 Húkkara Ball with Dalton. nicknamed him the “young ambassador” and described the tour as “enjoyable and Kaffi Hljómalind accomplished.” 17:30 Ghetto Yoga. For his 2009 concert series – sponsored by the United States Embassy – not Prikið 22:30 DJ Dr. House. only will he be visiting Iceland, he will also be spreading his compassion at the Q-Bar Museum des Beaux Arts, France; the City of Montlouis sur Loire, Luxembourg; and 23:00 Circus Night with Thor. finally in Paris at the American Cathedral. Reykjavík Cathedral (Domkirkja) Each performance will comprise of four different yet compelling compositions 12:15 Lunchtime concert Feat. Organist reproduced by Mark and his two daughters. These being Debussy’s staccato Marteinn H. Friðriksson. Hosted by the ‘Golliwogg Cakewalk,’ Chopin’s pensive ‘Waltz No.10 in B Minor,’ Gershwin’s ‘Piano Society of Icelandic Organists in collabora- tion with the Friends of the Arts Society Composition’ and Beethoven’s liberating ‘Sonata No.23 in F Minor.’ in Hallgrímskirkja. Entrance: 1000ISK. As Mark Damisch’s first tour programme stated in1975: “Our prayer is that Rósenberg people everywhere will learn from each other's differences, heal each other's 21:00 Live music. wounds, promote each other's progress and benefit from each others mistakes.” So stop by and have some of that, if you’re in the area. 10 23 July July Oki Doki present; For a Minor Reflection, The Lunchtime Organ Rökkurró, Concert Series Agent Fresco

Glacier Adventures Reykjavík Cathedral Sódóma Reykjavík from Skaftafell Dómkirkjan Tryggvagatu 22 21pm on the mighty Lækjargatu 14a 12pm 500ISK Vatnajökull Glacier The Society of Icelandic Organists host It’s really not that often a whole a series of lunchtime concerts over the evening captures your attention quite summer months of July and August. like the one at Sódóma Reykjavík on These performances are held at the July 23rd. The fine people of Oki Doki Dómkirkjan Cathedral in downtown present three top-notch acts all with Reykjavík at 12:15 every Thursday. a reputation for incredible live shows. This month’s sequence of concerts For a Minor Reflection bring a dose include organist Guðný Einarsdóttir on of enchanting post-rock, the sultry the 23rd of July and fellow Icelandic musings of Rökkurró will leave you organist Marteinn H. Friðriksson on the unnerved and jazz metal outfit Agent [email protected] 30th of July – admission is 1000 ISK. Fresco are guaranteed to get you Why not enjoy some wonderful and moving hard – that’s if you can keep up + 354-659-7000 inspiring music, lounge in the green of with the freaked-out time signatures. Austurvöllur and bask in the glorious The night will kick off at 21:00 and sunshine downtown. JB admission is a measly 500ISK. JB Woolens factory sto r e , Genuine woolen goods, located in Vik _ma_de_ in_ I_cel_an_d Also wide selection of souvenirs

Víkurprjón ehf Phone: 487-1250 www.vikwool.is MUSIC 29 JULY July Live – continued – OUTSIDE The Foghorns, Benni Hemm Hemm music REYKJAVÍK Grand Rokk 21pm Grundarfjörður Sometimes you just want to kick back with a beer and listen to some high quality every weekend Kaffi 59 tunes without all the bullshit. The Foghorns have it covered with their folky jams. July 22 Kimi Records Summer Tour The band – a beloved mainstay on the Reykjavík scene a couple of years back, until FM Belfast, Miri, Skakkamanage, they relocated to the US of A – are making their return to Reykjavik to celebrate the Sudden Weather Change release of their fifth album, A Diamond As Big As the Motel 6, written and recorded 8pm in the American Northwest. The Foghorns are a tried and tested live band, their Admission: TBA melodies are sweet and the accompanying lyrics (by former Grapevine editor-slash- legend Bart Cameron) make the mix one not to be missed. Also performing at the show is the one and only Benni Hemm Hemm, who has Ísafjörður long since ensured his status as one of Iceland’s favourite musicians. The show will Edinborgarhúsið July 23 Kimi Records Summer Tour be held at Grand Rokk, July 29th, at 9 p.m. Sit back and enjoy the music – this night FM Belfast, Miri, Skakkamanage, is not to be missed. JG Sudden Weather Change 8pm Tel +354 577 60 50 Admission: TBA AKUREYRI www.sixt.is 17 19 Hvammstangi July July Café Síróp July 24 Kimi Records Summer Tour FM Belfast, Miri, Skakkamanage, Sudden Weather Change 22 25 10pm July July Admission: TBA Akureyri Græni Hatturinn Prepare Yourself Iceland July 17 Jagúar By Jonathan Baker Esq. 10 pm - ? Admission: 1500 ISK July 18 Ragnheiður Gröndal Kimi Records’ Summer fun tour The country’s largest 9.30 pm - ? National Museum of Iceland Admission: 1500 ISK Reykjavík! Sudden Weather Change, Swords of Chaos, museum of cultural July 21 Guðrún Gunnarsdóttir Opening hours: 9pm Miri, Króna, Létt á Bárunni, Prins Póló, Björt, FM Belfast history featuring a Summer Admission TBA July 24 Þursaflokkurinn and Skakkamanage. permanent exhibition on (May 1st – September 15th) 10pm – 01am Admission: 2800 ISK Daily 10–17 All across Iceland Iceland’s extraordinary July 30 Mannakorn Winter 9pm - ? Part One 20pm history from settlement Admission: TBA (September 16th – April 30th) Ketilhúsið Part Two 20pm to present day. July 17 Opera singer Claudia Kunz and Daily except Mondays 11–17 pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr 1500ISK per show 12.00am - ? Admssion: TBA So summer is finally here; everyone’s favourite time of year. Let’s eat lots of ice cream July 30 Quartett Jussanam da Silva and drink lots of beer. Oh man, I’m incredibly sorry for that cheesy intro, but we are 21.30pm - ? just so excited for this years Kimi Records’ Summer fun tour! Admssion: TBA Claiming to be way bigger than last years (and it is), the tour is now split into Suðurgata 41 · 101 Reykjavík · Tel. +354 530-2200 · www.natmus.is two separate parts with numerous bands from the Kimi Records’ alternative label. We Húsavík catch up with part one today - Friday July 17th – at Herðubreið in Seyðisfjörður – in Gamli Baukur July 18 Lírukassinn association with the annual LungA festival, also featuring Miri, Króna, Létt á Bárunni, Björn Jörundur, Valli Sport Prins Póló and Björt – followed by a stop at Kaupvangur in Vopnafjörður on Saturday 10pm-03am 18th and then finally on Sunday July 19th at Gamli Baukur in Húsavík. Admission: 1500ISK Expect an energetic three days with Reykjavík!, Sudden Weather Change and Numismatic Museum July 19 Kimi Records Summer Tour Swords of Chaos for part one; no doubt resulting in a frenzy-packed explosion of -Sudden Weather Change, screaming people, flying microphone stands, hopefully, various forms of bodily fluids. Reykjavík!, Swords of Chaos After a few days rest, part two continues to destroy Iceland by spreading 8pm sunshine and terror at Kaffi 59 in Grundarfjörður, Wednesday July 22nd; Admission: 1500ISK July 20 Troubadour Kiddi Halldórs Thursday July 23rd at Edinborgarhúsið in of Ísfjörður; and then on to Kaffi Siróp in 22pm Hvammstangi n Friday July 24th. Admission: 0 ISK These final dates will be your opportunity to wind down just a little with the July 21 Hundur í óskilum poptastic electro crooners FM Belfast, the delicate affections of both Miri and 22pm Skakkamanage, and the hardworking Sudden Weather Change. Admission: 0 ISK All of this excitement ultimately leads up to the big one at Sódóma Reykjavík July 22 Hvanndalsbræður on Saturday 25th July - where the party really goes down! Sudden Weather Change, 22pm Skakkamanage and Miri will all be joined by the crazy Swords of Chaos for mass Admission: 0 ISK July 23 Þórir // My summer as a musical debauchery and carnage. Sweet. I]Z8ZcigVa7Vc`VcYCVi^dcVaBjhZjbd[>XZaVcY_d^ciandeZgViZ salvation soldier All shows cost 1500ISK and begin at 20:00. 22pm Vcjb^hbVi^XXdaaZXi^dci]ViXdch^hihd[>XZaVcY^XcdiZhVcYXd^ch! Admission: 0 ISK Art | Venue finder [dgZ^\cbdcZn[gdbZVga^Zgi^bZh!ZheZX^Vaan^[bZci^dcZY^c>XZaVc" July 24 S.O.S. & Ína Idol Y^XhdjgXZh!VcYbdgZgZXZciXjggZcXn[gdb>XZaVcY»hbV^cigVY^c\ 23pm 101 Gallery Gallery Ágúst Tue–Sun 11–17 Admission: 0 ISK Hverfisgata 18A | F6 Baldursgata 12 | F9 www.listasafn.is eVgicZgXdjcig^Zh#6hZaZXi^dc[gdbi]Zcjb^hbVi^XXdaaZXi^dc^hdc July 25 Bjórbandið Thu–Sat 14–17 and by appoint- Wed–Sat 12–17 The National Y^heaVn^ch]dlXVhZhdci]Z\gdjcY[addgd[i]Z8ZcigVa7Vc`»hbV^c 23pm ment www.galleriagust.is Museum Admission: 0 ISK Suðurgata 41 | Wj^aY^c\# www.101hotel. Gallery Fold C9 July 26 Violinist Hjörleifur Valsson Open daily 10–17 is/101hotel/101gallery/ Rauðarástígur 14-16 | J9 3pm natmus.is/ Artótek Mon–Fri 10–18 / Sat 11–16 / Admission: 0 ISK Tryggvagata 15 | D5 Sun 14–16 The Nordic House Situated in the Central Bank´s main building in Kalkofnsvegur 1, Reykjavík. Mon 10–21, Tue–Thu 10–19, Fri www.myndlist.is Sturlugata 5 | C11 Open Mon.-Fri. 13:30-15:30. Free admittance. Tue–Sun 12–17 Egilsstaðir 11–19, Sat and Sun 13–17 Gallery Kling & Bang Valaskjálf www.nordice.is/ www.sim.is/Index/Islenska/ Hverfisgata 42 | G7 July 17 Ljótu Hálfvitarnir Artotek Thurs–Sun from 14–18 The Numismatic Museum 11pm – 03am ASÍ Art Museum this.is/klingogbang/ Einholt 4 | K9 Admission: TBA Open Mon–Fri 13:30–15:30. Freyugata 41 | G10 Gallery Turpentine Tue–Sun 13–17 Ingólfstræti 5 | F7 Reykjavík 871+/-2 Seyðisfjörður Árbæjarsafn Tue–Fri 12–18 / Sat 11–16 Aðalstræti 17 | D6 Herðubreið Kistuhylur 4 www.turpentine.is Open daily 10–17 VÍKIN MUSEUM CAFÉ July 17 Kimi Records Summer Tour Suddden Weather Change, The Culture House Gerðuberg Cultural Centre Reykjavík Art Gallery Traditional Icelandic delicacies! Reykjavík!, Swords of Chaos, Miri, Hverfisgata 15 | F6 Gerðuberg 3-5 Skúlagata 28 | H6 Króna, Björt, Prinsinn & Báran Open daily 11–17 Mon–Thu 11–17 / Wed 11–21 / Tuesday through Sunday 14–18 20pm www.thjodmenning.is Thu–Fri 11–17 / Sat–Sun 13–16 Reykjavík Art Museum Admission: TBA Dwarf Gallery www.gerduberg.is Open daily 10–16 OPENING HOURS: Grundarstígur 21 | H8 Hitt Húsið www.listasafnreykjavikur.is Opening Hours: Fri and Sat – Gallery Tukt Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculp- Summer (June 1st – September 14th) Grapevine events July 18–20 Pósthússtræti 3-5 | E6 ture Museum Sigtún www.this.is/birta www.hitthusid.is Hafnarhús Daily from 11am to 5pm Tryggvagata 17 | The Einar Jónsson Museum i8 Gallery E5 Kjarvalsstaðir 10 Nýlenduvöruverslun Hemma Eiriksgata | G9 Klapparstígur 33 | G7 Winter (September 15th – May 31st) Flókagata | K11 Tuesdays – Sundays from 1pm to 5pm og Valda Tue–Sun 14–17 Tue–Fri 11–17 / Sat 13–17 and 9 pm www.skulptur.is by appointment. www.i8.is Reykjavík City Theatre hönnun hönnun PORT Listabraut 3 gogoyoko Presents: Fótógrafí Living Art Museum Skólavörðustígur 4a | F7 Vatnsstígur 3 – G7 Reykjavík Maritime Museum Grapevine Grassroots www.fotografi.is Wed, Fri–Sun 13–17 / Thu Grandagarður 8 | C3 Johnny Stronghands Gallery 100° 13–22. www.nylo.is Reykjavík Museum of Pho- Doddi Bæjarháls 1 Lost Horse Gallery tography FREE SHOW www.or.is/Forsida/Gallery100/ Skólastræti 1 | F6 Tryggvagata 16 | D5 Open weekdays from Weekends from 13–19 and by Weekdays 12–19 / Sat–Sun VÍKIN 08:30–16:00 appointment on weekdays. 13–17 10 www.ljosmyndasafnreykjavi- Rósenberg Gallery Auga fyrir Auga Hafnarborg kur.is 9 pm Hverfisgata 35 | G7 Strandgötu 34, MUSEUM BY THE SEA Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum FTT and Grapevine presents Gallery StartArt Hafnarfjörður MARITIME MUSEUM | GRANDAGARÐI 8 | REYKJAVÍK Laugarnestangi 70 Laugavegur 12B | G7 The National Gallery of WWW.SJOMINJASFN.IS Bubbi Hafdís Huld Tue–Sat 1–17 Iceland www.startart.is Fríkirkjuvegur 7 | E8 FREE SHOW ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS

