ICELAND REVIEW
ICELAND REVIEW VOLUME 55
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017
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IR 5.17 CONTENTS 2
4 FROM THE EDITOR 6 SHEDDING THE SHAME Thousands of people took part in Druslugangan (the SlutWalk) in Reykjavík on July 29th to show support for victims of sexual violence.
8 MOSS A plant with neither roots nor flowers, but plenty of charm.
10 ANOTHER WORLD The owners of award-winning lifestyle brand Tulipop have created a world of wonder, filled with colorful, loveable and quirky characters.
54 SOMETHING FISHY A new book by an Azorean documentary photographer and an Icelandic historian documents the realities of life for people in the fishing industry in Höfn in Hornafjörður.
62 FJORD FEVER The LungA Art Festival in Seyðisfjörður, the East Fjords, attracts large crowds every year.
70 CHERISHED CHURCHES Páll Stefánsson presents a collection of charming churches, all across Iceland.
78 DIFFERENT NOTE
12 BEYOND WORDS
Discover seven Icelandic musicians who have excelled in their work.
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, recipient of the 2016 Icelandic Literary Award, discusses parenthood, gender roles and the inadequacy of words.
88 GIVING OLD HOUSES NEW LIFE
18 STAYING CLASSY Bogi Ágústsson, arguably the face of Icelandic broadcasting, discusses his career and how he fell for English football.
In the process of renovating old houses, Minjavernd CEO Þorsteinn Bergsson has dug up the most amazing stories of 19th century high society and widely-traveled wood.
94 BIG BRAND FOR LITTLE ONES
Salsa Iceland offers people a chance to come out of their shell.
iglo+indi is among the most successful Icelandic clothing brands. Founder and designer Helga Ólafsdóttir describes what lies behind the success.
28 MOTLEY MOUNTAINS
104 INNOVATION ON TWO WHEELS
Páll Stefánsson takes us to Fjallabak Nature Reserve, where the mountains are red, black and green.
The company Lauf appears to be on the right track with the first ever commercially available Icelandic bike.
40 FLOWER POWER
108 GOOD LUCK
According to Icelandic folklore, there is magic in many plants. In this series of colorful photos, Áslaug Snorradóttir zooms in on Icelandic plants with medicinal power.
What is needed to capture the northern lights?
24 DANCE OF JOY
111 LAST PAGE Taking a shower in Laugarvalladalur.
48 ON FIRE The City of Reykjavík celebrated Culture Night with well over 100,000 people in attendance.
On the cover: A hot spring by Hrafntinnusker mountain in the south-central highlands. Photo by Páll Stefánsson. ICELAND REVIEW
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PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
FROM THE EDITOR
W
hen traveling from the north in mid-July, I took the ‘shortcut’ Sprengisandur road, number 26—one of the two mountain roads connecting North and South Iceland through the interior. The road, a very bad gravel road, is only about 200 km (120 mi) long. It stretches from Mýri, the farm where my grandmother Helga happens to be from, the last farm in Bárðardalur valley in the north, to The Highland Center Hrauneyjar in the south. It took me just over ten hours. Not because of traffic; I did not meet a single car the whole night. No, because of the endless, beautiful light in mid-July. I stopped every other kilometer to snap an image, alone with mother Nature. Priceless. Mid-July is the height of the tourist season. Close to 30 airlines connect Iceland to over 80 destinations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
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4
Where are all the people? I asked myself. I found them, around noon, when I took a detour to Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall on my way to Reykjavík. The parking lots full of rental cars and coaches, doing the Golden Circle. The tourists taking a few steps away from the vehicles, for a brief moment, to see nature, up close and personal. On my way from Geysir to Reykjavík, I wondered whether our visitors are only interested in our nature. Do they know, or are they interested in, our blooming culture? Do they know the brilliant writer Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (page 12), or Bogi Ágústsson (page 18), Iceland’s best known news anchor, or 82-year-old singer Ragnar Bjarnason, a cultural icon, still going strong. What about clothing designer Helga Ólafsdóttir (page 90), or photographer Áslaug Snorradóttir (page 36)? Iceland is not only about nature: it’s just as much about the people living and working (see the fishermen, page 54) at this mid-Atlantic outpost, which was isolated for more than a millennium. Those times are gone. Now it’s full of visitors, exploring what we have to offer. Except, that is, for the rough old Sprengisandur road, where I did not meet a single person for more than a whole night.
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SHEDDING THE SHAME BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
On July 29th, thousands of people marched from Hallgrímskirkja church, down Skólavörðustígur to Austurvöllur square, opposite Alþingishúsið, the Icelandic parliament building. It was the seventh time Druslugangan (the SlutWalk) was held in Reykjavík. The march has drawn larger and larger crowds every year, gathering to show support for the victims of sexual violence. This year’s march was aimed at online sexual violence, referring to the online distribution of sexually explicit images, or videos, without the consent of their subject. As always, the goal of the march was to help the victims of sexual violence shed the shame which so commonly burdens them. Ever since the beginning of time, mankind has been fascinated with images of the human form. While taking nude pictures and videos with today’s technology may be a way to celebrate the body, their distribution without consent from the subject is a serious violation. Druslugangan is part of the international SlutWalk movement, which traces its roots to Toronto, Canada, where in April of 2011, the first SlutWalk took place. It was held in response to the comment of a Toronto police officer who, in an address to law school students, remarked that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” Since then, marchers have gathered annually all over the world to protest the culture of blaming victims for their assaults. SlutWalks have become one of the most successful international feminist movements in recent years.
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MOSS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
More than 600 types of moss grow in Iceland—606 to be exact. Large parts of the country are covered with this small, flowerless, rootless plant, like Eldhraun lava field, near Kirkjubæjarklaustur in Southeast Iceland, and Hellisheiði mountain, just east of Reykjavík. Most types of moss rely on the wind to disperse their spores. Moss can absorb liquid up to 20 times its weight. 8
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ANOTHER WORLD BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
Earlier this year, the Icelandic lifestyle brand Tulipop won the DV Design Award. Tulipop is another world, inhabited by happy and quirky, flawed but lovable, Icelandic characters. The company was founded in 2010 by two friends: product designer and illustrator Signý Kolbeinsdóttir and marketing specialist Helga Árnadóttir. The brand has received three international design awards. The Tulipop world, ranging from collectible figures, lamps and tableware to beautiful stationery, can be found at Skólavörðustígur 43, in the new flagship store, which opened at the end of July, very close to Hallgrímskirkja church, downtown Reykjavík. Tulipop’s products are available in 120 stores in 14 countries, as well as online. 10
ICELAND REVIEW
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BEYOND WORDS PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
In February this year, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir received the 2016 Icelandic Literary Award for her novel Ör (Hotel Silence). Vala Hafstað met with her to discuss the novel and other works.
“In life, anything is possible,” Auður Ava remarks when we meet at a café in Reykjavík to discuss her work. “When you say to yourself ‘this could never happen,’ and I have often written such scenes, then there is always a reader who comes to me and asks, ‘How did you know?’ and then that person goes on to tell me an even more unbelievable story than what was in the fiction.” Ör, which earned Auður Ava the 2016 Icelandic Literary Award, is her fifth novel. The book, the title of which means ‘Scar’ in Icelandic, will be released in English early next year under the title Hotel Silence. Auður Ava’s first novel came out in 1998, followed by Rigning í nóvember (Butterflies in November), published in 2004, for which she received the City of Reykjavík Literary Award. Afleggjarinn (The Greenhouse), published in 2007, earned her the DV Culture Award for Literature, as well as the Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize (Fjöruverðlaunin), and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Award. Auður’s novels have been translated into more than 20 languages and have received awards abroad, including in France and Canada. Auður has also written four plays, a book of poetry and lyrics for the Icelandic pop band Milkywhale.
PARIS PREPARES
ATYPICAL IS INTERESTING
Born in 1958, Auður Ava grew up in Reykjavík. After completing undergraduate studies in history and literature at the University of Iceland, she left for Italy and then moved to Paris, where she studied art history and art theory at the Sorbonne. “Paris was a good place to mature,” she states. She was there for seven years, and this is where she was introduced to the works of writers different from those she was familiar with in Iceland. She attended the theater and dance performances and frequently went to the movies to see films from all over the world. This, she states, gave her a chance to learn things about human nature. “Little by little you discover that it’s the paradoxes that make us human. I think I was always, and I still am, trying to understand what it is that makes us humane or inhumane.” Once she returned from France, Auður taught art history at several schools in Reykjavík, ultimately introducing art history and art theory as a major at the University of Iceland. It was while teaching at the university that she felt ready to start writing. Until then, “I knew that I was going to write one day,” she tells me.
