Wow magazine issue 5 2015

e azin mag Issue five 2015

Fittest woman on earth!

Explore Iceland’s North

y o u r f r e e c o p y -ta k e m e w i t h y o u

15-1627 - HVÍTA HÚSIÐ / SÍA

Make sure you give yourself time to visit and explore. Share the experience #wheninKEF because good times are to be shared.

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The airport has been going through radical renovations. We can now offer more space, better facilities, diverse restaurants and more products at better prices. Arrive early and start your journey with us.

Enjoy your stay at KEF airport

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HOTEL GEYSIR elegaNt restauraNts, spa with hot spriNg jacuzzi, beautiful Nature & fuN activities

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Nice aNd cozy rooms iN chalet or oNe wiNg hotel right opposite of the hot spriNg geyser area gourmet a la carte restauraNt local luNch buffet every day hotel & spa outdoor activities all year rouNd amaziNg NortherN lights

Welcome,

hotel geysir 4

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W E LC OM E TO G EYSIR the geysir ceNter is directly opposite of the geothermal area of the great geysir aNd strokkur e

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geysir glima bistro Coffee house With freshly ground Coffee sWeet iCe Creams & Cakes traditional iCelandiC meat soup fish soup & vegetarian soup loCal food museum of hot springs, volCano and iCelandiC glima

The geysir cenTer haukadalur www.geysircenter.com / www.geysirglima.com / tel: +354 480 6800 / geysir@geysircenter.is www.facebook.com/hotelgeysir / www.twitter.com/hotelgeysir Issue five 5

We look forward to seeing you Please book in advance at bluelagoon.is

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In this issue 10 A letter from the CEO

A letter from the editor

Brace yourself …

16 WOW Throwdown Is your CrossFit team ready for the WOW Throwdown in April 2016?

Y

es, winter is coming and what a season it is but first, the fall!

With awesome colors of burning red, gold and amber mixed with the green, brown and grey, the Icelandic nature is rarely as beautiful as it is in the fall and as a bonus you have a chance to see some awesome sunsets and the northern lights after your fall color trip. I’ve heard stories of people who come to Iceland every year, just to drive around and enjoy the amazing fall colors. We should all do that!

I could ramble on for a while but let’s just get on with it and read this issue of WOW magazine, okay?

Have a great trip, Guðrún Vaka Helgadóttir, editor in chief magazine@wow.is

Contributing writers: Gunnlaugur Rögnvaldsson, Marvin Lee Dupree, Donna Tzaneva, Svava Jónsdóttir, Gerður Harðardóttir, Einar Skúlason, Kári Gunnlaugsson, Fjóla Helgadóttir, Guðrún Baldvina Sævarsdóttir, Cindy-Lou Dale, Nadja Sayej, Halldóra Anna Hagalín, berlinur.de, Alex Robertson Textor and www.festivals.is

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PRENTGRIPUR

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The FOOd issue On earTh! WOW magazine – FiTTesT WOman

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Oddi environmentally certified printing company All rights reserved. Reprinting, direct quoting or recapitulation prohibited except with a written permit from publisher.

Issue fIve 2015

Fittest WOman On earth!

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92 Christmas holiday in Paris The French Christmas markets and winter festivals have their own flair.

22 A night out in Reykjavik Have you tried Halloween in Reykjavik?

It’s a blast!

74 The shades of Fifty Check out the innovative design of the Fifty chair by Dögg Guðmundsdóttir.

76 Autumn delirium In autumn Icelanders like to light candles and curl up under a blanket with a good book. You should try it!

WOW destinations

38 Sharing is caring Take a look at all the ways you can engage with WOW air through social media.

Where’s the Like-button for this article?

58 By the Arctic Circle The city of Akureyri is the gateway to Iceland’s northern territories.

Power to the PeoPle three 2015 Issue five 2015

y o u r f r e e c o p y -ta k e m e w i t h y o u

On the cover Wanting to combine nature with CrossFit World Champion Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir’s magnificent form, we took her to town, literally. The cover was shot by Kristinn Magnússon smack down in the middle of Reykjavik, in the city’s most popular outdoor area called Elliðaárdalur Valley, proving that you don’t need to leave the capital to find beautiful Icelandic nature (although a trip in the countryside doesn’t do any harm).

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66 Realm of Vatnajokull The Vatnajökull region is filled with contrasts: black beaches, white glaciers, red volcanoes, a green birch forest and the blue Atlantic Ocean.

94 London’s new South For years London’s East End has been home to the capital’s creative crowd but as the rent has gone up it’s time we found out where to head next.

96 Gourmet in the snow Skiing in Austria is a wonderful way to spend your winter vacation and when you add Austrian gourmet food you know you can’t go wrong.

98 You want more?

See more of WOW air’s destinations.

100 This and that …mainly this.

32 Iceland from above Enrico Pescantini photographed Iceland with the help of a drone last summer.

Take a look.

106 What’s going on? …quite a lot, actually.

80 The magnificent Montréal Yep, you heard right! WOW air set its sights on Canada for 2016 and our first stop is Montréal.

110 WOW horoscope What’s in your future? WOW air’s famed astrologist has the answer.

112 Bored on board?

Solve these sudokus.

114 The Traveling Inquisition Artist, draftsman and tattooer Jón Páll Halldórsson says it all started with doodling.

62 Arctic bites Since we told you what to see in Northern Iceland we might as well tell you where to eat. Bon appétit!

explore iceland’s north

84 The supercool capital of Sweden We’re adding Stockholm, one of the most beautiful capitals in the world, to our list of destinations.

90 The coolest part of Amsterdam The old harbor buildings of Noord have been converted into cultural hotspots and creative enterprises.

ERFISME HV R M

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Tel: 00 354 590 3020 E-mail: magazine@wow.is

72 The President’s residence The President of Iceland doesn’t have a palace. He has a Danish manor.

88 Treasures at Trinity College Dublin is home to Trinity College and Ireland’s biggest national treasure, the Book of Kells.

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wowair.com

70 Take a hike You don’t have to go far from Reykjavik to find awesome hiking paths like the Burfellsgja Channel.

86 A steaming cup of Berlin There’s a coffee craze going on in Berlin. Be sure to find that perfect cup’o joe in the German capital.

20 Tips to avoid slips How to party like an Icelander.

Editor in chief: Guðrún Vaka Helgadóttir Design and layout: Ivan Burkni / ivanburkni@gmail.com Proofreading: Paul Michael Herman

umhverfisvottuð prentsmiðja

68 A bite of Reykjavik Find the best cocktails, seafood and steak for your Reykjavik city break.

The fittest woman on earth Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir won the Reebok CrossFit Games 2015 and says she is not afraid to be strong.

WOW magazine staff

© WOW air Katrínartún 12 105 Reykjavík Iceland

12 WOW Cyclothon The biggest ultra-cycling race in Iceland (and probably the world) was held last June. Winner of the solo category and true ultra-cyclist Matthias Ebert came all the way from Germany to experience this great race.

Power to the people – Issue five 2015

82 Here we go! Toronto!

Why choose just one Canadian city when you could have two? Toronto, here we come!

Attention advertisers!

Will your company be in our next issue?

Contact our advertising representative and he’ll make it happen. He’s just that good! halli@wow.is

P.S. Would you like your very own copy of WOW magazine?

Take this one with you or contact us through magazine@wow.is and we’ll send you a printed copy.

You can also check out WOW magazine online at wowair.com.

This is my backyard

Keeping Iceland warm since 1926

www.66north.com

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A letter from the CEO

Dear friends Last spring we proudly added Boston and Baltimore/Washington, D.C. to our network and connected those great cities with our existing network in Europe. This was a major milestone for us and we are thrilled with the results and positive feedback. We broke ground with fares as low as USD 99 one way and thus offered the lowest fares ever shown across the Atlantic. Needless to say you and thousands more grabbed the opportunity to try WOW air and as a result pretty much every WOW air flight to North America has been full. Therefore we are now thrilled to more than double our capacity for next year by both increasing the frequency of flights to Boston and Washington as well as adding three new great cities to our network.

Starting in May 2016 we will fly 4 times a week to Montréal, Toronto and Stockholm. It so happens that I grew up in Sweden and lived in Canada for 7 years so I am very excited to be offering the lowest fares possible to both countries and further connecting the continents. I certainly look forward to visit both Sweden and Canada more in the future and hope you will too.

Now I would like to pay tribute to Katrín Tanja, our hero on the cover! Her story and achievement is amazing and a great inspiration, reminding all of us that dreams can come true if you work hard. All of us here at WOW air wish her the best of luck and are proud to be her sponsor.

Thank you for choosing WOW air and I hope to see you on board again soon. Also please take the time to tell us about your experience on TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com/Airlines) and/or on Facebook (facebook.com/wowiceland) or simply email me at skulim@wow.is.

Cheers, Skúli Mogensen Founder and CEO of WOW air

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Here’s to all our thirteen Yule Lads:

Sheep-Cote Clod, Gully Gawk, Stubby, Spoon Licker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door Slammer, Skyr Gobbler, Sausage Swiper, Window Peeper, Door Sniffer, Meat Hook and Candle Beggar.

Cheers!

Víking Christmas Brew is brewed with the traditional Kreuzen method which gives the beer a soft, full-bodied flavour with natural carbonation and beautiful froth. It’s darker than our traditional Víking and has a hint of caramel suited for the season.

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WOW Cyclothon

Going solo

WOW Cyclothon is a 1,358 km ultra-cycling race around Iceland held around the summer solstice. With multiple categories the solo category is of course the biggest challenge and the true ultra-cycling experience.

Photos: Kristinn Magnússon

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ycling around Iceland as a solo partici­pant is no small chal­­lenge and of the seven solo partici­­ pants that started the race only four finished the entire distance.

The first to arrive at the finish line, after only 61 hour and 53 minu­tes (12 hours and 35 minu­ tes faster than the first solo contestants of 2014), was Matthias Ebert from Germany.

Preparing for the ring Matthias is an enthusiastic ultra-cyclist who has competed multiple times in the ultra-cycling races Tortour (both solo and as part of a team) and Race across the Alps, the hardest one-day race in the world. Having read about the WOW Cyclothon in WOW magazine on his way home from a vacation in Iceland, Matthias Ebert turned to his girlfriend, Sonja, and told her that they had to return the follow­ing year. “She agreed and from that moment I was obsessed,” Matthias says.

Matthias started the preparations almost immediately. Seven months before the race he started training his neck, back and shoulders and

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at the end of March he went to the Grand Canary Islands for training. “In total I cycled 1,000 km indoors and 5,000 km on the road, plus countless hours in a fitness studio. We often trained in Switzer­­land, at the Sust Lodge am Gotthard (www. sust.ch). It’s a perfect place for hiking, climbing, cycling and enjoying nature,” says Matthias, who admits that preparing for a big race in Iceland wasn’t easy. “The organization was often very stress­­ful. It’s a challenge to prepare for a race in Iceland while you’re in Germany. It was also a great challenge to have a good and effective training while working a full time job,” says Matthias who works as a sales representative for Mimatic, a company that specializes in tools for lathe and milling machines. “In a way the ultra-cycling sport is like a company. It’s a team sport and everyone has to do their part in the team. Everyone has to give a 100% on their job. In this team I was the cyclist, so that means I was the worker,” says Matthias with a smile.

The team spirit From our first encounters with Matthias’ assistants it was clear that they were very organized but also

focused on having fun on the road. “This team is unbelievable. We are best friends who do sports together and we celebrate and have fun all year-round. Doing the WOW Cyclothon itself was just a small part of what this team has done. The main organization began 5 months before with meetings, team building strategies and training together. This is definitely the funniest team in the world and we had a party from start to finish. To have fun is the best motivation. Not only does that apply during races but also on your job. That’s why they were goofing around all the way,” Matthias says.

“In a way the ultracycl­ing sport is like a company. It’s a team sport and everyone has to do their part in the team.”

How about the weather?

Cycling in Iceland is very different from cycling in Germany according to Matthias: “In Germany we do not have this kind of coldness with rain. If there had been rain during the race I’m not sure I would’ve finished.” Matthias adds that the favorable weather during this year’s WOW Cyclothon was one of the

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Matthias and his rival, Eirikur Ingi Jóhannsson, enjoying a light chat in Hvalfjörður at the beginning of the race.

biggest surprises during his race. “The weather in general was perfect and not typically Icelandic.

Sometimes the wind was on our side! And we were very lucky that there was no rain.” He also says his team had no expectations before the race, “We only want­­ed to have fun and enjoy the track. Ultra-cycling races are very special and no one can tell who will win a race or if you will even finish.”

Matthias’ favorite part of the race was after Egilsstaðir in East Iceland, once he’d had a good rest, 1.5 hours to be precise. “I really enjoyed the gravel road [Öxi mountain road], and for the last 300 km we had a back storm which was great.

Arriving during the 3rd night of the race on the new part of the course, the landscape was amazing and our average speed for the last 300 km was over 30 km/h,” he says. The hardest part of WOW Cyclothon for Matthias was probably the cold. “Iceland is cold, with cold and strong winds. One night the Garmin showed -4°C. Also the asphalt is very coarse; there were difficult gravel roads and then very long straight stretches.”

Regarding Matthias’ toughest rival, Eiríkur Ingi Jóhannsson, who had already completed the chal­ “To circle Iceland by bike in a race and then to win that race is the best we’ve ever done.”

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lenge once before, Matthias says it was a very hard fight for the first 700 km. “After that I had gained a 50 km lead with enough time for sleeping breaks.

Eiríkur Ingi is a very strong cyclist, the strongest I have ever met. I congratulate everyone who finis­ hed the race.”

Time to stop?

And Matthias has decided to finish on top. “Ultracycling is an expensive hobby. We had a sponsor but still the only way that we were able to do the race was because everyone in the team paid for their own flight and hotel expenses. I am very thank­ful for them to be willing to do that. Over the past few years I’ve finished a lot of races over 500 km. To participate in WOW Cyclothon and win the race is the best I’ve ever done. That was the team’s dream and the best moment to say good-bye.”

“In the future I could see myself coaching cyclists who want to do long distance tracks or races but lack the experience. Interested cyclists could then hire a team and a coach with the complete know-how. You can check out our team at www. sust-cycling.com,” says Matthias.

Finishing WOW Cyclothon solo in first place was a dream come true for Matthias and his team. “To circle Iceland by bike in a race and then to win that race is the best we’ve ever done,” he says. He would definitely recommend WOW Cyclothon to other

ultra-cyclists. “Of course, this is a special race with incredible landscape! Every ultra-cyclist has to try it!” Matthias also has a few words of advice for those who dream about going the distance. “Train hard in bad weather conditions and organize a great and fun team! If you and your team have a lot of fun you will more likely finish the race. I believe that fun is the best motivation and good motivation is the key!” v

Follow WOW Cyclothon on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or check out wowcyclothon.com for news about next year’s race and join us for a unique ultracycling experience under the midnight sun.

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Stronger than ever

WOW Throwdown

Photos: Thomas Fleckenstein

On Iceland’s official “first day of summer,” ironically celebrated in April, a legion of super athletes came together in Reykjavik for CFSI’s (Associations of Icelandic CrossFit affiliates) WOW Throwdown, a CrossFit team competition challenging their strength and endurance.

Twenty teams of six (three men and three women) got together for WOW Throw­­down.

Entrance was open to both Icelandic and inter­­ na­­tional teams and one American team took the challenge and showed up for the cham­pion­­ship.

All knew they were in for a tough battle as the CrossFit Reykja­­vik gym sent their star studded A team with two times CrossFit World Champion Annie Mist along with Katrín Tanja, who became this year’s CrossFit World Champion a few months later. The Ameri­­cans from CrossFit New England, former CrossFit Team World Champions, sent a very strong team as well.

Strength and endurance The WOW Throwdown began outdoors with a relay race where first two members ran 3 km, next two rowed 3 km and the last two ran 3 km through a

lava field in Hafnarfjörður. A truly exciting race as the first teams finished with barely a second between them. Next up followed some more tra­­ ditional indoor events, a combination of weight­­ lifting, gymnastics and endurance.

Around the middle of the Throwdown a member of CrossFit New England got hurt and after that no one could stop the A team from CrossFit Reykjavik who went onto win the WOW Throwdown with relative ease becoming the Icelandic CrossFit Team Champions 2015. In second place came the CrossFit Sport A Team and third were CrossFit XY’s A Team.

The Icelandic CrossFit community has been prominent in the CrossFit World Championships.

Our very own Annie Mist Þórisdóttir has won the CrossFit World Championship (Reebok CrossFit Games) two times, the only woman to have done so, and this summer Katrín Tanja (see page 26) Issue five 17

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won the games, further emphasizing the brute strength and fitness of Icelandic women. At the same championship Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson and Ragnheiður Sara Sigmundsdóttir finished in third place.

inter­­ested to join them at the WOW Throwdown in April 2016 in Iceland. We expect fierce competition be­­tween the ever growing CrossFit gyms of Iceland as well as from visiting CrossFit gyms from around the world. Will your team be there? v

See you in 2016?

CrossFit is getting increasingly popular in Iceland, for men as well as for women, and Icelandic CrossFit athletes have been doing great things at inter­­­­national tournaments, such as the Reebok CrossFit Games. They welcome the competition though and invite all Crossfit teams that are

CrossFit, Inc. is a fitness company founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000. Promoted as both a physical exer­cise philosophy and also as a competitive fitness sport, CrossFit workouts incorporate elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, power­­ lift­­ing, gymnastics, girevoy sport, calisthenics, strongman and other exercises. It is practiced by members of over 11,000 affiliated gyms and by individuals who complete daily work­­ outs (otherwise known as a “WODs” or “workouts of the day”).

We proudly present our latest collection. The Icelandic designed Tradition watches are stylish and are available in a range of color combinations. See the whole collection on michelsenwatch.com.

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Laugavegur 15 - 101 ReykjavĂ­k - Tel. 354 511 1900 - www.michelsenwatch.com

WOW tips

How to party like an Icelander So you’ve made it to Iceland and you’ve seen the Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon and now you want to check out the famous Reykjavik nightlife. Here are 6 tips to keeping it real in downtown Reykjavík. Keep these in mind while you get your groove on with the locals.

by Guðrún Baldvina Sævarsdóttir Photos: Thinkstockphotos.com

up to 5 hours to spend in the bars and clubs.

If you need to get home via taxi, note that the taxi line is often longest between 3 and 5 in the summer and 2 and 4 in the winter.

Choose your liquor wisely That‘s right, you can only buy alcohol from Vínbúðin and in bars and restau­­­rants where it is of course, much more expen­ sive. For an authentic Icelandic experience go for the Icelandic micro­­breweries but don’t be fooled into buying a bottle of Brenni­­vín to keep your spirits up for the night. Icelandic Brennivín is a strong drink, drunk in small quantities near the very end of your evening and should only be accompanied by shark meat (see next tip).

Go native The inhabitants of this sometimes gloomy island really know how to party. In the small circle that encompasses all the partying of Reykjavík expect to meet your new best friends, the love of your life, a handful of Hollywood celebrities and Björk of course. You’ll often have the most fun outside in the street, so barhop and spend as much time outdoors as you can.

Stay put and relax The nightlife scene pretty much only takes place in the downtown area. Begin around the middle of Laugavegur and work your way down to Austurstræti. The rest of Laugavegur up to Hlemmur (the bus

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station) is dotted with all sorts of dark pubs and colorful characters and if that’s your cup of tea you’re sure to have some of the most interesting conversations you’ve had in a while.

