UNA Magazine - March 2014 by CharlesDubreuil

MARCH 2014

By Worldwide Friends UNA Magazine - WEB edition

Two weeks ago I met the eight girls. There are so many things to say about them. First of all, they were all from different countries. Some of them were Korean, others were Japanese, one was Italian, another one - German, the smallest one was coming from Taiwan and the craziest one was Russian. They were such a jolly melting pot. I clearly remember the first time I met each one of them. They were all really different from each other. Some of them were shy and others were very extraverted. But they all had something in common. The first time I met them they all had huge smiles on their faces. I lived during two weeks with those eight girls. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We worked, we laughed and had fun, we cried, we cooked, had nice lunches and dinners, we traveled, we cleaned and even been drunk together. We were a family. I felt so many different emotions during those two weeks. I guess it was the same for them. I’ve been happy and then sad, tired, full of energy, anxious, nostalgic, happy again, … That was a strong experience. Thanks to those eight girls, or should I say women, I’ve learned a lot. Yeah! That’s true! I learnt a lot, about the others and myself. They told me about their countries, their cultures and about them of course. I discovered so many things. Those girls I met are the ones who wrote this edition of UNA Magazine. Kate, Tanja, JingChia, Yumi, Jinm, Irene, Hwaryoung and Maiko worked during two weeks to produce and write this amazing magazine. I hope you will learn a lot by reading them and enjoy their work as much as I did. It has been a pleasure to collaborate and live with them. Take care girls or, as we say in French, “prenez soin de vous les filles”… By Charles Dubreuil

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Projects Leader : Alessandro Zabban & Charles Dubreuil / Design : Charles Dubreuil / Photographies : Tanja / Maiko / Hwaryoung / Jinmyoung / Katerina / Yumi / JingChia / Irene / Alessandro / Charles / In partenship with : Worldwidefriends / Special thanks to : Worldwildefriends / Tanja / Maiko / Hwaryoung / Jinmyoung / Katerina / Yumi / JingChia / Irene / Alessandro / Charles / Lucie / Andrea / Simm / Magnus / Toti Contact : Worldwide Friends, Veraldarvinir Hverfisgata 88, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland / Phone : +354 55 25 214 / Email : wf@wf.is / About : UNA Magazine is produced and realised by the volunteers of Worldwidefriends. Any representation or copy, partial or complete, without the consent of the authors or copyright holders, is illegal and will give rise to legal action.

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Hey, Volunteers, looking for some fun spirits and crowd during your stay in Reykjavik? Here are some lists you can check out! Besides from exotic taste of the Puffin meat to great landmarks such as HallgrĂmskirkja, Reykjavik offers lots of different pleasure for travellers. Most of all, this small and cozy northern city is busy with the annual festivals every month. From Icelandic beer experience to modern fashions, there is a variety of selection of festivals held in Reykjavik every month for volunteers to check out. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry if your stay does not last longer than 14 days. This small city will always be crowded with fun!

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«This small city will always be crowded with fun!»

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It’s already dark in Reykjavik when the gates of Sonar Festival opens, but to lit up the atmosphere is the brand new and futuristic Harpa concert Hall. The venue shines with incredible plays of light and near the entrance, people are gathering and getting ready for the concert to start. You will immediately feel that is the perfect location for the most important festival of electronic music in Iceland. Not too crowded - even though the event went sold out – but full enough to create a vivid and exciting atmosphere, the threeday festival presents in five different stages the best of Icelandic and international electronic music scene. In this second year, the festival organizers got more ambitious and offered a really impressive lineup: Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Anders Trentemøller, James Holden and Major Lazer are just some of the big names who performed. Anyway, what makes Sonar festival so unique are not only the gigs of some of the giants of electronic music, but also the possibility to get