Your work focuses in part on relationships which fall apart or are unconventional. In The Greenhouse, a baby is born before the parents get to know each other; in The Exception, a man leaves his wife of 11 years for a man; and in Hotel Silence, the wife leaves her husband after a decadeslong marriage. What’s your view of marriage in modern society? Is it an anachronism? “No, I just don’t think I have ever known typical people or typical relationships. If people are in a good and happy marriage, then there is so little to say about it; it’s simply good for them. But I find that what is different and atypical makes for much more interesting story material. But love is so complicated, really: it’s not an American movie. Like in The Greenhouse, I’m perhaps trying to show love where things don’t happen in the correct order. First, the baby is born; then the parents try to live together; then they get to know each other; and then they fall in love—that’s what happens last.” 13
LIFE AS A COBWEB
“Life is so unpredictable. That’s the subject of The Exception; it’s so chaotic, constantly surprising us, but a novel is in fact an organized whole; it is much more predictable than reality or life. As any piece of art, it is a structure, with a beginning and an end. In life, many things happen at once ... but if you write about it, you write, using linear structure, one thing after another. Writers look for ways to break up the linear narrative, but in reality, the way life is made up is more like a cobweb instead of a line ... I think the world is not transparent, and that no one completely knows or understands anyone else, not even couples who have lived together for a long time.” The discussion moves on to parenthood. In Auður’s first novel, as well as in Butterflies in November, she writes about children who are brought up by someone other than their parents. “With regard to children, I feel that all of us are responsible for the whole. I don’t think it’s self-evident that all adults will be good parents, or that they will be parents. Parents are just people who have slept together without using contraceptives. They aren’t necessarily qualified to be responsible for another, younger, individual. This is a question I ask in a few of my books, a question about being a father: how you change from being a young male into being a father, or a woman who becomes a mother. It’s something we all have to learn, and it’s a great deal of constant work, where you’re always on call. It’s a huge responsibility and not everyone is capable of taking it on. GENDER ROLES DECONSTRUCTED
The main characters in The Greenhouse and Hotel Silence are men who enjoy taking good care of women, either by cooking for them or by following their orders regarding moving furniture or fixing things around the house. They are men who cannot kill and don’t know how to use a gun. Arnljótur, especially, is feminine in many ways, his main interest being the cultivation of roses. Why did you choose to create them that way? “I think it is the role of a writer to deconstruct the stereotypical gender roles and clichés. I find it more interesting to write 14
about people in this grey zone. In The Greenhouse, I’m exploring ideas of masculinity.” Auður Ava explains that the book, which came out in 2007, was written just before the financial crash of 2008, at a time when Iceland was plagued by greed in the financial sector. Icelandic bankers, who were nicknamed ‘foreign expansion Vikings’ (útrásarvíkingar), invested heavily abroad, financing their investments with bank loans, resulting in huge losses for the public when the banks collapsed. “Few men felt those males to be a reflection of themselves—men who owned banks and emptied them, as it turns out. So I wanted to look at another kind of masculinity. What is considered the least masculine activity of all? It’s probably the cultivation of roses. [That’s the preoccupation of Arnljótur, the male protagonist in The Greenhouse.] The book is a critique of materialism, as are most of my books. Unlike our forefathers, the Vikings, he does not go abroad to destroy and rampage, but to give and to restore a rose garden at a monastery. This is a kind of absolution for the sins of his forefathers, the Vikings. In Hotel Silence I go further by writing about virility and a middle-aged man. It’s in some ways a more complicated book. The Greenhouse is a love story about male sensitivity. In Hotel Silence, I explore virility further. It’s about the sufferings of an individual, juxtaposed with the sufferings of the world.” SCARRED FOR LIFE
Hotel Silence tells the story of 49-year-old Jónas Ebeneser, who has lost the desire to live after his wife leaves him and informs him he is not the biological father of their only daughter. Out of consideration for his daughter, whom he wants to spare the shock of discovering his body, he decides to end his life in a war-torn country. In case a hook needs to be set up, he departs equipped with a tool box, which ends up serving another purpose than he intended. Instead of ending his life, he takes part in rebuilding life in a country in ruins. The book describes his internal battles, juxtaposed with the suffering of those who have experienced war first-hand. Almost every character in the novel has scars of some sort, both physical and emotional ones. “We are all born with one scar,
which is the navel,” Auður remarks. “Many see it as the center of the world. Millions of self-help books have been written in recent years about ‘you’ and how you can become ‘happier.’ Psychologists, on the other hand, tell us that, on the contrary, the only road to happiness is through doing something for others, so this has been a waste of paper. It’s very simple: cheer others up, and you’ll be happy. I wanted to pit this Western self-centered thought, which revolves around this navel, against an exploration of other scars.” ICELANDIC PEACE DOVE
“Jónas Ebeneser is a man who doesn’t destroy. He is constantly fixing, always building up. He does what women tell him to do. He is a typical Icelandic male. Here, women are in charge; men move furniture and place it where the women want it to be, or install light fixtures in places selected by the women. That’s what Icelandic relationships are like; in very few cases do the men have anything to say about things indoors, but Icelandic men are very handy. [Jónas] starts helping women in this country rebuild society after the war. He starts measuring his own scars against those of society. But the book is also about renewal, about the fact that we can always start anew at any age … If you’re going to write about life you need to write about death. It’s all based on opposites. The soundboard needs to be the opposite. So, I actually decided before I wrote Hotel Silence to write a book about women and that therefore I’d have to have a male protagonist.” “When the refugee crisis escalated and numerous Icelanders expressed their willingness to house refugees, I heard an Icelandic government minister say, ‘Icelanders want to save the whole world, and preferably today.’ I said to myself, ‘Who should I send out into the world to save the world? Who would be a typical Icelander?’ That is this handyman, who has a drill. He is not a man of words; he doesn’t say much, but lets his actions speak for him. He is an Icelandic peace dove. His name is Jónas, which means ‘dove.’” NOT THE ONE I MARRIED
Jónas sometimes speaks of his former self and his current self; of his inability to know who he is, now and then. Are we ICELAND REVIEW
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constantly searching for ourselves? And are we capable of changing, of ceasing to be us and becoming others? “I don’t think we are capable of not changing. I think we are in a constant state of fluidity and change. Every day, you are a new person, someone other than yesterday. There is liberty in discovering that you are allowed to be another. That’s not the same as searching for oneself, which is so egocentric and selfish. I think we should rather try to find some truth today, which changes completely the way ICELAND REVIEW
we used to think of the world. I, at least, am constantly looking for something that challenges everything I used to believe. I feel I have to find one such thing every day, some new discovery. There once was an interview on TV on this imported Valentine’s Day, with a beautiful couple in their 70s. They were asked by a young reporter in Kringlan shopping mall what it was like to be married to the same person for half a century. The woman paused and then replied, ‘This is not the same man as the one I married.’”
MISTRUSTING WORDS
In your works, there is a strong focus on the body. The characters are very much aware of their bodies. “I think the body is very central in all my books. That’s possibly related to the fact that I have never believed words or a text to be capable of fully describing reality. There is so much that happens in life which is beyond words. There are so many ways of expressing oneself other than through speech. Perception is so 17
introduces himself. When I come home, it may take me an hour or two, though, to write down the scene, word for word. If I decide to make a book from this, it oftentimes becomes a chapter in the book … Right now, I’m writing a book that came to me like that, ready-made, but it will no doubt take me two years to write. I saw it before my eyes in the span of a few minutes.” In addition to novels, you have written plays and poetry. What form of fiction do you enjoy writing the most? “If I were a real writer, I’d be a poet. No one is taken seriously in Iceland who doesn’t write poetry, but these are entirely different forms of writing. I really enjoy writing plays … I have ideas for the next 200 years. I think I have yet to write more plays. I love the cooperation with people in the theater. Being a writer is a rather lonely job when you’re surrounded only by your characters.” ONE OF THE BOYS
complicated. There is reason to mistrust words when you look at people who master words well, and you see what a privileged position they’re in, even when defending a very bad cause. Words are used in the world, not to build bridges between people and to understand your neighbor, but, on the contrary, for gaining power and to justify that power. Therefore, it’s my role as a writer to doubt words. A literary text is different than political speech. This may be the reason that in almost all my books, I have characters who have trouble expressing themselves, even though they speak a number of languages. This interest I have in languages and the inefficiency of words may be related to the fact that our language is spoken by few people. Every week, there is a language in the world that dies. With it dies a culture and a way of thought. The world becomes poorer when it loses a language. I often present languages and the body, or bodily expression, as opposites. The characters justify themselves through their deeds. The characters are well-intentioned and incapable of refusing a favor asked of them, such as taking care of another’s child, but try to find a way 18
to do as they’re asked. I think that’s very Icelandic; to embrace the unexpected and try to work things out.” INSPIRED BY EVERYTHING
What inspires you? “Everything. I can always write. The day after I decided to start writing full-time [she resigned from her position as assistant professor in the spring of last year], I fell and broke my right shoulder, and I’m right-handed. So I wrote Hotel Silence in a lot of pain. I was in pain for a year, and I wrote the book, lying down on the couch, with two fingers of my left hand and the computer on my lap. That was symbolic and served me right to be in pain while writing a book about pain. Regarding inspiration, I think a description of a character comes first. I’m curious about people; I may stop at a crosswalk to let people pass. Then I’ve made up a story about those people; I ask myself, what do those who love this person think of her? How do they see her? For almost all my books, it happens in maybe 30 seconds; a scene appears visually before my eyes, even as I’m crossing a street. The main character
What significance does it have for you to have received the Icelandic Literary Award? “It made a difference for me, because my fame has come from abroad. This prize, I felt, was a pat on the back in Iceland. I can’t deny that it was enjoyable to feel that I was included, that now I had become one of the boys.” In the category of fiction, Auður Ava is the eighth woman to receive the award since it was established in 1989. What is it that drives you to write? “You write books in the hope that your work comes true for the reader. I have something to say, and I think I’m naïve enough to write because I want to have influence. It’s a need to clean up, to be a cleaning lady. The world is not the way we want it to be, but in fiction, we have the liberty to create a micro-cosmos which, unlike the world around you, makes sense. A good writer can have the book in many layers and sneak in his or her outlook on life or world view in the moral. I think [my work] is some kind of Icelandic humanism.” Luckily for Auður Ava’s readers, her imagination is brimming with ideas for new stories, no doubt including accounts nearly as hard to believe as reality itself. ICELAND REVIEW
STAYING CLASSY BY ALËX ELLIOTT. PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
One of Iceland’s most experienced and recognizable television newsreaders, Bogi Ágústsson might just be the face of Icelandic broadcasting. Here, he talks about his career, the Icelandic media, the big wide world … and football (of course).