Keep your money where your mouth is If you haven’t got a very big budget but want to keep up with the local level of intoxication you’ll have to start drinking at home, generally around 8 PM, but first you must buy your spirits for the night in the governmentally run liquor stores named Vínbúðin (the wine store). Then head out before midnight to avoid the lines that start forming around 1 AM. Now you have

For an authentic Icelandic experience go for the Icelandic micro­­breweries but don’t be fooled into buying a bottle of Brenni­­vín to keep your spirits up for the night.

Follow the rules of the jungle Although Reykjavík is reportedly the safest capital in the world, in the bars it can be a bit of a jungle and as with other jungles there are some rules. Don’t cut anybody off in the lines into the bars, clubs and taxis and don’t brush shoulders with the doormen. They are usually quite friendly but if the crowd is getting unruly they can get a big chip on their shoulder.

The general rule applies to treat people with respect but as a foreigner you can expect extra attention from overly friendly Icelanders keen on showing you the ropes.

If anyone offers you fermented shark, politely decline and say you’ve already had some and that you found it HORRIBLE. This should save you from further hassling but the only exception to this rule is if the offer of shark includes Brennivín.

Then you’re being offered a much more pleasant and truly authentic Icelandic experience which you would be a fool to decline. Should a crowd break into a sing-along out of the blue it is likely just a popular Icelandic pop song from the 80’s and although it will probably sound quite alarming, it is only done to create a nostalgic ambience.

Try the street food before you go home If you did have some shark and Brennivín that will probably be the end of your night (or at least the part you remember) but if you didn’t, head down to Hlöllabátar, Nonnabiti or Mandy for some juicy fast food to make sure your hangover gets off to the right start. After that follow the rambling crowds to Aðalstræti or Lækjargata to catch a taxi home. Stay safe, dress smart (even in the summer) and have fun! v

ICEWEAR offers an extensive collection of clothing for the outdoor

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from high-tech down jackets to unique wool products made in Iceland. We strive to offer colors and cuts in line with the latest trends, quality materials and competitive prices.

icelandic design since 1972 Issue five 21

W W W. I C E W E A R. I S

Night out

Raving it up on Halloween in Reykjavik Reykjavik is a city full of surprises. In this city, the general rule of thumb for new coming tourists is to always expect the unexpected. If you happen to be one of the lucky ones flying over to get a glimpse of Iceland’s astonishing Northern Lights at the end of October, why not stay for a few more days to witness Reykjavik’s Halloween blasts. We guarantee you won’t leave disappointed!

Text and photos by Donna Tzaneva

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Truth be told, Halloween (Hrekkja­­ vaka in Icelandic) is still a fairly new celebration around Scandinavia and Iceland itself. The closest celebration to the contemporary “Halloween night” as you might know it, is the Icelandic “Ash Wednesday” (or Öskudagur) celebrated in February, when children dress up in costumes and sing songs in exchange for candy—Yes there’s no such thing as free candy, sorry children!

Truth be told, Halloween (Hrekkja­­vaka in Icelandic) is still a fairly new celebration around Scandinavia and Iceland itself.

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A memorable night out After the clock hits 11 p.m., the pumpkins, spider webs and blood-filled thrill seeking decorations slowly make their appearance.

You’ll be surprised at the number of dress­ ed-up Halloween goers lurking around Reykjavik. Barhopping is an inevitable

occurrence in downtown Reykjavik due to the close proximity of everything and any­ thing including the bars… One minute you’re in front of a bar, the next minute you’re in sitting in another, therefore the only advice we can give you, is to head down to the main road Laugavegur and from there you’ll be able to find your way around!

In all honesty, some of the attire and outfits that you’ll see downtown are undeni­ ably the most innovative, amazing, and quirky and probably the coolest ones you’ll ever see… anywhere in the world! You won’t even think that you’re actually in Iceland!

No tricks—just treats Did we mention that some bars and clubs have major discounts on drinks during Halloween? v

LOFTIÐ // Austurstræti 9 // Second floor facebook.com/loftidbar

Winner of 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games

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The fittest woman on earth

At only 22 years of age Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir from Iceland just won the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games, giving her the title “Fittest Woman on Earth.” The aim of the competition was to find the fittest athletes through various challenging events during four days of competition.

by Gunnlaugur Rögnvaldsson Photos: Kristinn Magnússon and Gunnlaugur Rögnvaldsson

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rossFit is popular in Iceland as a regular exercise routine but there are those who want to take it further and compete abroad in specialized events, like Katrin Tanja and former women’s champion Annie Mist Þórisdóttir, who won the Reebok Cross­­­Fit Games in 2011 and 2012.

On the podium There were three competitors on the podi­­ um from Iceland in this year’s CrossFit Games which took place in the United States, one in the men’s category and two in the women’s. Hundreds of thousands of people took part in qualifying rounds in various countries before the 40 best arrived for the final, the CrossFit Games which were held in Carson, California.

In the CrossFit Games final, competitors had to compete in various events over the course of four days, including running, swimming, weight lifting, gymnastics, long grueling endurance events and shorter sprinting events.

How does it feel to be named the fittest woman on Earth?

“Insane. I still find it hard to believe. It is surreal to be able to say that about myself.

I want to experience this feeling again. Of course there is a little pressure carrying this title, but I will trust in my journey and the advice of my coach, Ben Bergeron.”

A personal victory Katrín Tanja says she had the summer of her life preparing for the Reebok CrossFit Games. “When I entered the competition, everything came together at the right time.

I had travelled to Boston to train with my coach. I always gave it my all and came home very tired every day, but knew I had improved my form, fitness, strength and technique. As the games drew closer I felt very prepared and said to my coach that however things turned out, I would be satisfied, as long as I gave everything I had, just as I had done during my training.

Pre­­paration could not have gone better and I knew that I had put in all the work that I could,” she explains and adds that having her coach with her at the games was a big help.

“My coach was always by my side at the CrossFit Games. He took care of nutrition, warm up and recovery and kept my head in check during the competition. I got nervous

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before one event, which required me to climb ropes without using my legs. I’d had a difficult time with that a year before when competing in the European regionals. It got to me, I was nervous but my coach set me straight. He basically got me to imagine that we were in the gym training and we would do this together in a way. It worked out and this was a personal victory for me.

I did not go into the CrossFit Games with the goal of standing on top of the podium.

I wanted to reach my own goal, do my best and I could not have done any better.”

Money or pride?

Katrín won 275,000 dollars in prize money.

Does the money give her a boost in some way? “I did not think about the money for one second during the competition. I arriv­­ed with a competitive spirit. I got more out of standing on the podium as a winner, than holding the check. I won’t change my lifestyle because of the money, but it does give me a sense of security to have money in the bank. I can use it to buy a car and invest in an apartment in the future.

It is a great feeling to be rewarded so well for all the hard work put into training and preparation,” says Katrín Tanja.

Are you proud of being Icelandic when competing?

“Yes. I am very proud. We’ve had many wo­men on the podium at the European regio­­nals as well as at the CrossFit Games.

Icelanders have a competitive nature and women here are not afraid to be strong.

We have many good athletes—men and women in different sports. I gather we have strong genetics and are by nature a wellbuilt bunch.”

Preparing for the unknown Katrín Tanja’s rise to fame as an athlete was relatively quick, but she started sports training at a young age. “I was in gymnastics from the age of six until six­­teen. I have always had a competitive mind­­set in all that I do, whether I was doing handstands for as long as I could when I was younger, competing with my brother by sprinting between lamp posts or competing in sports at school. At school, there was another standard for boys than girls, but I always wanted to compete at the same standard that the boys were up against.

“When I stopped training gymnastics, I needed new challenges and did track and field for a while, but I didn’t find anything I wanted to compete in. I kept searching and in the summer of 2011 Annie Mist Þórisdóttir won the CrossFit Games for the first time. She was in the media here in Iceland a lot and my friends and family told me this might be the sport for me, that I was crazy enough to be interested in it and that I could be good. So I tried out Boot Camp and CrossFit and for the first year I did both but then drifted more into CrossFit and that’s what got all of my mind.

The idea behind regular CrossFit training is that you challenge yourself to do better with weights or timed physical exercises of various sorts, and learn to improve your technique and results. The slogan is: Prepare for the unknown and unknowable; there are variable exercises all the time but this just makes it more exciting. This also means you don’t really excel in one thing, but are good in all areas. If you are going to compete, you must make sure not to have any weaknesses. By being this diverse, I can always see where I need to improve. Every day, I wake up excited and go training with a clear goal in mind.”

I got more out of standing on the podium as a winner, than holding the check. I won’t change my life­­ style because of the money, but it does give me a sense of security to have money in the bank.

What is CrossFit? The popularity of CrossFit might baffle some. Why is it so popular?

“Because it’s for everyone and there is a great atmosphere, people are training for themselves and also in groups of likeminded people.

You could say that my grandmother and I could to the same exercise, but of course at different levels. You can follow your progress all the time and there is a coach around to guide you.”

Is there a lot of strain on the body when doing CrossFit training?

“If you’re competing at the highest level there is always the risk of an injury in any sport. Still, it is important for everyone, whether they’re just doing a regular workout or a serious one, to listen to their body and take care. I train very hard for three weeks every month, and the fourth week is lighter to help the body recover. Good sleep is important too.”

How important is your diet?

“Very. I could feel that as soon as I wasn’t as dialed in with my nutri­ tion after the CrossFit Games that I wasn’t feeling as good when training, so the diet is very important. You have to give the body what it needs, a balanced diet, enough of carbohydrates, protein and fats.

I get blood tests done regularly so my coach can see if my nutrition is at a good level and we also see if I am training properly. We focus on good and healthy foods to give my body what it needs rather than finding it from supplements.

It’s all in your mind Katrín Tanja says that the psychological factor is both important and underestimated for competing athletes trying to excel in their sport. “I have worked a lot on the mental side in the past year with my coach. We talk a lot about the training and how to focus during competition, and what to focus on. I can only control certain things

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around me and he has taught me what is under my control. If you focus on some­­­ thing you can’t control, you lose energy. I think my mental approach is what helped me win.

“When I am training with my coach in the States, I feel like I am part of his family and I go on vacation with them, both as a train­­ing camp and to relax. I know that I could not have done what I did without my coach and there are so many people that I am thank­ful to that got me to where I am. You really can’t win a title like this on your own. I get a lot of support from my mom and dad and my grandmother and grandfather at home; in fact from my whole family, and friends and people who exercise and work at CrossFit Reykjavík too. This all means so much to me and is an important part of the process.”

We’ve had many women on the podium at the European regionals as well as at the CrossFit Games.

Icelanders have a competitive nature and women here are not afraid to be strong.

Is competing as an individual more to your liking than competing in group sports?

“Yes. I have always competed as an indi­­vidu­al. If I was on a team I would want to do everything by myself... I know I will try it out some day, but right now I am counting on myself. I can throw a basketball into a basket, but if there would be others around, I would be a useless player.”

Katrín Tanja says she is very much a city girl in Iceland, and has not travelled much around the country, but as a child she went to many different foreign countries with her parents and she is longing for more travels. “Bali is on my list, and I want to go to Hawai, Egypt, Brazil, Australia, Mexico and any kind of island is intriguing to me.

I want to see many places. I would love to set up a training camp in Brazil; I understand CrossFit is very popular there and that we are

like stars. I love travelling, but not spending too much time at airports. I al­­ways pack at the last minute and it takes me three weeks to unpack when I come home.

That never changes—I love seeing new countries; it widens the horizons.”

Speaking of which, Katrin Tanja’s hori­­ zons might widen in another way, as she has done an audition for an American film production company. “In the last few years, I have been modeling for advertisements, both photographs and video. I love being in front of the camera. I got the idea one day I wanted to be an actress. My grandmother thought it was funny. But now that I have auditioned for a big production company it does not seem so far away and I hope that will progress in some way. I am hardly getting a star role, so I should have time to train. I won’t act if I can’t train as well.”

What are your plans for the future?

“There were some options that opened up after I won the Reebok CrossFit Games.

My coach and I decided that we are not going to compete much for the rest of the year. The focus will be on training, then appearances and promotional work will follow. I am not done even though I won Room for improvement this year; there are so many things for me During our interview Katrín Tanja often to work on and keep getting better at. I will spoke of her grandmother and we asked her if she remembered any good advice her do my best to be in top form at next year’s CrossFit Games. I can improve on a lot of grandmother had given her. “‘Hard work, pays off’ and to ‘give all you’ve got’. I believe things before that time arrives. v that to excel at something you must love what you do and truly have passion for A. Katrín Tanja, Annie Mist and Heather Bergeron it. I have enjoyed this year, but of course smiling happily with their coach, Ben Bergeron at there have been hard times too. I am lucky CrossFit Reykjavík. enough that I get to train with my best B. Katrín Tanja and Annie Mist discussing matters friends and when I am in Iceland I train during a training session. They train together with Annie Mist every day. We are able to when Katrín Tanja is in Iceland.

A

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WOW Power to the people

push our limits in every single workout and support each other.

“When I have free time, I like to meet friends and family for lunch or dinner. And I sometimes get my nails done or have a massage. I wear sports clothes most of the time and that’s what I am most com­­ fortable in. My grandmother says that I am either in sports clothes or dressed very elegantly, there is no middle way. I have all sorts of Reebok clothes and shoes in diff­er­­ent colors that I love mixing and matching on a daily basis.”

B

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Go home with a story worth telling!

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www.adventures.is | info@adventures.is | +354 562-7000 | Downtown Reykjavík Sales Office at Laugavegur 11 Rafting • Ice Climbing • Snorkeling • Diving • Glacier Hike • Canoeing • Hiking • Kayaking • Cycling • Surfing • Boat Ride • Hot Spring • Swimming • Climbing Super-Jeep • Caving • Horse Riding • Sightseeing • Snowmobile • Whale Watching • ATV • Incentive • Skiing • Mountain Hut • Camping • Combo Trips Issue five 31

Iceland from above

Moving up in the world In our last issue we took a helicopter ride and photographed Reykjavik and the nearby vicinity from above. Now we have another treat for our readers in the form of these terrific aerial photos from Iceland, shot from a drone by photographer Enrico Pescantini.

Photos: Enrico Pescantini

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WOW Power to the people

Þríhnúkagígur Volcano, near Reykjavik.

Issue five 33

The Krafla Geothermal Power Station, Northeast Iceland.

Born in 1984 Enrico Pescantini is probably best known for his innovative project Barbie around the world, featuring the notorious couple Barbie and Ken during their vacations in Israel and Cuba. If you’re wondering where Instagram sensation @ socalitybarbie (an ironic hipster Barbie with way too many hashtags) got her idea, look no further.

For the past year Enrico has been examining possibilities offered by using drones for aerial photography. “Once I had planned my trip to Iceland in August, I realized that it was the ideal place for aerial photography reportage, thanks to astonishing landscapes and amazing scenery. I doubled my efforts in learning how to fly and gained enough hours of flying experience for purchasing a DJI Phantom 3, one of the best drones for aerial filming and photography.”

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WOW Power to the people

www.laugarspa.com

The best health and body experience Iceland has to offer

Laugar Spa Sundlaugavegi 30a, 105 ReykjavĂ­k +354Issue 553 five0000 35

Opening hours: Mon - Fri 06:00 - 23:30 / Sat 08:00 - 22:00 / Sun 08:00 - 20:00

“Iceland is amazing for using drones thanks to a non-restrictive regulation (in comparison to the rest of Europe), few people around and not many houses or roads, all factors that could make a flight critical.”

Djúpalónssandur Beach, Snæfellsnes, West Iceland.

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WOW Power to the people

“Iceland is amazing for using drones thanks to a non-restrictive regulation (in comparison to the rest of Europe), few people around and not many houses or roads, all factors that could make a flight critical. On the down side, rain and strong winds often made it impossible to fly a drone. Dettifoss Waterfall, for instance, was very hard to photograph, clouds were very low, and there was a mixture of mist and rain all over the waterfall.

But the opportunity to shoot it was too tempting so I risked taking a few minutes flight: luckily nothing bad happened, except for some moisture on the drone.”

Enrico says choosing favorites is very difficult but … “I would say Krafla, with all the steam coming out from the ground and Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, where thanks to a beautiful weather (which was rare this last summer in Iceland) I spent several hours shooting at different angles and also trying to spot the seals swimming in the lagoon. v

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grayline.is Issue five 37

Face to face Find WOW air on Facebook – facebook.com/wowiceland – hit that “like” button and add us to your favorites. Then help us share the WOW. We promise not to fill up your newsfeed with boring stuff or click-tag games. Perhaps just a cute kitten video once a year.

Instant karma We’re on Instagram too but we only use it to share good photos and we never Instagram our coffee; that’s a promise … unless it’s really, really good coffee. Follow @wowair on Instagram for great travel inspiration or just to see beautiful places.

Sharing is caring

WOW! We’re so social Active on social media? So are we and we love sharing great photos, travel tips, good deals and other fun things on our many social media outlets as well as to our WOW Club members.

Tweet it We love tweeting @wowair. It’s so much more of a challenge to have to put out the message in 140 characters or less, right?

WOW air also has a special twitter page for queries, comments and complaints @wowairsupport where our social media team is ready to give feedback during local business hours.

Oh snap!

We’re snapping on to the Snapchat trend starting this October.

Add wow-air to your list of snappy friends and watch videos and photos from our destinations created—for your eyes only.

Join the club WOW air has a special club for cool people and you’re invited.

Club members receive regular club emails and will always be the first to know when we put out our awesome deals on flights. Sign up at wowair.com/wowairclub and join our posse.

Share with us for a chance to win flight tickets!

We would love to share your travel memories or photos from your hometown. Hashtag your Instagram photos with #wowmoment or #wowair so we can help you spread the WOW. You can also send us photos via moments.wowiceland.co.uk for a chance to win flight tickets.

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WOW Power to the people

ENNEMM / SÍA / NM69061

Spectacular Whale Exhibition

ÐU R

REYKJAVÍK HARBOUR

SK FI

GR AN

HARPA

ATA

AN

AU ST

MÝRARG

ÁN

“Wonderful one of a kind museum!”

Loved this museum with its life-sized models of 23 different species of whales!

Interesting and informative exhibits, well worth a visit! The staff was friendly and helpful, and we loved the gift shop, too.

ISL ÓÐ

Come and see full-scale models of the 23 whale species that have been found off Iceland’s coastal waters. Walk amongst life-size models, check out the interactive media and explore these majestic creatures in our family-friendly exhibition.

DA GA R

Walk Amongst the Giants

We are here

WELCOME TO OUR CAFÉ | GET A SOUVENIR IN OUR GIFT SHOP | BOOK A WHALE WATCHING TOUR Fiskislóð 23-25 | Reykjavík | Tel. +354 571 0077 | Open every day 10 am – 5 pm | www.whalesoficeland.is

Issue five 39

Promotion

The Lebowski Bar Laugavegur 20 a 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 552 2300 email: info@lebowskibar.is www.lebowskibar.is

Lebowski Bar

The Reykjavik venue that rocks!

From the entrepreneurs that brought you Café Oliver and Vega­mot, comes Lebowski Bar. You can take a quick guess where the name and inspiration comes from and even if you didn’t like the infamous 1998 movie we are cert­ain you will love this bar.

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ust walking into this retro American bar puts a smile on your face and the mood is very 1960’s. You can hang out at the old fashioned porch and imagine you are in a real action movie. They don’t make bars like that anymore … oh wait they do, this one! Four big screens adorn the walls, so it’s also a great place to hang out when there are big events and sporting high­lights to be seen. And there’s also an “outside” area deco­­rated in a zappy Miami­-sunshine yellow that will cheer even the dullest of days.