directly involved into the magic and wonders of what the local scene has to offer: even though its small size, Icelandic electronics is outstanding with many talented artists and bands which are as valuable as their international counterparts. It is therefore not a surprise that the main event of Thursday - the first day - is the performance of the Icelandic band Gus Gus, able to keep the public under the spell of their impressive patchwork of house, electro, punk and fuzzy tunes. Saturday was also a great day for Icelandic electronic music lovers: it was spectacular to see the main hall got crowded for the amazing performance of FM Belfast, the most interesting Icelandic electro pop band. Their show, mixing music with theatre, lights and cabaret, is an extremely powerful artistic experience, their gig the warmest and most joyful show you might see in years. Other Icelandic bands worth mentioning are the synth dream pop duo Sometime, the folky atmospheres of Low Roar, the reggae oriented crew of Mind UNA Magazine - WEB edition

in motion and the energetic and physical show of Gluteus Maximus which they all brought more varieties and eccentricity to the standard techno and house pattern. When the main artists are about to perform the atmosphere is already thrilling enough. Late in the evening, minimal techno was doubtlessly the main genre you could actually hear: James Holden’s atmospheric and gothic glitch experiments, Trentemøller ‘s noisy guitars and Jon Hopkins’ fuzzy and rhythmic synth beats were probably the most impressive performances, the kind of gigs you will not easily forget. At the end of the three days, it is difficult to find lacks. Carefully organized in any details, the plus was the impressive sound quality which makes every concert a warm and entertaining experience. Fair for Icelandic standards, the price of 105 Euros is an amount you will not regret to spent if you love electronic music. Alessandro Zabban

After tasting the polar beer, you will finally realize why Icelandic people are always drunk when they are away from their own country. In Reykjavik, like others, enjoying a fine beer is pricy. So what do you do to get some decent beer around here? If you are lucky enough to be in Reykjavik at February to march, you will definitely want to check out the annual beer festival. For 2014, from 26th of the February, the beer festival was held in KEX hostel, which is located near to the seaside of the city. According to the CC of the festival, Oli Gusta, the festival started out as a celebration among citizens in Iceland for getting a beer back from alcohol-banning law in 1989. But now, the beer festival is more focusing on the aim to make improvement to the Icelandic beer culture. The nature of Iceland provides every ingredient to make the finest beer such as pure water and hof, but somehow they have lacked the skills to put it together. For this reason, there is a conference called “We need to talk about

beer” on the second day of the festival, giving a space to the Icelandic brewers to learn the brewage from finest brewers selected throughout the world. And most of all, the main intention of the festival is to create the beer-friendly atmosphere in Reykjavik, that every travellers and locals can simply enjoy the beer. First day of the festival begin with the sampling different beers from different breweries all over the world such as Oregon, Portland and Denmark. From pale lager to dark beer, the variation of the beer was remarkable. And the lounge was packed with people who were looking for finest music, crowd and beers. Just what the festival was expected to be, this event was not just about the beer. It was more about bringing people together into a good place, building up the culture. Also, the mixture of international and local crowd was giving lively vibe to the festival. According to Rob, Australian who is currently UNA Magazine - WEB edition

living in Reykjavik, “Anytime in Reykjavik if there is a free beer, it is a good thing and can not miss it.” Taylor, a university student from USA who is in Erasmus program in University of Iceland, said, “I love it, love the festival! So much fun! Just trying out few beers and socialize with people.” If you are looking for quality and class in beer in Reykjavik, Beer Festival Reykjavik is the answer. Brjálaður is Icelandic for being crazy, and this is what these 4 days of festival is about. Say, Brjálaður and enjoy! This could be the only chance of the year that you can get drunk and do not care about the bill. Jinmyoung Lee

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The Best

Museums

Of Reykjavik

■ National Gallery of Iceland

Address: Suðurgötu 41, 101 Reykjavík

Address: Laufásvegi 12, Reykjavik Hours: 11-17, closed on Mon The gallery features a collection of Icelandic art. You can see about famous Icelandic artists and their works. If you prefer the artworks of new artists to old ones, visit the exhibition room. You will always find something new. http://www.listasafn.is/

■ National Museum of Iceland

Hours: May 1-Sept 15 10-17h Winter Sept 16-April 30 Tue-Sun 11-17h closed on Monday Admission: 1500kr(adult), 750kr(students and groups of 10+), You can see the history in Iceland from Settlement Age to now, with 2000 artworks and 1000 photographs.