that explores aspects of the fashion Cocktail pleasures and industry while still connecting to the art world. Visual stimulation Gerðarsafn Art Museum (Kópavogur) How to use the listings June 27 - Aug 31 Venues are listed alphabetically by day. The Kópavogur Art Museum Sum- For complete listings and detailed mer Exhibition information on venues visit Gerðuberg Cultural Centre www.grapevine.is Boginn Gallery: The Land in Colour Popular artist Guðráður Jóhannesson exhibition of landscape paintings. Gljúfrasteinn Laxness Museum Gljúfrasteinn was the home and OPENING workplace of Halldór Laxness (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in JULY 1955) and his family for more than half Life isn't a century. It has now been opened to the public as a museum, unchanged from when Laxness lived there. 18 4pm Hafnarborg Centre of Culture and Ráðhús Reykjavíkur Fine Art (Hafnarfjörður) Current Exhibitions: just a game A Lost Horse Gallery presents Mat- thew James, who will be exhibiting his June 24 - August 3 resin paintings. The opening will be Collectors' Collections from 4pm to 6pm. An exhibition celebrating the 100th − it's also a bed of roses... anniversary of Dr. Sveirrir Magnús- son, founder of Hafnarborg. On this Matthew James 23 9pm occasion selected art works from the Resin Paintings Exhibition Batteríið original collection at the Centre will be 16.May - 29. August 2009 Stand-up Comedy ft. Lieven displayed along side the art of other Raðhús Reykjavíkur, Tjarnargötu Scheire leading collectors. Lieven Scheire, from Belgium, will be i8 Gallery 11, 101 Reykjavík headlining. Two Icelandic comedians, Current Exhibition: Sveinn Waage and Rökkvi Vésteinsson June 19 - July 31 4pm will be doing the supporting acts. All Anthony McCall and Finnbogi the acts will be in English. Entrance is Pétursson Many artists work for years to become 1000ISK. The artists present their installation masters of a solitary craft, while others works. have the ability to move in to different Living Art Museum artistic realms. One such artist is Throughout July - Exhibitions from ONGOING Matthew James, who will be exhibiting Runo Lagomarsino, Yiva Westerlund and Olivia Plender. at Ráðhús Reykjavíkur. A sculptor by ASÍ Art Museum trade, his experience with different Current exhibitions: National Gallery of Iceland materials in casting, such as resin, June 27 - Aug. 23 Hidden Treasure: Treasures In Tryggvagata 15, 6th floor ·101 Reykjavík · Public Possession? crossed over in to his painting projects. Summer Exhibition - Works from Tel: 411 6390 · www.photomuseum.is the collection Works from the three Icelandic state- The Lost Horse Gallery presents a Chosen paintings from Jón Stefáns- owned banks' collections, along with collection of his resin paintings, and Opening hours 12 -19 Mondays - Fridays some works from the National Gallery. son, Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval, and the opening will be held at 4 p.m. on 13-17 Weekends · ADMISSION FREE Svavar Guðnason. The National Museum Saturday, July 18th. JG The Culture House Permanent exhibition: Permanent exhibitions: The Making of a Nation Medieval Manuscripts Heritage and History in Iceland is March 28- Jan 10 2010 intended to provide insight into the ICELAND::FILM history of the Icelandic nation from the This exhibition traces for the first time Settlement to the present day. the development of Icelandic filmmak- Jan 31 - Nov 30. Encounters. THE LAST VIKING SHIP ing from its origins around 1904 to the year 2008. Archaeological excavations at many The Library Room. locations around Iceland have been Farsaell, or “Bon voyage” had disappeared in funded by Kristnihátíðarsjóður (the Current exhibitions: the sand and was almost ruined when res- June 05- August 07 Millennium Fund). Finds from some of Nordic Book Binding these excavations are on display in an cued from oblivion in 1962. One of the last This exhibition features 89 hand- exhibition suitable for the whole family. shipbuilders, who still knew the ancient build- crafted bindings by 91 bookbinders, The Numismatic Museum ing methods, rebuilt it to its former glory, but as two are made in collaboration. All Permanent exhibition: The Central Bank of Iceland and the died a year later. “Bon Voyage” was built in participants bound the book 'Northern 1915, just before the sailboats became Wind,' with poems by 18 contemporary National Museum of Iceland jointly Nordic poets and graphic drawings by operate a numismatic collection con- extinct. But now you can touch “Bon Voyage” Icelandic artists. sisting of Icelandic notes and coins. at Eyrarbakki Maritime-museum. Sheepskin, Saffian and Shirting Reykjavík 871 +/- 2 A related exhibition to Nordic Book Permanent exhibition: Binding, it shows the tools and equip- The Settlement Exhibition ment used in book binding. Reykjavík Arts Festival Exhibition Series: May 16- August 02 Paintings by Hulda Viljálmsdóttir. Stray Beacons The Einar Jónsson Museum Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir, Curver Permanent exhibition: The work of Thoroddsen, Icelandic Love Corpo- sculptor Einar Jónsson. ration and Unnar Örn exhibits their Gallery Agust works in lighthouses around Iceland. SHARP See artfest.is for more info. Artist Andrea Maack introduces her Reykjavík Art Museum third perfume, Sharp, in an exhibition Asmundarsafn Open May 15th - Sept. 15th: 11 - 18. Other times by arrangement. | www.husid.com May 2- April 30 2010

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Grandagarður

1 2 3 4 5 MAPMAP The Old Harbour Ánanaust M ýra Places We Like A rgat 1 a Kaffi Hljómalind Nýlendugat Laugavegi 23 15 a 11 The only true activist-friendly, svegur community servicingamne co-op in town, Kaffi HljómalindFr lends a breath of Ránargat fresh air and a welcome alternative Vesturgat a to Reykjavík’s beer-stained, decadent BárugatB a Geirsgata cafés. Offering up a fare of vegetarian- to vegan friendly courses, some pretty a a good coffee and an awesome selectionÖl dugat 9 of tea. As well as a free, anarchist gisgat Bræðraborgarstígur a library. What else do you need? SKK Æ Tr ICELANDIC 10yggvag 2 Á Næstu Grösum rðastræti at OUTDOOR Laugavegi 20b a a D G Skú EQUIPMENT Á Næstu Grösum is an all vegetarian Túngat 6 Hafnars Sæbrau a træti lagat restaurant right in the city centre that Austurst & SUPPLIES t features a friendly atmosphere and ræti Lindargat a IN THE CITY fair prices. There is always at least one vegan soup on offer anda the daily a special portions are big and always 17 Ban CENTER 5kastræt Sæbraut satisfying. There is even some organic Hver i fisgat wine on offer. HSMHofsvallagat Sólvallagat 13 i 8 E i a Tel:+354 517 8088 12 7 ækjargata 3 a L lapparstígur WWW.CINTAMANI.IS Babalú sstræt 18 K ta Skólavörðustíg 22 i L augavegur tnsstígur Hringbraut rga gholt 2 Va ún Located on the second-floor n Ingólfsstræt Borgart Þi 14 of a quirky little building on arstræt Suðu ð Skólavörðustígur, Babalú is an inviting, rnargata 16 H a ta Sk ver quaint and cosy café serving up Tj ólavör fisgat
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Books, Cd´s, and Gift´s Bergst should be celebrated. HSM rga Eiríksgata Barónsstígu tún Hljómskáli aðarstræti a 5 Kaffitár Suðu Hringbrau Park Nó Bankastræti 8 L aufásvegur t Kaffitár on Bankastræti is a I t comfortable little café with a great selection of coffee, tea and baked Háteigsv goods on offer. Since Kaffitár is also Snorrabraut egur unnarsbrau a big-name Icelandic roasterie the G caffeinated beverages on the menu are quality. The wi-fi makes this a nice Flókagat place to sit and chill with your laptop Va tnsm árstígur a as well. CF ýrarvegur Gamla Hringbraut 7 Deli 8 Kisan 9 Café Haiti uðar ta 6 Jacobsen Ra Bankastræti 14 Laugavegur 7 Tryggvagötu 16 Austurstræti 9 Getting a good slice of pizza on the This store is incredibly cool. It’s The first time I entered this exotic little A fairly new venue in town, Jacobsen is go can be an utter ordeal. If you’re Njarðargastocked with really unique and quirky joint, meaning to buy myself a take- Miklatún owned by some nouveau riche Swedes, not careful, you’ll frequently wind up clothes, outerwear, accessories and away espresso, I ended up with two and has been providing a non-stop íð paying good money for a cardboardy handbags, plus they have an adorable kilos of freshHringbra and roasted coffee beans party over the last few months. Besides Bus terminal wafer that has been sitting in a heater section of kids clothes, kitschy vintage due to some language complications its importing foreign big-shot DJs ngahl box for a week. Not at Deli, however. toys and books and even interior and way too much politeness.ut Since and other niceties, it is probably most La Ból Their slices are consistently awesome design items. Wicked place; definitely then I have enjoyed probably way-too- staðarhlí appreciated for its loooong hours; it and fresh, the topping selection is worth a visit. CF many wonderful cups of Haitian coffee, Mik ð doesn’t matter if you stop partying at labr intriguing and tasteful and, best of all, but they’re always as nice, so the two aut 2AM or way-too-much AM, Jacobsen glumýrarbraut they’re really cheap. HSM kilos were definitely worth it. SKK in is always forking out shots and Kr cocktails. SKK

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Fiskisló

Grandagarður

6 7 8 9 10 13 Kornið The Old Harbour Lækjargötu 4 How about filling your face with cakes at the delightful Kornið. They Ánanaust taste so good, you would gladly push M ýra your own mother over for even the rgat slightest of sniffs. Not a sweet tooth? Ask for a Tax Free a Well, try their delectable sandwiches form & save up to 15% Nýlendugat then, I recommend the egg and bacon ciabatta! At only 590ISK plus all the a Pítu Sósa you could dream of, what svegur more could you ask for on your lunch amne Fr Ránargat break? JB Vesturgat a 14 Karamba Bárugat a Geirsgata Laugavegi 22 a a Öldugat New hotspot in town Karamba is a colourful and eclectic bar on gisgat Bræðraborgarstígur a Laugavegur with a comfortable Æ atmosphere, typically great music and Tryggvag a chill crowd. This is a good place to relax or to do some serious drinking rðastræti at a a or to relax. Plus, their decors are done G strictly by Grapevine-friendly artists, Túngat Hafnars Skú Sæbrau a Austurst træti lagat such as Lóa (who does our comics), a t Hugleikur Dagsson (who illustrates the ræti Lindargat monster column) and Bobby Breiðholt a a (who’s done a lot of nice illustrations Ban for us); they areSæbrau truly a tsight to behold. kastræt Hver CF i fisgat Hofsvallagat Sólvallagat i i a 15 Sushismiðjan ækjargata a L lapparstígur Geirsgötu 3 sstræt K ta i L This is a seriously great place to augavegur1 tnsstígur Hringbraut rga gholt grab a quick and quality sushi lunch. Va ún n Ingólfsstræt Pre-preparedBorga boxesrt of maki and nigiri Þi 14 arstræt Suðu ð are reasonable priced and really well rnargata 16 H a ta Sk ver made, amply filled with deliciously fisgat Tj ólavör fresh ingredients. The indoor seating a Bergs area is limited to some stools and

ð tígur outward-facing wall-mounted L us City Pond aufásvegur tabletops but there are a couple of tígur ORIGINAL INDIAN & PAKISTANI TASTE Skúlagat tún rkjuvegur tables and chairs set up outside the a rakkas La íki F ugavegur a front door for those wanting to watch r Nó F ígur the ships and tourists in the harbour Óðinsgata Grettisg st while they eat. CF ta a Vi ta Njálsga 16 Barbara Hátún a 4 kimelur ta Snorrabraut Laugavegi 22 B Barónsstígur Bir ergþórugat INDIAN Baldursgat At LaugavegurINDIAN 22, above Karamba, LUNCH Barbara serves up a lively atmosphere a DINNER Laugavegur Sóleyjargata a a 1290.- INDIAN - PAKISTANI CUISIBrautNEarholtfor Reykjavík’s1490.- gay community and anybody else who just wants to dance AUSTURSTRÆTI 4, Tel. 551 0292 wwandw. shaveha lai goodma r.time.is The first level is Bragagat Njarðargat made for dancing and is often packed with sweaty bodies, while the second uðarárstígur Skipholt level of the bar offers a place to sit, Ra ta r drink and chat andSkipholt another in which to Bergst rga smoke. CF Eiríksgata Barónsstígu tún Hljómskáli aðarstræti a Suðu Hringbrau 17 OSUSHI Park Nó L Lækjargötu 2a aufásvegur t t Great place to satisfy your craving for raw fish and vinegar rice. The selection Háteigsv on ‘the train’ is wide and varied and Snorrabraut egur the atmosphere is relaxed. Also, the unnarsbrau G colour-coded plates make it easy to keep tabs on your budget while gur Flókagat scarfing down your maki and nigiri. Va tnsm árstí a ýrarvegur Gamla Hringbraut 18 10 11 Sægreifinn uðar 12 Prikið Q-Bar ta Sódóma Reykjavík Ra Ingólfsstræti 3 Tryggvagötu 22 Verbúð 8, Geirsgata Bankastræti 12 Newly opened Sódóma on Tryggvagötu Down by the Reykjavík harbour, Prikið is one of those places that Situated on Ingólfsstræti, Q-Bar Njarðarga is already a hit with party crowds and Sægreifinn fish shop and restaurant Miklatúnshape-shifts. It’s a warm café with provides a warm welcome to you with rainbow colours and open arms. A gig-goers alike. An extensive venue, is truly a unique establishment. The photographs of their senior frequentersíð Bus terminal Hringbra filled with reasonably priced beverages menu features various fish dishes on weekday mornings, a hung-over roomy venue with more than enough to and reasonably good looking people. (including most of the “crazy Icelandic hangout on weekend afternoons, and swing a cat around or to swing yourself ut Some of Iceland’s finest musical food” you’ll want to tell your friends during nights it’s filled to the brimngahl whilst boogeying the night away to La Ból ventures have played in recent months, you had) and a rich portion of the best with what remains of Iceland’s hip some of sttheað finestarhlí DJs in Iceland. We Mi and their schedule looks promising lobster soup we’ve ever tasted. Goodk labrhop scene. Go there in daytime for the especially enjoy largeð beers for the aut merry price of 350ISK every Sunday. too. Also, make sure to visit their men’s food and welcoming service make this cheap burgers; enter at night for some glumýrarbraut room for a glance at the “Pissoir of place a must-try. HSM OTT hip-hop debauchery, old skool JB in Absolution”. JB and the latest bangers alike. SKK Kr

ICELANDIC Fish, Lamb & Chicken Domestic Airport in original PAKISTANI & INDIAN curries, TANDOORI dishes, TANDOORI Nan breads Kebabs, Samosas,Vegetarian specialities, LUNCH BUFFET(11:30--15:30) & DINNER OFFERS