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ICELAND REVIEW
ICELAND REVIEW
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Whether it’s his signature deep voice, both authoritative and friendly, or his bright white hair and black glasses, Bogi Ágústsson manages to be both unmistakable, and the archetypal television and radio news anchor. NO DIVA
Being recognized is not Bogi’s aim. Indeed, he never even wanted to be on TV: “It was complete coincidence,” he explains. “A friend of mine, while I was still at university, pointed out that the Icelandic national broadcaster [RÚV] was advertising for a foreign reporter—that’s to say a reporter who’s based in Iceland who covers foreign news. He thought that it would fit me. I applied and, to my surprise, I was hired, and I’ve more or less been here ever since.” “The person is insignificant. It’s the job that’s being done that is significant,” he explains. “It’s not that anybody could do it, but the person on screen is not responsible for more than a tiny fraction of what’s being broadcast.” Reluctant on-screen stars are hard to come by—so what was the motivation? “In reality, I could have been a middle management administrator in any sort of institution, but news is what I love. I like following what is going on. I listen to, and I read, and I watch all the news channels that I can, and I subscribe to far too many magazines and newspapers.” Would he therefore say his job is also his hobby? “Yes. I would be doing it anyway. My wife says that I get a good deal, because I’m basically more or less 24 hours a day following what is going on in the world. When I retire, I will still be watching news and reading newspapers.” Despite mentioning retirement, Bogi has no desire to wrap it up just yet. Aged 65, he is already plotting ways to avoid mandatory 70-year-old retirement. “I’ll stay as long as they’ll have me. Then I hope to emulate certain foreign journalists—without comparing myself to the journalists in question—like what they do on CBS, where I think 60 Minutes only has an on-screen crew that is more than 70 years old. Or people like David Dimbleby, in Britain, who is, I guess, around 80 now, but is still doing a job on television. I just can’t imagine myself sitting around doing nothing.” 22
NO POLITICS
NO PANIC
Several of Bogi’s former RÚV colleagues have used their fame to launch successful political careers; including one who in Bogi’s words showed “entirely the wrong attitude” by privately boasting he had more power as a TV journalist than any politician. Bogi is dedicated to journalistic impartiality and does not view retirement as an excuse to become political. He says he’s already been there and done that. “I was political before I came here. I represented the right in the student council at the University of Iceland. There wasn’t an election anywhere in sight, both in menntaskóli [junior college] and university, where I didn’t stand! But I resigned when I started here and haven’t participated since. You have to be impartial. You have to be able to see more than one point of view.”
Things don’t always go as expected, and that is not welcome in a busy TV studio. “It’s a nightmare. I mean literally a nightmare scenario, when nothing functions. Your computer is down, the teleprompter is down, and you don’t have any script because the printer was out of order, and you have nothing to say. You stand there like an idiot in front of the camera, with the audience sitting there waiting for you to start speaking,” Bogi says of his worst possible day at work. “It has happened to me, once, when we had a total breakdown, and it was pretty obvious what was happening. We couldn’t go on with the news that we had prepared. So, I just said to the audience that we’re having a severe breakdown, sorry, we’ll have to take a few minutes’ break and we’ll be back as soon as we can.” Unflappable in and out of the studio, Bogi takes life in his stride—not least when he made national headlines as the theme of a little girl’s sixth birthday party in August last year. Karítas Lóa Þórðardóttir’s parents say their daughter waits excitedly in front of the TV every night, wanting to see whether or not Bogi will be presenting the news. When it came to her sixth birthday party, no cartoon character was good enough: a picture of Bogi Ágústsson was the only viable choice of cake decoration. He graciously declined an invitation to the party itself: “If she’s such a fan at this age, basically she doesn’t know better and she’ll probably grow out of it,” he remembers joking at the time, adding: “But if she wants to, she and her parents can come and visit [the studio]—which they did.” Bogi says Karítas is just one of “surprisingly” many memorable fan visits, including a charming eight or nine-yearold boy with mild autism, who traveled from a North Iceland island, dressed in his finest bow tie and blazer, to visit him at RÚV.
NO SEER
What memorable moments are there from a long career at RÚV? “Good gosh! That’s a pretty difficult question. We’re talking about 40 years,” Bogi says; starting with two events he believed could never happen in his lifetime, but which he was pleased to be able to report on: Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat’s unprecedented 1977 visit to Israel, and the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998. “But those that come to mind first are mostly catastrophes, like the avalanches in the West Fjords more than 20 years ago, which were emotionally difficult and very straining for all the staff,” he states. Then, of course, there’s the Berlin Wall. “I was correspondent in Copenhagen, responsible for covering Scandinavia at that time,” Bogi reminisces. “But I was sent to Berlin in August 1986, when the Berlin Wall was 25 years old, and I remember standing with the microphone, with the Berlin Wall as the backdrop, saying: ‘Here this monstrosity has stood for a quarter of a century, dividing east from west, families and friends, and there are no signs that it will not stand here in another 25 years.’ It was three years,” he says with a chuckle.
NO SUBSTITUTE
“We always receive people here,” Bogi explains. “We’re part of the society. We’re owned by the public. So it’s perfectly natural that the public is allowed to come here and take a look around.” ICELAND REVIEW
Me, listening to the silence
Only hours away to the west, the Greenland ice cap guards a country and people on a calm quest for survival. Journey west, and the Faroe Islands’ northern beat colours life and culture. Venture further south to Northern Ireland and Scotland, as curious 1 to know you as you are to know them. Where to next?
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“People tend to say that in a tiny society like Iceland everyone knows one another. It’s not true. But what is true is that everybody probably knows somebody that knows somebody else, which means the distances are shorter,” he says when asked about being a journalist in Iceland. “The pros are that the lines of communication are usually shorter than they would otherwise be, and you should be able to make decisions faster. The cons are obviously that you’re in a society where you may be too close to the subject that you’re covering.” Bogi believes RÚV is an important part of protecting against these cons. “We are the Icelandic national broadcasting service. So we are serving the public. The public is our boss. Not the government, not political parties, not any special interest organizations.” It’s RÚV’s unique position in Icelandic society that makes it strong, despite attacks from some politicians: “There are always some politicians—even politicians, I might add, that have actually worked for us and should know better—who really don’t get the point of objectivity,” he says. “There are always people who think that if you’re not with them, you’re against them. We don’t work like that.” While he admits politicians have some power over RÚV (for example the ability to starve the broadcaster of funding), that power is severely restricted because RÚV is held in high regard by the vast majority of the nation. Most people, including a large majority of the ruling class, appreciate the importance of the company, Bogi says. NO TIME
With conversation nowhere near drying up, we end on a few quick-fire questions, starting with whether Bogi has any predictions for the future. “Obviously, climate change will be one of the biggest themes in the years to come. That is pretty obvious. It’s also pretty obvious that Brexit will dominate the news in Europe—particularly in Britain, of course—but also hugely important for the Icelandic economy.” And what about Iceland’s current government? Will they survive a whole term? “A lot of people think it unlikely, but they ICELAND REVIEW
might. I can’t see any immediate dangers threatening them.” How did Bogi become Iceland’s highest-profile fan of the English football (soccer) club Tottenham Hotspur? “Because when I was eight years old my family subscribed to Morgunblaðið [newspaper], which I read end to end, and one of the things they had was a tiny little column which was nothing but the results in the English first division, as it was then. It had only the names of the teams and the results, and I took a fancy to the name of Tottenham. I thought it was the coolest name of them all—and I noticed that they seemed to win more games than they lost! Now I have lots of friends around the world that I met through Spurs,” Bogi remarks, referring to Tottenham Hotspur by the club’s nickname. “It’s totally ridiculous that somebody who is eight years old and growing up in Reykjavík should feel any sort of allegiance to a club, which is said to be a Jewish club, in North London. There’s no logic there, but football isn’t about logic!”