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■ Reykjavik Art Gallery Address: Skúlagata 30, Reykjavík Hours: Mon-Fri 10-18 and Sun 13-17 FREE ENTRY At this gallery you will see contemporary artworks by Icelandic artists. There are nine exhibition rooms. The gallery introduces Icelandic art to both people from Iceland and abroad. Their artworks do not look like each other. In their artworks, you will find same animals and landscapes that you have seen in Iceland. If you like these works, it is possible to buy them.

■ Reykjavik Art Museum Hours &Address: - Hafnarhus 10-17, Thursday 10-20 / Tryggvagata, 101 Reykjavik - Kjarvalsstadir 10-17 / Flókagata 105, Reykjavik - Asmundarsafn 13-17 / Sigtún, Reykjavík,

■ The living art museum

Admission: 1300kr(adult), 650kr(students), 760kr(groups of 10+)

Address: Skúlagata 28, Reykjavík Hours: 12-17, closed on Monday FREE ENTRY Are you bored just watching artworks? Let’s join into the art. Here you will enjoy a contemporary art with interactive ways. Also, you will see live art paintings if you are lucky. Check the time.

Reykjavik Art Museum is located in three different buildings, Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir and Asmundarsafn. Hafnarhús is mainly about contemporary arts. Kjarvalsstaðir is about paintings, sculptures and handcrafts. Asmundarsafn is about sculptures and architecture. You can visit all of 3 museums in one day if you have an appropriate ticket. http://www.artmuseum.is/

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■ Museum of Photography

My review...

Address: Grófarhús, Tryggvagata 15

It is a very interesting place to know people in Reykjavik from many aspects because the photographs are taken by photographers from different countries for more than 100 years and all the photographers are both professional and amateur.

Hours: Mon-Thu 12-19, Fri 12-18 http://www.ljosmyndasafnreykjavikur.is/ FREE ENTRY It is located on the 6th floor of the library in Reykjavik and offers 5 millions photographs by 34 female photographers from 1870s to 2002. Also, this museum is selected as ten ranked best free museums in Europe.

All the photographs are focused on people’s life, family, and nature. Their styles of photographs are totally different. One is realistic snaps of their daily life, and the other is like abstract art. I get to know how people are like or how the time has changed from different points of view.

By Maiko

«There is always a new museum to discover in Reykjavik». UNA Magazine - WEB edition

Essi, long-term volunteer, having fun at the museum. UNA Magazine - WEB edition

About

Food

& Drinks in Iceland

What might be better after a long walk in the middle of February than a cup of fragrant coffee or hot tea? We have struggled with howling Reykjavik winds to create for you a list of simply the best spots for you to have a rest for a while and enjoy a precious moment.

«Shark is surely the most disguting eating experiment I have had in my life». Yumi, volunteer

◀ Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur The most famous restaurant in Reykjavik This is a hot dog stand and it started its business since 1937. Now, this is the fourth generation. They sell from 1000 to 2000 hot dogs per day. The sausage is made by mixed meat, including pork, lamb and beef. And the secret of this little family business is the special yellow sauce that goes on the hotdog. Opening hours: Sundays to Thursdays 10:00am-01:00am Fridays to Saturdays 10:00am-04:30am Price: Hot Dog 380 ISK Soda 200 ISK Address: Tryggvagata, near Kolaportið

Íúðsbin Valdís ◀ A popular ice cream shop . Even though the shop is not at the most convenient location, the place is always crowded with people even during the night. We tried the most popular Icelandic flavor, Tyrkneskur pipar, which was made with Turkish pepper. I cannot describe that taste exactly but it was definitely strange for all of us. I also tried other flavors such as caramel and mango. It was really good. You can order which flavor you want via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Valdisehf). The shop makes fresh ice cream every day according to your order! Opening hours: Mondays to Sundays 11:30am to 11:00pm Price: 1 scoop=375 ISK 2 scoop=575 ISK Address: Grandagarður 21, Reykjavík

Hákarl ◀ Rotten Shark. Shark is surely the most disgusting eating experiment I have had in my life. It has a very particular ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste. Nobody in tasting group liked this. Hákarl is prepared by gutting out the material, then it is covered with sand and gravel, and stones are placed on top of the sand in order to press the shark. Then it’s cutted into strips and hunged to dry for several months. During this drying period a brown crust will develop, which is removed prior to cutting the shark into small pieces and serving. You can find packed Hákarl in the supermarkets in Reykjavik. This is the most dismissible food in Iceland.