Pakistani-indian kebab & curry cuisine AUSTURSTRÆTI 4, Tel. 551 0292 www.shalimar.is ART Borgarnes The Icelandic Settlement Centre Permanent exhbitions: GALLERIES The Settlement of Iceland; The Saga of Egill Skalla-Grímsson. – continued – Current theatre productions: Brák – a monolouge by Brynhildur Rhyme - Works by Ásmundur Guððjónsdóttir Sveinsson and contemporary art- Mr. Skallagrímsson – a monolouge by ists Benedikt Erlingsson This exhibition showcases contempo- Storms and Wars – a monolouge by rary artists that tackle similar issues Einar Kárason as Ásmundur did in his time, but in the context of a new age. Reykjavík Art Museum Stykkishólmur Hafnarhús Library of Water May 28- August 23. Permanent Exhibition: Possibilities Roni Horn installation. The artist has Works by 10 Guðmunda Kristinsdóttir replaced stacks of books with glass Art Prize winners. colums containing water gathered May 28- August 29 2010 from Iceland’s glaciers and glacial Erró- Portrett- rivers. A dedication to Erró. Reykjavík Art Museum Akureyri Kjarvalsstaðir Kunstraum Wohnraum May 15- August 30 July 5 – Sept 20 The House of Una And West 8th Exhbition by Guðrún Vera Hjartardóttir Street The life of Icelandic artists Louisa Seyðisfjörður Matthiasdóttir and Nína Tryggvadóttir Bókaverzlun Seyðisfjarðar and their connection with artists from July 16 – July 19 Iceland and New York. Lífsmörk // Sign of Life (part of May 09- August 30 L.U.N.G.A. Festival) Kjarval and Animals Exhibition of works by Gunnar An exhibition focusing on Kjarval's Helgi Guðjónsson, Harpa Dögg depictions of animals. Kjartansdóttir, Ingunn Fjóla May 15- August 30 Ingþórsdóttir, Þórdís Jóhannesdóttir, Icelandic design, furniture, architec- Kristjana Rós Guðjohnsen, Ólöf ture and product design. Dómhildur Jóhannsdóttir & Sigurrós Reykjavík Maritime Museum Svava Ólafsdóttir. Current Exhibitions: Living Museum by the Sea; Arterial Hveragerði for Country and City; From Poverty LÁ Art to Abundance; The Shark – Light and May 2 – June 28 Life Energy; Hidden Craftsman. “Flashes in the moment of Danger” The Reykjavík Museum of Photog- An exhibition of works by 8 artists. raphy Current Exhibitions: Gamla Bakaríið Life (part of L.U.N.G.A. May 16 - Aug 30 Festival) Life is not just a game- it's a bed of July 16 – July 19 roses... We Go Places Show curated by Gudmunður Oddur Exhibition by Guðmundir Ingi Úlfarsson Magnússon and Guðfinna Mjöll Mag- & Mads Freund Brunse. núsdóttir. July 2 - Aug. 25 Skaftfell Natural Beauty June 21 – August 31 Photographer Stéfan Steinn displays Exhbition by Kristján Steingrímur Jóns- his photographs of nature in its sim- son plest forms. Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Museum Now offering Permanent Exhibition: The Shape of Line. catering service! A new retrospective of works by Ásmundur Sveinsson. The exhibition focuses on abstract works from 1945 onwards. May 01- April 30 2010 Taste the RHYTHM- Ásmundur and Our Age This exhibition showcases contempo- rary artists that tackle similar issues as Ásmundur did in his time, but in a best of context of a new age. Iceland ... Laugavegur 2 101 Reykjavík tel: 552 4444 OUTSIDE REYKJAVÍK

Icelandic Hafnarfjörður Hafnarborg Gourmet Fiest June 24 – August 3 Exhibition “Collectors’ Collection” Starts with a shot of the infamous works by various artists. Icelandic spirit Brennívín

Smoked puffin with blueberry “brennivín” sauce Icelandic sea-trout with peppers-salsa Lobster tails baked in garlic Pan-fried monkfish with lobster sauce Grilled Icelandic lamb Samfaina Minke Whale with cranberry-sauce Chocolate cake with berry compoté and whipped cream

Our kitchen is open to 23:30 on weekdays RESTAURANT- BAR and 01:00 on weekends Vesturgata 3B | 101 Reykjavík Tel: 551 2344 | www.tapas.is Listasafn Reykjavíkur Reykjavik Art Museum

Kjarvalsstaðir From Unuhús to West 8th Street Hidden Treasure: 15 May – 30 August 2009 Treasures in Public Possession? Encounters Kjarvalsstaðir The National Gallery of Flókagata, open daily 10–17 National Museum of Iceland, Iceland, Fríkirkjuvegi 7, 101 Sudurgata 41, 101 Reykjavik Free guided tours in English Reykjavík Louisa Matthíasdóttir. Museum hours: every Thursday at 11 a.m. July 10th-October 18th, Open 10am – 5pm weekdays 8am - 4pm Hafnarhús Encounters – at the National Museum The National Gallery of Iceland of Iceland – focuses on archaeology Erró – Portraits explores the interesting life of a piece in Iceland. Funding was received of art, specifically art that ends up from the Icelandic Millennium Fund 28 May 2009 – 13 August 2010 in public hands. Their exhibition, to excavate areas of historical interest Hidden Treasure: Treasures in Public throughout the country. The beginning Possession? exhibits works that of the excavation also correlated are in ownership of the three state banks, Landsbanki, Kaupthing and with the anniversary of Christianity in Íslandsbanki. These pieces of art the country, so there was a focus on Hafnarhús have rarely been viewed, and will religious history. The exhibit is the result Tryggvagata, open daily 10–17 Erró. contribute to the understanding of of these findings, and includes a range Thursdays 10–22 the progression of Icelandic art over of artefacts, from household items to the past two centuries. Undoubtedly jewelry. Skeletons and larger structures treasures, the pieces add a new such as buildings were also unearthed. perspective to what was once hidden. The exhibit will continue to run at the JG museum until November 30th. Ásmundarsafn Rhyme 1 May 2009 – 30 April 2010

The Ásmundur Sveinsson Ásmundur Sveinsson. Sculpture Museum Eirún Sigurðardóttir. Sigtún, open daily 10–16 Dirty Kristján Steingrímur Jónsson “Places” Skaftfell Gallery & Bistro, Seyðisfjörður Free admission 20.06.2009 – 31.08.2009

So the exhibit is dirt? Well, yes. But it’s so much more. In Skaftfell’s main gallery www.artmuseum.is [email protected] T +354 590 1200 F +354 590 1201 Kristján Steingrímur presents his audience with samples of the earth from some of the places he has been – Tokyo, London, New York, Copenhagen, Akureyri, etc. – placing them adjacent to one another to highlight the contrast in colour and texture and, in doing so, capturing and documenting the natural essence of major cities throughout the world. Kristján Steingrímur’s work on display is a juxtaposition in itself, with nine square canvases neatly aligned three-by-three on one wall and a mixture of earth splattered energetically and seemingly without order on another wall in the space and up onto the ceiling. The work makes the audience think about their geographical situation in relation to other parts of this world. All with a little dirt. Outside Reykjavik | Venue finder

Keflavík Stykkishólmur Austurvegur 42 Suðsuðvestur Vatnasafnið / Library of Water 710 Seyðisfjörður www.sudsudvestur.is 472-1632 Hafnargata 22 Akureyri 230 Reykjanesbær Populus Tremula Hveragerði 421-2225 poptrem.blogspot.com/ LÁ Art Kaupvangsstræti 12 www.listasafnarnesinga.is Hafnarfjörður 600 Akureyri Austurmörk 21 Hafnarborg 210 Hveragerði www.hafnarborg.is Kunstraum Wohnraum 483-1727 Strandgata 34 Ásabyggð 2 220 Hafnarfjörður 600 Akureyri 585-5790 Mývatn Borgarnes Mývatnsstofa The Icelandic Settlement Centre Egilsstaðir www.landnam.is Sláturhúsið Brákarbraut 13-15 310 Borgarnes Seyðisfjörður 437-1600 Skaftfell www.skaftfell.is F D THAI RESTAURANT For your mind, body and soul

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Fishmarket Market Woes Adalstræti 12 Opened in 2007, Fishmarket has on a dead mollusc here.” www.fiskmarkadurinn.is already collected a Conde Nast Hot My date chose monkfish and Lunch weekdays 11.30 AM to 2 PM; table listing, a Food and Wine Go monkfish cheeks deep fried with water dinner 6 to 11.30 PM. list mention and a strong reputation spinach, camembert and noisette among the locals. sauce (4600 ISK). The cheeks were What we think: A fun concept From fish skin in the rail to fantastic and the spinach good, the and a chic setting, but our trip bamboo on the walls and a playful camembert and monkfish filo pastries to the market was hobbled by and ambitious Icelandic-Asian fusion bad. The whole dish was ruined by its inconsistencies. menu put together by the 27-year-old presentation. The deep valley shaped head-chef and co-owner Hrefna Rósa bowl allowed the liquid from the 250 kr. 350 kr. Flavour: Iceland meets Asia Saetran, Fishmarket is definitely chic. spinach to soak and ruin the pastry Ambiance: More New York than There is a raw bar for sushi and a and batter of the monkfish and cheeks, Reykjavík robata grill, “the Cadillac of grilling”, leaving a soggy swamp of a dish. 200 kr. 275 kr. originating from Japan and fuelled by For dessert, we shared a Snickers 375 kr. Service: From charming to Japanese charcoal. Despite the name, cake (1900 ISK), kitschy and good, sketchy the carnivore will not starve either. and my date gulped down a muddy There is both a bar and extensive wine espresso – a sad regular even in the 300 kr. 400 kr. list too, though we chose to drink water greatest of restaurants, though it was throughout the meal. served to us with aplomb by young I started off with a sushi selection charmer Tommi. PICK YOUR (2500 ISK), an ample plate of maki, Over the course of the visit we nigiri and sashimi from the raw bar. were served by five different staff FAVORITE PLATE The fish was fresh, but the bland rice members with varying levels of and too generous a covering of sauces professionalism, from Tommi the and roe did not do the flavours justice. redeemer and the lovely head waitress My date chose squid to stumbling performances from the tempura (2700 ISK) from Höfn in others. Hornafjördur. The squid was delicious, All in all, Fishmarket’s it was of wonderful texture and neatly atmospheric setting, ambitious menu presented on a rice-cooker-grid-type of and the concept raise expectations a thing. The tempura batter, though, high, but our visit was plagued by was a little on the heavy side. constant little misfires. Next time, I I had redfish with scallops and will try the tasting menu (8900 ISK, pecan pesto (3900 ISK) as a main served for whole table only), which has Lækjargötu 2a. / Borgartúni 29. tel. 561 0562 course. The redfish was well prepared, gathered praise from left and right. but the scallops were gluey, merely -sari peltonen inspiring the thought: “I am chewing

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3 Frakkar Brons Grillhúsið Kaffitár Pizza King Sushibarinn Baldursgata 14 | F9 Pósthússtræti 9 | E6 Tryggvagata 20 | E5/ Bankastræti 8 | F6 Hafnarstræti 18 | E6 Laugavegur 2 | F7 Aktu Taktu Café Cultura E6 Kaffivagninn Pizza Pronto Svarta Kaffi Skúlugata 15 | K8 Hverfisgata 18 | G6 Habibi Grandagarður 10 Vallarstræti 4 | D6 Laugavegur 54 | H8 American Style Café Loki Hafnarstræti 20 | D5 | D1 Pizzaverksmiðjan Sægreifinn Tryggvagata 26 | E5 Lokastígur 28 | G9 Hamborgarabúlla Kebabhúsið Lækjargötu 8 | E6 Verbuð 8, Geirsgata Argentína Steak- Café Paris Tómasar (“Bullan”) Austurstræti 2 | E6 Prikið | D5 Geirsgata 1 | D5 house Austurstræti 14 | E6 Kofi Tómasar Bankastræti 12 | F6 Tapas Barónstígur | I8 Café Roma Hlölla Bátar Frænda Ráðhúskaffi | D7 Vesturgata 3B | D5 Austurlanda- Rauðarárstígur 8 | J9 Ingólfstorg | D6 Laugavegur 2 | F7 Tjarnargata 11 Thorvaldsen Austurstræti 8 | E6 hraðlestin Domo Hornið Krua Thai Santa Maria Hverfisgata 64A | H7 Þingholtsstræti 5 | F7 Hafnarstræti 15 | E6 Tryggvagata 14 | D5 Laugavegur 22A, | F7 Tíu Dropar Á Næstu Grösum Einar Ben Hótel Holt La Primavera Segafredo Laugavegur 27 | G7 Laugavegur 20B | G7 Veltusundi | E6 Bergstaðarstræti 37 Austurstræti 9 | E6 Lækjatorg | E6 Tívolí B5 Eldsmiðjan | F7 Lystin Serrano Laugavegur 3 | F7 Bankastræti 5 | F6 Bragagata 38A | G9 Humarshúsið Laugavegur 73 | H7 Hringbraut 12 | I3 Ammtmanstígur 1 | E7 Vegamót Basil & Lime Fiskmarkaðurinn Mokka Vegamótastígur 4 Klapparstíg 38 | G7 Aðalstræti 12 | D6 Hressó Skólavörðustígur 3A Shalimar | G7 Austurstræti 20 | E6 | F7 Austurstræti 4 | E6 Babalú Geysir Bar/Bistro Við Tjörnina Skólavörðustígur 22A Aðalstræti 2 | D6 Icelandic Nonnabiti Silfur Templarasund 3 | E7 | G8 Garðurinn Fish & Chips Hafnarstræti 9 | E6 Pósthússtræti 11 | E6 Tryggvagata 8 | E5 Vitabar Balthazar Klappastigur 37 | G7 O Sushi Sjávarkjallarinn Bergþórugata 21 | Hafnarstræti 1-3 | Glætan book café Jómfrúin Lækjargata 2A | E6 Aðalstræti 2 | D6 H9 D6/E6 Lækjargata 4 | E6 Laugavegur 19 | F5 Pisa Sólon Bæjarins Beztu Grái Kötturinn Kaffi Hljómalind Lækjargötu 6b | E6 Bankastræti 7a | F6 Tryggvagata | E6 Hverfisgata 16A | G7 Laugavegur 21 | G7 Experience great cuisine accompanied by a breathtaking view COFFEE …in the tallest building in Iceland

1 Café Haiti Tryggvagata 16 The coffee is plain excellent, the atmosphere enticing and the price is right. These are some of the reasons why Café d’Haiti is one of Grapevine’s favourite downtown cafés. Café d’Haiti inhabits a tiny space next to Krau Thai on Tryggvagata. It’s almost hidden. So if you haven’t tried their coffee yet, we do recommend you take a walk down to the Enjoy weekend brunch harbour and taste a cup. or delicious bu et BREAKFAST for a quality price

1 Grái Kötturinn Open everyday from 11 AM - 2 PM Hverfisgata 16a Super relaxed and cosy diner/café below Smáratorgi 3 201 Kópavogi Tel. 575 7500 [email protected] www.veisluturninn.is street level. This place makes the best next to Smaralind mall hangover breakfast ever – the truck: a hefty plate of bacon, eggs, pancakes, syrup and the like, all fried to perfection – and any-other-day breakfast as well. It’s a nice and relaxing place to eat and increase your caffeine intake and chill with friends or with some reading material.