Dine and jive Lebowski Bar really captures the diner style with cosy booths and a fabulous jukebox containing over 1,600 songs guaranteed to get those hips

swaying. If that’s not enough there’s a DJ on every night of the week so you won’t feel the pressure of select­ing all the music by yourself. The menus are the biggest in Iceland … no literally! Their phy­­sical dimensions are huge! Doesn’t everyone say that size really does matter?

Try their amazing burgers, there’s cheese, bacon, a béarn­aise sauce option and succulent beef ten­ der­loin. If that’s not enough, choose from one of the 12 kinds of milkshakes to go with it.

to a new level, offering an astounding 18 varieties of White Russian, along with an extensive bar list.

Bowling at the bar

“Careful man, there’s a beverage here!”

The real icing on the Le­bowski cake, however, is the bar’s gen­u­­ine bowling lane – it’s a classic. How many bars have a bowling lane? In Iceland, not many, unless you count the bars at actual bowling alleys that certainly don’t have the cool vibe of Le­ bowski Bar. DJs and a bass player add to the music mix at weekends and there’s room to dance. Check it out dudes, you’re guaranteed a good time.

Jeffrey ‘the Dude’ Lebowski, the protagonist of the Coen brot­­her’s comedy, is renowned for his penchant for ‘White Russ­ians’ – vodka based cock­­ tails featuring coffee liqueurs and cream or milk.

The Lebowski Bar has taken this now-iconic drink

“Try their amazing burgers, there’s cheese, bacon, a béarn­aise sauce option and succulent beef ten­der­loin.”

Lebowski Bar is my favorite place to hang out at. I love grabbing a good beer, a burger & topping it with a delicious milkshake.

Lebowski Bar plays oldies music which mak­­es the vibe like none other in Reykjavik.

They also have happy hour from 4-7pm and who doesn’t love that!

Bottom line, Lebowski Bar is a great main­stream bar where you can meet fellow travel­ers and have a drink with locals. Practice the word ‘SKÁL’ (Cheers) ~ Inga,@TinyIceland (www.tinyiceland.com)

FIND IT ON FACEBOOK and Twitter Twitter: @LebowskiBar - Instagram: #LebowskiBar - Open 11:00 – 01:00 Sun-Thurs and 11:00 – 04:00 Fri/Sat

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WOW Power to the people

Promotion

Lavabarinn Lækjargata 6 a 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 845 88 68 email: kolla@hresso.is

Lavabarinn

At the center of the scene Lavabarinn represents what Reykjavik is famous for … nightlife! Admit it, you’re not here to collect stamps. You’re here to travel, take photos and brag about it all while sitting at a fantastic lounge drinking delicious cocktails. That’s exactly what the Lavabarinn is all about and the architecture and design is beautiful.

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avabarinn focuses on high quality cock­­­ tails, mixed by highly skilled bar­­­tenders.

The age limit is 25 so leave the kids with the babysitter and dress up. This is no place for sneakers and hoodies.

If you require VIP services, then this is your place. Lavabarinn has a secret room with a secret door that leads up to the top floor; very 007.

The VIP service doesn’t stop there as you’ll have your own private drink elevator, private bathroom and security to hold off all your fans.

After drinking magical cocktails that taste like paradise, why not move down to the lower floor and shake it to some high class music by hot DJ’s from all over the world. It doesn’t hurt that Lavabarinn also has a Funktion-One sound system, the most respected sound system in the world.

Downstairs also has a large make-up room for everyone that chooses to freshen up while in there and seats to cool down after a great dance session.

There’s even an excluded outdoor smoking area for those who are absolutely smokin’ and they can

bring their drinks along for the break. You won’t be disappointed by either the cocktails or the music at Lava­­­barinn. You might want to get in early before the line starts and secure your spot. If it’s nightlife you seek, it’s nightlife you’ll find at Lavabarinn.

“After drinking magical cocktails that taste like paradise, why not move down to the lower floor and shake it to some high class music by hot DJ’s from all over the world.”

Lavabarinn Open: Thursdays from 5pm-1am—Fridays and Saturdays from 5pm-4:30 am. Happy hour Thursdays-Saturdays from 5-10pm. That’s perfect.

Issue five 41

Promotion

The English Pub Austurstræti 12 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 578 0400 Mobile: +354 697 9003 www.enskibarinn.is

Save water, drink beer!

For years, Iceland has enjoyed a diverse selection of restaurants and often sophisticated bars. However, one tiny grumble occasionally surfaced from the country’s Anglophiles – simply that there was no proper “pub”.

A

nd so the English Pub was born.

From modest beginnings it has built a hearty reputation, seeking out, with the advice and guidance of its de­­­di­­­cat­­ed cust­omers, the finest ale available to mankind. Today it offers its enthusiastic cli­­­entele the chance to sample 50 beers from around the world, as well as a stagg­­­er­­ ing 15 Icelandic brands.

Whisky galore Not content to rest on its laurels, the English Pub has ventured north of its virtual border and also offers the finest selection of whiskies anywhere in the country. The choice of some 60 malts include many of Scotland’s finest, ensuring that

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WOW Power to the people

numerous Ice­­landers and worldly travelers make the pil­­­grim­­age to the pub’s humble door. Located at the very heart of down­­town Reykjavik, the walls of the English Pub are adorned with hundreds of photographs – like an album of the city’s history just waiting to be explored over a quiet beer.

at­­mos­­­­phere and for anyone feeling lucky, there is the Wheel of Fortune. Regulars like nothing more than to spin the wheel and chance a “Sorry” or pre­­­fer­­ably win what used to be call­­ed a Yard of Ale. These days, it’s ine­vitably known as a meter of beer, but the winners don’t seem to min

A sporting chance Live sporting coverage is amply catered for, with a choice of three big screens and TVs. In­­side the pub there is room for up to 150 people, and an out­­­door terrace can accommodate plenty more on those balmy Ice­­landic evenings! Whether it is foot­­ball (Premier and Champions League), rugby or golf, there are always special offers when live events are being broadcast. Live music every night adds to the

“Located at the very heart of down­­town Reykjavik, the walls of the English Pub are adorned with hundreds of photo­­­ graphs – like an album of the city’s hist­­ory just waiting to be explored over a quiet beer.”

Promotion

Vegamót Vegamótastíg 4 101 Reykjavík Tel: +354 511 3040 email: vegamot@vegamot .is www.vegamot .is

Very nice Vegamót

The all-in-one restaurant This elegant but casual two floor restaurant is located in the heart of Reykja­vík on Vega­­mótastígur, close to Lauga­­­­vegur.

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he restaurant has been popular for many years, perhaps because of its wonder­ful quality of being an all-in-one, rest­aurant, café and bar. You‘ll never want to leave!

Here the decor is rich on the Medi­­­terr­­ anean side and yet elegant with a jazzy ambiance.

In the summertime tables are moved outside to the shelt­er­ed terrace, probably one of the hottest

places in Iceland during those short summer months. This place is famous for their ‘fresh fish of the day’, served all day from lunch hours. It has very rea­­sonable prices for quality, portions and presenta­ tion and guests can choose from a wide variety of decadent dess­erts – if they make it that far.

Try their excellent selection of good beers. Every day there is a special offer on bottled beers worth a taste.

“The restaurant has been popular for many years, perhaps because of its wonder­ful quality of being an all-in-one, rest­aurant, café and bar. You‘ll never want to leave!”

Issue five 43

Promotion

Hressingarskálinn Austurstræti 20 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 561 2240 facebook.com/hressingarskalinn

Coffee house, restaurant & night club Hressingarskálinn is a warm place with plenty of seating and a great loca­­tion in down­ town Reykjavik. It’s one of the few places that open at 9 AM to serve breakfast for hungry travelers or locals. Hressingarskálinn is a big part of Reykja­vík’s history; the house was built in 1802 and the restaurant was established in 1932. The house has hosted Hress­ingarskálinn since 1932.

S

itting down for a coffee has a magnetic effect on Iceland’s most talented art­­­ ists and writers. Smokers can have a seat on a heated patio with service all day. Over the summer, this place really comes alive. The yard is completely sheltered from the wind, allowing you to enjoy food and beverages in the bright sunlight. Thursday to Sunday is usually packed with people from all over

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the world. It’s a great place to meet strangers for some interesting story sharing. Live bands play on Fridays and Sat­urdays, guaranteeing a crowd before all the popular DJ’s hit the floor with party tunes from 01:00-04:30 AM. The menu consists of great selections and offers everything from breakfast to a fantastic dinner. Hressingarskálinn offers Icelandic food for curious visitors. You can always try the traditional Icelandic meat soup. If

not, there’s lamb or the fish stew – You won’t be disappointed. Hress­­­ingar­­­skálinn is stylish and old at the same time, a history well preserved.

Check out Hress­­­ingar­skálinn for great prices and awesome fun!

“The menu consists of great sel­­ect­­ions and offers every­thing from breakfast to a fantastic dinner.”

Promotion

Sakebarinn Laugavegur 2 101 Reykjavík Tel: +354 777 3311 www.facebook.com/Sakebarinn

The one and only choice for Sushi & Sticks …so you can check it off your bucket list Located in a loft on Laugavegur, the main shopping street, in one of Iceland’s old­est buildings (1886) is a great new restaurant with a great view and an amazing at­mosphere called Sakebarinn. In its beautiful location, surrounded by windows that look down on Austurstræti, (an extension of Laugavegur leading to the Old Town) and up Skólavörðustígur (known for its cafés, local boutiques and art shops with native works), Sakebarinn lies in the very heart of downtown Reykjavík. In the winter you can see the Northern Lights from the balcony and in the summer, the amazing summer sunsets over the harbor.

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he owners of Sakebarinn have a keen interest for the arts and crafts and a wealth of creative assets to play with.

Although Sake­­barinn has a strong foundation in pure Japanese cuisine the current style of the restaurant proves that the owners are not afraid to break some of the rules. To them sushi is meant to be an art form.

Along with its handcrafted sushi, Sakebarinn also offers a sel­­ection of sticks and other meat cours­­es, featuring whale and horse and anything that’s fresh and interesting that day. Why live on an island in the middle of the Atlantic if you’re not going take advantage of the natural fauna? Along with the local seafood, Sakebarinn also carries some more exotic things like octopus, just to keep it interesting, and with a little some­­thing for

everyone. There’s love on every plate – You will feel it with each taste.

It’s no accident that the place is named Sake­­bar­­ inn. It does feature the country’s largest sel­­ection of sake and a shot before a meal can truly enhance the feel of real Japanese dining. It comes in a sur­­prising range of flavors too, everything from really girly fruit sake to the fire spewing alcohol con­­tent of some of the more butch types; potato sake, warm and cold sake and Japanese plum wine. And then of course are the bottles that didn’t make it on to the menu because no one could read the labels and therefore no one knows what they are. Mystery sake! Sakebarinn is a place born to show­­case the talents the staff have collected over the years work­­ing at their first Sushi restau­­rant call­­ed Sushibarinn, which is located on the first

floor in the same house. A year and a wild ride later, this sushi family has in­­corporated a bunch of new and talented people with some great new recipes and skills they didn’t know they had and didn’t even know existed. The walls are hand painted by them, the wine selected by them, the menu is designed by them and the place is loved by them. They also love to present food so their clients become part of their love for sushi.

The look on your face is what they are aiming for, the look of enjoyment.

“Along with the local seafood, Sakebarinn also carries some more exotic things like octopus, just to keep it interesting, and a little some­­thing for everyone.”

Sakebarinn Opening hours: Mon-Sun 5:00 PM – 00:00 Issue five 45

Promotion

Tíu dropar Le Chateaux des Dix Gouttes Laugavegur 27 101 Reykjavík Tel: +354 551 9380

Tíu dropar / Le Chateaux des Dix Gouttes Tíu dropar (Ten Drops) is a café located in the cellar of Lauga­veg­ur 27. This is one of the oldest cafés in Iceland and for the last 30 years to this very day they serve freshly baked pancakes and waffles á la the grandmothers of Iceland, with lots of whipped cream and Icelandic jam.

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en Drops is also known for its home­­ made cakes, baked from scratch ac­­cord­ing to old re­­­cip­­­es, and of course, their hot cocoa, known by many of their guests as ‘The Only Real Hot Cocoa on Earth’. If you’re not in the mood for old fashioned Icelandic good­ies you can choose from an assortment of light dishes, tea, wines and beer.

We recommend the French meat soup, a pop­­ular dish and another old favorite.

Where did the café go?

Don’t be surprised if you can’t find the café after 18:00. Some­­thing happens around that time that trans­­­­forms this little cellar into a French wine room known as Le Chateaux des Dix Gouttes or the Castle of the Ten Drops. This is a lovely place to sit and enjoy good win­­es along with cheese, ham or

other light dishes for as little as 500 ISK a plate, and don’t worry, the coffee, co­coa and pancakes are still there! Lovely French music sets the mood and the ambiance is perfect for a deep conversation.

Guests want­­­ing to break out in song can have their turn after 22:00 on the weekends, as long as they can find some­­one to play the antique piano given to the café’s owner, David Bensow, by a regular.

Choose your wine Guests can have their say on the wine list of Le Cha­te­aux des Dix Gouttes and David will make special orders to fulfill their wish­es. In fact, he wel­­comes any sug­gestions making the wine list one of the more, well-endowed in Reykjavík. He’s especially interested in serving good Port to his clientele.

Check out the ten drops twitt­er feed and find both café and wine room on Facebook.

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Intimate climate The little wine room and café seat only 40 guests and the mood is set in the early evening. It’s safe to say this is just the kind of place that was missing from the brimm­­­ing Icelandic bar and café scene - a perfect sett­ing for a small group of friends to reminisce over the good old days or for a first date.

Be sure to taste David’s “wine of the week” or let his fair beer prices amaze you.

“Don’t be surprised if you can’t find the café after 18:00. Some­­thing happens around that time that trans­­forms this little cellar into a French wine room known as Le Chateaux Des dix Gouttes or the Castle of the Ten Drops.”

Promotion

Kol Restaurant Skólavörðustígur 40 101 Reykjavík Tel: +354 517 7474 www. kolrestaurant .is

Cocktails and feel good food at Kol Restaurant Be prepared for a memorable night out at Kol Restaurant.

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ituated at Skólavörðustígur 40 in Reykja­­­­­­vík, Kol Restaurant’s design con­­­­­cept is a mixture of warm modern Icelandic feel with international touc­­ h­­es and the furniture of designer Tom Dixon playing the central role. The rest­­­­­­­­aur­­ant is on two floors with an open kitchen and a mighty bar. Both floors are divided into spac­­ es with cozy leather couches and a variety of diff­­­er­­ ent table settings. Kol Restaurant centers on the bar where the country’s best cocktail bar­­tenders

serve craft cocktails from the best ingredients available and offer an ambitious cocktail list to begin and complete the dining experience.

The selection is feel good comfort food with a twist on classic cuisine. The menu offers a variety of finger food, salads, fish, steaks and dess­­ erts. The head chefs, Einar Hjaltason and Kári Þor­­­­­steinsson, have over 20 years of ex­­­perience at Reykjavik’s best restaurants as well as work ex­­­perience in several known restaurants in London, for example Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, Dabbous,

Noma, 28/50 and Texture. Don’t miss out on this brand new gem on the Reykjavik restaurant scene.

This is a great place to begin a fun evening.

“Kol Restaurant cent­­ers on the bar where the coun­try’s best cock­­tail bar­­tend­­ers serve craft cocktails from the best in­­ gredi­ents available and offer an ambi­­ tious cocktail list to begin and com­­plete the dining exper­­ience.”

Kol Restaurant Open: Monday-Friday 11:30-23:00 / Saturday-Sunday 17:30-23:00 Issue five 47

Promotion

Den Danske Kro Ingólfsstræti 3 101 Reykjavík Tel: +354 552 0070 www.dendanske.is

When in Iceland, go Danish!

You know that Iceland used to be a Danish colony, right? Even though inde­­pend­ence from the Danish Crown was necessary, Icelanders still celebrate every­thing Danish, so don’t expect to meet a big Danish crowd at The Danish Pub, they are all Icelanders just act­ing like they’re Danish. Really!

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his bar has made a name for itself in the Reykjavik social scene and is known locally as Den Danske Kro (we all just want a reason to speak Danish in public). This popular downtown venue serves a remarkable selection of beers in­cluding the famous Danish white beers, the darker more malt brews and of course the tra­­ditional and almost obligatory Tuborg and Carls­­ berg. If you come during the Christmas sea­­son you can taste some of the renowned Christ­­­mas brews, very popular in demand. Just ask for Julebryg (“you-le-bree”).

within the pub – an off-the­-wall design in its most literal sense!

Get carefree or “ligeglad” (lee-glaath), shoot some darts, try the custom­ary Gammel Dansk bitt­ers or catch some live football. Watch the world go by on the outside terrace and have a taste of the tra­­ ditional smørre­brød (fantastic open sand­­­wiches).

You can pre-order these delicious snacks for larger groups.

Does this sound too tranquil?

Do as the Danes do

The Danish Pub is nothing if not a place to party.

The at­­mos­­phere is easy going and you can choose from a variety of shots and even cocktails if you’re not in the mood for a beer (Does that ever happen?).

The owners of the Danish Pub strive to create the true Danish atmos­phere known among the Danes (and Danish-prone Ice­­landers) as “hyggeligt”. If you truly are Danish this can be your “home away from home”. And in this spirit, check out the “house”

Reminder: If you thought you were in for a quiet night guess again, The Danish Pub features live music every night with special appearances and unad­­vertised happenings on Wednesdays, Fridays

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and Saturdays. Put your musical knowledge to the test at the Wednesday night pop-quiz; the prizes will surprise you.

Best local pub in Reykjavík Wherever you‘re from you’ll want to have a great time while vis­iting Reykjavík. The people of Reykja­ vík do anyway, so they flock to The Danish Pub for a beer “en øl” dur­­ing the Happy Hour every day from 16-19. The place is crowded and you’re guaran­­teed to meet some fun, “lee glaath” people.

“Get carefree or “ligeglad” (lee-glaath), shoot some darts, try the custom­ary Gammel Dansk bitt­ers or catch some live football. Watch the world go by on the outside terrace and have a taste of the traditional smørre­brød (fantastic open sandwiches).”

Promotion

Kaldi Bar Laugavegur 20 b 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 581 2200 www.facebook.com/KaldiBarCafe

A breath of fresh air

Cool as Kaldi Kaldi Bar is one of Iceland’s most unique bars.

An oasis in central Reykjavík.

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t might not be spacious but it makes up for it with great relaxing atmos­­­phere in a rustic setting. Besides the congenial atmosphere, there’s a great outside seating area in a cozy backyard. Known for its wide collection of local micro brews both on draft and in bottl­es, Kaldi Bar is very popular among locals who check in at happy hour to get their fill of the unfiltered Kaldi brew.

Drop by and get to know everybody, they might even give you some good tips on how to become a local.

“Kaldi Bar is one of Iceland’s most unique bars. An oasis in central Reykjavík. It might not be spacious but it makes up for it with great relaxing atmos­­­phere in a rustic setting.”