Svið ◀ Sheep’s head in Iceland. Svið is one of the most traditional Icelandic dishes you can find in Reykjavik. You can find this easily in the local supermarket. Svið is prepared by cutting in half the sheep’s head, singed to remove the fur, and boiled with the brain removed, sometimes cured with lactic acid.

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■ Hvál biff

■ Lundi

■ Tapas (restaurant)

Whale meat in Iceland.

Puffin meat.

Opening hours:

I ate whale meat in a restaurant, Tapas, in Reykjavik.

The cute bird is an Icelandic traditional game dish in the South, for the most of part smoked to taste.

Sundays to Thursdays 5:00pm to 11:30pm

It is served with sweet potatos sauce. It is really similar to beef and there is no any bad smell. Actually, we could even say that whale is a pretty good meat !

The smoked puffin with blueberry sauce is an awesome appetizer. I can find the balance between puffin meat and sweet sauce. To be frank, I like the cutie and I like to eat it.

Fridays to Saturdays 5:00pm to 01:00am Address: Vesturgotu 3b, Reykjavik 101

Drinks ■ The strong liquor is expensive in Iceland owing to the high tax. Therefore, I take beer as a recommendation. Polar Beer is a good choice for you! It tastes sweet and like velvet. If you intend to try something special, Icelanders advocate Brennivín, nicknamed «black death», is a caraway flavor Schnapp. Tips: you can find alcohol at the liquor store and do not forget your ID card!

■ OPA Icelandic candy. OPA is a candy you can find at packages in all local supermarkets in Reykjavik. The taste of this Icelandic sweet, black licorice, was a bit strange for me. It was like a mint candy but not the same. You can also find OPA drink in the alcohol shop. UNA Magazine - WEB edition

◀ Skyr Skyr is Icelandic yogurt and the history can throw back to the 9th century, the early Viking Age. Icelanders regard Skyr as high protein and low fat healthy food. The traditional way to eat is eating everything with Skyr such as cake with Skyr topping and soup with Skyr dressing. Personally, I really like Skyr, especially with salty dishes. I found out various forms of Skyr at the supermarket like sauce, beverage and dessert.

◀ Cake, bread and coffee I wandered on the main street in Reykjavik and then found a coffee shop in the bookstore. This is, Te & Kaffi, the second largest cafe chain in Iceland. People were reading, chatting and pondering. I ordered the chillin mocha, mint cocoa, traditional cake and Kleina. The chillin mocha tastes slightly spicy but not strange at all. It is easily the most extraordinary coffee I have had and I love it. The mint cocoa tastes like mint chocolate. The mint flavor freshens the sweet cocoa and makes the beverage perfect. The cake, Marengskaka, is made of egg whites, caramel and vanilla drops. Kleina, Icelandic fried pastry, tastes like a doughnut, it used as part of a Christmas game in Scandinavian culture. Take your time and ramble around. There are a lot of decent things to be explored. Address: Lauvavegur 27, Reykjavik 101, Iceland (and several other locations).

◀ Our daily food in our house In our residence, we cooked our meals in turn. By that way, we were able to try many kinds of food from different countries such as Italian pasta, South Korean curry, Russian rice and so on. Because of the effort of people, we had a minor budget but obtained such high quality. I enjoyed all the meals in my camp!