His love of KR, on the other hand, was inevitable. The Reykjavík football club is down the street from his childhood home, so his involvement was never in question. To this day, Bogi is an enthusiastic volunteer for the KR internet radio station, broadcasting live from every game. “I love being involved in that,” Bogi explains. “You belong to a tribe. It’s quite logical to belong to a tribe which has its origins in the part of the town where you’re born; that’s how it is and that’s how it’s supposed to be—but it’s absolutely illogical to feel part of a tribe in North London. But there we go!” Bogi’s day job is to logically and dispassionately tell the people of Iceland what’s happening in their world—and it’s a job he’s been doing with flair for four decades. He’s earned the right to be illogical and passionate in his private life; not only through sport, but also as a proud husband, father and grandfather. There’s a lot more to Bogi Ágústsson than just the news.
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DANCE OF JOY
Through Salsa Iceland, people come out of their shell by learning to dance in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Mike Alexander Sanchez Rodas taught the crowd in downtown Reykjavík on Culture Night. BY ZOË ROBERT. PHOTO BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
“It’s not about being the best dancer, but it’s important to try and have fun, listen to the music and just enjoy yourself. Salsa is about joy. It’s important not to take it too seriously,” says Mike Alexander Sanchez Rodas, a teacher and co-owner of Salsa Iceland. I meet him at an annual outdoor class on Lækjartorg square, downtown Reykjavík, on Culture Night in late August. He’s busy trying to convince the crowd to loosen up and join in. “It’s mostly former students or people who’ve maybe taken one class who end up joining in, but 26
occasionally you get people who’ve never tried it.” Originally from Guatemala where he also ran a salsa school, Mike moved to Iceland nine years ago. “It’s different here,” he says of teaching in Iceland. “I tell my students: ‘Don’t try and dance like me. I’m a Latino, it’s in my blood!’ Just relax and it will come. Salsa is really not that difficult. I also try to use humor a lot.” Mike started dancing salsa when he was 17 after having practiced other forms of dance. He estimates that between 5,000 and 7,000 people
dance salsa in Iceland but around 200 people are active at any one time. Established in 2003, Salsa Iceland runs courses and weekly free trial classes and dance evenings. The reasons for learning salsa are varied, Mike explains. “Some people use salsa as a form of therapy. They want to try and stop being shy and get out there and meet new people. When they start dancing, they start opening up, they start going out to eat together and become part of the salsa community here. Some have even ended up falling in love!” ICELAND REVIEW
MOTLEY MOUNTAINS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
The Fjallabak Nature Reserve (meaning ‘Behind the Mountains’) , in the south-central highlands of Iceland, is a world of its own. There, you will find boiling hot earth, kissing a glacier. A red mountain, standing shoulder to shoulder with a black and a green one. Small white lakes, silver rivers, with pitch black stones lying on the bottom, and emerald green river banks.
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Here you will find all the extremes of Iceland. There is thick fog, horizontal rain, the odd rainbow, and the cold sun, high up in the mountains. The best known part of Fjallabak is the gateway to the area, Landmannalaugar, but you also have gems like Hrafntinnusker, Torfajökull glacier, Kaldaklofsjökull glacier, Pokahryggur ridge and Kýlingavatn lake, which make up their own world within a world.
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Clockwise from top left: Dรณmadalur valley on road F225. Hrafntinnusker mountain. On Krakatindaleiรฐ mountain track. Rauรฐfossar waterfall.
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An ice cave in Hrafntinnusker mountain.
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Jรถkulgil canyon, south of Hrafntinnusker mountain.
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Jรถkulgil canyon and Tindfjallajรถkull glacier. 36
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Boiling earth in Hrafntinnusker mountain.
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Ta sty l o c a l c u i s i n e by the old harbour Nýlendugata 14, 101 Reykjavik.
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FL OWER POWER BY VALA HAFSTAÐ.
In this series of photos, photographer Áslaug Snorradóttir directs her attention to several Icelandic plants, which throughout history have been revered for their healing powers.
Numerous Icelandic plants are believed to have medicinal benefits and, according to folklore, even magical powers. Accounts in Icelandic folk tales suggest that herbal medicine has been practiced in Iceland since the settlement. Icelandic Folk Tales and Legends by Jón Árnason lists the qualities of various plants and trees. Mountain ash (Sorbus, or reyniviður), for instance, was regarded as a holy tree, and seen as a sign of innocence when it grew at the graves of people who were
An omelet with wild pansy, carrots and peas. 40
convicted and executed without the chance to prove their innocence. If used as firewood, it was believed to create enmity among those gathered around the fire, even if those same people used to be best friends. It was said that in the house where it grew, no one was born and no one died. The heath-spotted orchid (dactylorhiza maculata, or brönugras) is very potent, according to those folk tales. If a man places it in white silk under a young woman’s head and she inadvertently sleeps on it, then she falls madly in love with him. Some accounts state that the orchid must be picked on Midsummer’s Eve, during low tide. The plant is also said to be an aphrodisiac, which increases fertility and joie de vivre. The four-leaf clover, a rare variation of the white clover (Trifolium repens), is called lásagras, or lock grass, in Icelandic folk tales and was believed to be able to open any lock when applied to the keyhole. Sometimes it’s stated that after applying the clover to the keyhole, you must blow on it for the lock to open. Draumagras, which translates as ‘dream grass,’ is potent against leprosy, the folk tales state, but only if picked on May 16th, minced and mixed into sacramental wine and consumed every morning on an empty stomach. If that same herb is applied to the scalp before bedtime, it can help you find things you have lost. Then there is the field Gentian (Gentianella campestris, or maríuvöndur), which, when careful instructions are followed, including spraying it with holy water and wrapping it in white silk, will make you invisible once you cover yourself with it. ICELAND REVIEW
An infusion of thyme, lady’s bedstraw, lady’s mantle, and Alpine lady’s mantle.
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Wood cranesbill and lady’s bedstraw in water.
Left: Herb bath of milfoil, angelica, red clover, lady’s mantle and wood cranesbill. 43
Wild pansy and red clover.
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Wild pansy and lady’s mantle. Strawberries. 45
Milfoil, or common yarrow (vallhumall) Latin name: Achillea millefolium
Milfoil is believed by many to increase perspiration, reduce cramps, regulate menstruation and have a calming effect. Externally, it has been used to help heal rashes and eczema. In the olden days, people would wash their face in milfoil infusion, in hopes of removing wrinkles. Red clover (rauðsmári) Latin name: Trifolium pratense
Red clover is said to heal wounds, be invigorating, diuretic and an expectorant. It is said to be among the best plants to treat various skin conditions. Wood cranesbill (blágresi) Latin name: Geranium sylvaticum
Wood cranesbill is believed by many to work against inflammation and soreness in the digestive tract and has been used to treat diarrhea. Its leaves are applied to wounds that won’t heal and to bruised skin. Angelica (ætihvönn) Latin name: Angelica archangelica
Angelica is mainly used to treat digestive ailments. It used to be common for it to be cultivated in back yards in Iceland. Lady’s mantle (maríustakkur) Latin name: Alchemilla vulgaris
Lady’s mantle is said to heal wounds, to be strengthening, able to stop bleeding and good for the digestive system. In the olden days, it was mainly used for healing wounds—both external ones and of the digestive tract. As was common with many medicinal herbs, the plant was dedicated to the heathen goddesses Freyja and Frigg, and later to holy Mary. Lady’s bedstraw (gulmaðra) Latin name: Galium verum
Lady’s bedstraw is believed to be good for various skin conditions. Infused, it is used to detoxify the body following the use of strong medication, alcohol 46
Meringue with wood cranesbill, pomegranate seeds and cream.
or excessive coffee consumption. In the olden days, it was used against cramps and epilepsy. Wild pansy (þrenningarfjóla) Latin name: Viola tricolor
Wild pansy is said to be anti-inflammatory, diuretic, an expectorant, and to relieve constipation. Some believe it’s good for the heart and a pain reliever. Hence its popular name: heart’s ease.
Sources: Arnbjörg L. Jóhannsdóttir. Íslenskar lækningajurtir: söfnun þeirra, notkun og áhrif. Reykjavík: Mál og menning, 1992. Björn L. Jónsson. Íslenskar lækninga- og drykkjarjurtir. Reykjavík: Náttúrulækningafélag Íslands, 1977. Jón Árnason. Íslenskar þjóðsögur og ævintýri. Reykjavík: Bókaútgáfan Þjóðsaga, 1957. ICELAND REVIEW
VIKINGSUSHI ADVENTURE NATURE, BIRDLIFE AND SCALLOP TASTING ON SEA SEATOURS.IS
brjánslækur flatey stykkishólmur
akranes reykjavík
landeyjahöfn vestmannaeyjar
ON FIRE BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
More than a third of the nation gathered in downtown Reykjavík on August 19 th to take part in Reykjavík Culture Night. The program started before nine in the morning with the Íslandsbanki Reykjavík Marathon, and ended 14 hours later with a spectacular fireworks display down by the old harbor. It was the 22nd time the event took place, marking the beginning of the city’s cultural calendar year, with museums and other cultural institutions using the occasion to launch their annual programs. Reykjavík Culture Night is among the city’s biggest and most popular festivals, held every year to celebrate the day the city was founded— August 18, 1786. The program is a crosssection of all things cultural, high and low— all free of charge. Even the buses are free, taking people across the capital to diverse events, such as an excellent photography exhibition by the harbor, a Megas concert at Mengi and a waffle tasting party in Þingholt. 48
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The music program at Arnarhóll started at eight o’clock in the evening and lasted until a few minutes past 11, when the firework show began by the old Reykjavík harbor, behind the stage.