Opening Hours Sunday-Thursday: 12:00 noon - 01:00 am Friday & Saturday: 12:00 noon - very late / Price list Beer on draft 0.5 – 1,100 IKR Glass of vine – 1,200 IKR / Happy hour 16:00-19:00 / Beer on draft 0.5 – 650 IKR / Glass of vine – 650 IKR Issue five 49

Promotion

Kopar Restaurant Geirsgata 3 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 567 2700 www.koparrestaurant .is / info@koparrestaurant .is

Kopar Restaurant by the old harbor Kopar Restaurant is situated by Reykjavik‘s romantic harbor, in one of the old green fisherman‘s huts.

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he fishing industry still thrives in Reykja­­­ vik, so the old harbor is full of life. In the morning, fishermen go out to sea and return later with their catch of the day.

As you stand on the pier you can feel the history of Reykjavik and watch the harbor life: fishing boats, fishermen, the catch, and young kids with their rods trying their luck off the pier. Meanwhile passersby are walking about and enjoying life. This fresh and energetic atmosphere of the old harbor is all part of the experience when

you dine at Kopar. Kopar is a seafood restaurant featuring locally caught seafood and crustaceans.

They are especially proud of their crab soup, made with Icelandic rock crab from Hvalfjordur. Kopar offers a variety of Icelandic produce, including wild game, although the main emphasis is seafood, the fruit of the ocean.

Kopar‘s head chef, Ylfa, is a member of the gold medal winning national culinary team. She pre­­­ pares the seafood in a unique and delicate manner, in­­tent on giving you an unforgetable experience.

Delight yourself with great service and atmosphere, delicious food and the best view in town. When visiting Reykjavik, enjoying a night out at Kopar is a must.

“Kopar‘s head chef, Ylfa, is a member of the gold medal winning national culinary team. She prepares the seafood in a unique and delicate manner, intent on giving you an unforgetable experience.”

Kopar Restaurant

Opening hours - Mondays to Thursday from 11:30-22:30 - Fridays from 11:30-23:30 - Saturdays from 12:00-23:30 - Sundays from 18:00-22:30 50

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A delicious journey

LAEK-1319_148x210.pdf

Amtmannsstíg 1 28.1.2015 09:33 1 • 101 Reykjavík • +345 561 3303 • www.torfan.is

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Promotion

American Bar Austurstræti 8-10 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 571 9999 Mobile: +354 697 9003 Find us on Facebook/AmericanBarIceland

American Bar American Bar captures the American spirit; land of the free, home of the brave with a unique selection of beer and a simple yet delicious menu. American Bar is a must-visit when in Reykjavik.

Beer selection second to none With more than 50 different kinds of beer you are sure to find the beer that suits your taste. There’s beer made in the Hawaiian Islands as well as beer made from the famous Icelandic water.

Location and experience Located at the heart of Reykjavik, American Bar is easy to find. Once inside you’ll feel at home right away, especially if you’re an American; with decorations like football helmets (find your favorite team) and the American flag.

Live music, live sport and the Wheel of Fortune Live music every night brings the right atmosphere and if you want to shake it up a bit you can hit the

dance floor on weekends and dance into the crazy Reykjavik night. If you are feeling lucky you can always spin the Wheel of Fortune.

Must see that game in the English PL or the Champions League? You will be well taken care of at the American Bar. HD-screens and TVs in every corner make sure that you won’t miss one second of your favorite sport.

is simple, yet delicious. The hamburgers, ribs and chicken wings are well-known to the locals for being unique and tasty.

Lunch or dinner, live music or dancing, beer or cocktails; the American Bar has it all and is truly worth the visit!

Life is short—Drink early!

Inside and out—all day long With more than 100 seats inside and a great outdoor area on the sunny side (for those wonderful sunny Icelandic summer days) you will always find a seat at a good table. The outside area is truly remarkable, overlooking Dómkirkjan Cathedral and Alþingi (Parliament House). When you think of central Reykjavik this is it! The menu

Located at the heart of Reykjavik, American Bar is easy to find. Once inside you’ll feel at home right away, especially if you’re an American; with decorations like football helmets (find your favorite team) and the American flag.

American Bar Open: Mondays to Thursday from 11:00 am - 1:00 am - Fri - Sat: 11:00 am - 4:30 am - Sun: 11:00 am - 1:00 am

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Amazing 6 course menu

A unique Icelandic Feast Starts with a shot of the Icelandic national spirit “Brennivín“ Puffin – Smoked puffin with blueberries, croutons, goat cheese, beetroot Minke whale – Minke whale with tataki Arctic charr – “Torched“ arctic charr with parsnip purée, fennel, dill mayo Lobster – Lobster cigar with chorizo, dates, chili jam Reindeer – Reindeer slider with blue cheese, portobello, steamed bun Free range icelandic lamb – Lamb with coriander, pickled red cabbage, fennel, butternut squash purée, chimichurri And to end on a high note ...

Icelandic Skyr – Skyr panna cotta with raspberry sorbet, white chocolate crumble, passion foam, dulche de leche

Our kitchen is open 17.00–23.00 sun.–thu.

17.00–24.00 fri.–sat.

6.990 kr.

Sushi Samba Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík Tel 568 6600 • sushisamba.is

taste the best of iceland... ... in one amazing meal icelandic gourmet feast Starts with a shot of the infamous Icelandic spirit Brennívín Followed by seven delicious tapas

late night dining Our kitchen is open until 23:30 on weekdays and 01:00 on weekends

Smoked puffin with blueberry “brennivín” sauce Icelandic sea-trout with peppers-salsa Lobster tails baked in garlic Pan-fried line caught blue ling with lobster-sauce Grilled Icelandic lamb Samfaina Minke Whale with cranberry & malt-sauce White chocolate "Skyr" mousse with passion fruit coulis

6.990 kr.

RESTAURANT- BAR Vesturgötu 3B | 101 Reykjavík | Tel. 551 2344 | www.tapas.is Issue five 53

Promotion

Reykjavik Fish Trygg vagata 8 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 578 5656 Email: info@reykjavikfish.is www.reykjavikfish.is

Reykjavik Fish In the heart of Reykjavík, right next to the old harbor, you can find Reykjavík Fish, a new restaurant offering ultra-fresh seafood. Ultra-fresh means that the fish you order today was swimming last night.

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he menu at Reykjavik Fish is structured to provide hearty portions of quality sea food at very reasonable prices. The crown jewel of the menu is the spelt battered fish and chips; crispy and healthy at the same time, a perfect meal with a nice Icelandic beer.

If you’re up for something a little more traditional Icelandic try the “Plokkari” (plucked fish). Their

Reykjavik Fish Open from 11 AM to 10:30 PM

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recipe is the same as used in the old days except with fresh fish of course.

Perfect location and Icelandic seafood at its finest. Reykjavik Fish has plenty of seats and wel­comes everyone, solo travelers and big groups alike. When you come to Reykjavík and would like to try a nice fish and chips just look for the big red door.

Perfect location and Icelandic seafood at its finest. Reykjavik Fish has plenty of seats and wel­comes everyone, solo travelers and big groups alike. When you come to Reykjavík and would like to try a nice fish and chips just look for the big red door.

the maritime museum

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Choose a card that suits your stay: 24, 48 or 72 hours

the art museum

thermal pools #reykjavikloves

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Promotion

Hraunborgir Grímsnes Selfoss, Iceland, 801 Tel: +354 867 0677 www.hraunborgir.com

Discover Iceland

Hraunborgir —A hidden pearl in the south Whether you’re looking for a good spot for camping or for a cottage to rent, a cozy swimming pool, a great golf course or fun minigolf for the whole family, Hraunborgir in Grímsnes is a hidden pearl that will surely meet all your needs.

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raunborgir is located in Grímsnes one of Ice­­land’s most sought after cottage areas, where indi­­vidu­­als and families have built their lovely vacation homes to enjoy some quiet time outside the city. At Hraunborgir you can rent a real Icelandic cottage and try cottage living the Icelandic way in any season or enjoy camping during the summer. The location is perfect for travelers who want to explore South Iceland, have their base in a peaceful and beautiful setting, close to magnificent nature, luxurious amenities and a playground for the kids.

Close to Iceland’s most famous natural gems Hraunborgir is located by Kiðjabergsvegur (Route 353) only 3 kilometers off Route 35 (aka. Biskups­­ tungnabraut) and is ideal if you want to explore the Golden Circle, with Þingvellir National Park, Kerið, Gull­­foss and Geysir. Also in short distance is Mt. Hekla, the beautiful Seljalandsfoss and Skógar­­ foss Waterfalls and Þórsmörk, a natural gem. On your way to or from Reykjavik you can check out

the Hveragarður (Steamgarden) in the town of Hvera­­gerði. All these places and many more less ad­­vertised ones are easily accessible from Hraun­­ borgir and so are the Icelandic Highlands where you can check out Langjökull Glacier and the infamous Eyja­­fjallajökull.

Those who want to enjoy a peaceful vacation in Iceland in spectacular nature with an amazing view in all directions should consider Hraunborgir as the place to be.

amenities. Over the summer, Hraunborgir operates a nice warm swimming pool, hot tub, Jacuzzi, wading pool and a steambath, that can be enjoyed by all age groups. For golf enthusiasts there is a short 9-hole golf course where all holes are par 3. The course is suitable for both beginners and more experienced ones. From Hraunborgir, guests can also drive a short distance to many other golf courses, some of them the best in the country and within a 30 minute drive.

Charm in all seasons

Make it happen

In the wintertime staying in one of the cozy cottages at Hraunborgir will keep you warm and comfortable.

After a long day of exploring the Icelandic nature, it’s both beautiful and romantic to relax in the hot tub by your cabin and gaze at the starry sky and, with a touch of good luck, the Northern Lights. Both your body and spirit will thank you for it.

The rental cottages at Hraunborgir have a sleeping area for up to 8 people. Many of them are getting old and have very different interior plans than modern cottages, giving guests that cozy “old times” feeling without letting them down when it comes to modern

Hraunborgir is designed for individuals, families and larger groups. Everything can be organized for your stay—accommodation with or without food and your travel to places in the area including river rafting, sea angling, special tours like glacier trips, and many other exciting activities.

Those who want to enjoy a peaceful vacation in Iceland in spectacular nature with an amazing view in all directions should consider Hraunborgir as the place to be.

Hraunborgir

Contact the hosts at Hraunborgir through www.hraunborgir.com, info@hraunborgir.com or just call them at +354 867 0677 and they can make it happen.

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The gateway to Iceland’s northern territories Strategically situated and easily accessible by the Ring Road, Akureyri, is a city that you won’t want to miss! With a population of just over 18,000, you wouldn’t believe how much goes on in and around this little piece of heaven.

No wonder they call it the “Northern Capital” of Iceland!

Text and photos by Donna Tzaneva

Akureyri

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ocated about 6 hours by bus, 4 hours by car and only 45 minutes by plane from Reykjavik and surrounded by unbeatable jawdropping landscapes, Akureyri is definitely worth visiting for a day or two.

The town is bordered by beautiful valleys and mountains, and sits on the west side of Eyjafjörður Fjord.

Beyond the Arctic Circle Flying into Akureyri itself has its major perks: On a clear day, you have a birds-eye view of Iceland’s northern territory with its magnificent rock formations, glaciers, rivers and if you try hard, you can spot the volcano Holuhraun in the far, far distance.

It is worth mentioning that the landing strip

at Akureyri’s airport has water on both sides and therefore your landing will definitely give you a rush of adrenaline! The airport also offers daily flights to Grimsey Island, Iceland’s only territory extending into the Arctic Circle where you can spot puffins and if you’re lucky encounter the locals. Keep in mind that with its population of about 150 inhabitants the chance of spotting any form of human life during your visit is pretty slim.

What to do in Akureyri?

Although quite small, Akureyri offers all the amenities and activities that any bigger city has: Within the city center, there are numerous restaurants, shops and hotels to suit all expectations and budgets. If you want take a dip in a pool for some exercise

Although quite small, Akureyri offers all the amenities and activities that any bigger city has: Within the city center, there are numerous restaurants, shops and hotels to suit all ex­ pecta­­tions and budgets.

or just to use the hot tubs one of the best swimming pools in the country with inside and outdoor pools, hot tubs and children’s pools is just around the corner from the city center. Akureyri also has a lovely botanical garden, Lystigarðurinn, perfect for an afternoon stroll during the summer months. There is also a grand church located in the heart of the city that you can visit during a day out. If you’re more of a creative artsy soul, you can wander around downtown and admire some of the amazing street art and murals Akureyri has to offer. If you however feel even more adventurous, you could always opt to try one of the best rafting spots in Iceland or explore the tranquility of the countryside by horseback.

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Nature’s attractions As previously mentioned Akureyri’s geo­­­ graphical location makes it a good start­­­ing or stopping point for various sight­­seeing outings. You will be stunned by the differ­­ ence in landscapes, colors and for­­ma­­tions that are only a bit of a stretch from each other: The fascinating Lake Myvatn area is only a couple of hours drive from the Northern Capital. Dettifoss, considered Europe’s most power­­ful waterfall and Godafoss (Waterfall of the Gods) are also

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All in all, what­­ ever you choose to do or see in Akureyri, you will definitely enjoy the charm of this beautiful and lively town in North Iceland.

in close proximity of Akureyri. The sulphur fields are another interesting attraction in the area providing a sight—and smell that will be hard to forget. If you’re looking for a quiet retreat, there are numerous geothermal rivers and hiking trails around the city that you could easily access by car.

All in all, whatever you choose to do or see in Akureyri, you will definitely enjoy the charm of this beautiful and lively town in North Iceland and the remarkable natural attractions in the region.

HELICOPTER TOURS I’ve been flying before but completely nothing can be compared to flying in Iceland.

The views you see… it just made me speechless, my heart was racing, a big smile on my face… as if I was in love!

reykjavík tours

geothermal tour

fire & ice LAND ON A GLACIER AND BY A SECLUDED GEOTHERMAL AREA

reykjavik domestic airport info@helicopter.is +354-562 2500

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Arctic bites

Explore the true North One might not expect to have the opportunity to consume an assortment of delectable culinary dishes barely 100 kilometers from the Arctic Circle but you will be pleasantly surprised if you head to the northern capital of Iceland, better known as Akureyri.

by Marvin Lee Dupree Photos: visitakureyri.is

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o many, it is surprising how a population of barely 18,000 peo­ple can possess such a be­­ wild­ering amount of establish­ ments dedicated to the culinary arts, especially considering the fact that Akureyri would not even crack the top 40 list of most densely populated towns in Scotland. But with its fertile gardens and heavily Danish influenced townscape, Akureyri makes a strong case for being a must see location.

An off-the-track spot Unfortunately, for a long time Akureyri has languished in the shadow of Reykjavík and its surrounding municipalities. To many Ice­­landers and aficionados of comics, Akureyri’s main claim to fame over Reykja­­ vík may come from the iconic graphic novel characters Tin Tin and Captain Haddock, who disembarked in the harbor of Akureyri, not Reykjavík in the story The Shooting Star. Well, there is that and the fact that the denizens of the town usually enjoy more pleasant and sunny summers than their southern counterparts. However, this relative anonymity is fast becoming a popu­lar stopping off point since Lonely Planet recently nominated Akureyri as the best “off the track” spot in Europe to visit, beating out well-known places such as the Azores, Porto, Leipzig and Belgrade.

Akureyri is now being recognized as a must see place for curious travelers. And if you have decided to satisfy your curiosity and head to this northern gem of Iceland, you

Akureyri in North Iceland has been nominated the best “off the track” spot in Europe by Lonely Planet.

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next question might be: What can I feast on? And is it anything like Winterfell in Game of Thrones?

Outstanding eating establishments Any discussion regarding food in Akureyri must begin with the popular cultural insti­­­ tution that is known as Greifinn—or The Count, especially considering its vaunted status among locals and among Icelanders in general. Most Icelanders have treasured memories of feasting on a burger with a side of fries or a steak—along with a gene­­rous helping of béarnaise sauce. If you see any Icelander putting béarnaise sauce on his fries, you can bet your hard earned cash that she or he is a northerner, or that

Akureyri is now being recognized as a must see place for curious travelers.

Akureyri’s iconic church has over 100 steps leading up to it from the center of town.

person has been seduced by the culinary ways of our northerly brethren. Essentially, if you want a hearty, family meal, then Greifinn is your place.

Another local favorite is the Bautinn restaurant, which is located within the heart of Akureyri; that is to say on its main street, smack in the center of the town.

The doors of Bautinn have been open for 44 years making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest, culinary establishments in the country and it has long since firmly established itself as part of the iconic architectural landscape of the town. Its dishes belong firmly to the Scandinavian tradition but with a potpourri of other dish­­es to satisfy most. However, for the

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more adventurous types, the highly touted dish “Bautasneiðin” might be appealing depending on your sensibilities. This dish is a fillet on toasted bread with fried mush­­ rooms and onions, béarnaise sauce, salad and fries. The kicker: the fillet consists of horsemeat. Evidently, not for everyone but it has been a hit for many years and highly praised by many of the locals.

For additional quirky northern eats, you might want to try some “soðið brauð” —a dish that is literally foreign to a whole generation of southern Icelanders.

Idio­­matically, this dish is translated into “boiled bread” and it is a distant cousin to the fried pastry treat kleina (cruller) and fried in the same manner. The boiled or, more accurately, fried bread is less sweet than the kleina and often has cara­­way seeds in it. To be extremely local, you should grab some ‘soðið brauð’ with hangi­­ kjöt, it’s ideal for picknicks. .

The young northern Turks Not everybody wants to go local—slash— commando in their pursuit of gourmet food, so if horsemeat does not beckon you, fear not, since there of plenty of other plac­­es to go with savory options. Topping this list is Kaffi Ilmur, which is mainly a café but still serves delicious homemade soups and bread along with a salad bar, and what is by both tourists and locals

If you really want to enjoy the Northern Lights in Iceland, Akureyri is the preferred location (from September to April) with less light pollution and a close proximity to such landmarks as Mývatn, Goðafoss and Dettifoss.

A. Greifinn restaurant Eyrarvegur, 600 Akureyri Tel: +354 4601600 B. Strikið restaurant Skipagata, 600 Akureyri Tel: +354 462 7100 C. Kaffi Ilmur café Hafnarstræti 107b, 600 Akureyri Tel: +354 571 6444 D. Bautinn restaurant Hafnarstræti 92, 600 Akureyri Tel: +354 462 1818 E. 1862 - Nordic Bistro Strandgata 12, 600 Akureyri Inside Hof Culture House Tel: +354 466 1862

con­­sidered to be the best coffee in town.

Another charming facet of Kaffi Ilmur is its unique location that provides a wonderful, elevat­­­ed view of the street life in the center of town. So, for a light option you cannot go wrong.

For those more inclined to seafood, there are quite a few excellent establishments in Akureyri to sate your palate. First on the list is Rub23, located in a charming, red house on the steep street leading down to the town’s center.

While Rub23’s menu is mainly comprised of seafood, including some choice meat dishes, the most notable aspect of this restaurant besides its delicious offerings, is the preparation of the dishes. Customers can choose between a myriad of rub mix­­ tur­­­­es that are essentially homemade. If you are seeking fusion and largely sushi oriented food, this is the place for you.