2 Kornið Lækjargata 4 No time to sit down for a leisurely breakfast? Pop into Kornið on your way to work, school, or anywhere else, for some delicious pastries to start your day in a sweet and delicious way. If you have a hunger that no single pastry could satisfy this place also has a selection of sandwiches – like the bacon and egg ciabatta – to fuel your body. There’s often a bunch of other hungry folks with the Open Sesame same idea, but the line-up always moves fast. I chose the falafel (800 ISK) BEER Ali Baba served in a shawarma, an Arabic Veltusundi 3B (by Ingólfstorg) wrap-shaped sandwich. It was not too 1 Karamba Laugavegur 22 Opening hours: 11-24 on weekdays; dry, not muddy, perfectly spicy—one of the best falafels I have eaten so far. Relatively new hotspot in town Karamba is 12-05 on weekends. My kebab-cavalier’s arais maria (900 a colourful and eclectic bar on with an über What we think: The new fast food ISK) melted in the mouth. They had a comfortable atmosphere, typically great music and a chill crowd. This is a good place slightly sinful and highly comforting favourite to relax or to do some serious drinking or to greasiness to them, yet they were thin Flavour: Middle-Eastern relax. Plus, their decors are done strictly by enough to cause guilt of a committed Grapevine-friendly artists, such as Lóa (who crime. The portions are prepared in Ambiance: Fast and functional does our comics), Hugleikur Dagsson (who front of you of fresh, made with inviting also does our comics) and Bobby Breiðholt with a fountain ingredients. (who’s done a lot of nice illustrations for us); Service: Very good On a second visit I had hummus they are truly a sight to behold. (500 ISK) with fries (350 ISK), a classic if graceless combination. The hummus 2 Kaffi Zimsen is good and mild in flavour and Hafnarstræti 18 comes in generous portions—perfect This is a great place for beer. They have Opened in May, Ali Baba has quickly for a picnic lunch at the close by specials on the stuff pretty much every night gathered a reputation as the good new Austurvöllur square with a bigger of the week – two for one on Mondays! – kebab place. entourage—as do the fries (350 ISK). and they’re the only joint in town offering The Middle-Eastern menu is My date stuck to kebab; the shiri those self-serve 3 litre beer towers if you’re drinking in a group or really thirsty or a fan of TAKE YOUR TASTE BUDS AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE NIGHT! short and straight-forward: a handful Kebab roll (900 ISK) with meat tasted buying your beer in bulk. Plus, if you like to The restaurant Fish Company is the newest addition to of kebab portions (a döner spinning in of star anise and followed the same sit while drinking your beer, Zimsen has lots WKHFXOLQDU\ÁRUDLQGRZQWRZQ5H\NMDYtN the back of the desk), falafel, hummus high standard as the rest of the foods. of chairs and roomy booths for your lounging 6DYRXUWKHZLGHYDULHW\RI,FHODQGLFÀVKDQGPHDWSODWHV and the eternal fries and a burger; all Cheap, delicious, fast, Ali Baba pleasure. LQVSLUHGE\YDULRXVIRRGFXOWXUHVIURPDURXQGWKHZRUOG portions priced below 1000 ISK with is a new favourite for a quick bite. But 7DEOHUHVHUYDWLRQV photos printed on A4s to illustrate – no when it comes to what makes the food For full restaurant and food worries of buying a pig in a poke here. so good—spices, sauces and other listings and venue finder visit The place, more inviting than the secrets to the Ali Baba flavours—the www.grapevine.is for detailed façade lets one hope for, is spotlessly owner’s lips stay sealed. “Not telling information. clean. you” he says and smiles. There are seats, a fountain and a view -sari peltonen over Ingólfstorg for dining in. LQIR#ÀVKFRPSDQ\LVÀVKFRPSDQ\LV *UyIDUWRUJ9HVWXUJDWDD5H\NMDYtN,FHODQG

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+ many more Sign up now it’s free and simple The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 19

Asylum Seekers In Norway Can we learn from our ancestors’ descendants?

Next we speak to Atif, the young Both countries apply Dublin Words Afghani man who lives next door. He Regulation, Norway suspended Zoë Robert invites us to his room for tea, where his transfers to Greece English-speaking friends join us. They Illustration are keen to tell us how they ended up Haukur Guðmundsson, Director of Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir in Norway, more than 5,000 kilometres the Directorate of Immigration until from their home. the end of May, says that the low Our arrival on a Saturday afternoon Rashid, one of Atif’s friends, fled number of cases accepted by Icelandic at a reception centre for asylum eastern Afghanistan five years ago. authorities can partly be attributed to seekers on the outskirts of Trondheim, His application for asylum has the country’s geographical location. As Norway’s third largest city, is met been rejected. However, he ignored asylum seekers cannot travel directly with mixed reactions. The grounds of the Directorate of Immigration’s from conflict zones to Iceland, the the Sandmoen centre are empty; all instructions to leave the country; country is unlikely to be their first port activity seems to be taking place in the instead he continues to live in Norway of entry into Europe, meaning that the recreation room where a group of men without a permit, staying with Dublin Regulation can be applied to are playing pool. We're here to learn Norwegian friends who also offer him many cases. about the situation of asylum seekers occasional work. While Thorstensen agrees, he in Norway, but some of the residents “One year has passed so I am a says that some challenge the use we meet are uneasy about our visit; little bit brave now,” he says when of the Dublin Regulation as an others are only too willing to have their asked whether he worries about the explanation for the low percentage of stories heard. police deporting him. “All the time I positive decisions. “People have been The treatment of asylum seekers am thinking about the future ―it’s not a speculating that the refugee definition is a contentious issue and one which life,” he adds. is interpreted more narrowly in Iceland has received significant attention on a than in other countries, [but] I don’t local level in Iceland in recent months. Norway wants more restrictions know about that.” A comparison with Norway (see graph) While signatories to the Dublin reveals that in 2008 Norway granted While the asylum seekers we speak Regulation are not obliged to send asylum at three times the rate of to say that they haven’t had any asylum seekers back to the country Iceland and positive decisions overall negative experiences with locals, responsible for their application, both per 1,000 inhabitants at almost 30 the few people we speak to in Norway and Iceland do so in almost all times the rate. Both countries rejected Trondheim are apprehensive about the cases. applications in more than half of cases. number of asylum seekers arriving The UNHCR urges European While Norway processes cases more in Norway, particularly in light of countries not to return asylum seekers swiftly, the processing time in Iceland reports of asylum seekers linked to Greece under Dublin and has is getting shorter. to criminal activity in the country. strongly criticised Greek asylum and Most of the individuals we spoke A survey by Nordic broadcasting detention policies. with at the centre in Trondheim are companies released in April found that Earlier in the year, Iceland reversed outspoken about their situation: Norwegians were the most negative the decision to send back a group of frustrated, even angry, about how towards refugees and wanted the five individuals to Greece. The Alþingi their applications are being handled― most restrictions out of the Nordic general committee however concluded others have given up on being granted countries. this week that although a Ministry permission to stay. Ubayo, a young Gunn Hilde Garte, director of the of Justice’s report found that there man from Nigeria, is the first to reception centre in Trondheim, says were “serious flaws” in the treatment approach me when I invite everyone to that it usually takes a while for people of asylum seekers in Greece, the be interviewed. He is vocal about his to accept the idea of living in an area conditions in Greece are improving criticism of the authorities’ handling with asylum seekers. and Iceland could consequently of his case, and is confused as to why “Reception centres tend to cause continue to send refugees to the he and some of his fellow countrymen some negative reactions among the country. Norway on the other hand have not been granted asylum. locals in the beginning, but after announced last year that it had “Some people cannot go home because a while people learn that there is temporarily suspended the transfer of of what is chasing them. Somebody nothing to fear and that the camps can asylum seekers to Greece. who is running for his life doesn’t be a good thing for the community.” Six hundred and eighty asylum have any hope in the future to go back Unlike most of the others we meet, seekers arrived in Iceland between home,” Ubayo says. “You are here to Abu who arrived from Palestine five 1990 and 2008. Two received refugee settle down, to begin a new life [...] and months ago is optimistic about his status, 66 were granted protection now they want to send you back. You future, despite not having yet found on humanitarian grounds and three go crazy,” he adds. work. “Norway is a good country. It’s were granted refugee status on family Later, one of the residents shows cold sometimes, all the time actually, reunification grounds. Iceland falls us the buildings in which they live. but it’s OK. I feel good for my future well short of the Norwegian, and more Here we meet Belise, a softly spoken here,” he says. importantly, European, rate of granting young woman from Burundi, who asylum seekers refugee status. invites me inside. She shares her Lengthy processing time a problem The asylum seekers we spoke to roughly 20m² room (comprised of a were seeking a new life in Norway, but bathroom, kitchen, living and sleeping While the reception centre staff in their stories of hope, frustration, and areas) with another woman. The room Norway and the Red Cross and others desperation are echoed in Iceland and seems fairly standard for hostel-style in Iceland organise regular social elsewhere. According to the UNHCR, accommodation but Belise says it’s activities for asylum seekers, the 383,000 applications for asylum were difficult to share the small space with Icelandic Red Cross Project Manager submitted worldwide in 2008. The a stranger for any extended period of for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, responsibility to protect those at risk time. Atli Viðar Thorstensen, emphasises must be shared. Norway and Iceland the importance of providing asylum both experienced a significant increase 2008 Statistics Comparison between Norway and Iceland seekers with opportunities to work or in arrivals in 2008. Norway struggled study, arguing that the lack of activity to accommodate new arrivals, and Norway, like Iceland, is a non-EU Member State and a signatory to the Dublin Regulation. can lead to depression among asylum while improvements have been made, seekers. a greater devotion to resources to cope iCELANd NORWAY “If people are rejected and they are with the increase and to also reduce sent back to their country of origin processing times, particularly in then it is bad if they have been waiting Iceland, is needed. Number of arrivals 14,431 76 for a couple of years and are not able to *Names of asylum seekers have Number of arrivals (per 1,000 inhabitants) 3.1 .03 do anything—no work, no education, been changed. no Icelandic courses―no nothing. It Number of arrivals (ranking among European countries) 3rd 20th means that people will get depressed Increase 2007-2008 120% 80% and it will be more difficult for them *Applications processed by Directorate of Immigration 7,442 20 to return to their country of origin and face life there.” *Positive decisions (per 1,000 inhabitants) .635 .022 Asylum seekers in both Iceland *Average processing time (months) 7.5 12-24¹ and Norway can apply for a temporary Donations to UNHCR 2008 USD 61, 048, 237, rank 6th 100,000, rank 67th work permit on the condition that they can either document their identity or present it as “highly likely.” Decisions on fully examined cases according to outcome 2008 (%) However, according to Thorstensen, Refugee status (EU average in 2008 = 13%) 14% 5%² the Directorate of Labour in Iceland Protection on humanitarian grounds 11% 30% has been stricter when granting work permits over the last few months, Other protection 16% ----- presumably following the surge in Rejected 59% 65% unemployment in Iceland, and gives preference to nationals of countries * Excluding Dublin and Family Reunification cases, as well as those who had their cases withdrawn ¹ Average for recent years according to Icelandic Directorate of Immigration within the EEA. ² Not including applicants granted refugee status on grounds of family reunification (FR). In 2008, three individuals were granted refugee status on FR grounds and permitted to join their family member who had received refugee status in Iceland. In Norway 3,536 family immigration permits were issued to individuals who were to be reunited with persons of “refugee background.” Not processed as application for asylum as in Iceland. Sources: Eurostat, Norwegian and Icelandic Directorates of Immigration, Icelandic Red Cross and UNHCR. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 20

The History of Icelandic Rock music: Part 6 Hljómar Invent Icelandic Pop

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Umhverfisverðlaun Viðeyjarstofa CafFeréðamálastofu is open Íslands from 11:30 to 17:00 During 1967 and ‘68, Hljómar were once joint effort with Guðlaugur Bergmann, again the major band in Iceland. After the who had run Reykjavík’s hippest fashion band’s failure to break through (both in- store, Karnabær, for two years, the band ternationally and locally) with their “dif- went to Sweden as ambassadors of Icelan-

Tour Operator Environmental Award ficult” experimental rhythm & blues (as dic pop and fashion. “The band tends to Icelandic Tourist Board Thor’s Hammer, later recognised as one bring together the traditional Icelandic Authorised by Icelandic Tourist Board

Merki til að nota í starfsemi fyrirtækja. of the best music made in Iceland dur- way and the world of pop,” wrote Mor- Merki til að nota í auglýsingar og kynningarefni skal ekki nota minna en 10 mm á breidd. Make sure it’s Elding! Pt. 287 - 100C 69M 0Y 11K ing the sixties), the band set out to play gunblaðið, adding: “Hljómar will all be Pt. 1795 - 0C 94M 100Y 0K 70% svart more “comfortable” pop music. The plot dressed in sheepskin-vests. Knitted sock- Elding Reykjavík Whale Watching worked out fine. The band quickly gained shoes, caps, etc. will be brought along. Tel: (+354) 555 3565 back their earlier popularity and Svavar Hljómar have arranged ancient Icelandic Online booking: www.elding.is or visit www.elding.is Gests decided to finance a Hljómar al- rhyme motifs and added into their music bum for his SG imprint. This eponymous and the langspil (ancient Icelandic instru- Hljómar album was to become the first ment) will be taken along.” Icelandic modern pop album. The trip didn’t do much, neither for The band had to be flown to London, Icelandic fashion nor Hljómar. The band as Iceland’s recording studios at that time was offered a support slot for The Spencer were deemed “not good enough.” Hljó- Davis Group though, but the members mar recorded twelve songs. Five songs didn’t think that was good enough. were new originals, three by Gunnar For their second album (also epony- Þórðarson, one by Þórir Baldursson, and mous, but later referred to as Hljómar one by Dátar’s Rúnar Gunnarsson. The II), the band added Shady Owens to the rest of the album featured cover versions line-up. Shady was a 19-year-old daugh- of foreign hits with Icelandic lyrics, often ter of an American soldier and Icelandic by Þorsteinn Eggertsson (who also drew mother, and had stayed in Iceland for a the album’s cover). During the trip to while, singing with Óðmenn. She had a London, the band stocked up on the new- wonderful voice and sang the Icelandic est threads from hip shops on Carnaby lyrics with a charming American accent. Street. An Icelandic TV special was made The album was recorded in London in a with the band lip-synching to the songs record-breaking 35 hours (their first LP dressed to the gills in hippie gear with had taken 16 hours). Sixteen session mu- flowerpots dangling from their guitars. sicians played on the album, including Hljómar had obviously seen The Beatles’ keyboardist Nick Hopkins, who had just performance of All you need is Love as played on “Revolution” for The Beatles. their appearance looked similar, with The album had six original songs by young hip people sitting around, includ- Gunnar Þórðarson on Side 1 and six cover ing members of Flowers and other bands, versions on Side 2. Soon after the album’s grooving convincingly to the music. release, Gunnar admitted regrets for in- Hljómar played relentlessly at dance cluding the cover songs. The album cost balls all around Iceland. The band rarely much more than SG had intended and performed their own songs but mostly sold less than the first album. A lawsuit cover versions of recent international hits. ensued which ended in Hljómar having These balls had little to do with love and to pay SG back for the extravaganza. peace. Rúnar Júlíusson, the beloved sing- As the hair and beards grew longer er and bassist, had originally been prone and the general rock direction got heavier to shyness, playing with his back to the and more progressive, Hljómar’s pop di- audience. Now he had turned into a wild rection started to date fast. Hljómar’s pri- animal on stage. He jumped, climbed, mary competition had been psychedelic dived, even stripped on stage. His stage pop band Flowers, and within that band, act was legendary and hasn’t been too, some wanted to move on to play a dif- matched since. The guests didn’t come ferent kind of music. The band members for any peace crap either. The drunk and – especially the two Gunnars (Þórðarson horny crowd often tore down the places to from Hljómar and Jökull Hákonarson, the pounding backdrop of Hljómar’s mu- the drummer from Flowers) – discussed sic. A legendary ball in Sandgerði in 1968 a liaison, often in privacy at discothèque ended in a riot after the band stopped Las Vegas on Grensásvegur. The conclu- playing at two o’clock instead of four as sion was Trúbrot, Iceland’s first “super- promised. Chairs, windows, glasses and group”. We’ll get to that next time. bottles were smashed, leaving the place - Dr. Gunni in ruins. By Dr. Gunni, based on his 2000 book Eru ekki Sheepskin vests for world domination allir í stuði? (Rock in Iceland). A revisited up- Dreams of world domination were re- date of the book is forthcoming in 2010. kindled when Hljómar tried to break into the Scandinavian market in 1968. In a