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A day to remember: hundreds of activities and cultural events took place in good weather on ReykjavĂk Culture Night. 52
Two Icelandic themed villages The Viking Village is a unique place and it is the only Viking theme Hotel and restaurant in Iceland. We have step by step been developing our facilities over the last 24 years and will hopefully continue to do so in the future. We offer Hotel accommodation and Viking houses. Good for families and groups.
Viking feasts Souvenirs Live entertainment most nights
H LIÐ
The Fisherman´s village, our newest accommodation is Hlið in Álftanes only few minutes drive from the Viking Village. Like a country home by the seaside. Such an idyllic place to visit. The restaurant is open for groups in the evenings. Close to the president´s residence.
ve ri re d nt es ce ut ty in ci m e 15 th to
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SOMETHING FISHY WORDS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON. PHOTOS BY PEPE BRIX.
The new book Lífæðin / Lifeline, by Azorean documentary photographer Pepe Brix and Icelandic historian Arnþór Gunnarsson, gives us a candid introduction to the realities of life for people in the fishing industry in Höfn in Hornafjörður, Southeast Iceland. For centuries, cod was God in Iceland, and the fishing industry was the backbone of Iceland’s economy. In the latter half of the 20th century, export from heavy industry gradually grew, and in recent years, the fast-increasing tourism industry has become the country’s largest generator of foreign income. Still the fishing industry remains one of the three main pillars of the Icelandic economy. That can be seen and felt, traveling around Iceland, and passing through all the fishing towns and villages dotting Iceland’s coastline. One of the most important fishing towns in Iceland is Höfn in Hornafjörður,
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in the southeast, situated on a long and narrow stretch of land, with mighty Vatnajökull glacier as the backdrop. Driving east along the south coast of Iceland, Höfn in Hornafjörður is the first fishing village you arrive in after Þorlákshöfn, more than 400 km (250 mi) to the west. The Icelandic landscape has served as an inspiration to the countless photographers who have documented the country. Few, however, have focused on the people living here, and fewer yet have paid attention to the working class, such as fishermen and fish factory workers. These are the people who have helped make Iceland what it is today—a prosperous country in the middle of nowhere. Pepe Brix focused on just that: the fishermen and fish factory workers of the fishing company Skinney-Þinganes in Höfn in Hornafjörður. The result is an indisputably realistic image of Iceland.
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In print since 1963, ICELAND REVIEW is the longestrunning English-language magazine about Iceland. It is distributed to seven locations within the airport terminal, to many tourist destinations around Iceland, as well as to subscribers in over 100 countries. To subscribe, go to icelandreview.com/subscriptions. For advertising inquiries, contact reynir@whatson.is.
Iceland Review 60
KEFLAVIK AIRPORT, KRINGLAN SHOPPING MALL, SMÁRALIND SHOPPING MALL, LAUGAVEGUR & LAUGAR SPA ICELAND REVIEW
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FJORD FEVER BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
Embraced by high mountains, the village of Seyðisfjörður in the East Fjords transforms into Iceland’s capital of culture for one week each July, when the LungA Art Festival takes place.
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This year, LungA’s 18th, festival organizers introduced LungA Lab, where young people from three kingdoms— Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom—were invited to arrive several days prior to the festival to take part, along with Icelanders, in discussions, workshops and pop-up exhibitions that focused on a common theme: the ego. Other international youth projects have previously been organized at the festival, with a new theme every year. One of the most picturesque towns in the Republic made for an excellent artistic backdrop. For a week, this town of 700 was full of young people, enjoying concerts, poetry readings and dance shows; not to mention the show where witches attempted to connect onlook-
ers to the earth’s glowing core, deep down under Seyðisfjörður. Altogether, around 200 artists performed or held exhibitions during the weeklong festival; all under the steady hand of director Björt Sigfinnsdóttir, who, back in the summer of 2000, at the age of 15, co-founded the festival with her mother, Aðalheiður Borgþórsdóttir, and other creative people in the area. All in all, between two and three thousand people attended LungA this year. Björt told me that the first year the festival was held, fewer than 30 guests arrived. It’s not controversial to claim that LungA is one of the most interesting festivals on the entire Icelandic cultural calendar.
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Buy the Vodafone Starter Pack at Keavik Airport, What’s On at Laugavegur 5 and Tryggvagata 11, t Macland, Vodafone stores, N1 fuel stations all around Iceland, and at our network of resellers.
PHOTO
“The Icelandic Museum of Rock 'n' Roll is as eccentric in its telling as the tale it celebrates.” David Fricke, Rolling Stone.
THE ICELANDIC MUSEUM OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Visit Iceland's largest music museum and enjoy the history of Icelandic rock and pop music. Browse through the timeline of Icelandic pop and rock music with the Rock 'n' Roll app on iPads, spend time in our soundlab, cinema, karaoke booth, gift store, exhibitions or simply grab a cup of coffee at our café (free wi-fi!).
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CHERISHED CHURCHES BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
It’s easy to remember what year it was— 1000 AD—when Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, voted for the country to adopt Christianity. What is believed to have been the first official church in the Commonwealth of Iceland, as it was then called, had actually been built by Þorvarður SpakBöðvarsson 16 years earlier, at Ás (now
called Neðri-Ás) in Hjaltadalur valley, in Skagafjörður, North Iceland. Today, more than 320 Evangelical Lutheran churches dot the Icelandic landscape, located at prime spots in villages and towns around the Republic— as well as plenty seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Grafarkirkja, Gröf, Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla, Southeast Iceland, built in 1896. 71
Hraungerðiskirkja, Hraungerði, Árnessýsla, South Iceland, built in 1902.
Berufjarðarkirkja, Berufjörður, SuðurMúlasýsla, East Iceland, built in 1940.
Hofskirkja, Hof, Austur-Skaftafellssýsla, Southeast Iceland, built in 1884. 72
ICELAND REVIEW
Keldnakirkja, Keldur, Rangárvallasýsla, South Iceland, built in 1875.
Skinnastaðarkirkja, Skinnastaður, Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Northeast Iceland, built in 1854. ICELAND REVIEW
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Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Southwest Iceland, construction completed in 1986. 74
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EARLY BIRD BEATS THE CROWD Providing the best service possible. Since 2015, the number of passengers traveling through Keflavík International Airport has doubled. And so has our commitment to providing the best service possible. The airport has received one award after another for its quality service, despite the rapid increase in
Gunnhildur Erla Vilbergsdóttir, commercial manager. 76
traveler numbers. This summer will be our busiest ever and we’ve been working hard to implement new ways to meet that challenge. As before, we need your cooperation to make things run smoothly. MIDNIGHT MAGIC
In order to help you avoid long lines at the ticket counter, we’re cooperating with WOW Air, Icelandair and Primera Air this summer to make it possible to check in for morning flights from midnight onwards. Arrive early and take advantage of stores and restaurants staying open all night. Enjoy some quiet time, shopping duty-free, far ahead of the crowds. Passengers traveling at other times of day will also be offered extended checkin times. You can look up the check-in
time for your flight at kefairport.is/ early. Every effort is being made to reduce the length of lines at border control. This we have done by installing automated border control gates alongside border control agents. YOU’LL WANT TO SHOP …
A new service area was opened in June for passengers traveling to countries outside the Schengen area, such as the USA, Canada, Ireland and the UK. Most stores and restaurants located in the main terminal building can also be found in the non-Schengen area, thereby greatly improving service for transit passengers. Regardless of their location at the airport, all stores and restaurants are tax and duty free, providing you average savings of 19.35 percent. ICELAND REVIEW
SPECIAL PROMOTION
A new branch of the Sbarro restaurant chain opened in a pop-up area at the airport this summer, in response to passengers’ requests for increased offerings of quality fast food at fair prices. This has been a popular option for transit passengers, whether they wish to sit down and dine or bring a bite on board with them. … UNTIL YOU DROP
If you’re too tired to go shopping, sit down and relax with your smartphone or computer and enjoy our free wi-fi service for as long as you like. We’ve installed new seats and couches for you to rest in, and all are equipped with plugs to charge your smart devices. Be smart and show up early. There are no better hours at the airport than the quiet ones. ICELAND REVIEW
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DIFFERENT NOTE BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
Literature nation, maybe. Music nation, definitely. It always surprises me how many talented and creative musicians are out there, performing anything from the latest pop to classical opera. Here, we have portraits of seven musicians who are well worth watching; from the 18-year-old rap star Chase to the 82-year-old, evergreen icon, Ragnar Bjarnason. And today, it’s easier than ever to discover those and other Icelandic artists through apps like YouTube and Spotify. The world has got smaller and Iceland bigger. Icelandic music is much more than Björk, Sigur Rós, Kaleo and Of Monsters and Men.