Another establishment that is mainly sea­­food oriented is Strikið. It offers a four course set menu with quality ingredients from all four corners of Iceland. Like Baut­ inn, Strikið includes some ingredients that are not for the faint of heart, including puffin, which is served with two different types of freshly caught fish. Another culin­­­­ary highlight Akureyri has to offer is 1862 Nordic Bistro, which is housed in the majest­ic culture house Hof and specializes in Nordic cuisine such as Danish open

sand­­wiches aka. Smørrebrød. For more simple and budget friendly fare and a great assortment of beers, you can head over to Hafnarstræti, Akureyri’s main street, and check out Akureyri Back­­packers, which serves veggie burgers. Finally, if you are seeking something differ­­ent and don’t mind venturing a bit outside of Akureyri, you can visit Silva. It offers scrumptious vegan, vegetarian and raw food and a fan­­tastic view of Akureyri’s nearby country side. It’s proba­­bly the best kept secret of Eyja­­fjordur.

Of course, after enjoying the best food that Akureyri has to offer, it would be a sin to omit dessert. For a decadent treat, make your way to the nationally famous Brynja Ice Cream Parlor where you can try what many Icelanders deem as the best ice cream in the country, their specialty being decadent treats such as licorice soft-ice with licorice bits.

So, while Akureyri may not have all the glitz and buzz that Reykjavík has, it has plenty of charm. If you really want to enjoy the Northern Lights in Iceland, Akureyri is the preferred location (from September to April) with less light pollution and a close proximity to such landmarks as Mývatn, Goðafoss and Dettifoss. Since you are already this far north, why not go all the way?

See you in Akureyri and bon appétit

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THIS IS IT

WELCOME

2015

WHALE WATCHING • HÚSAVÍK • ICELAND

“Amazing experience” Reviewed 30 September 2015 In speedboats searching for whales in de fjord. We saw 4 Fin Whales (far away but clearly) en two humpbacks close by.Amazing experience! thanks to Sverrir Yngvi Karlsson our captain and AnnSophie Behrendt our guide.

“Once in a lifetime” Reviewed 27 September 2015 You jump into an old oak whalefishing boat and you are slowly sailed to the bay where all these giants hang around. You see them breathe, swim, jump... while the stuff gives you the most interesting informations about the wild life and the whales you are about to see/you have just seen.

The stuff actually enjoys with their work and that must be said as well. They make the trip an once in a lifetime experience!

“breathtaking travel performed by pros” Reviewed 25 September 2015 The best company in Husavik, with speed boats that allow catching views of the whales on time. This is no less than crucial. The guide and captain treated us in a heartwarming way when my kid felt a bit sea sick. Eventually we all had a wonderful experience. Most recommended!

“Whales at first hand - unforgettable experience” Reviewed 20 September 2015 During our two-weeks trip to Iceland in the beginning of July, we stayed in Husavik for a couple of days mainly to watch whales. All in all, we took part in three tours on the bigger oak boats (Faldur and Sylvia) and once on the speed boat (Amma Sigga). On each tour we got to see plenty of whales and dolfins up close. When we spotted the blow of a whale in the distance, we were able to approach it very fast on the speed boat, so we ended up real close several times.

Akureyri

150 YEARS OF FAMILY HISTORY IN THE BAY

Húsavík

Reykjavík

Booking: Tel. +354 464 1500 · www.gentlegiants.is · info@gentlegiants.is Issue five 65 HÚSAVÍK

MEMBER OF ICEWHALE – THE ICELANDIC WHALE WATCHING ASSOCIATION

Realm of Vatnajökull

Land of ice and fire In the realm of Vatnajökull you find the real reason why Iceland got its name. The area is dominated by Vatnajök­­­ull Glacier which is the largest glacier in the world outside the Arctic regions. You’ll also find some of Iceland’s most popul­ar tourist attractions such as the spectacular Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Skaftafell, the jewel in Vatnajökull National Park and Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest peak in Iceland and a popular hike.

Photo: Þorvarður Árnason

The Vatnajökull region is filled with contrast, with its black beaches, white glaciers, red vol­­ cano­es, green birch forest and blue Atlantic Ocean. Beauty, serenity and the forces of nature com­­ bine to make a visit to the realm of Vatna­­­­­jök­­ull a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Wildlife is rich in the realm of Vatnajökull with thous­­ands of migrating birds such as puffins and the Arctic tern passing through, especially in the spring and summer.

Herds of reindeer are also a common sight and if you’re lucky you might spot a seal at Jökul­sárlón or an Arctic fox runn­­ing across the land. You will also find dozens of com­­pani­­es that offer all sorts of acti­­­vit­­ies year round, diverse accom­­­modation and great rest­­aurants with local food.

Winter paradise The realm of Vatnajökull, in the south­­east of Iceland, covers over 200 km of the Ring Road from Lóma­­gnúp­­ ur in the west to Hvalnes in the east. It includes the accessible south­ern side

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of Vatnajökull Glacier and photography enthusiasts find the region particularly delightful as it pro­­­­vid­­­­es countless magnificent views of the glaci­­ers and mountains both in daylight but also after dusk settl­­es and the Aurora Borealis lights up the sky.

Have you ever imagined looking inside a glacier? Wintertime in the Vatna­­jökull region offers the oppor­­­ tunity of a unique, once in a life­­­­­time experience! A trip into the ice caves of Vatna­­­­jökull’s southern crawling glaciers is an ad­­venture that no one should miss. The colors and refracted light in the ice reveal a world of true wond­­ers, providing a thrill for any photography enthusiast. Local guid­­es who know every crevice of the glacier seek out caves formed during the winter months and can take you there. Travel­­ers should only go on such trips under their guid­­ance.

Höfn—nature and cuisine!

There is one town in the area, Höfn, a lively fish­­ing town with a population of 1800. Höfn is also known for be­­

ing Iceland‘s one and only lobster capital. In Höfn you can find lovely rest­­au­­­rants offer­­ing this precious product as well as various other local specialties year round. Höfn is also a great base for exploring the magnifi­­ cent lands of Vatnajökull National Park and be sure to drop by at the park’s Visitor Center in the beautiful hist­­ori­cal building, Gamlabúð, by the harbor.

Activity, accommodation and restaurants Much of the activity in the realm of Vatnajökull revolves around the glaci­er and the surrounding nature.

You can choose between glacier walks and ice climbing, a boat tour in a glacial lagoon, a thrilling snow­­mo­­ bile ride on Vatnajökull or a deluxe tour of Europe’s largest glacier in a super jeep. The area also offers ATV tours and geothermal baths at Hoffell, reindeer excursions, a visit to the Thorbergssetur Cultural Muse­um and an exhibit of local rocks and minerals, a trip to the local

handi­­craft store, the petting zoo at Hólmur and much more. There are various possibilities in accom­­moda­­ tions to suit different needs and you’ll be sure to find a warm welcome by knowledgeable hosts. Several restaurants are in the area and most of them offer local food. Be sure to ask for the local beer Vatnajökull, which is brewed from the icebergs of Jökuls­­árlón with the local herb Arctic thyme.

Accessible year round The Vatnajökull region is well accessi­­­ ble all year round due to good weat­­her conditions and frequent tran­­sport­a­­ tion. Eagle Air has daily flights from Reykjavík to Höfn Airport during the summertime and five days a week during other seasons. Buses (Strætó) between Reykjavík and Höfn are scheduled daily throughout the year. There are also three car rental companies in Höfn. v For more information check out www.visitvatnajokull.is.

Issue five 67

Reykjavik city break!

Cocktails, seafood and steak This fall the place to take a city break is Reykjavík. Your reasons for coming might be the wild nightlife, whale watching cruises and early season aurora displays but all this should be accomp­anied by a fine meal and a couple of cocktails. Kári Gunnlaugsson at eatsandsleeps.is knows exactly where to go.

by Kári Gunnlaugsson Photos: Courtesy of respective restaurants

Mar (bar)

One of the best bartenders in town is responsible for an impressive cocktail menu made entirely from scratch and while sipping those stiff aperitifs and enjoying the view try some of the juicy bar grubs. The restaurant itself sports a well-rounded and a very satisfying menu with both surf and turf.

And since you are by the port, the bacalao or the plaice would be good choice.

Mar is excellent place to spend a few hours before hitting the nightlife. www.marrestaurant.com/

Kol

A few steps from the big church and you are in this slightly different kind of heavenly place, offering original cocktails at the bar and a good wine selection in the basement. Their fantastic seafood platter is a must and naturally you’ll want to try the oysters and tequila combo. Check out the chefs toiling away in the basement… A cool place right at the top of the downtown bar trail. www.kolrestaurant.is

Grill Market

This place is constantly bustling with people enjoying the sizzling goodness from the grill and the overall great vibe. The menu is a selection of original pairings and great presentations guaranteed to make everyone’s mouth water.

One of the few places in Reykjavík actually built and designed as a rest­aurant.

And word has it that the Grill Market serves the best rib-eye in town. www.grillmarkadurinn.is

Kopar

A warm classy place with a great view over the harbor right next to the whale watching tours: The raw wood, red bricks, copper and candle light provide the perfect setting for a film or a novel. Kopar offers an innovative, interesting and delicious menu watched over by the very cool and capable chef Ylfa—a great place to enjoy dinner after whale watching and prior to the pub crawl. www.koparrestaurant.is

Fish Market

A high end place with attitude—the fusion cooking here equals any of the best places in the world. The menu is a nice cross section of delicacies from on and off the shores of Iceland. The Fish Market has been a great success story ever since chef legend Hrefna Sætran and her friends opened its doors in 2007. If it’s in your budget you won’t be disappointed. www.fiskmarkadurinn.is

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Issue five 69

Take a hike

Burfellsgja Channel There are many interesting natural sites in the Reykjavik area. One of those places is Burfellsgja, a beautiful lava channel, and Burfell Crater (cinder cone), formed in an eruption only 8,000 years ago, which is almost like yesterday from a geological sense.

Text and photos by Einar Skulason

The entire hike is 5-6 km with around 200 m accumulated elevation. The path is visible but uneven and rocky, so wear sturdy boots with rough soles and appropriate clothing since weather can change suddenly in Iceland. Bring some­­thing that you can eat and drink on the way. There is no WC in the area or any oth­er services.

Lava livin’ The lava flow from Burfell covered some 24 square kilometers and spread over an area that now holds the towns of Hafnarfjordur and Gardabaer. It’s well worth the time to wander around close to the center of Hafnarfjordur and see how people later built houses in between the lava for­­­ma­­­ tions. These dark colored lava fields with moss and other flora have different names for different locations, such as Smyrla­­ budarhraun, Hafnarfjardarhraun, Garda­­ hraun and Galgahraun. By now you should have figured out that “hraun” means lava in Icelandic.

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How to get there?

Drive road 410 via Hafnarfjordur past Vifils­­stadavatn and turn left via Heidmork.

A few minutes after the asphalt road chang­­es into gravel you should see a sharp turn on the road and there is some space for parking.

From there you’ll find a clear footpath to the south or southeast and very soon a set of stairs down into a small drift valley. You are on track. Go on in the same direction across the horse riding path and soon you’ll see an old sheep roundup area.

Close to the sheep roundup is the water “canyon,” a narrow crack in the ground. The sheep herders used to fetch water from down into the crack.

A bit of history The sheep herding took place here in the years 1840-1920 and many Icelanders know the sheer joy when people come to­­­gether to gather sheep and separate them according to ownership. Often there

The entire hike is 5-6 km with around 200 m accumulated elevation. The path is visible but uneven and rocky, so wear sturdy boots.

are festi­­vities with alcohol and singing. A local priest banned the sheep gathering at this place for a few years since he felt that behavior between young men and wom­en in nearby canyons and caves was gett­­ing out of hand. He said an end must be put to this “gjálífi” (canyon life). Since then the expression “gjálífi” has been used

channel very close to the crater. v in Icelandic to describe such behavior in general.

Across from the ruins of the sheep roundup is an area with a cave, where Krysuvikur-Gvendur is believed to have lived for a few years, back in the 18th century, with his flock of sheep. He was con­­­sidered odd and kept to himself and some believed he knew witchcraft, but at the same time he was respected for his strength and courage.

Enjoy the view On you go in the lava channel. Do take notice of the cracks in the ground and don’t fall in. These cracks are all pointing in the same direction and are a part of the drift of the Eurasia and America tectonic plates and mark the separation that takes place very slowly throughout Iceland.

Once you have hiked to the end of the channel it’s time to go up and around the crater. The view is great, especially tow­­ards the Reykjavik area and the small moun­­ tains of Husfell, Valahnukar and Helgafell.

Further in the southwest, Mt. Keilir can be seen with its pyramid like shape and to the north is Mt. Esja, the moun­­tain that shelters Reykjavik from the cold northern winds. Afterwards head the same way back and be on the lookout for a cave in the

The lava flow from Burfell covered some 24 square kilometers and spread over an area that now holds the towns of Hafnarfjordur and Gardabaer. It’s well worth the time to wander around close to the center of Hafnarfjordur and see how people later built houses in between the lava for­­­ma­­­tions.

The track for the hike can be found here: http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=9879236

Issue five 71

Bessastaðir

The president’s residence Bessastaðir, a few white buildings with red roofs, are located on a cape near Reykjavík, called Álftanes or Swans Cape and out there the view is spectacular; mountains, the sea, lava and almost endless grass—not to mention the endless sky. Bessastaðir also happens to be the official residence of the president of Iceland.

by Svava Jónsdóttir Photos: Kristinn Magnússon

At Bessastaðir kings, queens and other heads of state have visited the presidents of Iceland. The place has a long history: In the 13th century, Bessastaðir became Snorri Sturluson’s farm— yes; the famous Icelandic historian, poet, and politician and the man behind the prose Edda lived at Bessastaðir. Talk about history!

The first inhabitants of Bessastaðir settled there before AD 1000 and since then it has been inhabited. As mentioned, Snorri Sturluson had a farm there in the 13th century and after his death the king of Norway confiscated the site. Top representatives of the foreign rulers of Iceland used it and in the 17th century Bessastaðir was the residence of the most powerful representative of the Danish monarch in the country.

The Danish manor Today, there are few white buildings with red roofs at Bessastaðir that looks like a Danish manor with French windows. The buildings, which are made of stone, were built for the representative of the Danish king who live here 1761-1766, the representative that is, not the king. At that time, Icelanders were subjects of the Danish crown.

Iceland became republic and independent from Danish rule in 1944.

There was a school at Bessastaðir in the first decades of the 19th century, where many of the leading poets, scholars and leaders of the independence movement taught or studied.

A place to meet kings and queens In 1940, an Icelander named Sigurður Jónasson bought Bessa­­stað­­ir. He donated it to the state the year after as a future residence for the regent who served as a head of state during the Second World War while Denmark was an occupied country. The first Icelandic president was elected in 1944 and since then, Bessastaðir has been Iceland’s official presidential residence.

One of the buildings was rebuilt in 1996 to serve as the private quarters of the president’s family whereas the other buildings are used for meetings and official functions and that building is in the same style as the older ones—a white building, red roof, French windows...

Regularly through the years, Icelanders have seen news photos of their presidents greeting distinguished guests in the main building of Bessastaðir, for instance, other presidents, kings, queens, As mentioned, Snorri Sturluson had a farm there in the 13th century and after his death the king of Norway confiscated the site.

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princes, princesses and every year at Bessastaðir a group of peo­­ple that have been prominent in their field get the so called Fálka­­orðan—The Order of the Falcon. At Bessastaðir, the president’s guests can enjoy paint­ings by Ice­­landic masters, view gifts from visiting heads of state and the people in towns and regions all over Iceland ... and of course, see the specta­­cular view through the French windows.

The church There is a church in front of the main building; in fact, it is assumed that Bessastaðir has been a church site since the year 1000. WOW! The pres­­ ent church was consecrated in 1796 and is among the oldest build­­ings in Ice­­land made of cemented stone. Many people say their “I do’s” in the church—of course it is very romantic to get wed in this histor­­ic place with its spectacular view.

A few white swans usually swim in the lagoons nearby. In fact, Álftanes is one of many birdwatcher paradises in Iceland. v

Osushi is a unique rest­aurant in Iceland. The met­­hod of dining involves snatching small plates from a conveyor belt. Pricing is distinguished by the color and pattern of the plate – most range between 230 - 440 ISK. Everything off the con­vey­­or belt is tasty and if you don’t really fancy sushi, you can instead choose for ex­­ample teriyaki chicken, noodle salad, tempura and desserts.

The vibe in Osushi is friendly and relaxed. The restaurant is located almost next door to Althingi (the parliament) which is in the heart of the city.

osushi.is

sm

iðj

Hv

er

us

t.

fis

Vit as

t.

ga ta

gata

urs

Bald

a agat

brag

sæ mu

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ar

ga ta

ta ga

ar Pósthússtræti 13 / Borgartúni 29 / Reykjavíkurvegur 60 HF. rð ja N Tel: 561 0562 / www.osushi.is

Issue five 73

WOW design

The shades of Fifty

by Gerður Harðardóttir

I

Inspired by Hans Wegner’s iconic Flag Halyard chair (designed in 1950), Fifty, a chair designed by Icelandic designer Dögg Guðmundsdóttir and Danish designer Rikke Rützou Arnved, was de­­ signed for Ligne Roset in 2012. A year later it scooped up two prestigious design awards; the Wallpaper Award Winner of Domestic Design as well as the German Interior Innovation Award. The chair, designed to be used both indoors and

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outdoors, is made of 350 meters of rope which is entwined on a black steel frame.

Fifty is available in two versions; as an armchair with comfortable footstool and as a chair fit to sit in around the dining room table.

Dögg Guðmundsdóttir graduated with a master degree in design from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2011.

Over the years she has collaborated with companies such as Ligne Roset and

The chair, designed to be used both in­­ doors and out­­doors, is made of 350 met­ ers of rope which is entwined on a black steel frame.

Christofle in France, Elementi in Taiwan and Norr11 in Denmark and had her work featured at exhibitions around the world.

Since 2010 Dögg and Rikke have teamed up to design and manufacture innovative, sustainable and timeless furniture and designs. v

Check out Dögg’s design at www.doggdesign.com.

H V Í TA H Ú S I Ð / S Í A

I LIKE TAKING MY TIME WITH SHOPPING, SO I ORDER ONLINE THEN ALL I HAVE TO DO IS PICK UP MY ORDER

Save both time and effort by using the Duty Free Express service.

Discounts are available regardless of what passport you may hold or which country you are flying to or from.

Order online and pick up at the Duty Free Store. www.dutyfree.is Issue five 75

WOW reads

Autumn delirium Autumn often seems to be the neglected step-child of the Icelandic seasons. Then comes the winter when natives revel in the lush snow which is perfect for skiing and celebrating the winter solstice.

Spring is when life begins anew. And of course, summer is when Icelanders become frenetic having been liberated from the cold darker days.

by Marvin Lee Dupree

Summer in Iceland is the sea­­­ son to do everything and have very precious little time to be mind­­ ful. However, all this changes with autumn—the Icelandic season when nature exhibits its most beautiful side, with cool and comfortable morn­­­­­­ings accentuated with the golden and crisp sunlight that appears to be escaping the northern hemis­­­­phere for the next months.

Also, autumn is the season in Iceland when cafés become jam­-pack­­ed again and when many Iceland­­­­­ers take a blanket, light cand­­l­­­­­es and relax with some reading mater­­ial. Whether you want to ob­­serve this ritual or just grab a quick read before a connecting flight, then read on for a cursory overview of some perfect Icelandic reading material.