1. Late period Hljómar The line-up that made the second album in 1968: Gunnar Þórðarson, Engil- bert Jensen, Erlingur Björnsson, Rúnar Júlíusson and Shady Owens. Jacobsen The only club in town

LABOUR DAY WEEKEND Friday 17. july Friday 24. july Departure Live Music Friday 31. july Dj Trix Company B Jacobsen Underground Dj Cuellar Raggi Kvikindi Session No. 1 Pedro Seph Underground Sexy Laser DJ Yamaho Saturday 1. august Saturday 18. july Saturday 25. july Live Music Live Music Super Discant Steriohypnosis Krooks Daniel Howe Reptilicus DJ Árni Sveins DJ Jack Shidt AMFJ Hugarástand Wednesday 29. july Sunday 2. august Wednesday 22. july Late Hour Party Jacobsen Underground Late Hour Party Thursday 30. july Session No. 2 DJ Óli Ofur DJ Thobbi Casbah Opening Captain Fufanu Thursday 23. july Private Party Kiasmos Live Set Orange Volante Live Set

de gode tider

The Hafnarfjördur Centre of Culture and Fine Art

Open 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Thursdays to 9 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.

Strandgata 34 220 Hafnarfjörður Iceland Collectors’ Collections Works by leading 20th and 21st century Icelandic artists

June 24th – August 4th

www.hafnarborg.is [email protected] (354) 585 5790 The Reykjavík Grapevine “They put on such a Issue 10­ — 2009 beautiful meal for us. We had the most 22 amazing freshest fish I've ever had in my life. On Tour | Grapevine Goes Eistnaflug Rock Festival – Part One It was all so perfectly cooked too...Beautiful!” Jamie Oliver’s Diary Sunlit Halls crowd. No-one believes I am who I say I am and some girl says she was born in ’98. I stand alone and drink beer by the venue entrance. I think Plastic Gods are playing. Punk may not be sexual, but metal is. “I’ll give you 1000 ISK for a blowjob,” someone says to a girl. Plastic Gods are hypnotic and amazing in every way imaginable. The bass strap comes loose in one song. No- one cares. The bassist screams into his mike. The most interesting music in Iceland is played here three days a year. Everyone here knows that. I’m on my way to the pier to piss off of Eistnaflug (translated ‘Flight of the bouncer thinks my notebook is it, and someone yells at me, “Hey do Testicles’, ‘TestFest’, or, worst of alcohol. We exchange awkward you have a light?” all, ‘Flight of the Testes’) is a metal grunts. “No, I don’t smoke anymore.” festival held annually in the small Everyone is drunk and half-naked “Really? Not even... magic?”, he eastern Icelandic fishing port of and everyone reeks of sweat. I lie says, brandishing a very long rolled-up Neskaupstaður. The Grapevine, and smoke a cigarette in some grass. cigarette. diligent as always in the monitoring Someone quotes HAM’s version of “Uh... yeah, sure, I smoke magic.” of high culture, sent an observer to Airport. It’s 22:56 and I’m higher than bear witness to the drunken insanity “Ég fíla þessar kringumstæður þar god. The music drones on inside, but that occurs when pretty much all of sem að fólk tjaldar bara til að geyma my beer is too valuable to pour out, Iceland’s metal subculture gathers in draslið sitt í og sefur bara þar sem það so I’m stuck outside for now. A guy a tiny town to watch thirty bands play deyr.” smacks my ass as he passes me and I the most extreme Iceland has to offer It’s ten to seven and someone falls spy my photographer stumbling over musically. The observer, as fate would over drunk and vomiting. The sun the street with some rolling tobacco. I have it, was me. beats down hard. It’s so impossibly enter the venue and a band is trying To best capture the impossibly beautiful here and I don’t understand very hard. chaotic and unpredictable nature this place. “Who is this?”, I ask someone. of Eistnaflug, or indeed any large It’s only the first day and already “I don’t know.” outdoor music festival, I have decided the consistency of crumbling, dry They speak accented English as that an ad verbatim, unabridged mud permeates everything. Tomboys they leave the stage. I ask someone and uncensored transcription of the are everywhere. else. I can’t hear a word he says. I ask A6 Moleskine notebook I acquired It’s 19:35 and we’re debating again. somewhere and jotted down random whether or not someone’s shitty “ Actress. From Germany.” observations in would be the best way Peruvian reggaeton sounds Japanese. “Okay.” to re-experience the festival. They are Everyone is drunk. A pause. however, for the reader’s convenience, It’s 20:01 and the campsite applies “Thanks,” I add. I stand by the exit. proofread. temporary tattoos to each other. The Every five minutes, somebody hugs Bear in mind that the following sun drops behind the mountain. someone they haven’t seen for years. opinions expressed are not necessarily It’s 20:17 and the sky is incredibly It’s 23:53 and I’ve sort of lost track of truths, nor even opinions I hold today. blue. I’m thinking of going to see a events. I run out of the venue and walk I feel, however, that this makes them band or two. Someone is throwing around town. all the more effective: an account up close by. The hollow crunch of written after the fact would only be someone stepping on a beer can has Friday, July 10th: tainted by wisdom I’ve gained or lost become commonplace. Almost none 0:34. I sit in my tent and debate since, and would be too focused on of the girls are wearing bras. A circle whether or not to leave it again. discerning a purpose to all the lunacy of garbage has begun to form between Someone calls my name; it’s for I experienced. Not one word has been the tents. someone else, just a coincidence. added or omitted. My photographer groans multiple There are more single girls here than times as he takes a sip of whiskey, as last year. Someone talks about Star Thursday, 9th July. if he’s been stung by something. The Wars, someone else keeps yelling my The first fourteen notes are not dusk shadows the mountain in an name. I think I’m about to leave my timed, but they were taken, to the best indescribably intricate way. No-one tent. of my recollection, between 4:30 and notices. Someone notices a slab of 01:14 Someone is breakdancing 7:30 P.M. All other untimed notes are barbecue is on fire. atop the lavatory crate. He falls off. impossible to place correctly. 21:03 and everyone smells of Everyone cheers. Senior citizens: “Heavy metal.” campsite undergrowth. People are It’s 01:52 and I return to the There is cold beer at the back of lying down on the pavement. I reach lavatory crate. 4 people are camping the car. (Ford Focus) Everywhere is the venue and everyone is sweaty out on top of it, hurling obscenities warmed by sunlight shining through and disgusting and happy. A band at passerby. Everyone is listening to windows. has just finished. Someone feeds his metal. I watch first band Skítur play. girlfriend pizza. I look at someone’s The time is indeterminate. I can’t There are 33 people in the room. face too long, I have to nod to them. find my allergy medication and my Everyone outside is too drunk to Do it twice, I have to talk to them. hangover shows no mercy. I’m going communicate; inside, everything is I stand around a car that has back to sleep. too loud. Some guy’s girlfriend pushes Butthole Surfers blaring out of the Read the stunning conclusion to Sindri's his hand away as he tries to hug her. stereo. Another car, a moving one Eistnaflug coverage in our next issue. They walk towards the bar. with a local driving, beeps at a drunk Skítur is asked for an encore, but guy with a guitar case. The shadow of www.islenskibarinn.is • [email protected] the singer needs to take a piss. The one mountain moves over another. A The Icelandic Bar • Austurvöllur • Reykjavík • Tel: 578 2020 afternoon sunlight is intensely girl dances atop a Toyota SUV and the Sindri eldon uncomfortably bright outside. The car alarm goes off. She skitters into a lýmir

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Klappar stígur Klappar Laugavegi 21, 101 Reykjavik, 551 6464 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 It is also worth checking out the official swimming pool of Tálknafjörður – it is the biggest one in Westfjords. 24

Travel | Activities Pools, Tubs, Cheese Containers – YES! Thank God For Hot Water The Reykjanes Pool and some of what makes life bearable I get a kick out of swimming pools. Hiking tours, road trips or countryside family journeys should all be tied together by visiting a pool of some kind. A long bath in a desolate, small hot water pool in the middle of nowhere is simply the best way to relax before hitting the road again. Dipping into Photo: Björgvin Hilmarsson a pool, soaking in a tub, this is what Krossneslaug makes a perfect trip. Where: Norðurfjörður, in the north part Photo: Björgvin Hilmarsson In Iceland, finding a place to swim of the Westfjords. Krossneslaug is at is incredibly easy. According to www. the very end of road number 643. Drive Old cheese containers sundlaugar.is (they claim to list all carefully – the narrow sandy road from Where: In the most fun town of known pools in the country), Iceland Hólmavík up to Norðurfjörður has a lot Northern Iceland: Húsavík. How to get there: The cheese has 130 official swimming pools. A of curves and is quite bumpy… containers are located a kilometre away wider spot on the road is usually a sign How to get there: Follow the road after from the town centre. Drive along the that a swimming pool is close by. In Norðurfjörður camping area and gas road Höfðavegur out of town and then fact, it is almost impossible to find an station all the way to the end. You can’t take a right turn on to a smaller road, Icelandic gathering of more than, say, miss it; the pool is right next to the sea. Amenities: Showers, toilets and leaving a quaint-looking lighthouse to eight buildings where you won’t be able your left. to take a swim or soak in a relaxing hot changing rooms. The site has no electricity though, so if you are a late Amenities: Changing rooms and water pool. visitor and you’ve missed the midnight showers. The rule of thumb is that wherever sun, remember to pack some candles Special: This is the ultimate second- mountains looming afar. there is a block of houses, there is a www.rnes.is with you. hand swimming pool: the two hot water The pool itself is an Olympic-sized +354-456-4844 swimming pool. What is even better, Special: Candlelit swim in a peaceful pools have originally served as cheese outdoor affair. It is Iceland’s biggest hot though, is how easy it is to find a hot pool right next to a stormy sea – need containers for a cheese factory, and the One of this country’s best redeeming tub by all accounts – the hot geothermal water pool outside the residential areas I say more? This is easily the most changing rooms are built into an old qualities are the pools of hot water water making it way more suitable for – as long as you know where to look. romantic swimming pool in Iceland. cargo container. The hot water, very rich found sprinkled all over it. Those pools floating around and forgetting whatever Not to put down the Blue Lagoon in minerals, comes straight from the somehow manage to make life on the ails you than engaging in any Olympic- or Jarðböðin in Mývatn, I still go for an ground. So if the pools are empty, the edge of the inhabitable world somewhat style activities. It was built in 1934 to isolated, peaceful hot water pond in tectonic plate movements are to blame; bearable-to-goddamn awesome replace the older (1889) rock-and- the water may dry up after earthquakes. the middle of the Icelandic countryside when all else fails, especially when dirt-based model, remnants of which This happens occasionally. over a fancy, jam-packed water park temperatures drop below sub-zero are still visible. It was until recently where you are marked by a plastic band and an endless winter takes hold of Iceland’s ‘longest’ swimming pool; although it was originally meant to be attached to your wrist. Every time. the heart. They are also pretty great during summer, when those dark days a modest 25-metre length the builders In my opinion, the most inviting pools seem like a distant, repressed memory. apparently got the measurements are the desolate ones. Imagine floating We treasure every single one of the wrong. The geothermal heating results about in hot water whilst gazing at the geothermal pools, quaint hot tubs and in a comfortably inconsistent average cold, stormy ocean roaring just a few glorified puddles sprinkled all over our temperature and a warning sign graces metres away. This particular view from a small rock in the North Atlantic, and so its banks: pool may be extremely hot, pool is the best one in the whole country should you. patrons enter at their own risk. and can be found in the Westfjords, All of those pools are special, all The charmingly rustic hotel/campsite right at the end of a narrow bumpy road. Photo: Jón Sigurðarson - www.vopnafjordur.is Photo: www.gusti.is of them offer something to love; the usually offers the kind of peace and Another extremely pleasant swimming Vopnafjörður Tálknafjörður hot modern concrete and glass constructs quiet most tourists will happily travel pool is located in a green valley in the across continents to reach, and you Where: Around seven kilometres north pools (free of charge) with their fishtank steamrooms and suburban families, the indoor pools and start wondering why the resort is one of middle of nowhere, a few kilometres from Vopnafjörður village in Northern Where: Located a few kilometres their ambitious architecture, the barren Icelandic tourism’s best kept secrets. outside the nearest village Vopnafjörður, Iceland. outside the charming village centre of wasteland screaming ocean end-of-the Floating in the pool during sunlit just waiting for passers-by to stop and How to get there: When driving along Tálknafjörður in the ever so beautiful world three-person decaying concrete summer nights invites many a curiosity dive in. road number 85, you come across the West Fjords. tubs. All of them do, yet some of them (it officially closes at 23:30, but the It is not at all rare to be the only pool in the valley of Selárdalur. How to get there: Drive along stand out, earning a very special place resort folks don’t seem to mind if you visitor in many of these pools. This is Amenities: Showers, changing rooms, Strandgata until you see a red-roofed in travellers’ hearts, haunting their loiter around forever); I have had several ideal. Moreover, whether you are an toilets. During summertime, there is an cottage on your right. dreams and demanding repeat visits. close encounters of the bird kind while early bird or a night person, these pools attendant that cares for the site. Outside Amenities: Modest changing rooms. One such pool sits on the Reykjanes resting my laurels there, a redshank are almost always open. When you go, the official opening times, remember The pools usually have some algae in peninsula, not the one with Keflavík in or whippoorwill landing on the water’s please remember to leave some change to leave an entrance fee in the donation them, but not to worry – it won’t do you it, the one that rests firmly on one of the smooth surface to rest along with me box. any harm! in the donation pot – a few hundred Westfjords’ many jagged corners. and share a few tweets. All sorts of Special: Perfect spot to either take a Special: According to the locals, this is Icelandic krónur isn’t a lot to part with This is not the first article we publish birds seem to know about this place, swim in the big pool or relax in the hot the best spot to see the northern lights in exchange for a unique swimming about the pool at the Reykjanes resort, and they seem to like it. ponds. The atmosphere in the green in the wintertime. When the weather experience. These donations are used and it probably will not be the last. No Boil your senses away, douse them valley between the mountains is nice gets really harsh and snow covers to keep the pool and its surroundings amount of words or pictures could with beer and you will understand and quiet. An average visitor to the the village, the feeling of putting on in good condition. Giving donations to possibly capture it in optimal conditions. exactly what they mean. Soak yourself site is a villager from Bakkafjörður or your trunks and jumping into the hot the villages’ swimming pools also means Its raw concrete structure (re-done this for hours. You can ponder eternity, Vopnafjörður. Random travellers rarely pool is incredible. It is just you alone summer) fits surprisingly well with the or you may engage in conversation you can come back and re-live the come across the place as the pool is not accompanied by the cold wind, beautiful area’s rugged geography, underwater with drunk tourists, should you find wonderful experience. situated next to the main road, road mountains and the comforting hot wooden benches provide a place to yourself in their company. When in Iceland, go swimming. On number one. But believe me, the pool water. your tour around the country, you should itself and the surrounding landscapes rest and contemplate the warm water blending in with the clear, clean sky, try out at least some of the following are worth taking a detour from the ring Satu Rämö Haukur s magnússon places. road. the sometimes angry ocean or the Julia staples New super duper Moods of Norway store has opened in the Kringlan shopping mall