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María Magnúsdóttir (MIMRA) Favorite song: ‘HUMBLE’
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Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir Favorite song: ‘Both Sides Now’
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Anna Gréta Sigurðardóttir and Sigurður Flosason Anna’s favorite song: ‘Skylark’ Sigurður’s favorite song: ‘Over the Rainbow’
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Ragnar Bjarnason Favorite song: ‘My Way’
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Chase Favorite song: ‘Off the Wall’
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Tómas R. Einarsson Favorite song: ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street’
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Don’t Fight the Power. Feel It. Iceland Review Go to icelandreview.com to subscribe and for daily news from Iceland
Welcome to the most powerful exhibition in the world.
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The exhibition is open every day 9:00-17:00 Info: exhibition@on.is Tel: (+354) 591 2880 www.geothermalexhibition.com
We specialize in personalized sightseeing day trips to the natural wonders of Iceland – for small groups of 4-8 persons
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All major credit cards accepted by the driver We specialise in trips to the Blue Lagoon(3-hour stop)on the way from or to the airport.
To book in advance: tel:+354 588 5522 or on www.hreyfill.is E-mail: tour@hreyfill.is
DESCEND 120 METERS INTO A VOLCANO THAT ERUPTED 4.000 YEARS AGO
One of twenty places in the world you must see before you die.
No Words can properly describe the awe in this experience!
Standing inside a volcano is a strangely emotional experience.
- CNN -
- Trip advisor review -
- The Guardian -
BOOK YOUR ADVENTURE AT:
I have never been anywhere underground that matches the grandeur and impact of this place.
The world feels a little more remarkable having seen the inside of its machinery.
- The SUNDAY TIMES -
- Financial Times -
GIVING OLD HOUSES NEW LIFE BY VALA HAFSTAÐ. PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
The first house ever built on the hill in Akureyri, North Iceland, is again getting attention after years of restoration work. Iceland Review visited Þorsteinn Bergsson, CEO of Minjavernd, a company specializing in the renovation of old houses, to learn about this building and other projects they’ve taken on.
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Gamla apótekið ('The Old Pharmacy') in Akureyri has been given a new life. Built with style in the late 19th century, the house and its history give us a glimpse into an era when eccentricity meant fancy banisters and festive breakfasts. Thanks to the restoration work of Minjavernd, a company which has restored close to 70 houses in Iceland, this historical structure is again attracting attention. LOOKING DOWN
Located high on the hill of Akureyri, the two-story house is visible from afar, standing out with its pale-yellow color. “The pharmacy was built in 1859,” Minjavernd CEO Þorsteinn Bergsson recounts. “This was the first house raised on Akureyri’s hill and by far the largest one ever built in
North Iceland at the time. It was the envy of the town. Jóhann Pétur Thorarensen, a pharmacist, hired carpenter and designer Jón Christian Stephánsson, who had been educated in Denmark, to design and build it. In those days, it was fashionable to spell your name in a Danish manner: Jón’s original name was Jón Kristján Stefánsson.” The location was no coincidence, Þorsteinn says: “It was that of the upper class. From the hill, the owners could look down on the public.” Jón Christian, newly arrived from Denmark, brought with him bold ideas, influenced by Danish neo-classical architecture. Plans for the house were detailed and painted in watercolors, the outside walls in a pale yellow, similar to the color that adorns it once more today.
ADVENTUROUSNESS IN AKUREYRI
The house was characterized by several novelties, Þorsteinn tells me, never seen in Akureyri before. “This was pure adventurousness,” he remarks. The wood siding was of a new kind: wide upper and under boards were replaced by polished boards with finely cut slats to cover the seams. The house was also proportionally wider than was the custom. Wooden decorations around windows and doors were more lavish than previously seen, and of a new kind, and there was a broad dormer in the center, with three windows. The roof had a novel shape, being a so-called hipped roof, sloping in on all four sides. The pharmacy was designed with influence from neo-classical concrete houses in Denmark. Such a style would 89
View from The Old Pharmacy’s library into the dining room. Photograph of Ragnar Kjartansson’s ‘The End—Venice’ at the Venice Biennale.
later become more common in Iceland, but only in upper-class residences. A wooden deck was built along the front side of the house, with artfully carved banisters. On the upper floor lived the pharmacist with his family, while the ground floor housed the pharmacy. The house served as a model for numerous other buildings in the area, which would be remodeled to include a central, wide dormer. BREAKFAST WITH BRENNIVÍN
“Jóhann Pétur didn’t enjoy the house for long, though, as in 1864, his work took him far away, to Australia,” Þorsteinn relates. “In 1868, a Danish pharmacist by the name of Henrik Hansen purchased the house, after having been running the pharmacy since 1865. He was single and an eccentric socialite. There are photos existing from those days, taken at his many breakfast parties, to which he invited people of high society. They 90
show well-dressed guests, the women with hats on their heads, seated at a table, and, without exception, a bottle of brennivín [Icelandic schnapps] among the offerings.” According to the book Akureyri—fjaran og innbærinn, Hansen was considered intelligent, but was said to have had such a peculiar way of speaking that strangers often doubted his sanity. He was a most hospitable man, and his doors were always open. During his last years in life, hardly a day went by without three or four guests joining him for breakfast, which typically lasted three to four hours. PROJECTS WITH PURPOSE
The house has undergone numerous changes over the years. Its deck had to be replaced twice, and was ultimately removed in 1960, along with the window decorations, when cement was applied to the outside walls. Six years ago, The Old Pharmacy was
taken over by Minjavernd, which hired Argos ehf. to do the architectural work. “We take on worthy projects—large ones,” Þorsteinn tells me, “which others are unlikely to embark on. Our aim is to ensure there will be future operation in the houses we remodel. We also need to find a way to ensure a satisfactory return on our investment.” HEAVY LIFTING DURING FACELIFT
The facelift of The Old Pharmacy required some heavy lifting. “It surprised us during the renovation process,” Þorsteinn admits, “to discover that as lavishly as the house had been furnished—a true luxury of its time—it was built on weak foundations, which had been inadequately dug. The house was lopsided and sagging. We built a foundation frame from concrete around the house, but after realizing that the old foundation was beyond repair, we ended up having to lift the structure off its foundation ICELAND REVIEW
Shelf by Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir and Snæfríð Þorsteins in the hallway.
The Blue kitchen on the main floor.
The upper floor where the pharmacist lived.
Ceramic plates by Bjarni Sigurðsson in the kitchen.
after installing a steel frame inside it. That allowed us to build a whole new foundation under it. As a result, there will be room for a sauna, shower and storage room in its basement.” The renovated Old Pharmacy has three apartments, two on the upper floor, one on the ground floor. Its restoration was completed in August, once again making it the pride of the town. Minjavernd has sold the property to private investor who plan to rent it out as a retreat dedicated to reading (placetoread.is). RESTORATION ROOTS
The pharmacy is but one of Minjavernd’s many projects. The company traces its roots back to 1979 when Torfusamtökin, a grassroots organization which fought to preserve old buildings in downtown Reykjavík, was founded. Minjavernd was behind the restoration of numerous houses in downtown Reykjavík, preserving part of the old image of the ICELAND REVIEW
city center, most of them on the streets Aðalstræti and Amtmannsstígur. In 2000, Minjavernd became a limited company, owned by the Icelandic State, the City of Reykjavík and the non-profit organization Minjar. The company has eight employees and has regularly contracted the work of five or six architects who specialize in the restoration of old buildings. WIDELY-TRAVELED WOOD
A recent project provides interesting history. It’s that of a house called Gröndalshúsið. The wood for that house was widely traveled. “We completed Gröndalshús at the beginning of June,” Þorsteinn states. “It’s located at Vesturgata 5b in Reykjavík. It has a peculiar shape, because it’s made from flotsam.” In 1880, the ship Jamestown was sailing from Boston to Britain when it lost its rudder. All crew members were saved,
but the ship drifted in the ocean until it reached shore on Garðskagi on the Reykjanes peninsula in June of 1881. The vessel was carrying a large cargo of quality wood, which was used to construct a number of houses in Iceland. “Gröndalshús,” Þorsteinn explains, “has a peculiar shape, because the height of its front side was determined by the length of the boards, which measured two by seven or eight inches. In those days, nothing was wasted, and people used all the material they had available.” The house was built by Sigurður Jóhannsson, but purchased by author Benedikt Gröndal in 1888. Benedikt lived there for the rest of his life. Hence, the name of the house. It is now owned by the City of Reykjavík and will serve as a writers’ residence for those who participate in its UNESCO City of Literature program. The building will also house a Benedikt Gröndal museum. 91
Comfortable sofa in the library. (The Old Pharmacy will be a reading retreat.)
Bed linen by Icelandic brand Scintilla, artwork by Bjarni H. Þórarinsson, bookshelf by Katrín Ólína.
Showers and sauna in the basement.
The Old Pharmacy in 1904. Photo courtesy of Minjavernd.