The Canon To take a heroic plunge into the bounti­­ful trove of Icelandic literature would be folly without tackling the literary giant Halldór Laxness who chastised Icelanders for not own­­ing toothbrushes and mocked the conservative tendencies of many Icelanders. Most known for

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his achingly realistic portrayal of the un­­bending and independent farmer Bjartur í Sumarhúsum, Halldór etched a permanent Iceland­­ic archetype that symbolized simultane­­­ ously some facets of the Icelandic national character; stub­­­bornness, a fierce insistence on independence and what was once an inherent insu­­larism, a trait shared with our cousins, the Danes. In fact, although Michael Lewis wrote a disparaging description of Icelanders, in his bestseller, Boomerang, the following observation about Icelanders may actually have been unknowingly a striking description of Bjartur: “a feral streak in them [Icelanders], like a horse that’s just pretending to be broken.” But with an unforgiving and treacherous landscape of Iceland’s nature, it is no small wonder that we are not entirely feral and a tad complex, just like Bjartur.

Being a versatile author, Laxness often captured this complexity and offer­­ed social criticism in other wonder­­ful yarns such as The Atom Sta­­tion, in which he explores the ten­­ sions of having the American military force in Iceland, as well as the stark

contrast between the rural northern part of Iceland and the burgeoning and, to some, decadent southwestern corner of Iceland. While in Iceland’s Bell, Laxness turns his attention to the historical at a time when Iceland was a colony of Denmark and in this novel, a nadir in the history of Iceland. The hero or rogue, depending on your view, is Jón Hreggviðsson who is a simple Icelander in the vein of Bjartur drawn into international events after being unfairly prosecuted by the authorities. However, to enjoy these novels entirely, a quick glance of Icelandic history might be beneficial, but Iceland’s Bell is a criminally underappreciated gem outside of Iceland.

Macabre Iceland When the days would shorten and the nights lengthen, Icelanders would entertain themselves with tales of elves, ghosts and other mischievous entities. In many ways this tradition has continued but metamorphosed and become conjoined with the genre of Nordic noir, although the hauntings and angst of yesteryear are replaced with Machiavellian twists and suburban macabre, mayhem and all

the murder that accompanies the modern suburbia. Leading the pack are Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Arnaldur Indriðason who have become internationally recognized authors.

Yrsa is most famous for a series of books featuring the protagonist Þóra

mete­­oritic rise into the economic stratosphere, he remains the same.

Stuck in the past with his demons, his way of life and eating habits, Erlendur is an immensely stubborn but sympathetic main character— in many ways it calls to mind the

intended for all the women he en­­­ count­ers during the story. Some­­how though this is not the bawdiest part of the novel. If you are looking for a novel that captures the zeitgeist of Reykjavík in the 90’s and early years of the new millennium, along with the

is never complete without a healthy dose of heartbreak and romance in equal doses. In the recent epistolary novel, Reply to a Letter from Helga, Bergsveinn Birgisson knits a tale of poetic pleasure accompanied by the harrowing presence of unrequited

Guðmundsdóttir. One of her more notable novels I Remember You: A Ghost Story, in which she explores familiar motifs of Icelandic lore and the crime genre, while mixing it together to create an enjoyable tale. On the other hand, Arnaldur treads a different path in his books.

Most of his books have featured the irascible and old-fashioned detective Erlendur, and these books are often referred to as the Inspector Erlendur series. Throughout the series, Erlendur battles wits with killers while being haunted by his past and troubled by his strained relationship with his estranged children.

What makes the Inspector Erl­­­endur series so poignant is the juxta­­ posi­­tion between Erlendur and his contemporaries; while they are all modern and victims of Iceland’s

literary themes the author’s own fath­­er, Indriði, dealt with. In his book, 79 af stöðinni (The Girl Gogo), Indriði deals with the effect of the American military on Icelandic life; in Arnaldur’s nov­­els we see the effect of social ills or globalization playing a prominent role.

lunacy of Reykjavík’s nightlife without the hangover, this is the read for you.

For a more somber read, Angels of The Universe is set in the 60’s where one’s social class was more pronounced and fixed; in the novel the protagonist, Palli, slips into mad­­ ness when a harsh break up with an upper middle class girl triggers a schizophrenic episode in him, from which he never recovers. Despite the tragic material, it has bittersweet moments and is undoubtedly one of the better Icelandic novels of the latter half of the 20th century which has enshrined the phrase: “Kleppur er víða” or “The ‘madhouse’ is all around us.” To add ambience while reading, check out the magnificent score to the film adaptation of the novel, by Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Sigur Rós. Of course, autumn reading

love while Icelandic nature serves as a character rather than just a background, especially since the prota­­gonist justifies his choice of the rustic landscape and tradition over his true love who is the recipient of the belated, elegiac letter. While in Butterflies in November, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir takes the reader on a road trip through Icelandic nature with a gifted but troubled woman who has difficulties forming genuine relationships with the opposite sex, which might explain why she got dumped by her lover and husband on the same day, thus she embarks on a road trip odyssey of sorts with a young mute child in tow. What ensues is a surreal trip into the fantastical landscape of Iceland and an excel­­ lent read for those lazy candle-lit autumn nights ahead. v

Mixed Bag It is common knowledge that Shake­­­­­­­speare pilfered the source mater­­ial for Hamlet from a Danish source, Saxo Grammaticus. Thus it is a bit circular and ironic that a mod­­ern retelling of Hamlet would occur in the alcohol infused period of Reykja­­vík 90’s with Kaffibarinn being one of the main settings of the novel 101 Reykjavík. In this novel, the protagonist, a slacker in his thirties, has a corresponding price list indexed for aesthetic quali­­ties

Issue five 77

CONNECTING

Montreal Toronto Boston Washington D.C.

ICELAND’S ONLY HIGH PERFORMANCE LOW-FARE AIRLINE

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wowair.com wowair.com

THE CONTINENTS

Reykjavik

Stockholm

Copenhagen

Vilnius

Dublin London Amsterdam Paris

Warsaw

D端sseldorf

Lyon

Barcelona

Berlin

Salzburg Milan

Rome

Alicante

Tenerife

Issue five 79

New destination in 2016

The magnificent Montréal Yep, you heard right! WOW air has set its sights on Canada for 2016! Our first Canadian destination is Montréal, the largest city of Quebec and the 9th largest city in North America

Now is a good time to brush up on your high school French as Montréal’s official language is French, making it the second largest Frenchspeaking city in the world, after Paris.

If your French isn’t really up to scratch you can rest easy because most residents speak both English and French, they’re just cool that way!

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One of the top attractions of Montréal is the Montreal Biodome, housed in the form­­er Olympic bicycle racing stadium.

A city of design and history Located in the southwest of the province of Quebec, the city derives its name from Mount Royal, a triple­­-peak­ed hill in the heart of the city. Montréal summers are usually warm and humid with average temper­ature around 26-27°C in July.

Winters are usually frosty with a bit

of snow. Springtime and autumn are pleasantly mild. Due to the city’s big industrial and financial role in Canada, Montréal has a variety of buildings, for example factories, elevators, warehouses, mills and refineries which today provide a legacy of historic and architectural interest, especially in the downtown area and the old port area. There are also many historic buildings in Old Montréal still in their original form, such as Notre-Dame

de Montréal Basilica, Bonsecours Market and the Place Ville Marie tower to name just a few. In 2006 Montréal was named a UNESCO City of Design (one of only three in the world).

Montréal’s top attraction One of the top attractions of Montréal is the Montreal Biodome, housed in the form­­er Olympic bicycle racing stadium.

The Biodome is home to four distinct eco­­­ systems, a polar environment, a tropical rainforest, a Laurentian forest and the St. Lawrence marine setting. Visitors can stroll around the dome feel­­­ing the changes in temperature, while catching sight of the critters that inhabit these environments, such as monkeys, bats, fish and penguins.

The Montreal Biodome is located next to the Montreal Botanical Gardens, a great place to visit too. v

Find cheap flights to Montréal from London, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin and Stockholm at wowair.com.

Book your cheap flight to Montréal before someone else does.

WOW air will start flying to Montréal and Toronto in May 2016.

Issue five 81

Canada, eh?

Here we go! Toronto!

That’s right, WOW air is not only announcing one destination in Canada but two, Montréal AND Toronto. Let’s go!

Toronto, the most populous city in Canada, a dynamic metropolis with a core of soaring skyscrapers, is not only multicultural but also an inter­­ national center of business, fin­ance arts and culture.

Classy and cultural The city formerly known as the Town of York was renamed as the City of Toronto in 1834 and became the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867. As the city has grown it has swallowed up its surrounding municipalities that now form its 140 independently unique and clearly defined official neighborhoods.

The city’s cultural diversity is evident by the many cult­­ur­­al neighborhoods, such as China­­town, Little India, Little

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To top off a great holiday in Toronto you should defi­ nit­ely see Niagara Falls.

Italy, Kensington Market, Little Portu­­gal, Koreatown, Greektown and Rocesvalles. English is the most commonly spoken language in Toronto but many other languages have considerable numbers of local speak­­ers.

Low crime rate and good schools and universities are part of Toronto’s popularity but of course the city has so much more than that. Home to a great mix of attractions with everything from museums and galleries, Toronto also has the world famous CN Tower. Most of the attractions are within walk­­­ing distance of each other and the city center is surprisingly easy to navigate.

Toronto’s top attractions include: The CN Tower A 553 meter futuristic tower that was once the tall­­est freestanding structure in the world is really hard to miss. Enjoy it from the ground, from afar or go up to one of the observation areas or restau­­rants for a fabulous view of the city and Lake Ontario.

Royal Ontario Museum This grand museum houses great collections and also features major exhibitions from around the world.

Toronto Zoo Toronto has a huge zoo that’s home to several thous­­and animals. Located ca. 40 kilometers from the city center; its foremost attraction is the panda exhibit, opened in 2013.

St. Lawrence Market With a great variety of vendors offering various food products, flowers and specialty items, the St. Lawrence Hall has a unique atmosphere that you simply must experience.

The entertainment district Toronto is nothing if not entertaining, and in the even­­ ings the Toronto Entertainment District comes to life.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada Explore the depths of the oceans without holding your breath or getting wet in the underwater tunn­­ el. Ripley’s Aquarium displays all kinds of marine life in an impressive setting.

Eaton Center The massive Eaton Center is so big it has its own subway station and it’s a haven for shoppers and browsers alike. It’s quite easy to get lost among the many department stores, boutiques, restaurants, cafés and snack bars on multiple levels above ground and below.

High Park High Park is a 165 acre park in Toronto with sunken gardens, hanging basket gardens, nature trails, natural ponds and streams; a wonderful place to enjoy nature or perhaps a show at the open-air theater during the summer.

Casa Loma This extraordinary building will probably remind you of a medieval castle. Now a museum, Casa Loma was originally constructed for Sir Henry Pellatt, a multi-millionaire who was among the first to realize the attraction and potential of Niagara Falls.

To top off a great holiday in Toronto you should definitely see Niagara Falls. A 90 minute drive from the city center, witnessing the impressive 750,000 gallons of water rush off the edge of a cliff is definitely worth the trip. As an added bonus you will be standing on the borders of Canada and United States, the longest international border in the world. This means Niagara Falls can be seen both from the US and Canada but we’ve heard the Canadian side is better. v

Find cheap flights to Toronto from London, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin and Stockholm at wowair.com.

Book your cheap flight to Canada before someone else does.

WOW air will start flying to Montréal and Toronto in May 2016.

Issue five 83

New destination

The supercool capital of Sweden Stockholm is one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. Built on 14 islands that are connected by 57 bridges, it has 750 years of history, over 70 museums and a rich cultural life. The city is booming with fun activities and is known for its friendly and outgoing people.

Just listening to the Swedes in their sing-song manner of speaking will put a smile on your face.

by Halldóra Anna Hagalín Photos: Thinstockphotos.com

Stockholm is great for a summer getaway or a relaxed city ven­­ ture. We recommend...

The best view in town Check out Stockholm City Hall. You can climb the City Hall Tower where you will find a fantastic view over Stock­­holm. The city hall, with its spire featur­­ing the golden three crowns, is one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm.

Stockholm City Hall is one of the country’s leading examples of national romanticism in architecture. The city hall was designed by the architect Ragnar Östberg, and opened on Mid­­ summer Eve in 1923. The city hall is built from eight million bricks, and the 106 meter tall tower has the three crowns, with the Swedish national coat of arms at its apex. Behind the magnificent facades are offices and session halls for politicians and offici­­als, as well as splendid assembly rooms and unique works of art. Stock­ holm’s municipal council meets in Rådssalen, the council chamber. The great Nobel banquet is also held in Stockholm City Hall. After dinner in Blå hallen, the Blue Hall, Nobel Prize recipients, royalty and guests, dance in Gyllene salen, the Golden Hall, with its 18 million gold mosaic tiles.

The City Hall Shop features specially designed souvenirs and presents

that commemorate the city Hall and Stockholm.

Open to the public through guided tours only, visitors are taken through the city hall daily with explanations in Swedish and English at certain hours.

During summer months the tours are available in several other languages.

The rich history Gamla Stan (old town) is one of Stockholm’s oldest attractions and one of the best preserved medieval city centers in the world. The old town is the heart of Stockholm where you can feel the pulsebeat of the city as you walk along its many wonderful paths through small winding streets lined with stores full of handcrafts, antiques, art galleries and cafés. The Royal Palace and Stockholm Cathe­­ dral are also located in Gamla Stan.

There are a lot of unique things to see when visiting the old town, which was the original Stockholm. If you like old buildings swarming with history you will like this part of Stockholm that was set up during the 13th century. Today there are about 3000 peo­­ple living there, where most of the build­­ings are from the 17th and 18th century; the dominant building being the king’s castle. The old town area area has Stockholm’s biggest range of restaurants, tourist shops, studios and museums. v

WOW air now offers cheap flights to scenic Stockholm all year round from USA and Canada via Iceland.

Stockholm has so much to offer and we can’t wait to take you there Check out our flight schedule to and from Stockholm at wowair.com.

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Issue five 85

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Sip it up

A steaming cup of Berlin Berlin is a coffee city where you can get all types of coffee, from the regular “pour-overs” to the fancy espressos and still there’s no need to feel embarrassed for wanting just that regular cup of Joe. Our friends at Berlinur.de can tell you a lot about the coffee craze in Berlin.

Text and photos by Berlinur.de

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ou can get your coffee strong or weak, with a just a squirt of milk or with a lot, and then you can choose from soy, almond or cow’s milk. You can also opt for a more specialized type of coffee for those caffeine lovers who want their cup to take them to a far-away land and are always up for the exotic.

The coffee revolution A while ago there was somewhat of a coffee revo­lution in Berlin. Specialized coffeehouses multiplied like bunnies and all of a sudden ordering “just coffee” became a little more complicated.

Now you had to select what type of beans you wanted, how you wanted your coffee brewed and to top it off, choose from a seemingly endless variety of milk. It could have been a little confusing in the beginning but you live—you learn, as they say and pretty soon most people had realized exactly what kind of coffee they liked. During this coffee revolution drinking lattés, strong coffee with an abundance of hot milk, was considered uncool as the very act “outed” you as a coffee novice, but since Berlin is a very broadminded city you can now choose how much opinion you are going to have on your coffee. This is just one of the many things to love about Berlin and also the reason why a cup of coffee can cost you from 1.50€ up to 3.90€.

play the main role and guests are encouraged to discuss coffee with their baristas or relax with a newspaper while enjoying it. They regularly host coffee tasting events and competitions for the best brew. Similar coffeehouses in Berlin are No Fire No Glory and CK Café.

Go for miles It’s fun to be able to travel the world within Berlin and you can do that by just tasting the city’s coffee. You can get Portuguese coffee, the galão, and its Spanish version, Corcado. If you want to go further there’s the Vietnameese coffee or the delicious Turkish mocca that fills your senses with the smell of cardamom seeds. The importance of coffee can also be seen all around. In the finest concept shops you’ll find a cafe and Lipziger Strasse even has a drive-through coffeehouse. You might be surprised to learn that Germans actually drink more coffee than beer.

A hot sip of history Historically the consumption of coffee in Germany is quite remarkable as in so many other parts of the world, Germany suffered through a great shortage of coffee after World War II. When coffee finally arrived in West Germany, East Germany not wanting to be inferior, imported very expensive coffee from its allied nations. To make a long story short the coffee was rationed at first but later

Berlinur, aka Katrín and Margrét Rós are great coffee speculators and love drinking coffee from around the world.

Berlinur recommends: Bekerei (Portuguese coffee: galão) Dunckerstr. 23 10437 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg Bonanza (Hip and cool coffee) Oderberger Str. 35 10435 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg Café Cordado (Spanish coffee) Simon-Dach-Straße 9 10245 Berlin - Friedrichshain CK Café (Hip and cool coffee) Marienburger Str. 49 10405 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg Meyan (Turkish coffee) Goltzstraße 36 10781 Berlin - Schöneberg No Fire No Glory (Hip and cool coffee) Rykestraße 45 10405 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg

A. Portuguese coffee, Portuguese galão and a traditional cappuccino.

B. Patience is a virtue when brewing Vietnamese coffee—but the pleasure is more than worth it.

The Barn (Hip and cool coffee that reminds you more of a physics experiment than a regular brew. No milk!)

Schönhauser Allee 8 10119 Berlin - Prenzlauer Berg

C. Bonanza is a meeting point for the hip and cool Berliners.

D. Bekerei, a Portuguese coffeehouse, offers coffee you might never have heard of before; ever!

E. The Barn puts an emphasis on craftsmanship when it comes to coffee.

Slow coffee Some people like that regular pour-over and don’t have any opinion on their beans. Others would like to choose the type of bean, know who picked it, where and how it was roasted and the temperature of the water when the coffee was brewed. Many coffeehouses cater to these demanding coffee enthusiasts in Berlin. One of the trailblazers in that field was The Barn where they follow the teachings of the Slow Food movement. No laptops are allowed in the café, they don’t have music playing from loudspeakers and they respectively decline the presence of loud children. Milk in any form is outright banned. The owners want the coffee to

Reinhard’s (Perfect Sunday coffee with all the trimmings) Kurfürstendamm 27 10719 Berlin - Charlottenburg banned in public places in East Germany in the years 1975-1977. When resourcing this article the Berlinur.de duo thought it was funny to see that most coffeehouses weighed the coffee before grinding it. The ‘Deutsche Gründlichkeit’ (German precision) is hard to suppress. v

Qua Phe (Vietnamese coffee) Max-Beer-Straße 37 10119 Berlin - Mitte

Don’t worry about jet lag, Berlin’s coffee will fix that right away. You’ll find cheap flights to Berlin from USA, Canada and Iceland at wowair.com.

Written by Katrín Árnadóttir and Margrét Rós Harðardóttir at Berlinur.de, the Icelandic hostesses of Berlin. Berlinur offers a variety of guided tours around Berlin in both Icelandic and English.

For more information and booking visit www.berlinur.de or email them at info@berlinur.de.

Issue five 87

Back to school!

Treasures at Trinity College Trinity College is a historic place in the heart of Dublin and an absolute must if you’re visiting Ireland. Founded in 1592, Trinity College is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland as well as Ireland’s oldest university.

Photos: Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland

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hen strolling along the beautiful grounds and cobbled stones of Trinity College, you’ll be trea­­ding in the footsteps of Bram Stoker, Jona­­ than Swift, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Ernest Walton (the first per­­son in history to split the atom). This magnifi­­cent place will fill you with awe with its giant trees, pictures­­que buildings and the Old Library wherein lies the Book of Kells and the Long Room, a setting that looks like it belongs in a fairytale.

The Old Library Trinity College Library is the largest library in Ire­­land and serves both Trinity College and the Uni­­versity of Dublin through several buildings, four of which are at the Trinity College including the magnificent Old Library, most famous for being home to the Book of Kells. The Old Library used to tower over the university and all of Dublin after its completion and today is still an imposing and dominating building.