By Yumi and JingChia

◀ Youth and international culture in Reykjavik

Reykjavik is definitely a city for young people. You can see a lot of them working (in the supermarkets, in the cafés, in the shops) or just enjoying themselves in one of the many bars and pubs in the city. It’s a small town, but full of life and things to do. You will spend a great time in its old-fashioned and vintage atmosphere. Once you land in Iceland, another immediately evident thing is the great quantity of people in the streets speaking in English. A lot of foreigners live in Reykjavik: Erasmus students, volunteers or just curious travelers. Different reasons are bringing people here, and this tiny and colorful city becomes a home for everyone.

Studying in Reykjavik How many International students are currently studying at the University of Reykjavik? We asked the International Office of the University. There are in total 57 exchange students. They are mostly from Germany and France, and the most common program is the Bachelor at the school of Business. We interviewed some international students one afternoon at the University cafeteria to find out something more about them: why did they choose to live in Iceland? What do they like about this land? We spoke with Bernat, from Catalunya, a student of Criminology. He says he loves the city of Reykjavik, in particular the seashore. Ida, from Sweden studies Environmental Law. Her favorite place in the city is the light house. We also met Jaakko, a Finnish student: he has chosen Reykjavik to study sustainable education and to enjoy the breathtaking natural landscape of the surroundings.

«If you live here for a long or either short period, take time to enjoy the great international atmosphere of this small town». Hitt Húsið: The Youth Centre in Reykjavik ◀ Located at the end of the main street (Pósthússtræti 3 -5), it can be easily recognized from the bright color (red) of its building. It hosts various events for free and it’s always full of people from all over the world. We went there a Thursday night, to watch a movie in original language (Amour in French). There we met Ralf, an Indian volunteer: he is here for one year, working for an association that helps homeless and alcoholic people. Also Maria, from Greece, is here for volunteering, with the Red Cross and she’s helping people with mental illnesses. The night of the movie was specially organized for international inhabitants of Reykjavik: it was absolutely inspiring to see the melting pot of faces, languages and cultures all together in the same room. There are also some people that chose to live in Iceland for longer, and to build their life and family here. We have spoken with Sara, an Australian young woman who has been living in Reykjavik for nine years. She works in a cafe in the city centre, she’s got two children who have grown up in Iceland. Sara speaks Icelandic fluently and she is planning to study the language for one year at University. She has been working and traveling around for a while and she decided in the end to settle down here. If you live here for a long or either short period, take time to enjoy the great international atmosphere of this small town. Iceland can give a lot to who lives here, but everyone can bring something from his country and culture to this beautiful land. Irene Doda

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Inside the

City

Review of the best Cafés...

«Mokka Kaffi used to be the first one on out check-list and there one pleasant accidental meeting occurred: there were elderly men wearing traditional Icelandic sweaters and one of them gently presented each of us an origami animal.»

■ Mokka Kaffi (Skólavörðustígur 3a)

■ Café Babalu (Skólavörðustígur 22a)

■ Reykjavik Roosters (Kárastígur 1)

Mokka Kaffi is one of the oldest cafés in the city, it never closed its doors for the visitors since 1958. The place is all about perfect combination of coffee-brown colors, modern art collection on its walls, strong coffee and fresh-baked waffles (go for it!) aroma and people of all ages, nationalities and preferences. Public varies very differently from older Icelanders to arty hip youngsters.

If you suddenly feel homesick while in Reykjavik (which sounds as verisimilar as Icelandic pixies themselves), Babalu café is a place for you to feel yourself really cozy and homey. The café is vegetarian friendly and offers soup of the day and sandwich (or its analogy) for very attractive price. Take a look at their postcards collection – “Icelandic for Dummers” one might be quite useful! There you can find some board games, books, magazines to take a look and don’t forget to check out a view from the balcony.

Retro interior, vinyl collection for the judges, crowd that might be called a bit of “hipsterish”, loads of informative brochures about the city’s life and old-fashioned mood of the Roosters make the café an ideal place to spend a couple of hours chatting with friends, reading or just enjoying background unostentatious music. malesuada arcu.