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
The quality work of Minjavernd has not gone unnoticed. Its renovation of the French Hospital in Fáskrúðsfjörður, the East Fjords, earned the Europa Nostra award last year in the Conservation Category. Europa Nostra is a growing citizens’ movement, focusing on safeguarding Europe’s cultural and natural heritage. In the words of the jury, “This project recaptures a part of European history in embracing this link between France and Iceland. The project team has acted to safeguard this valuable and fragile building and the fascinating heritage it embodies.” The hospital was built in 1903 to serve the numerous French fishermen who fished in the seas around Iceland. The building now houses a hotel and a museum to honor the memory of French fishermen lost at sea near Iceland. It is 92
estimated that between 1810 and 1914, 400 French sailboats were lost in Icelandic waters, costing 4,000 fishermen their lives. The next project coming up for Minjavernd is the renovation of a cluster of buildings in Ólafsdalur in Gilsfjörður fjord, West Iceland. This was the site of an agricultural school, founded by Torfi Bjarnason in 1880 and operated until 1907. In the summertime, the school building served as a home economics school for women, directed by Torfi’s wife, Guðlaug Zakaríasdóttir. A number of buildings were constructed around the school, such as a forge, a dairy and a wool workshop.
size of old boards, which sometimes tell a story of the lack of building material, sometimes one about the lavishness of those who used them. Even the location of a house gives us a glimpse of the huge class division in Icelandic society in the late 1800s. Digging up information about the colorful characters who once resided in those buildings enriches our history. While we eat our Cheerios in a hurry with a splash of milk in the morning, it may do us good to know that there once were people in a pale-yellow house, located on Akureyri’s hill, who took three hours to eat their breakfast, and washed it down with something considerably more potent than coffee.
HUNTING FOR HISTORY
No matter where Minjavernd decides to renovate, part of Iceland’s history is always discovered and preserved in the process. There is much to learn from the
Work cited: Hjörleifur Stefánsson. Akureyri— fjaran og innbærinn. Reykjavík: Torfusamtökin, 1986. ICELAND REVIEW
The Culture House Hverfisgata 15 101 Reykjavík
The exhibition, and shop are open daily 10 - 17
Closed on Mondays 16/9 – 30/4
illuminated manuscripts + contemporary art + paintings + archeological findings + crafts + natural specimens + artefacts + photographs +album covers + historic artist books + cozy café + unique museum shop = The Culture House Kaffitár open Mon - Fri 08 - 17 Sat - Sun 10 - 17
Probably best SUSHI in town Laugavegur 2 - 2nd floor, 101 Rvk. www.sushibarinn.is facebook/sushibarinn.com TEL. 777 3311
ICELANDIC TAPAS
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BIG BRAND FOR LITTLE ONES BY VALA HAFSTAÐ. PORTRAIT BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON. PHOTOS BY SAGA SIG.
Among the most successful Icelandic clothing companies today is the children’s brand iglo+indi. Founded in 2008, the business has grown rapidly and its products are now sold in more than 110 stores in 24 countries. Founder and designer Helga Ólafsdóttir tells Iceland Review about the company’s history and operation.
How would you describe your company’s clothes to those who are unfamiliar with the brand? iglo+indi is an Icelandic fashion brand for kids from birth to 11 years. With strong Nordic roots, iglo+indi is all about crisp colors, unique prints and playfulness. With all iglo+indi collections, children can mix and match their own outfits without limitations. Our own handmade illustrations, carefully selected colors, comfortable cuts and soft organic fabrics make iglo+indi a creative and cool brand for all kids. How many employees do you have? We have eight full-time employees, as well as several part-time employees in our own stores here in Iceland. Where are the clothes made and by whom? All our clothes are made in Portugal. We work with small, family-owned factories and have very close relationships with them. Sustainability in our production and fabrics is key to iglo+indi and our entire main collection is made from organic cotton. Where does the fabric come from? Our fabrics are mainly from Italy, France and Portugal. What requirements do you make to the producer regarding work safety and environmental issues?
How did the idea for the company come about? When my son was born, I was looking for stylish, yet comfortable, clothes for boys. After working in product development and fashion design for over seven years, I was looking to make a change. I had a lot of ideas and decided to launch a fashion line for children. I believe all children are artists, who see colors, shapes and patterns everywhere. I am constantly inspired by my own children, as well as other children I meet and see; I admire their honesty, purity, humor and their natural joy of life. I love to see kids in my designs, I am so proud every time I see a 96
little iglo+indi kid. What prior work experience did you have? Before iglo+indi, I worked as a womenswear designer and in product development for brands such as All Saints in London, Ilse Jacobsen in Copenhagen and Nikita in Iceland. What kind of education or training did you have? I studied fashion design in Copenhagen and furthered my studies in London and Milan. I have always loved to travel and explore new places and cultures.
Sustainability is very important to us, and the relationship I now have with our manufacturers is on a very personal level; they are like family to me. Every year, I visit them in Portugal about four times. I have experience in producing in several other countries and am very happy in Portugal. The manufacturing process is more transparent than in most countries, and even though it is certainly more expensive to produce there, the quality and work conditions are the best I have seen. Where are the products sold? We operate three stores in Iceland, one in downtown Reykjavík, in an adorable little house at Skólavörðustígur 4, one in Smáralind mall and our online shop igloindi.com. Outside of Iceland, our products are sold in over 110 stores in 24 countries. It is wonderful to see the posICELAND REVIEW
Icelandic fish and mediterranean inspired fare. Marshallhúsið, Grandagarður 20, 101 Reykjavík. Bus route 14 (Listabraut) To reserve lunch and dinner call +354 519 7766, or info@marshallrestaurant.is. www.marshallrestaurant.is Closed Mondays.
dress code iceland
s n a p c h a t /c i n t a m a n i . i s
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f a c e b o o k /c i n t a m a n i . i c e l a n d
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b a n ka s t rĂŚt i + k r i n g l a n + s m ĂĄ ra l i n d + a u s t u r h ra u n + a k u rey r i + w w w.c i nt a m a n i . i s
itive response to our products in Iceland and internationally. It is an incredible honor to see iglo+indi in stores next to world class brands that I admire, such as Gucci, Stella McCartney and Dior. What’s your biggest market? Iceland is our biggest market, but our growth is mainly internationally. Between the last two seasons, our international sales grew over 40 percent. Belgium is our second-biggest market, as we have very strong agents in Benelux. The largest orders come from Asia and for our current season we have many new customers from the Middle East. Tell me about your cooperation with UN Women. In collaboration with the Icelandic National Committee of UN Women, we designed the ‘empwr’ sweater for both children and adults. It was the first time we released a product for adults. The print on the sweater was inspired ICELAND REVIEW
by a print from Cameroon, one of the countries where UN Women runs women-only spaces in refugee camps. There are an estimated 65 million refugees around the world and women refugees are especially vulnerable to violence and human trafficking. Career opportunities for female refugees are also limited. UN Women provides training including language skills, computer knowledge, sewing and tailoring. At the same time, refugee women can regain confidence and dignity, receive companionship and peer support, as many of them struggle with social isolation. Women can also receive small loans for support in setting up their own businesses, helping them to regain independence. All sweater proceeds went to support vital women’s spaces in refugee camps. Are there plans to cooperate with other charities? As a matter of fact, we are working on a collaboration in Denmark, with the
world-famous handball player Mikkel Hansen. Mikkel has been named the world’s best handball player several years in a row. In 2015, he decided to use his voice as a role model to raise awareness of the importance of acceptance, team spirit and anti-bullying. He founded MH24 where he is deeply involved in teaching children, and the adults around them, techniques to prevent and eliminate bullying. We created a sweater and beanie with a print of two ravens for kids from 4-15 years old. The inspiration is based on the Icelandic children’s story about Krummi litli (Little Raven) and the beautiful premise that ravens always travel in pairs to support each other. Where do you get the ideas for your designs? My inspiration mainly comes from Icelandic nature, music and the children around me. 99
For our new autumn/winter 2017 collection, I drew inspiration from the early 90s, when teenage rebellion was at a high with a grungy music and fashion scene. I listened to a lot of Nirvana and The Sugarcubes, with Björk at the helm. They were very much themselves, authentic and perfectly imperfect. People immersed themselves in their style and music and expressed their creativity exuberantly. The collection is a little rock with a twist of independence. The main prints are of stars, cats, wolves, tigers, Iceland-inspired camouflage, and have misty colors of moon, caramel, dusty pink and the northern sky. We even have two fun styles for adults in the new collection! What do you emphasize in your marketing efforts? Our main focus, in terms of marketing, is to be close to our customers. We are personal and approachable and like to get to know our customers. We organize parents’ mornings in our stores 100
and will organize grandparents’ mornings this winter as well. We have very loyal customers and are reaching many new people via social media, particularly Instagram. Having a platform that allows us to connect directly with people all over the world is very valuable. Quite a few celebrities have come to love iglo+indi, which has opened up a few doors for us as well. Can you describe your clientele? Our customers are very diverse. Parents who like their kids to wear stylish and comfortable clothes that their kids love to wear themselves, grandparents who buy special gifts for their grandchildren, people who like to invest in clothes that last, but are still fashionable and fun. Our customers appreciate the quality of our fabrics and the playful designs and prints. They also appreciate that our production is very high end. We produce in some of the same factories in Portugal as do world-known luxury fashion brands, yet our prices are more affordable.