It is the masterpiece of Thomas Burgh and holds the Book of Kells, along with the Book of Durrow, the Book of Howth and other ancient texts.

The Long Room in the Old Library is one of Ire­­ land’s biggest tourist attractions and not just be­­cause it is one of the most beautiful rooms in the world but also because it holds thousands of rare and very early volumes as well as one of three surviving medieval Gaelic harps, a national symbol of Ireland.

Built between 1712 and 1732 the 65 meter long (213 ft) main chamber, aka. the Long Room, origi­­ nally had a flat ceiling which was expanded in the 1850s as all the shelves on the lower floor had filled up. Another striking feature of the Long Room is the marble bust collection, many of the busts are of great philosophers, writers and men who supported the college.

The Book of Kells One of Ireland’s most prized possession is without a doubt the Book of Kells (Leabhas Cheanannais), an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables.

The Book of Kells was created in a Columban monastery in either Britain or Ireland ca. AD 800 and is a masterwork of Western calligraphy. It is widely regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure.

The name “Book of Kells” is derived from the Abbey of Kells in Kells, County Meath, which was its home for much of the medieval period although the manuscript’s date and place of production has

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been the subject of considerable debate. Plundered and pillaged

by Vikings many times in the 10th century the Kells Abbey managed to keep the book safe even though it was most definitely worth a for­­­ tune to those marauding Vikings, especially due to its ornamented cover. The manuscript is believed to have been ripped from its cover during one of these raids which accounts for the folios missing from its beginning and end. The Book of Kells remained in Kells until 1654

Built between 1712 and 1732 the 65 meter long (213 ft) main chamber, aka. the Long Room, origi­­nally had a flat ceiling which was expanded in the 1850s as all the shelves on the lower floor had filled up.

imported from faraway lands. The Book of Kells is also in noticeably good condition con­­­sidering its age, though the delicate artwork on many pages has suffered some damage due to rubbing. Based on gaps in the text and the absence of certain key illustrations it is believed that some 30 folios of the original manuscript have been lost over the centuries.

See it with your own eyes Seeing is believing and today the Book of Kells is on permanent display at

Book of Kells, Folio 32v. Christ enthroned. Photo: From Wikipedia

when the governor of the town sent the book to Dublin for safekeeping. It was presented to Trinity College in 1661 and has remained there ever since, except for brief loans to other libraries and museums.

The most remarkable thing about the magnificent book are the illustrations and orna­­ men­­tations that surpass all other Insular Gospel books in their extravagance and complexity. The manuscript’s decorations combine traditional Christian iconography, figures of humans, animals and mythical beasts along with Celtic knots and interlacing patterns in vibrant colors on high-quality calf vellum. The colors are made from a wide range of substances many of which must have been

Trinity College Library, and part of the “Turning Darkness into Light” exhibition. Visitors enter through the Library Shop and walk through the exhibition and into the Treasury where the Book of Kells and other related manuscripts are on view.

Usually two of the current four volumes are shown at a time, one showing a major illustration and the other showing a typical text page. Visitors then proceed upstairs to the magnificent Long Room.

You can easily spend a whole day traipsing around the grounds at Trinity College and we defi­­nitely recommend it. It is a magical place that will take you back in time and kind of make you want to go back to school, this one. v

Can you read Latin? Skip the lines and go straight in by booking your ticket online at www.tcd.is/visitors. You can also read the entire Book of Kells at Trinity College Library’s Digital Collection. Check out www.tcd.ie/Library to find it.

Get back to school and get a taste of history. WOW air can take you to Dublin, Ireland from USA and Iceland all year round. Next spring you can also hop onboard in Canada.

Issue five 89

The coolest part of Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s neighborhood of Noord In Dutch, Noord means north. A former industrial district, Noord was a port with homes for shipbuilders. Today, the old harbor buildings located on the IJ Lake have been converted into cultural hotspots and creative enterprises, like a dance hall in an old shipyard, as well as museums, restaurants and movie theaters.

by Nadja Sayej Photos: Courtesy of respective venues.

Roughly 90,000 people live in the district of Noord, which is gaining the reputation as the coolest place to be. Here are a few places to hit on your next trip to Amsterdam, which are well worth the ferry trip from the main city.

Cafes and Restaurants The organic food heaven of Amsterdam is home to new cafes in old warehouses. It includes the Pllek restaurant (Tt. Neveritaweg 59) which is crafted from shipping containers. Set in the chic, raw former shipyard, the NDSM area, they have a restaurant and an event hall with a huge disco ball.

Then there‘s the Noorderlicht Cafe (NDSM Plein 102 situated) in an old botanical garden which has

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been converted into a restaurant that’s open for lunch and dinner; a popular entrée is the falafel in a pita or the grilled eggplant with spinach, beetroot and parmesan. They have a dish of the week but they also have a very popular dish of roasted zucchini flower filled with eggplant and cumin with quinoa and almonds.

Located along the route from Nieuwendammer­ dijk and Purmerweg, another must-visit foodie haven is a bistro called Place du Nord (Purmerplein 8), a French-inspired restaurant led by twin chefs Andre and Hans, who studied at the Amsterdam School, specializing in fusion fare.

If you’re craving something sweet, head on over to the IJssalon IJskoud (Meeuwenlaan 331), an ice

cream shop set along a cycle path on the corner of Adelaarsweg and Meeuwenlaan that offers homemade, artisan ice cream. Led by Desmond, whom the shop refers to as their “ice master,” and his girlfriend Marijke, they’ve been adding fresh produce to the ice cream, which is based on Italian flavors. Their selection includes white chocolate, pistachio and coconut scoops.

Drink If you’d like to try an authentic glass of Dutch beer, you are most certainly in the right neighborhood.

Over the past decade, over 200 microbreweries have popped up in the Netherlands. Local beers in Noord include the BrouwLab (www. brouwerijdevriendschap.nl), which has its headquarters in the NoordOogst complex. Cofounded by old friends Peter Harms and Aart van Bergen who have played in several bands together, this, their passion project that has grown into a full-time job. Most bars in Amsterdam carry this local brand of beer.

Art From the banks of the IJ, you can see a swooping white architectural masterpiece. The Eye Film Museum (IJpromenade 1) is a film museum with four cinemas featuring historic films and exhibitions featuring different film genres and fascinating stories behind famous actors. They organize four shows a year, presenting the latest in film—albeit not totally mainstream. This is where film geeks can see David Cronenberg and Fellini,

as well as abstract light shows by Anthony McCall.

Don’t forget to grab a cappuccino at the restaurant and bar.

One of the newer venues for art is Tolhuistuin (IJpromenade 2), a cultural center which took seven years to build. It opened last summer featuring exhibitions led by artistic director Christopher Keulemans. Outside this summer, expect to hear DJs playing on the outdoor garden stage and pavilion, crafted from recycled materials. Rappers, singer-songwriters and gospel artists will take to the stage. On the main floor, you‘ll find a restaurant serving sumptuous meals alongside the Solid Ground Movement, which is Amsterdam’s first hip hop school with dance studios (in case you want to take a dance class). Every September, writers are showcased for the Read My World Literary Festival.

the couple built the house from sustainable, second-hand, free materials, which took two years to gather and build. The idea came to them when reading Little House on the Prairie to their daughters. Now, the writer is creating a picture book entitled The Raining of the Barn outlining how they built the house. The Wiltinks have a “Storytelling Garden” open six times a year. “I work as a storyteller all over the country, and now and then I tell a story for grown-ups and dialogue with them on Sunday mornings,” says Wiltink, who makes tea and home-baked fruit cake from the garden for hotel guests. “On request, I take people on a story-tour around Amsterdam,” she says. v

Stay Kleine Huis, which means The Little House (Buiksloterweg 9), is a new bed and breakfast with a wooden stove that has a fairytale vibe. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the district, it is owned

by Nancy Wiltink, writer of a Nordic children’s book and famed storyteller, who runs the place with her husband Hans Wiltink, an engineer. Together,

What is Amsterdam’s story? You can find out! WOW air offers several flights a week to Amsterdam from USA, Canada and Iceland.

WOW air flies to Amsterdam all year round from USA and Iceland. Next spring we will also offer cheap flights between Amsterdam and Canada. Check out our low fares at wowair.com

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Issue five 91

Christmas holiday in Paris

A winter wonderland in the French capital!

Christmas markets are all over Europe and a long-held tradition in Germany, dating back to the middle ages. But instead of sauerkraut and sausages, the French add their own flair.

By Nadja Sayej

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n Paris, Christmas markets and winter festivals have long been a spe­cial tradition. With their roots in the north Alsace region—the biggest market being the marché de nöel in Stras­­bourg—Parisian Christmas mark­­ ets add an elegant, romantic touch which is a distinctive characteristic of the French capital.

Beat the winter blues There are winter festivals which will help beat the winter blues, like the 44th annual Paris Autumn Festival, running until January. This is the ultimate pro­­ gram of where you will see cutting-edge contemporary art.

While you might not find Eiffel Tower cookies, the markets all over Paris will offer plenty of treats. And

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If you have ice skates (or are willing to rent them), then why not try a few rounds on the ice rink at Trocadero?

as you stroll along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, which will be adorned with Christmas lights from the end of November to the beginn­­ing of January, you will find many handcrafted goods from the locals set up at this largest

Christmas market. While some markets pop up mid-November many are open daily, including weekends, until you’re opening gifts under the Christmas tree. No matter what neighborhood you’ll be staying in Paris, be sure to check out the following Parisian Christmas markets.

Slide into the Christmas spirit Starting November 27, the Christmas market at La Défense is one of the largest markets with over 300 stands, overflowing with festivity underneath the Grande Arche.

If you have ice skates (or are willing to rent them), then why not try a few rounds on the ice rink at Trocadero? Right across from the Eiffel Tower at the Place de la Trocadero, the market usually offers Hot chocolate and drinks that will warm you up before you get started. Roughly 100 market stands are set up with a “snow village” for the kids.

The purple lighting over the ice sets the tone for

a magical evening. This one begins Decem­ber 12.

If the snow village isn’t enough, watch out for Santa’s Village in the neigh­­ bor­­­­hood of Saint-Sulpice. Starting Dec­em­ber 1, the Place Saint-Sulpice has a Christmas market with the old gentleman himself.

Of course, only in Paris are we truly spoiled. If you find yourself in SaintGermain-Des-Prés, in the Latin Quarter, you can stop by to see a unique Santa’s Village in the same up­ scale neighborhood where the streets are lined with boutiques by Louis Vuitton and Christian Doir.

The Montmartre Christmas market opens December 6 in the beloved Montmartre neighborhood, a hill in the north of the city which is historically rich. Famed for once housing the art studios of Salvador Dali, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, today it still boasts winding staircases and a panoramic view of the city. Nearby, you can find the Place des Abbesses markets.

The Christmas markets at Place de la Nation are open until December 24 at Place de la Nation, while the Christ­­­ mas market at Republique is open December 7-15.

Hungry for holiday cheer Meanwhile, the Noel en Auteuil is a week-long festival from December 6-14 at rue Jean de La Fontaine with a rich and varied program. Just look out for the historic carousel. Alongside live bands playing concerts, don’t miss the creative Christmas market which are filled with foie gras, cheese and wines, paintings, figurines and jewelry, as well as a traditional flea market and even an exhibition of cribs made by young Apprentices of Auteuil. There is even an Auteuil Bargains space for deals at low prices—if you still have room in your suitcase.

The heart of Christmas If you are into childhood fun, check out the Grand Palais funfair with toffee apples and wooden merry-go-rounds, while there is a medieval Christmas market at Place du Chatel, Provins, a former fortified area from the 11th and 12th century, just outside of Paris on December 13-14 (rumor has it, they bring camels into the church for Christmas mass).

If you’re looking for the Christmas heart of Paris, just look for the enor­ mous Christmas tree at the famed Notre Dame Cathedral. The Christmas market here at Place du Parvis will not disappoint. Sip on warm, mulled red wine while tasting roasted chestnuts in paper bags. You’ll also find fine tasty French treats alongside handcrafted arts—perfect for stocking stuffers.

Peruse the lit, wooden chalets for local treasures and don’t forget to take a selfie with Santa Claus. v

Hungry for some local cuisine? Stop by the Christmas market at the Mont­parnasse Tower, which opens December 15. With roughly 40 wooden chalets specializing in regional French fare, warm up with a glass of wine and a plate of tasty treats while seated in front of the Gare Montparnasse.

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Are you ready for the season’s festivities? WOW air offers cheap flights to Paris from USA via Iceland all year round. Next spring we’ll also offer routes between Paris and Canada via Iceland.

Book online www.specialtours.is / info@specialtours.is Issue five 93 Call us +354 560 8800, or visit our ticket sale at the old harbour

Discover a new side to London

London’s New South The East End of London, for years the natural home of the capital’s young creatives, has lost the plot.

Its rents are astronomical and its neighborhoods have changed beyond recognition.

by Alex Robertson Textor Photos: Andy Stagg, PRR, Gareth Sambidge, Oskar Proctor and courtesy of respective venues

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Take once cutting-edge Shore­ ditch. Until fairly recently one of London’s hippest areas, Shoreditch is now packed with massively ex­ pens­ive boutique hotels and Boxpark, a pop-up mall made out of shipping containers. It has become a lovely playground, yet its residents have become incidental to it.

Where to next?

There are still pockets of East London that feel like exciting secrets, places where unpredictable variety reigns, but for the most part the creative magic generated by struggling artists of various types has moved elsewhere.

And unexpectedly, the action has headed to some far-flung South London neighborhoods. In addition to art student-filled Deptford and posh, leafy East Dulwich there’s Peck­ham, Camberwell, and Forest Hill—all areas roundly disdained by many if not most Londoners until quite recently as either too far out or not interesting enough to warrant attention.

Creative and diverse Peckham and Camberwell are very diverse neighborhoods. Peckham boasts the largest concentration of Nigerians in London, while Cam­ ber­well is a bit of an artists’ colony.

Forest Hill, some distance south, has the character of an urban village.

All three areas have witness­ed the arrival of younger creative types over the past several months.

At the epicenter of the new South London is the Peckham Peculiar, a newspaper devoted to Peckham and the adjacent area of Nunhead.

Published on a shoestring budget by journalist Kate White and public­ist Mark McGinlay, it is a savvy news­­ pap­er that captures the new energies of the area without neglect­­ing its old school neigh­­bor­­hood heroes.

Going out?

Where do people go out in London’s New South? Here’s a quick overview of some great venues in Peckham, Camberwell, and Forest Hill.

Peckham Back in 2008, Frank’s Café (95A Peck­ham Rye Lane) made a name for Peckham well beyond South London.

A bar and restaurant, it occupies the top floor of a multi-story car park late May through late September.

Nowadays, the queues at Frank’s can be long, prompting many visitors to head elsewhere.

In the shadow of Peckham Rye Rail Station is Peckham Refreshment Rooms (12-16 Blenheim Grove), a lovely place for a weekend beer or two. Local microbrew Kernel is in the fridge, and the short menu is good.

Nearby is the buzzing Copeland Park, an innovative endeavor spread over several buildings, with art galleri­es, cafes, a music shop, and delici­­ous Nigerian food at Nim’s Kitchen kiosk.

Sample jollof fish with rice in London’s most Nigerian neigh­­bor­­hood.

How to get to Peckham, Camberwell, and Forest Hill…

Nine bus lines (as well as two night buses) connect to Peckham Rye, and there are National rail trains to London Bridge, Elephant & Castle, and London Victoria.

Five bus lines (as well as three night buses) connect to Camberwell Church Street or Camberwell Green.

Four bus lines reach Forest Hill; National Rail services from London Bridge take just 15 minutes.

Bellenden Road is Peckham at its most middle-class, yet even here it is unpredictable, with Artusi, a very good contemporary Italian restaurant (161 Bellenden Road), the fiercely independent Review Bookshop (131 Bellenden Road), chocolate workshop and café Melange Chocolate (184 Bellenden Road), and the lovely if pricey General Store (174 Bellenden Road) for picnic fixings. Peckham Bazaar (119 Consort Road) is a

fabulous pan-Balkan restau­rant specializing in meats and fish grilled over charcoal and a lovely regio­­nal hit parade of a wine list. It’s very casual and friendly, a below-the-radar treat for meat and vegetable lovers alike.

Camberwell Camberwell, long the haunt of art students, is adjacent to Peckham. A smattering of galleries (House Gallery at 70 Camberwell Church Street and South London Gallery at 65-67 Peckham Road) confirms the neigh­­ borhood’s art school heri­­tage. Good cafes include Maloko (60 Camberwell Church Street) and Daily Goods (36 Camberwell Church Street).

Turkish restaurant FM Mangal (54 Camberwell Church Street) wins accolades for its grilled meat.

Camberwell has a trump up its sleeve: Silk Road (49 Camberwell Church Street), a Uiyghur restaurant specia­­lizing in the cuisine of Xinjiang province in northwestern China. Silk Road’s fare is unlike Chinese food most are accustomed to eating.

Feast on skewered lamb sticky with cumin, signature chicken dish served in a broth with potatoes, and lamb dumplings.

Forest Hill Diminutive Forest Hill can claim a clutch of great shops and cafes.

The vibe here tends toward the haphaz­ard and folksy. Two venues in particular are worth a detour.

St David Coffeehouse (5 David’s Road) has friendly baristas, a stylish jumble sale vibe, delicious coffee, sandwiches and sweets. It’s a fantastic place for a pit stop or an extend­­ed lunch.

Stag & Bow (8 Dartmouth Road) describes itself as “purveyors of craft, history, and haberdashery.” It offers workshops in quilting, bookbinding, crocheting, and felt making among other subjects and sells a delightful range of tools for crafting as well as bespoke homewares. (Among these, its cutting boards are particularly delightful.) v

Explore the less explored side of London. WOW air offers cheap flights to London from USA and Iceland, and come spring 2016 we’ll be flying from Canada too!

London has so much to offer and we can’t wait to take you there.

Check out our flight schedule to and from London at wowair.com.

Issue five 95

Shoop – shoop - shoop

Gourmet in the snow Austria’s Ski amadé (www.skiamade.com) is a sensory experience; a colorful explosion of blue sky, white snow and emerald green trees, interspersed with pleasant aromas of local cuisine and the silken taste of Austrian wine (their secret weapon!). It sharpens your senses—it’s chaotic, intoxicating, raw, in-your-face and utterly exciting.

by Cindy-Lou Dale

Like the perfectly groomed pistes which give you access to scenic views such as the Kraftorte recovery point, where nature comes into focus and opens up unexpected perspectives, inviting you to breathe in the beauty, enjoy the moment, recover and relax. Then there’s Königstour in the Hochkönig region—one of the most lovely ski circuits in the Alps where you can stop and take in the surroundings at numerous locations. In Grossarl, there’s the Wilderer Platzl—a raised platform with a telescope—and a special children’s button lift and funslope with tunnels and a jump in Panoramaplateau. In Grossarltal, early-risers will have the pistes completely to themselves with “Skikeriki” —early morning skiing followed by breakfast. Fans of high speed skiing can get their adrenalin rush on the Kreuzkogel’s WISBI slalom course, and for athletes looking to recover between activities, relax at the ski-in massage post at the Grafenberg mountain station in Wagrain. For those seeking a little peace and quiet—relaxation zones, with panoramic views, are found at various locations throughout Salzburgerland’s Ski amadé area.