■ Stofan (Aðalstræti 7) After a long walk down the main street (Laugavegur) you will find it especially nice to have a seat and “couple of something” in Stofan café. Famous Chaqwa coffee is a trademark of the lounge. It is also a paradise for tea lovers – Stofan will rejoice you with an abysmal tea collection. And do not miss a pecan pie! The place attracts with its vintage/hipsterish atmosphere and coziness. Show up your piano skills if you have some, you’ll get your portion of applause for sure! UNA Magazine - WEB edition

■1

■2 Le Chateaux des Dix / Tíu Dropar (Laugavegur 27)

Litli Bóndabærinn (Laugavegur 41) Tiny and luminous organic coffee bar (our Italian coffee expert said that espresso is exactly as it should be) with a large assortment of food and snacks (soups/salads/paninis/sandwiches/desserts). It is located on the main street right in the heart of the city, so it’s a perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle of it, to refresh your energy and relax.

Small lounge in the basement of the house number 27 on the main street is hidden but it is definitely worth to be discovered. Twilight, some glittering candles, French music and different bright people make the atmosphere pretty unique and inspiring.

P.S. Traditional Icelandic pancakes for sale!

Reykjavik from inside perfectly matches with its overall atmosphere of creativity, inspiration and freedom. We noticed one interesting detail: every café pretends to serve the best coffee in the city. All of those six! We made a choice, now it’s your turn. By Katerina

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Iceland

A Breathtaken Country

▶

In 865 a Norway man discovered the North West of Iceland. He found a cold and icy country, therefore he gave the island the name ‘Iceland’. That was the beginning of the settlement. 10 years later Iceland was settled by the Norwegian.

which are hanging on the sky like thin soft curtains, embroidering the pure sky full of stars. Iceland is volcanic island with hot springs and geysers. On the one hand side the land is flat and full of brown grass, on the other hand side there are fjords, glaciers and huge mountains, which seem to be the guards of Iceland. The inhabitants feel like the descendants of Vikings and still today they are able to read the middle aged texts.

First of all, it belonged to Norway. After that it belonged to Denmark. Since 1944 it is independent. The American occupants enabled the rapid development of infrastructure. Iceland developed to a modern country with fishing, alumi- Exploring this country captinum production, farming and vates the senses, so we have been to several places in the tourism. south and southeast of Iceland. People from all over the world There we saw beautiful natural want to discover this beautiful things we want to share with country. It is a very peaceful you: country full of myth, nature We departed for a two days trip and silence. at nine a clock from Reykjavik In summer, there are three with a mini bus. All of us have months, in which darkness been very excited and we hoped remains only three to four that we will see extraordinary hours. In that time the nature places. Although the journey is full of pink Bladder Cam- was very long and sometimes pion. Icelandic inhabitants are the road a bit rough, the nature sometimes called “The Blissful was so impressive that we did Ones”. However in winter, the not want to leave any more. nights are very long, but you Watching these things was like can watch the northern lights, losing time and space... By Tanja & Hwaryoung

▶ Seljalandsfoss You can see this waterfall already from a long distance. From there it seems to be just a small trickle, but when you reach it, it is very magnificent. Seljalandsfoss is a very famous place in Iceland. It is 60 meters high and it is possible to go behind the waterfall. But watch out in winter! It is really slippery. We speak from experience: We fell down a lot of times.

▶ Skógafoss Near Seljalandsfoss, there is this waterfall. At first it seems to be boring to watch another waterfall, but after you went up the stairs to the top of the hill, it is unbelievable what you can see. So take the time to go up there, it will be a great experience and if you are standing on the platform, looking down on the waterfall, you can feel like floating. And if you are lucky, you will be able to see a rainbow. Still there is the legend, that someone buried his chest of gold under the waterfall. So we wish you good luck. If you will find it, you have to share it with us.

▶ Svínafellsjökull After a few hours by the car, the landscape begins to change. There are mountains and the famous glacier called ‘Sölheimajokull’. The glacier tongue is about 8 km long and over 1km wide. If you are there you will have a great view over all that ice and snow. Unfortunately you can’t get on the glacier by yourself. Therefore, you can book professional glacier walking tours. If you also want to see seals, you have to drive some way by car to “Jökulsárlón”.