LAUGAVEGI 51 & KRINGLUNNI•551 4337 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 Car provided by Hertz www.hertz.is 26

Travel | Activites … and on his farm he had some lettuce. E-I-E-I-O. Surviving a weekend WWOOFing in Egilsstaðir

level of calm, inner peace and self-aware- ic Farms (WWOOF) “links people who ness. want to volunteer on organic farms or Three hours of hoeing in solitude, smallholdings with people who are look- Working the land. Hoeing the weeds over your life: your actions past, present ing my pain. Likely younger than me at something that my fellow WWOOFers ing for volunteer help.” Thus, WWOOF- from deceptively long rows of lettuce and and future. Nostalgia is joyfully sadden- the time of writing – as all WWOOFers dispersed throughout the field seem to ing is the actual act of volunteering on an parsley. I’m in Egilsstaðir, in the far east ing. Love is painfully elating. Neither can seem to be, making me feel frighten- have no problem with, inspired me not to organic farm. of Iceland. As far away from Reykjavík you experience at that moment in the ingly more senior than my twenty-four explore my deepest inner thoughts, fight “I first heard about WWOOFing as I can get without leaving this island. field; just you and a bed of lettuce and a years – and having sought out a summer my internal demons and come to terms about 6 years ago, when only one per- WWOOFing. hoe. of WWOOFing for herself, as opposed with two-dozen years of sometimes ques- son I knew had WWOOFed, in France,” This is hard work. Not hard in the Flipping through the guest book in to hearing of the practice by chance and tionable choices. Rather it motivated me Borkwood explains. “Now I know tons of sense of it being physically demanding the WWOOF quarters of Vallanes or- thinking it a quirky way to spend a couple to hit the fields equipped with my iPod. people that have WWOOFed all over the – though my right arm is rather sore ganic farm helps to alleviate my feelings of days and potentially interesting fodder The subsequent days have been a hell of world. It has really gained popularity over from repetitive motions of circling the of being a prisoner of my own mind, for an article, Elizabeth was struggling a lot easier for it. the last few years.” hoe under and around every individual tortured by my incessant inner dialogue. initially. Borkwood, who has WWOOFed pre- vegetable in the bed for hours at a time The book, its original hard black shell re- “There were times that I thought I It seemed like a good idea at the time viously in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slove- – it’s hard in the sense that I’m not ac- covered with a now worn and torn poster might be going insane because I was WWOOFing? Is that some canine-specific nia and Greece, seemingly couldn’t say customed to being so entirely alone with depicting fields and forests, reads like a having so many thoughts,” she wrote. I breed of bestiality? enough about the experience. Through my thoughts. An experience like this re- surprisingly personal diary; the tradi- feel you, Elizabeth, whoever you are and That was my inner dialogue upon WWOOFing she can travel alone safely, ally drives home the sad reality of my life tional upbeat “thanks for a great sum- wherever you may be. We are kindred a chance encounter in May with Amy see parts of countries outside the major of distraction. Distracted by the internet. mer” entries augmented by deeply indi- spirits, you and I. Of course, Elizabeth Borkwood, a twenty-five year old Toron- city centres, stay with farmers and be Distracted by my iPod. Distracted by con- vidual outpourings of personal growth learned about herself from the experi- tonian then recently arrived in Iceland cared for and fed for free, contribute to stantly being surrounded by people and and struggle experienced by countless ence, calling her time at Vallanes “ab- specifically to hitchhike its ring road and the agricultural growth of another coun- noises and images and flash and bang young visitors during their time in the solutely the healthiest summer” and WWOOF its organic farms. Luckily for try and meet people from all over the and ohh and ahh. fields. expressing her gratitude to farmer Ey- her reputation in my mind, Amy had an world with similar interests to her. It’s easy to act and do when you’ve no One entry from either August 9th or mundur Magnússon for the opportunity explanation of WWOOFing at the ready. So that’s when the thought hit me: time to think things over. It’s terrifying September 8th of 2001 spoke to me. At to explore herself and her thoughts in the She’s a hippie, not a fetishist. I like to la- Getting out of 101 could be nice for a to have a bank of three hours, just you that time a girl named Elizabeth from fields. bel people. short period of time. I’m totally going and a bed of lettuce and a hoe, to think Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was feel- I haven’t achieved such a heightened World Wide Opportunities on Organ- WWOOFing!

www.airiceland.is Fly and discover GRÍMSEY SIA.IS FLU 46567 06.2009

BOLUNGARVÍK Action-packed day tours 2009 DRANGAJÖKULL ÞÓRSHÖFN ÍSLENSKA ÍSAFJÖRÐUR SIGLUFJÖRÐUR HÚSAVÍK HRÍSEY VOPNAFJÖRÐUR Air Iceland is your West Nordic airline, a customer-driven servicevice Krafla

BLÖNDUÓS AKUREYRI 8 hour Day Tour 12 hour Day Tour 10 hour Day Tour 12 hour Day Tour company responsible for scheduled domestic flights and flightsts Nature’s Hot Spot Lake Mývatn In the Footsteps of the Fishermen Birds and Blue Waters FLATEY EGILSSTAÐIR from Iceland to the Faroe Islands and Greenland. NESKAUPSTAÐUR Vestmannaeyjar Mývatn Eskifjörður Ísafjörður Hallormstaður

STYKKISHÓLMUR Kárahnjúkar SNÆFELLSJÖKULL Air Iceland offers a variety of day tour packages, in Iceland CONSTABLE POINT Greenland BORGARNES and to Greenland, which include flight, bus transfer and ILULISSAT Greenland Gullfoss AKRANES KULUSUK Geysir guidance. All these magical locations are but a short, Greenland NUUK REYKJAVÍK Greenland comfortable flight from Reykjavik. KEFLAVÍK Jökullónið NARSARSSUAQ Blue Lagoon Greenland FAROE ISLANDS Come fly with Air Iceland 12 hour Day Tour 2 or 5 hour Evening Tour 2 night Hotel Package 8 hour Day Tour Highlights of the North Beyond the Arctic Circle A Different World Remarkable Greenland Mývatn Grímsey Greenland – Kulusuk – Ammassalik Greenland – Kulusuk

VESTMANNAEYJAR

[email protected] / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or travel agent for reservation. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10 — 2009 Flight provided by Air Iceland. Book flight at www.airiceland.is 27 Travel | Activites The WWOOFing Bunch Introducing the farmer and WWOOFers of Vallanes organic farm

Eymundur Magnússon - 54 - “The Farmer” Eymundur didn’t grow up on a farm. His grandparents had been farmers but he was born and raised in Reykjavík and experienced farm life during his summers in Egilsstaðir. “I was on my grand- mother’s farm in the valley not far from here and I just fell in love with the countryside and I decided to be a farmer when I was about six.” He actually pursued a life of farming when he was 24 years old, beginning with a traditional dairy farm and making the shift to organic farming ten-years later. At that time he was a pioneer of organic farming in Iceland, often told by other farmers that he was crazy to go organic in conditions that are already difficult to grow in. “I got to know organic farming, I had been growing organi- cally for myself and once you get to know organic it’s easy to see that it’s the right thing to do. It tastes so much better.”

Amy Borkwood - 25 - Toronto - Canada Amy lives in Toronto, Canada, where she’s beginning a university programme in feminist social work in the fall. She has WWOOFed in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slovenia and Greece… and Iceland. During her time in Iceland Amy spent time on two farms in the Selfoss- area. “WWOOFing is perfect for me, because I can travel alone Mr. Farmer let me watch your crops; in sunny and warm Reykjavík was decid- that this farmer had little time for be- and still get into the countryside, meet people, and it's also a really Mr. Farmer let me water your crops; Mr. edly diminished. Upon entering the ‘ho- tween business meetings and marketing great way to travel for a longer period of time for cheap. I also Farmer let me harvest your crops; Mr. tel’ we were greeted by nine WWOOFers, his barley, veggie burgers and massage love being able to do something productive and helpful while I'm travelling in another Farmer let me save your crops. all of whom seemed sceptical about the oils. Due to this disconnection between country.” presence of a journalist and graphic de- the farmer and his minions the nine I flew to Egilsstaðir. Less time travelling signer. WWOOFers living with me in the ‘hotel’ Leah Mawhinney - 20 - Maine - USA meant more time WWOOFing and, an- Fast-forward five hours, after a deli- lamented that I was not experiencing the Leah was WWOOFing with a grant for people that study psychol- ticipating a relaxing escape from Reyk- cious vegetarian lunch prepared by the WWOOFing they so loved. ogy… but she doesn’t study psychology (she studies food and ag- javík, I was quite eager to get started. housekeeper of the WWOOF ‘hotel,’ Speaking with one particular riculture) so she’s not even sure how she got that money. “I’m here partially because I want to travel and partially for learning about Driving the compact sky-blue rented Toy- Lilja, and a mind-numbing three hours WWOOFer I met on Eymundur’s farm the changes in agriculture over recent years. “The good thing ota down the long gravel driveway and clothed in neon-orange vinyl overalls, really made me crave a WWOOFing do- about WWOOFing is that you often work with the farmers and the around a bend toward a charming old rain boots and an oversized WWOOF- over. A WWOOF-over? farmers are often very knowledgeable so you can spend your days white house, I let out a faint sigh of relief. supplied sweater, holding a hoe in my Leah Mawhinney travelled from doing things that you’ve never done before – like herding sheep or birthing sheep during This is just what I need. cramping and callusing gloved hands. her home state of Maine, supported by the lambing season.” After Iceland Leah was jetting off to Bologna, Italy, to spend some The Grapevine’s graphic-design in- “So how was your first day of real a grant, to WWOOF. Truly interested weeks on a farm there before travelling south to the Golfo di Taranto to harvest kiwis tern and fellow WWOOF virgin, Hailey, work?” in learning about farming practices and olives in 40 C temperatures. and I parked the car, hopped out and Goddamned WWOOFers. throughout the world, she WWOOFed greeted Eymundur, a fit middle-aged other farms in Iceland and was so con- Grace Hawley - 20 - Bristol - UK man of slight stature, ever the farmer in I ain't gonna work on Eymundur’s vincing about how phenomenal an ex- Grace is an English literature student on a gap year. “I was sup- practical denim and a plaid shirt. “Get farm no more perience WWOOFing typically is that I posed to be getting a job but because of the economic situation in back in the car and follow me to the found myself pricing out tickets to run England it’s really hard to find anything. So I was sitting in Bristol WWOOF hotel,” he directed. We obeyed. WWOOFing was hard work. Mentally away with her to the beaches of the Golfo spending lots of money on rent and thinking I really want to travel Farther down the driveway, through more than physically, though I presume di Taranto. but I don’t have much money and thinking ‘what the fuck am I going to do for the next six or seven months?’ So I went WWOOF- an overgrown undulating field, beside those who seek out summers of the prac- As a matter of fact, if I had a credit ing!” Her three week stint at Vallanes farm in Egilsstaðir is her first a large white warehouse where Eymun- tice, travelling from country to country, card to pay for it and no responsibili- WWOOFing experience and she has really enjoyed it “Working with the soil is really dur manufactures Móðir Jörð vegetarian farm to farm, are stronger of mind than ties to tend to in Reykjavík I would be burgers was the WWOOF ‘hotel’ – a por- WWOOFing on the coastal kiwi farms of healing and I’m met some really great people,” she says. After a short trip back to Bristol I am; less in need of constant entertain- Grace is off to two other WWOOF farms in southern and central Finland. table shelter elevated on concrete raisers ment, less dependant on outside distrac- southern Italy at this very moment, con- and painted in a hodgepodge of contrast- fident that my bombardment of thoughts tions and shiny trinkets to fiddle with or Hans Burger - 18 - Netherlands ing colours chosen by the WWOOFers would be more manageable under the get lost in. Hans works at an organic grocery store in a small town in north- themselves. It took only a glance for me Mediterranean sun than they were on However, Vallanes, I learned over my west Netherlands. “I want to learn about organic agriculture and I to utter what my travel companion and I four days living there, is not the typical Eymundur’s farm; just me and a bed of wanted to travel in Iceland so that’s what brings me here.” Vallanes were both thinking: “what have I gotten WWOOF farm. The young volunteers lettuce and a hoe. was his second WWOOF experience – he was in France last sum- us into?” were disenchanted with Eymundur’s mer in a spiritual commune – and his first farm in Iceland. He will be It was overcast, drizzling slightly, lack of participation and one-on-one spending a total of one month on the farm in Egilsstaðir. Hans de- and the surrounding mountains were time with the WWOOFers. They seek veloped a reputation among the WWOOFers as ‘the kid who eats a Catharine Fulton shrouded in a thick fog. The excitement out experiences on organic farms to lot of garlic’ as he was often caught eating raw cloves of garlic sneakily from the fridge. “I Hailey loman felt when boarding the Air Iceland flight learn and that was clearly something like the way it makes me feel; a little bit high. It’s also useful when you want to be alone.”

www.airiceland.is Fly and discover GRÍMSEY SIA.IS FLU 46567 06.2009

BOLUNGARVÍK Action-packed day tours 2009 DRANGAJÖKULL ÞÓRSHÖFN ÍSLENSKA ÍSAFJÖRÐUR SIGLUFJÖRÐUR HÚSAVÍK HRÍSEY VOPNAFJÖRÐUR Air Iceland is your West Nordic airline, a customer-driven servicevice Krafla

BLÖNDUÓS AKUREYRI 8 hour Day Tour 12 hour Day Tour 10 hour Day Tour 12 hour Day Tour company responsible for scheduled domestic flights and flightsts Nature’s Hot Spot Lake Mývatn In the Footsteps of the Fishermen Birds and Blue Waters FLATEY EGILSSTAÐIR from Iceland to the Faroe Islands and Greenland. NESKAUPSTAÐUR Vestmannaeyjar Mývatn Eskifjörður Ísafjörður Hallormstaður

STYKKISHÓLMUR Kárahnjúkar SNÆFELLSJÖKULL Air Iceland offers a variety of day tour packages, in Iceland CONSTABLE POINT Greenland BORGARNES and to Greenland, which include flight, bus transfer and ILULISSAT Greenland Gullfoss AKRANES KULUSUK Geysir guidance. All these magical locations are but a short, Greenland NUUK REYKJAVÍK Greenland comfortable flight from Reykjavik. KEFLAVÍK Jökullónið NARSARSSUAQ Blue Lagoon Greenland FAROE ISLANDS Come fly with Air Iceland 12 hour Day Tour 2 or 5 hour Evening Tour 2 night Hotel Package 8 hour Day Tour Highlights of the North Beyond the Arctic Circle A Different World Remarkable Greenland Mývatn Grímsey Greenland – Kulusuk – Ammassalik Greenland – Kulusuk

VESTMANNAEYJAR [email protected] / tel. +354 570 3030 Contact Air Iceland or travel agent for reservation. The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10— 2009 If you seek more of an adrenaline kick then go for ‘RiverAction’ provided by the 28 hospitable Arctic Rafting.