To what do you attribute your success? I sometimes find it hard to believe, but the company will turn nine this autumn. It has been a lot of hard work, literally blood, sweat and tears, but at the same time it is extremely fun and fulfilling. It’s really about not giving up, surrounding yourself with great people and having a clear vision about where you are headed. I think that we now have a very strong team in place to take our brand to the next level. It has taken time to build a strong infrastructure, which we now have. It’s also important not to be afraid to make mistakes and try things out. What’s the story behind the name iglo+indi? Initially, our brand was called Ígló and it was a little cartoon figure who was a boy. We then added Indí when my daughter Indíana was born, and the brand was called Ígló & Indí. When we grew more internationally, we decided to simplify it and here we are: iglo+indi. ICELAND REVIEW
HRESSINGARSKÁLINN
Bistro Pizzeria
Have you tried our firebaked sourdough pizza?
Ridiculously good pizza! Hressingarskálinn Austurstræti 20, 101 RVK facebook.com/hressingarskalinn
Snæfellsnes? As a matter of fact we are going. Join us! Snæfellsnes peninsula, glacier, fishing village, mountains, black beaches, dinner with locals and very friendly horses.
www.eastwest.is #Startexploring
Organic bistro
Creating a tradition
Restaurant by the sea
Tryggvagata 11,Volcano house Tel:511-1118 Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30-21:00/ Sat-Sun 12:00-21:00 www.fishandchips.is
Hafnargata 2 // 340 Stykkishรณlmur // www.sjavarpakkhusid.is info@sjavarpakkhusid.is // 438-1800
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SP ECIAL PROMOTION
Ready for Your Colourful Nuuk Adventure? Situated on a serene slice of Greenland with untouched wilderness in its backyard, Nuuk is a diverse and buzzing capital city and an excellent base for exploring the world’s largest island.
PHOTO BY CARLO LUKASSEN.
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uuk, the capital of Greenland, is one of the most unique and beautiful places in the world. For many, Greenland conjures images of a vast glacial landscape with chunks of ice scattered about and walls of ice jutting up from the sea. While there is an obvious abundance of ice in Greenland, the island is also home to striking colors. In the summer, lush greens and muted reds and browns scatter beautiful Nuuk.
GET OUT AND EXPLORE There are numerous organized activities that allow travelers to explore the rugged, yet fragile, landscape; for example kayaking and viewing wildlife, including whales, seals and a vast variety of bird species. Avid hikers are delighted at the choice of trails in Nuuk. Sailing is another popular activity—whether it’s visiting
the abandoned settlement of Kangeq, taking a fjord safari, or going iceberg hunting—the fjord is the highway for many locals. Meanwhile, several local companies offer fishing trips and excursions for hunting reindeer, seal, ptarmigan and eider duck.
LEARN FROM THE LOCALS Nuuk is a small city with a big personality—a place where the traditional, the new, the edgy, and the beautiful all coexist side-by-side. Locals take pride in their charming city and are happy to provide visitors with insider tips about interesting sites and cultural happenings—art exhibitions, theater performances and concerts—and point out their favorite restaurants and cafés. colourfulnuuk.com
INSIDER TIPS FOR TRAVELERS TO COLOURFUL NUUK:
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Marie: I think there are two main things that any visitor to Nuuk should do. First, I love to just sit by the fjord and listen to the calmness of the waves. It’s both an amazing silence and a calming buzz. The second is the National Museum. We often take our grandkids there and it’s fun to see their excitement when learning about the history of the things on display.
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Paninnguaq: Oh, going sailing and experiencing the nature first-hand is a must! When we go sailing, we often catch fish. We boil the freshly-caught cod in a casserole on a fire by the beach, with potatoes and onions. When it’s ready, we pour the contents out on the clean rocks and eat it with our fingers. True Greenlandic style.
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Simon: I would take bus number 1 or 3 and do a round trip of the entire city. It’s a cheap and fun way to see the city, as well as meeting locals. Nuuk is also really good for skiing, both cross country and alpine. And you can get to the slopes by bus, so it’s quite easy.
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INNOVATION ON
TWO WHEELS BY GRÉTA SIGRÍÐUR EINARSDÓTTIR. PHOTO BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
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The Lauf True Grit gravel bike is the first commercially available bicycle ever designed from scratch in Iceland. Iceland Review met with Lauf’s co-founder Benedikt Skúlason to learn about the invention.
Although fishing and tourism are Iceland’s largest industries, the country also has a fair number of innovators and pioneers working in every field from producing prosthetic limbs to keeping the world looking youthful through top quality skin care. One of the latest additions to Iceland’s array of products is a gravel bike of Icelandic design, the Lauf True Grit. The bicycle is the first ever to be designed in Iceland and its central feature is a specially designed suspension fork. According to Benedikt Skúlason, CEO and co-founder of Lauf along with Guðberg Björnsson, opportunities to design and produce a bicycle lined up surprisingly effortlessly, even though nothing like this has been done in Iceland before. FORKS FIRST
Although the company only started working on the bike’s design in October of last year, its history stretches a few years back. Benedikt has been obsessed with biking since his youth and in 2011, together with his friend Guðberg Björnsson, who happens to be an industrial designer, he launched a company focused on making suspension forks for bicycles. “I had experience working with carbon fiber in my work for Össur [an Icelandic company which manufactures, among other things, prosthetic limbs] and, of course, the springs of prosthetic limbs have a lot in common with the mechanics of bicycle suspension.” A grant from the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) got the ball rolling and Lauf forks soon hit the market, receiving awards and rave reviews. The only problem was that most people weren’t buying suspension forks separately; instead, they wanted whole bikes. After a few years ICELAND REVIEW
of producing and selling the suspension forks, Benedikt and the people behind Lauf knew the market inside and out. The logical next step was to build the rest of the bike, resulting in the first bike ever designed in Iceland: the Lauf True Grit. With a new and improved version of the Grit suspension fork and a design intended to bring out its best qualities, the True Grit is intended to offer a smooth ride in most conditions. TRAVEL ON GRAVEL
True Grit is a gravel bike, designed to be at its best in gravel cycling competitions. Such competitions and, indeed, gravel bikes, are gaining popularity these days, offering a biking experience somewhere in between racing and mountain biking. Gravel bikes have wider tires than racers but are lighter and faster than mountain bikes. They’re intended for racing on gravel and other rough roads, making them perfect for Icelandic conditions, and as an added bonus, they’re almost as fast as racers on paved roads. Biking is a growing sport in Iceland but Benedikt and his colleagues at Lauf have set their sights on a much larger market, selling their bikes online and in shops abroad—mainly in the USA. This is where the experience of making, distributing and selling the suspension forks comes in, as the Lauf team are familiar with the market, and their products have already earned them a stellar reputation. At the time of writing, the bicycle is available for order but distribution hasn’t yet started, so there is no news yet on how the general public reacts to this first Icelandic product of its kind. If reviews of the Grit fork are anything to go by, the True Grit gravel bike will make its creators proud. 105
17 - 1501 — HVÍTA HÚSIÐ / SÍA
E A R LY B I R D C AT C H E S After her time in Iceland, Naomi arrives early at the airport so she can enjoy her last hours there before continuing her journey.
GIVE YOUR SELF MORE TIME TO SHOP
F I N D F U R T H E R I N F O R M AT I O N AT W W W. K E FA I R P O R T. I S/ E A R LY
Arrive early at Keflavík Airport and we will greet you with open arms. All passengers travelling on morning flights with WOW, Icelandair and Primera can check in from midnight. We have increased our services so you can have a lovely last Icelandic experience. Shops and restaurants, open all night this summer, so you can embrace the last drops of Icelandic taste and feel — and of course Tax and Duty Free.
MORE TIME FOR SHOPPING
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To remember her time in Iceland, she brings back home unique souvenirs that she bought at the airport.
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GOOD LUCK To capture the northern lights, you need three things: luck, a good tripod and more luck. This image was taken at BrĂşarĂĄrfoss waterfall, South Iceland, after waiting six hours in the still, but very cold, February night. I was about to give up, when suddenly they appeared, dancing in the northern sky. I used a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod, the camera was a Sony RX1R II, with a fixed Zeiss 35mm lens. The exposure was 25 seconds, the f-stop was 2.5 and the ISO was set at 2000.
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THE FINEST BEER & WHISKY SELECTION IN DOWNTOWN REYKJAVÍK
Live Music Every Night | Live Sports on 5 Big Screens
L A S T PA G E BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
COD LIVER OIL WITH MINT AND LEMON FLAVOUR
A FRESH TASTE AND FULL OF GOODNESS Cod liver oil mint and lemon flavor is a new product from Lýsi. Cod liver oil contains the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA and is rich in vitamins A, D and E. All those are important nutrients that positively affect the immune system, eyesight, teeth and bones
LYSI.IS
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