▶ Reynisdrangar While reaching Reynisdrangar, the landscape seems to be ordinary. Then we stopped and went out of the car, walking a few steps. What we saw was breathtaking. The beach is black and the waves are heavy. There are three rocks, towering out of the water. The legend says that those three rocks are trolls which were fossilized by the sunlight. We liked sitting on the cliff and watching the black beach and the sea for a while. Take warm clothes with you, it is very windy. And don’t forget to watch the amazing caves!

▶ Jökulsárlón This was the last destination of the first day. The light was very dim and the whole scenery was in a romantic mood. We walked along the glacier lagoon and then we saw something moving in the water. We went closer and we saw seals! They were lying on the ice and watching us coming. Some of them were swimming in the cold water, making howling sounds. You definitely have to go there! Maybe you will see that just once in a lifetime. We slept in little cute bungalows next to the sea and a big mountain. Then we left in the morning for our way home.

■ Take warm clothes with you ! ■ Don’t forget your camera ! ■ Open your eyes & enjoy !

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« I loved the glacier, but the nature seems to be so unreal». JingChia, volunteer

▶Dyrhóhaey Dyrhóhaey is 120 meters high and on its cape there is a lighthouse, which was built in 1910. We went on there with the mini bus and some of us were really scared, because the road was so steep. On the top you have a brilliant view over the sea and black beach. If you are not scared of highness, you could sit on the ledge and enjoy the wind and the view.

▶ Urridafoss The last destination of the trip was Urridafoss. It is another waterfall which is only 6 meters high and the water is going down with 360m/sec. Therefore it seems like the river ends in a sinkhole. During winter, it is extremely windy and there is a lot of water dust. So take warm clothes with you! UNA Magazine - WEB edition

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and 150.000 inhabitants lives in there. There is the “white house” where the Worldwide Friend volunteers live during their stay. If you want to reach it, you have to fly to Keflavik airport and there you can take the Flybus to Reykjavik. A mini bus will take you to the house or you can walk from bus station. More details are in the information sheet. Although it is the capital of Iceland, it feels like a small and peaceful city, because the skyline has no skyscrapers and the houses look cozy. In general the country and Reykjavik itself are clean and there is no rubbish in the streets. It seems like the inhabitants take care of their city. There are small and individual shops where you can find a lot of traditional Icelandic stuff. All the people are open minded and friendly to foreigners.

◀ Hallgrímskirkja It is the biggest church in Iceland. It is named after “Hallgrímur Pétursson” who was a clergyman and poet of Iceland. The church was inspired by unique basalt shape which can be found in Iceland. If the weather is good, you can go up to the top and see the whole view of Reykjavik. But when we have been there, we were not allowed to go up, because it was too stormy. So you should check the weather.

◀ Perlan (“The Pearl”) The Perlan is a glass building, which contains four hot water tanks. Each one is filled with four millions liters of hot water. Furthermore, there is the Saga Museum. Outside of the building, you can see a man-made Geysir. If you go to the top, you can appreciate a wonderful panorama view of Reykjavik.

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«We went for a swim into the Ocean. The water was so cold! But it was a nice time!» Irene, volunteer

▶ Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach This beach is a combination of the hot water pool and the natural cold sea. It was opened in 2001 and every year 530,000 people enjoy this place. You have to check the opening hours because they are changing depending on the season. We were not sure if anybody of us would try to go into the sea, but afterwards everybody rushed into it! For us, it has been

The Sun Voyager ▶ It is made of steel and resembles a Viking ship. But it stands for a dream boat and poem to the sun. It is a great opportunity to take pictures not only of the boat, but also of the landscape and the sea. If you are there in winter, you have the chance to see the aurora at night. The northern lights are one of the magical things we saw in Iceland!

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a great experience to try this extreme kind of swimming in winter. The water was minus 0.2 degrees cold! Icelandic people bring shoes and gloves especially for the winter swimming. They know why. After we went out of the water, we could not feel our feet any more. Then as a reward you can enjoy the hot water and the view.

Portofolio. UNA Magazine - WEB edition

By Tanja & Hwaryoung

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