Travel | Activities Up Shit Creek WITH a Paddle A Day Out Rafting

www.arcticrafting.is through the noise. Funnily enough this ‘oh shit rope’ was nicknamed the ‘oh [email protected] shit rope’ mainly because you held on +354-562-7000 to it when you ‘oh shit yourself’ – it all If you seek wild excitement, made a lot of sense by this point. unjustifiable thrills and possess a craving for the most extravagant of » Tally Ho! adventures, then ‘RiverFun’ with With oars in hand, I and ten others Arctic Rafting isn’t really for you – approached the first rapid at a mild unless you under the age of 15, have a pace – nervous cries surrounded the dodgy ticker or just beginning to gain raft, mingling with bird song and an interest in extreme sports. H2O. Going through the rapids After being picked up from the themselves was rather enjoyable, Artic Rafting head quarters, it took although disappointingly, you could little over an hour to get to base camp count the number of rapids for the Drumbó – situated just under 100 km duration of this one and a half hour from Reykjavík and a stone’s throw journey with one hand and a thumb. away from Geysir. The landscape was Half way down the beautiful stretch green, fresh and calm, a contrast to of Hvítá, the convoy of battered rafts my raging enthusiasm and hunger for came to rest at the popular hot spot for some water stimulation. cliff jumping. Jumping off a 10-metre cliff into the deep water below was » Rubber and Blubber most possibly the highlight of the The wait was short and sticky; we were voyage. When else can one leap into soon called into the gear room to be the vast unknown surrounded by given the all-important debriefing. flashing lenses and gawping faces in Our mentor stood above us on a set the West of Iceland? of stairs; his stance was firm and reassuring as he explained what the » Fun and Games deal was with the equipment before Off we went again in our sizable wet suits, life jackets, overalls, crash dinghies between the serene canyons helmets and waterproof shoes were all of Brúarhlöð. The river was still, we were provided with hot soup distributed. the scenery was breathtaking and accompanied by bread and butter The sight of another man’s balls the company was a level below – both of which we’re gratefully was NOT the most pleasant of ways to entertaining. The conversation quickly welcomed. The hot tub, lukewarm enter a changing room during the mad became dry in the water. Thankfully sauna and refreshments bar were also dash of suiting up. These wet suits our guide Siggi was at hand to shake available if you felt like getting wet (still wet) were tough enough to get on up things a little before we ended up (again), warm or even drunk. Now let alone with time restrictions and a purposely drowning ourselves. after some downtime from the River room full of testicles. Games including ‘circle of trust’ and moaning raft mates, I pondered Once we arrived at the riverbank, and ‘tug of war’ provided giggles for the name of this trip – ‘RiverFun’ was a safety talk was given whilst the some and embarrassment for others. an apt title. We did spend the last one numerous crewmembers pumped up Eventually he lost all means of sanity and a half hours on a river, and yes it the flimsy grey rafts. These important and began to throw us into Hvitá – the was fun. words were very hard to hear over the water was of a warmish temperature, of health Jonathan Baker Esq A source water flow and man power. Something so it was in good taste. Back at base camp Drumbó Hailey loman Thermal pools and baths in Reykjavik are a source of about an ‘oh shit rope’ was mentioned health, relaxation and pureness. 94% of foreign guests that visited thermal pools and baths in Reykjavik said it had a positive effect on their health and well-being. Elegant surroundings Superb cuisine

Modern comfort Preserving quality Welcome to Reykjavik´s Thermal Pools is our business Open daily for lunch and dinners Special off er on Monday and Tuesday – 3 course dinner for only 4200 ISK. Reservation: tel. 552 5700, e-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +354 411 5000 www.itr.is www.spacity.is Bergstaðastræti 37 s. 552 5700 [email protected] www.holt.is The Reykjavík Grapevine Flight provided Issue 10­ — 2009 Car provided by Air Iceland. by Hertz Book flight at 2 0 0 9 www.airiceland.is 29 www.hertz.is the InternAtIonAl Travel | Activities orgAn SuMMer Fun Times in and Around Egilsstaðir hAllgrÍMSkIrkJA West is best, but East is… pretty great too! June 28 - August 16 · Sundays at 5 PM Welcome to Egilsstaðir, the sunny The Nightlife town in the east of Iceland that My travel companion just happened to be cloudy and and I should have known better than to hit the sole rainy when my colleague and club in town relatively I touched down for five fun- early at night. When filled days of WWOOFing and we pulled up outside of q r exploration. Lonely Planet pegs Valaskjálf in our rented the place as “a grey service powder blue Toyota shortly after midnight the town and the main regional scene looked promising transport hub.” Despite the enough. Pockets of young dreary first impression the locals were cavorting in the car park and on the front steps of the unassuming written description of the town beige building, ready to get their drink on. But the place was dead. makes to all tour-book totting We opted for a glass of wine at the Icelandair Hotel Hérað where the hospitable night guard/bartender/waiter, Högni, convinced us to give Valaskálf globetrotters, Egilsstaðir and the another shot after 2:30 AM. We did. It was packed with highly inebriated folks surrounding area has some pretty who were seriously enjoying the live tunes courtesy of Dísel. If you feel like cool things to offer. boozing and cover bands, this is your kind of place.

Road Tripping Lagarfljót: Driving along the southeast bank of the 19. July 26. July 2. August 9. August 16. August river toward Hengifoss Andreas Sieling Douglas Eyþór Ingi Roger Sayer Susan Landale Germany Cleveland Jónsson UK France is like being transported USA Iceland out of Iceland. There are so many trees! The undulating terrain and schola Cantorum Chamber Choir winding road skirting the LunChtImE ConCERtS on waterside is a gorgeous WEDnESDAyS In half-hour drive and the hallgRímskiRkja At 12 noon waterfall at the end is july: 15, 22, 29 august: 5, 12, 19, 26 beautiful. Drive back to town on the gravel road on the northwest side of the river for strikingly different scenery and for picturesque stops at a rocky monument to Jóhann Magnús Bjarnason and a house covered in sod. LunChtImE ConCERtS on thuRSDAyS In Reykjavík CathedRal Seyðisfjörður: Driving At 12:15 noon across Seyðisfjarðavegur july: 16, 23, 30 august: 6 is a treat in itself, offering Alþjóðlegt orgelsumAr / InternAtIonAl orgAn summer Hallgrímskirkja, reykjavík, tel. 510 1000 www.listvinafelag.is magnificent sweeping Pantone 287 CMYK views over Egilsstaðir Sponsors: tónlistarsjóður menntamálaráðuneytisins and the surrounding area Lækjarbrekka is the restaurant of the International Organ Summer 2009 U.S. Embassy in Iceland Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and bringing you face to face with some seriously impressive waterfalls – Gljúfurfoss is the most epic, but Gufufoss and all the other shoestring thin mountainside fossar are stunningly beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that the thirty-minute drive was stretched out to nearly two- hours on account of all of the photo shoots. In Seyðisfjörður pay a visit to the Skaftfell Gallery and Bistro for some scrumptious pizza (they have other things on the menu, but the pizza was delectable) and some art.

Kárahnjúkar Dam Project: The infamous hydroelectric project is a mere hour from Egilsstaðir so do yourself a favour and check it out. The drive over the highlands, marked every so often with rows of electrical towers that go on for infinity and disappear at the horizon, is stunning and sad all at once. The dam that we saw, one of three comprising the project, was shocking – lush green valley to one side and depressing grey dirty flooded death to the other. So yeah, go to the East and have a good time! - Catharine Fulton

A Very Special Scandinavian Welcome

Laugavegur 24 | 101 Reykjavík | Tel: +354 578 4888 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10 — 2009 30

Travel | Activity Puffin Party Sailing out to see Iceland’s most beloved birds

located at Reykjavík Harbour The puffin, Iceland’s most common Adults: 3000 ISK Children: 1500 ISK bird, has that certain draw that makes “I surrendered, helpless, adults and children alike all gooey and www.puffinexpress.is cooey. And what could be better than and cooed over them” Four Rides Daily getting closer to that cute little bird you wish you could hug? groups above the water, and standing, Puffin Express brings you to the I got to experience the closeness checking out the boat from the rocky forefront of puffin life with their daily on a beautiful Thursday afternoon as terrain of their homeland. The captain, rides out to Akurey Island, which is I caught the last Puffin Express ride Sævar, turned off the engine of the just a short distance from Reykjavík of the day at 16:30. The ride out to the boat a few times so that the water grew Harbour. The business, which is sixteen island was pleasant, as I was almost still, and we could float along silently, years old, employs a fifty-year-old ferry, lulled to sleep by the slight rocking of and get even closer to the puffins. which is said to be the oldest in the the boat, the sunshine, and the pristine Hjörtur told us the facts along the way, harbour area. The company, a group of green-blue waters. Small black dots pointing out the holes that act as the people from the same small town in the started to form in the distance, and we puffins' own “little apartment.” Those Westfjords, prides itself in a “quiet, up came upon the first puffin. The group holes have two rooms, you know. close, and personal” experience with of twenty or so people flocked to one Smart puffins. the puffins, as manager Hjörtur told side of the boat, cameras in position. The delighted reactions to the puffins me. The “ooohhs” and “awwws” began. continued well in to the ride back as Puffin may of course be seen in large I surrendered, helpless, and cooed over most of the passengers looked over amounts in practically every store in them along with the others. Puffins their recently snapped photos. I felt Reykjavík, their faces adorning t-shirts, seemed to innately do that to people satisfied with my up close experience coffee mugs, and keychains of all styles (or so I told myself). Suddenly, what with the puffins, and browsed through and sizes. Their shiny orange beaks started as a lone puffin soon stretched my own photos as well. Almost like a extend from their puffed white cheeks, in to thousands as we approached the doting new mother. a quality that will garner reactions island. Joyce Guzowski usually reserved for newborns. There they were, bobbing up in catharine fulton “Ooohh” and “awww,” in particular. down among the waves, flying in great Hörður Sveinsson

KIMI RECORDS C MUSI kimirecords & This Issue’s Free Track ALBUM: KIMI NIGHT ROSTER SUMMER FUN! LIFE The Kimi Summer Fun tour around Iceland was such a blast last year that the good people behind the fierce Akureyri label ALBUM OF decided to do it again, with twice the THE ISSUE intensity, twice the band and eight times the love. This summer sees the tour circling Iceland in all sorts of confusing ways, Download your offering up some of the country’s finest free copy at techno/indie/rock/pigfuck/acts in towns grapevine.is they’re seldom seen. To celebrate the tour, the label’s decided to give out a free compilation featuring tracks from all the bands performing. Thirteen free tracks, a whole compilation at the click of a mouse! Tracks by Sudden Weather Change, Reykjavík!, Prins Póló, Retro Stefson, Skakkamanage, Miri, Skakkamanage, Swords of Chaos and FM Belfast. And a print-outable cover! This is exciting, right? Well, wait no further, head on to www.grapevine.is and download some love.

Licensing and registration of travel- 1100.- kr related services

The Icelandic Tourist Board issues licences to tour operators and travel agents, as well as issuing registration to booking services and information centres. Tour operators and travel agents are required to use a special logo approved by the Icelandic Tourist Board on all their advertisements and on their Internet website. Booking services and information centres are entitled to use a Tourist Board logo on all their material. The logos below are recognised by the Icelandic Tourist Board.

List of licenced Tour Operators and Travel Agencies on: visiticeland.com Centerhotels_254x95_grapevine09.pdf 7/1/09 11:51:11 AM

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www.centerhotels.com Tel.: 595 8500 - Fax: 595 8511 - Email: [email protected] The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10 — 2009 32 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Who Was all screaming physical revolt, then you had Vespertine with its frail undertones of courtship and introspection... There? The Volta touring ensemble had a Well, Vespertine was... I made it around the lot of people in it. Babysitters. Chefs. ICelANdIC time I bought my first laptop. It was very Organisers. Roadies. Engineers. exciting. Everyone was so depressed, talking Soundpeople. And musicians, too. OuTdOOr about ‘THE END OF MUSIC’ and ‘music The crew that performed at the tour is doomed, what with all the downloading’ included Mark Bell on computers and equIpMeNT and I was just... ‘No, it’s not. You just keyboards, Damian Taylor on keyboards need some imagination.’ It was partly and programming, Chris Corsano on & SupplIeS inspired by that. There was a collection of drums and percussion, Jónas Sen on IN The CITy instruments on the record that all sound piano, harpsichord and church’s organ very good when they’re downloaded – like and the all female, all Icelandic ten the harp, glockenspiel and celesta – and all piece brass section Wonderbrass on the CeNTer They do this in a lot of nations that are the voices were whispered instead of sung at horns. And Björk, of course. full blast. going through trouble. We would need a Tel:+354 517 8088 Tel +354 577 60 50 The soundscape was kind of virtual, certain proportion of the 300.000 persons more thought than physical. More mental that make up Iceland, around 1.500 WWW.CINTAMANI.IS www.sixt.is and frozen. I decided: ‘OK, this world is people, and we would meet with the aim not warm summer, it is a frozen winter. It’s of mapping out what we want Iceland to cold, you turn off your body.’ In Vespertine, be in 20 years. We’ll get a wide assembly; I made a record that you experience in a Jón and Gunna from Bíldudalur, folks frozen state, from the cover artwork to that wish to harness everything and build 100% the soundscape and all lyrics being about dams everywhere, and people that wish to Merino JANUS being in a pupal stage on a winter’s night. harness nothing. Groups that want Iceland wool woo Hibernating. I was playing with that idea. to become the biggest electric car country in is made len un Merin from derwear It’s funny to think that in the year 2000, the world, and people that want us to hunt o woo the fin when I was making that record, people were more whales. The whole of us, planning out l which est and comfortable. acting very scared about the purported ‘end a course. We cannot be everything, and we is soft cannot be nothing – there needs to be some It k of music’. It’s always that same cliché. I eeps sort of commitment. And as I said, we [the an your liked turning it upside down. d warm body Náttúra group] might very well cooperate an dry And now of course, almost ten years d does with another ten groups in calling together not itch. later, there’s a whole lot of music out there being made that’s directly influenced by a nationwide meeting. These are some very what downloads well. Music being made different groups, many of whom totally by people that have been for the last decade disagree with us on most things. But I listening to mp3 files at their house, and think that it’s the first step to a national now they’re making music out of them. assembly, that these groups work together. There’s no real focus now on listening to Dolby Stereo at your house. The bitrate can Are you aiming to do this in 2009? be shitty for that matter, there’s no right way to listen to music. Anyway, I thought Yes, but I don’t know if we can do it. It’s a that work with Vespertine was equally dream, participating in that. A dream we Where Did They exciting and challenging. And then Volta foster. This is in any case a good idea, and it was a very different affair... came from the people themselves, not from an elite or politicians. People have lost a lot Go, Now of faith in politicians. But I don’t know if Up on the hill with a flag and a horn The Volta tour was the most extensive I should be talking about this, I’m not at So what are you thinking or one Björk has embarked upon in her all sure it’s going to happen. It would take contemplating right now that might be solo career. The following is a list of months to plan and put together. reflected on Volta’s follow-up? the countries the Volta touring outfit visited in 2007 and 2008. It is divided by On what she’s listening to... My friend Gabríela [Friðriksdóttir, artist] continent. It has a lot of countries in it. is big on numerology. In the time leading What are your current listening habits, up to Volta, she’d calculated that I was North America what sort of music are you digging at the an eight, which means justice. I thought California moment? that was funny, especially since my dad is New York always working in the union movement Illinois I think it’s been an unusually fine year and my mom has that gene in her... she Colorado for pop music. The year is only halfway went on hunger strike for eighteen days to British Columbia through and already I’ve found a lot of new try and stop the Kárahnjúkar dam from Washington releases that I genuinely like and will listen happening. So I thought it would be funny Ontario to at home. It’s a good year for pop music. and humorous – although maybe no one Michigan Like Antony’s new record [Antony and but me gets the joke – to do a justice album, Texas the Johnsons’ The Crying Light], Animal an EIGHT; up on the hill with a flag and Georgia Collective [Merriweather Post Pavilion], a horn. Quebec The Dirty Projectors [Bitte Orca]... I’m For the next record, if I can promise Nevada you anything about that, it’s that it will not forgetting something. On the whole, I feel this is a really exciting year for music. be a justice record. It’s fun to run up the South America There were a few years in between that hill with a big flag, demanding justice, but Brazil I felt nothing exciting was going on. At it can be a tiring feeling in the long run. Argentina VEGETARIAN CUISINE least not to my tastes. But now, observing Trying to think you can tell others what’s Chile the new generation of Americans – the right and what they need to do. It was fun Peru Skólavörðustígur 8 b, tel. 552 2028 aforementioned, along with people like for two years but now I am done with that. Colombia Open from 11:30 am–21:00 pm Joanna Newsom, Americans between 20 I liked it, though, the raw energy with the Mexico www.graennkostur.is brass girls and the hooliganism. But now I and 30 – I feel more excited. I feel I have more in common with that generation of have something different. I will say that I Europe Americans than with a lot of what’s been am excited about all the new programs and The United Kingdom making the rounds these past years. instruments we’ve been talking about. Belgium So I am excited for the next generation. Poland Viking hotel Maybe Bush saved the day by staying in On the Náttúra organisation... Denmark power for eight years, so everyone got fed up Viking restaurants Holland with careerism and marketing and making Perhaps in line with Volta’s theme of Spain Viking live entertainment money. It was always said that Europeans justice, you have lately been very involved Italy make pop music and they just try to make Viking Souveniers in grassroots organisations, promoting Switzerland Viking Souveniers great music, not caring if it makes it to environmentalism and sustainability France number one or not, but in the US people with the Náttúra group. The song you Ireland are always thinking about success. And I released in support of the project last fall Scotland feel like that’s totally over now. Like Animal (‘Náttúra’) was a big success, too. How is Iceland Collective and that whole generation, it’s the Náttúra project going? Lithuania like they´re on the whole other side of that Latvia coin. I’ve been living in New York and it’s Yes, well, at the moment we’re dedicated Germany been an exciting time, the extreme flipside to running the website [www.nattura.info] Greece of materialism. The new generation isn’t and are in the process of deciding what our Turkey even thinking of profit, it’s like, ‘forget it, next move will be. We were kind of stunted Portugal during this spring’s election and that whole I won’t even go there!’ And that’s fun to witness. The line now is that people are recession and economic collapse thing, Oceania For booking and further information: supposed to be creative and prolific, in line that’s no secret, but we are working on a lot New Zealand Tel.: (+354) 565-1213 with nature. Making money or possessing [email protected] - www.vikingvillage.is of ideas. There are currently many groups Australia Strandgata 55 Hafnarfjordur in Iceland – not just us, but all sorts of money it is no longer the one two three of it all. So I like that, that’s my department. people to the left, right, green and not green Asia – that are interested in creating what can Indonesia be called a national assembly. We are also Haukur S Magnússon Korea really keen on that idea. Japan China NEW BOOK ICELANDIC NATURE & POEMS ENGLISH, FRANÇAIS, DEUTSCH & ICELANDIC HVÍTA HÚSIÐ / SÍA – 09–0223 FIND YOUR ESSENCE IN ICELAND

The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10­ — 2009 34

Poetry | Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl Books | Book Review Books | Book Review Poetics anonymous A (Slightly Outdated) History of Speechless By Iceland. The Mountain

“Gedanken am Rande der Askja” Páll Skúlason University of Iceland Press, 2005 English translation available as “Meditation at the edge of Askja,” French translation also available

This short philosophical essay evokes the question of the existence of the hu- man being and his relations to the outside world. Standing at the foot of the Askja, in awe of its raw and majestic appearance, I became a poet for more or less the same of the slackers. I could hardly be bothered to Páll Skúlason – Icelandic philosopher and writer – searches for his place in the world reason everybody else did: I’m lazy and I keep up with a conversation, let alone par- as an entity. Wondering what connects wanted to sleep late. That was the job de- ticipate in one. But times have changed. I things with each other and what actually scription. You get to sleep late, drink late haven’t had three consecutive days without makes the world a whole, he realises that and most people won’t ever find out you’re working in years. My day starts at eight in he doesn’t know anything. He feels that stupid because what you do is beyond com- the morning and sometimes stretches past he is thrown into the world, without any prehension anyway – your roots are in some midnight. You know that time just before orientation, not knowing where to go. ephemeral world on the other side of every- you fall asleep and all the weirdest thoughts Icelanders who were the first Europeans Askja for him is the symbol of the A Brief History of Iceland thing and poetry is not supposed to be un- in the world seem to crowd your mind? to discover America, knowledge that has world itself; or rather, a symbol of the en- derstood anymore than flowers (that’s why Well, that’s the most important time of the Gunnar Karlsson long since been taken as a fact in Iceland counter with the world and what is inher- ent in it. At the same time it is a natural so many poems are about flowers – flowers day for a poet. One has to keep vigil. Stay Mál og Menning, Reykjavík 2000. but the outside world somehow manages symbol and re-condition for human ex- rarely return the favour). concentrated. And woe to him who falls English translation by Anna Yates to be doubtful about, despite the over- istence. Having said that, Páll Skúlason I’d read books about poets. They were asleep, for he will lose. (What he loses is not whelming evidence in our ancient sagas. As the title clearly states, this book is a The book was published in 2000 and asks his main question: What is reality? absent-minded and sentimental – check. certain, but he loses nonetheless). And still very brief account of the history of our has been re-printed three times, in 2003, And is there a concept or a system be- They liked drinking and smoking – check. you have to get up at eight because there’s small nation and country. And the first 2007 and 2008, but without being updat- hind it? In line with epistemology, he They read a lot of books, but in schools they stuff to be done, deadlines to be met. thing I noticed is that it is in fact very ed. Thus, on page 67, Ingibjörg Sólrún is doubts the possibility of conveying one’s were flunkies – check. They loved nothing In two and a half months I’m going small, making it quite handy for travellers. said to be the mayor of Reykjavík though true and own experience with the world to others, concluding that it is impossible more than lounging about – I remember to start my paternity leave, and I’m scared The second thing I noticed is that the last she only remained in office till 2003, and to find an answer anyway. As a metaphy- hearing the Icelandic poet Sjón (I think it shitless. In ten years I’ve managed to go part of chapter one about the settlement on page 63 the U.S. are said to still have sician he asks about the connection be- was him) say that 90% of a poet’s job con- from aspiring sentimental loser to neurotic of Iceland seems to be missing. At least a military base in Keflavík. So, although tween things in order to be able to find a sisted of sitting at cafés talking about shit. workaholic. I’m not worried about having from the copy I have. And typically, it just most facts remain facts, some of the in- universal explanation for our perception had to be the most interesting part of the formation in the book is outdated and Double-check. nothing to do – babies are work, that much I of existence, free of personal experience. story of settlement that continues to be perhaps even more clearly so as the atmo- It all seemed so easy. You don’t need any do know. But I don’t know what’ll happen if He also considers ethical arguments, heatedly debated by both genetic special- formal education and nobody can say (with- I leave poetry alone for three whole months. sphere in Iceland has drastically changed admitting that conventions and tradition ists and us common folk alike; the issue out a doubt) that what you do sucks. It’s all Will it wither and die without me? Will I since the economic meltdown of last Oc- keep us together. But apart from all these of whether Iceland was settled by brave, a matter of taste, and anyways, most poetry start writing in secret? Locking myself in tober. I particularly liked the part where it questions raised by philosophers in the independent-minded people fed up with says: “History has taught Icelanders that doesn’t even get noticed, let alone deemed the bathroom to scribble a hurried poem? last centuries and millennia, like Socrates, the oppressive rule of Harald Hairfair or, as political autonomy means prosperity, while good or bad. And poems are short. It takes Will the authorities find out and punish me Heidegger, Descartes and Sartre, Skúla- some would have it, outlaws and criminals submission means decline.” (p. 34) years to write a novel. You can write a 60- (I’m not supposed to be working while re- son makes the case that humankind escaping Norwegian justice and grabbing I think history has changed her mind. needs the reality as an independent en- page poetry book in a decent afternoon. ceiving government money). some slaves along the way. So I guess that At least according to those who claim that tity of everlasting connections. Conse- At some point I, and my friend (and poet) Babies are inspiring. They will not be whether we Icelanders are descended submission to the Brits and Dutch in the quently, he ponders whether humankind Steinar Bragi, calculated that we could tech- ignored. They induce sleeplessness, which from criminals or bravehearts will just have Icesave debate is the only way out of this lives in an alliance of trust with the natural nically write 10,000 poetry books in one induces creativity. I’m headed for disaster. to remain a mystery, for now. mess that we suddenly find ourselves in. whole, which means that true belief is a year. Most of which would be better than In short, I’m not sure if I know anymore Despite the aforementioned smallness, - Hildur Knútsdóttir natural belief, also the Christian belief. most of what we were reading. what to do with myself if I’m not working. the book is packed with facts and infor- There is reason why Skúlason – out of And some years later, if you’re lucky, you Besides, whatever happened to becom- mation, and somehow still manages to be A compact overview of the history of Iceland all the natural wonders in Iceland – chose get a government stipend and get sent to ex- ing a loser? That was a fine and noble plan. a surprisingly light read. The chapters are that still manages to be a surprisingly light Askja for his essay. Askja is one of the ac- otic countries to read onstage and lounge Had I been lounging about for the last 10 short with informative pictures and the in- read. tive volcanoes in Iceland. Its last eruption dex at the back is also very helpful. There is took place in 1961. Öskjuvatn, the lake about with like-minded (lazy) individuals years, perhaps I’d feel totally rested and a map of Iceland and a simple timeline in- belonging to the volcano, is more than and being admired by people who wish relaxed and ready to face the challenge of side the cover that gives a basic overview 200 meters deep and therefore the deep- they were as good at being lazy as you are. getting up in the middle of the night to of the history of the country. est lake in Iceland. The photographs gen- If you’re a loser, a drunkard, if you’re change diapers. Or perhaps I’d be totally Christianity and the Church get a lot of erously included in this little booklet give mean to people – it’s all a part of the game. out of shape, with cirrhosis of the liver, still coverage, understandably, as Christianity an idea of how vast and majestic Askja Poets are supposed to be alcoholic, rude mopping floors for a living, whining about played a big part in history and politics of and its surrounding looks for all the read- and emotional, self-centred (wo)manizers never getting anything done. old. But personally I would have liked to ers who haven’t had the chance to see it. – people love it! It means they are really And despite all the neurotic worry- have seen the Old Norse religion getting They help one understand why Skúlason gifted; they’ve seen the depths of hell and ing, I’m as psyched as the next guy about more than just a paragraph. A note on the was speechless when he went to Askja. Even if the reader might not completely are reporting back (to offer up one cliché on becoming a dad. It’ll be peaches and blue- first Icelanders way of living would also agree with Skúlason’s theory, it becomes the matter). berries, all day long until he becomes a have been interesting, but perhaps that is moving into speculation rather than fact. clear how small and unimportant he must I’ve been a (serious) poet now, with in- teenager (at which point I’m sending him have felt standing at the foot of Askja and And Gunnar seems to be a man of facts, termittent jobs, for about a decade. And let to military school). how hard he tried to answer the ques- which is fitting for a historian. For exam- me tell you, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. tions about his own place in the world. ple, he states clearly that it was indeed I used to be a slacker. (Wo)Man, I was king - IRINA DOMURATH

THE FIRST SETTLER GAELIC INFLUENCE OF THE NEW IN ICELAND WORLD GÍSLI SIGURÐSSON Laugavegur 23 JÓNAS Why were the Icelanders KRISTJÁNSSON Tel: 5526970 the only Nordic nation in A study of the ex- the Middle Ages to pedition made by Karls- produce secular heroic efni to Vinland the Good prose narratives in the in circa 1010 AD which vernacular? Is it possible planned to settle there, that the first Icelanders but was forced to leave were under enough cultural due to the hostility of the influence from the Gaelic natives after 3 years. world to establish an entirely Based on a new appraisal different tradition of story of older sources, in particu- telling and poetic talent from lar the Saga of Eirik the Red, - probably most detailed and most that of their Scandinavian homelands? trustworthy source concerning the voyages the North-America.

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