Austria’s greatest ski paradise saw an opportunity to bring together regional food with the skiing wine culture and created Via Culinaria, a huge gastronomy initiative celebrating the exceptional culinary expertise of numerous ski huts, mountain restaurants and showcasing Austrian export quality wine.

Culinary timeout along the gourmet pathway for ski huts lovers will have you at the table of dedicated innkeepers and “Ski Toque” chefs located alongside the pistes.

Your innovative hosts will surprise you with the exceptional specialties for which Alpine huts are so renowned, including native wild game and beef dishes, crispy fresh salads, homemade soups, dumplings and pasta days, along with vegetarian creations, homemade pastries, cakes and gateaux.

Hosts and cooks at mountain huts, in cooperation with Salzburg’s most renowned top chefs, have created delectable plates which are exclusive to each hut. Rudi and Karl Obauer have invented the O-Power soup bowl for the Burgstallhütte in Flachauwinkel. The Gehwolfalm in Grossarl treats ski diners to an original Grossarler Hüttenmaus, while the Bürglhütte in Dienten serves a delicious dessert known as Moar im Pfoad. v

TOP FIVE WINE APRES SKI’S: Oberforsthof Alm, Alpendorf 12, 5600 St. Johann im Pongau www.oberforsthofalm.at Grossarler Hof Ameri­can Bar, Unter­­berg 112, 5611 Grossarl www.grossarlerhof.at Hofstadl, Hofgasse 232, A-5542 Flachau www.hofstadl.at Schüttalm, Stuhl­­wald­strasse 5, 5603 Kleinarl www.schuett­alm-kleinarl.at Kühbergalm, Markt 59, 5602 Wagrain www.kuehberg-alm.at

WINTER SPORTS PARKS: Shuttleberg in Flach­auwinkl-Kleinarl is the total winter sports park. Here everyone gets their money’s worth. Every cableway and drag lift has at least two runs, two variant groomed pistes, free ride slopes and cross passages—that’s beside their other permanent and well-groomed facilities, like the speed course and the family run. (www.shuttleberg.com) Absolut Park, also in Flachauwinkl-Kleinarl, is one of the largest terrain parks in the Alps with superb freestyle facilities such as a kickerline, numerous rail and box features, a half pipe, a super pipe and the special jib park. (www.absolutpark.com)

OTHER THAN SKIING: In Austria’s largest ski region, you can try out a whole range of unusual leisure activities. In addition to fantastic winter walks, you can takeoff in a paraglider, challenge yourself at ice climbing a frozen waterfall, detox and relax in therapeutic Radon Caves, or glide through the panoramic alpine landscape in a hot-air balloon.

ACCOMMODATIONS: The three-star Harml’s Aparthotel is located next to the Space Jet I base station in Flachau, at the edge of the cross-country ski run and the bike track. The house has all the modcons required for 21st century living including free wi-fi, a sauna, a Turkish bath, a sun bed, gym and table tennis. Apartments can be booked with buffet breakfast at €21.25 per person. You can also hire their winter sports equipment. www.harmls-aparthotel.at Haus Karina is a comfortable and spacious three-star guesthouse on the outskirts of Kleinarl, near the forest (and right by a ski-bus stop). The high season rates for their modern en-suite doubles start at €34.50pp; the cost of their self-catering apartment is €70. They also hire out winter sporting equipment. www.haus-karina.at Pension Ennskraxblick, is a three-star centrally located guesthouse at the cross-country ski run which is just 250m from Kleinarl’s ski lifts. Their comfortably furnished en-suite rooms are cozy and equipped with flat-screen TVs, free wi-fi and panoramic view balconies. There’s also an aromatic steam sauna, a whirlpool, plus a myriad other wellness facilities. High season rates start at €25pp. www.pension-ennskraxblick.at

Dig up your winter gear! WOW air will take you to Salzburg every Saturday from December 19 to February 27. Book your flight on www.wowair.com.

For further details see www.salzburgerland.com.

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Issue five 97

WOW destinations

You want more?

We could never fit all of our destination into just one issue but you should know that WOW air has 20 destinations and soon we will add more. Stay tuned.

Boston Visit the city that’s famous for Cheers and good shopping.

WOW air offers cheap flights to Boston from Iceland5-7 times a week all year round. Connecting flights* to Boston are available from London, Dublin, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris and starting spring 2016 from Stockholm.

Barcelona Barcelona truly is the perfect destination; tasty tapas, seaside promenades and mind-blowing architecture.

Getting there is the easy part. WOW air offers 2-4 flights a week to Barcelona from Iceland from the middle of May until October.

Washington, D.C. and Baltimore WOW air offers cheap flights to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Check out the U.S. capital and get acquainted with the history of the United States or party away in the lively city of Baltimore.

WOW air flies to Washington from Iceland 4-6 times a week all year round.

Connecting flights* to Washington are available from London, Dublin, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris and starting spring 2016 from Stockholm.

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Alicante Warm up by the Mediterranean Sea and taste the best of Spain.

WOW air offers cheap flights to Alicante from Iceland four times a week during the summer months and 1-3 times a week from March to May and September to January.

Vilnius Are you hungry for something different? Visit the capital of Lithuania and see the UNESCO World Heritage listed Old Town.

WOW air offers flights between Vilnius and Iceland once a week during the summer.

Warsaw The capital of Poland has some historic charisma and is a great destination if you’re on a budget.

WOW air offers flights to Warsaw from Iceland three times a week during the summer months and weekly from September to January and April and May.

Tenerife Relaxing on a tropical island sounds like a dream and Tenerife is a dream come true.

WOW air offers weekly flies to Tenerife Sur from Iceland all year round and twice a week in January, February and March.

Düsseldorf This great city on the Rhine is famous for its art and culture, luxury fashion and lifestyle.

WOW air flies to Düsseldorf, Germany from Iceland twice a week during the summer months.

Milan Get ready for high fashion and high culture and don’t forget to feast your eyes on da Vinci’s Last Supper.

Rome All roads lead to Rome but we’re going to fly to this most famous world capital.

WOW air flies to Milan, Italy from Iceland 2-3 times a week from June to September.

WOW air offers cheap flights to Rome, Italy once a week from July to September.

Lyon Experience the gastronomic capital of France with all its history and vibrant cultural scene.

WOW air flies to Lyon from Iceland twice a week during the summer months.

* Note that the availability of connecting flights between USA and Europe may vary depending on the flight frequency to each city. WOW air connects London, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam and Stockholm to Boston and Washington, D.C. in the US and Toronto and Montréal in Canada.

Issue five 99

This and that …

mostly this

Fittest on earth!

Dunk those donuts!

Earlier this summer the ever popular Dunkin’ Donuts opened shop on Iceland’s busiest shopping street Laugavegur. As a nation, Icelanders tend to go a little over the top in their shopping ways, as the examples have illustrated in the past. Shops like Lindex had to close after opening day due to nothing being left in the store to sell! So it came as little surprise that close to 200 people camped outside of Dunkin’ Donuts waiting the whole night for their fix of coffee and donuts. Of course it didn’t hurt that they were giving away free donuts to their first 100 customers! The first days after opening were incredibly busy with over 10,000 donuts sold every day. That’s the behavior of half the nation anyway. The other half shakes their head in disapproval, and then sneak in to get a taste themselves, you know, just to see what all the fuss is about. Dunkin’ Donuts is scheduled to open 16 shops in Iceland in the next 5 years; the next one will be in Kringlan Shopping Mall and is set to open in October.

The age old cliché of Ice­­land having the strong­­est men in the world and the most beautiful wo­men is the result of the glory days of strong man Jón Páll Sigmars­­son and beauty queens Hólm­­fríður Karlsdóttir and Linda

Péturs­­dóttir. Back in the eighties Jón Páll won World’s Strongest Man four times, Hólmfríður, also known as Hófí, won Miss World in 1985 and Linda Pé won the same competition in 1988. More recently Gunnar Nelson has been making Icelanders proud in the octagon as he wins one fight after another in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

As if we needed another reason to brag about our national treasures, Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir (see pages 26-30) won herself the title “Fittest on Earth” in the CrossFit Games last July, making this 22 year old our newest gem to boast about. To go full circle, it seems like all we need now is a beautiful man to win a beauty contest.

Kaleo inside a volcano Icelandic rock band Kaleo has been busy this year touring in the States but made a trip home to Iceland this summer to film a music video for their song “Way Down We Go.” The location for the video was highly unusual as the boys went a 120m down the volcano Þríhnúkagígur with all their equipment and instruments. More recently the band flew home to warm up for the American rock band Kings of Leon in lieu of their concert in Laugardalshöllin last August. We have a feel­­ing Kaleo will be the next big thing from Iceland with powerful songs such as “I Walk on Water” and “All the Pretty Girls.” Check out Kaleo’s webpage for upcoming tour dates: officialkaleo.com.

Icelandic innovation A group of entrepreneurs has come up with a genius plan for a better energy utilization. The idea is to use wastewater from the swimming pool in Laugardalur Valley as energy for socalled biodomes nearby, recycling water that would otherwise go to waste. The biodomes are a sort of cluster of greenhouses that would provide the neighborhood with fresh produce, thus eliminating shipping and handling of a third party. Inside the biodomes people could meet up, have a cup of coffee and chat or just cozy up in the heat and look out the window.

The plan is to open the biodome in Laugardalur Valley in a few years and hopefully more domes will follow in the future. This might be one of the best ideas we’ve heard of in a long time.

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WOW Power to the people

TripAdvisor loves Northern Lights The ever beautiful Icelandic North­ern Lights top the list of the top 10 dream trips on TripAdvisor, voted by the website’s users. Other dream trips included a trek on the Inca trail in Machu Picchu in Peru, a ride on the Trans- Siberian railway in Russia and a trip to Galapagos Islands in South America. In great company the Northern Lights are among the most beautiful sights a person could witness in their life!

This and that …

mostly this

The Rams strike again!

Baltasar’s Everest Icelandic film director Baltasar Kormákur has taken Hollywood by storm with successful movies like Two Guns and Contraband but now he has really outdone himself. His latest success is a star studded movie that tells the true story of a fateful journey to Mt. Everest where 8 climbers died in 1996 attempting to climb the mountain. The list of talent in this film seems endless;

from Keira Knightley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, and we could do this all day but the space is limited. Everest was the opening film at the 72nd Venice Film Festival last September which gives it a promising start as the opening films from recent years have done really well, most notably last year’s Birdman and Gravity the year before that.

Seems like people can’t get enough of the Icelandic film Rams. The Icelandic Film and Television Aca­­demy has announced the film as Iceland’s choice for next year’s Academy Awards in the category Best Foreign- Language Film.

Only two Icelandic films have received nominations for the Oscar’s before, Börn náttúrunnar (Children of nature)

by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson in 1991 for Best Foreign- Language Film and Síðasti bærinn (Last farm) by Rúnar Rúnarsson in 2005 for Best Live Action Short Film.

Rams has swept up awards left and right this year with distribution rights being sold to several countries, including Cohen Media Group who has bought all North American distribution rights to the film.

CMG is planning a theatrical release in February 2016. The adventures of Rams are far from over! Yay!

All you need in one place • Skólavör›ustígur 19 tel.: (+354) 552 1890 SWEATERS AND SOUVENIERS, NO KNITTING MATERIAL:

• Radisson Blu, Hótel SAGA tel.: (+354) 562 4788 • Laugavegur 53b tel.: (+354) 562 1890 www.handknit.is

Issue five 101

This and that …

mostly this

Daily tours

all year round

UEFA EURO 2016 here we come!

The Icelandic national soccer team recently qualified for competing in the UEFA Euro Championship held in France next year. With only about 330,000 of us Icelanders here, this makes us the least populated country ever to qualify. People were so over the moon after the “winning” match (no goals were actually scored) there was even talk of mak­ing the coach, Lars Lagerback, the president of Iceland! The next ten months will probably be a tough waiting game for many. But until then: ÁFRAM ÍSLAND!

e golden circ h T le

a on

super truc k

nowmobilin ds g an

Reykjavik’s pride Tel. (+354) 580 9900 ice@mountaineers.is www.mountaineers.is

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WOW Power to the people

Many find Skólavörðustígur in downtown Reykjavik to be one of the most beautiful streets of the city with its cute little boutiques, art galleries and cozy little cafés, perfect to sneak into when your feet need a little break from shopping. And recently Skólavörðustígur became even more beautiful when the street itself was painted in the colors of the rainbow flag in relation to the Reykjavik Pride festivities held last August. The mayor of Reykjavík, Dagur B. Eggertsson, helped with the painting of the street and passersby were invited to pick up a brush and help out with the process. Icelanders are proud supporters of equal human rights for everybody, including streets. Stay queer Skólavörðustígur, you’re beautiful.

This and that …

mostly this

A movie lovers paradise Bíó Paradís is a nonprofit organization run by Iceland’s professional filmmaking guilds. It is Iceland’s first and only art-house cinema, located in the heart of downtown Reykjavík, screening the latest art-house releases from all around the world, as well as cult films and Icelandic films. The theater provides a warm, cozy environment for film lovers of all kinds – both in its three-screen

theater and its well-stocked bar.

This fall Bíó Paradís has stocked up their screening schedule as well with wonderful European films such as Stille Hjerte, a Danish drama about three generations of a family coming together over a weekend. Old conflicts come to the surface, making wishes from a sick mother hard to fulfill. Jóhanna síðasta orrustan is an Icelandic documentary about Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir who became prime minister of Iceland following the financial crash of 2008. She was the first woman in this office as

well as the first openly gay prime minister of the world. In November the French film Valley of Love will be shown at Bíó Paradís in English with French and Icelandic subtitles. Due to popular demand screenings of the Icelandic films Hrútar (Rams) and Fúsi will continue this fall, both with English subtitles. Hrútar won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes this summer among many other awards at various film festivals.

Everyone should find something that tickles their movie fancy at Bíó Paradís.

Check out Bíó Paradís Screening Schedule at: www.bioparadis.is Facebook: facebook.com/bioparadis Instagram and Twitter: @bioparadis

At your service- Anywhere- Anytime

We´ll make you a Comfortable Price offer!

Special sightseeing taxi tours We specialize in personalized sightseeing day trips to the natural wonders of Iceland – for small groups of 4-8 persons.

All major credit cards accepted by the driver.

To book in advance: tel:+354 588 5522 or on www.hreyfill.is E-mail: tour@hreyfill.is Issue five 103

This and that …

mostly this

We are the world In early September an Icelandic woman, Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir, started a Facebook page by the name of Dear Eygló—Syria Calling in which she addresses Eygló Harðardóttir, Iceland’s minister of welfare and housing, to allow refugees of Syria to enter the country on a much larger scale than had already been approved. In return, Bryndís offered to help house, feed and clothe a number of people and asked other Icelanders to do the same.

The responses were massive and the Icelandic nation seemed united in welcoming refugees to Iceland with over 11,000 of us offering to help. The ministry of welfare responded well to the request and agreed to increase the number of refugees but the plan only allowed 50 asylum seekers to enter the country over the next two years.

In 1973 four thousand people were moved from the small island of Heimaey just off the south coast of Iceland to homes on the mainland after a volcanic eruption began on their island. If we could do that then, what’s stopping us from doing it again?

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Laugavegur 130 við Hlemm TEL : 5522444, 692- 0564

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WOW Power to the people

many famous people are regulars here

RESTAURANT

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Photo: Bjarney Lúðvíksdóttir

Ágústa Sigrún Ágústsdóttir has a CD coming out this November called Stjörnubjart (Star bright), featuring new songs and covering some of her favorite Christmas music from across the Nordics. Songs include folksongs, Icelandic hymns as well as three original songs written especially for Stjörnubjart. Mahler and Sibelius, Swedish composer Moraeus and the two “B’s” in ABBA, Benny and Björn, have collaborated with Ágústa to bring this Christmas dream to life. The music on Stjörnubjart is quiet and warm like the coziness of Icelandic homes in the winter. The instruments, in some cases unusual, color the atmosphere and intertwine with melody and voice like the Aurora-streaked skies of December. The mood of the album is crystal clear, intimate, personal and timeless.

Vodafone 4G

Choose Vodafone Iceland With Vodafone, you gain access to an extensive 4G network in Iceland with excellent 3G/4G roaming connectivity, no matter whether you’re on sea or land. Share your memories by using Vodafone’s prepaid mobile starter kit with voice and data.

Vodafone Power to you

PHOTO Buy your prepaid SIM card at BSI bus terminal, Vodafone stores, N1 gas stations all around Iceland, and at our network of resellers.

Issue five 105

Hey

look!

Quite a lot actually, and if you know where to go you can live each night in Iceland like there’s a full blown festival going on.

Text by www.festivals.is

What’s going on over here?

WHAT: The Days to Stay Awake WHERE: Akranes, West Iceland WHEN: 29 October – 8 November

Hey

look!

Less than an hour‘s drive from Reykjavik, Akranes is a flourishing community abounding with music, art, and sports, and framed by a picturesque landscape surrounding the town. The population of Akranes has never been higher and the town keeps growing. In a thriving town like this it is important to ensure and encourage cultural diversity, where everyone can find something to their liking. In early November of each year the local authority of

WHAT: The Northern Wave International Short Film Festival WHERE: Grundarfjörður, West Iceland WHEN: 16-18 October

Akranes offers a cultural festival called Vökudagar, or “The Days to Stay Awake” and its purpose is ultimately to promote the town’s cultural life and inspire people to get together before the darkest months of the year. The scope of the festival has grown year by year and is increasingly popular among the locals; indeed so much so, that it is reaching well beyond the borders of the town as people from neighboring municipalities attend many of the events. Every year people can choose from a number of concerts, art exhibitions and other events. Thus Vökudagar has gained a permanent place in the community.

The Northern Wave International Short Film Festival is an annual event celebrated in Grundarfjörður, on the north side of Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The philosophy of the festival, upon which its name is based, is Nouvelle Vague, or New Wave. Like Nouvelle Vague, Northern Wave attempts to revive the recognition of filmmaking as an art form and the director as artist/author. An important goal of the festival is to develop relationships between experienced filmmakers and emerging filmmakers in Iceland and other countries. This is a visionary festival that celebrates artistic and groundbreaking films by filmmakers willing to take risks.

The festival consists of a program of international and national short films as well as an Icelandic music video competition. The films are screened at the local theater but the music videos are screened at the local pub, Ruben, followed by a concert and, this year, karaoke. On Saturday evening the festival organizes a fish party, where locals and guests bring their best fish courses, made from fresh local fish. Hrefna Rósa Sætran, one of Iceland’s most celebrated chefs and restaurant owners, and the head chef at Hótel Búðir, serve as judges for the best course of the competition. The fish course competition is followed by a dance with Icelandic band MilkyWhale at the local pub Ruben. On Sunday the Icelandic short films are screened and the award ceremony takes place where the festival awards the best Icelandic film, best International film and best Icelandic music video.

www.northernwavefestival.com

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WOW Power to the people

PROBABLY THE

WORLD’S SMALLEST WATCH MANUFACTURER

Our Master Watchmaker never loses his concentration

With his legendary concentration and 45 years of experience our Master Watchmaker and renowned craftsman, Gilbert O. Gudjonsson, inspects every single timepiece before it leaves our workshop.

All the watches are designed and assembled by hand in Iceland. Only highest quality movements and materials are used to produce the watches and every single detail has been given the time needed for perfection. www.jswatch.com

Issue five 107

What’s going on over here?

WHAT: The Rainbow—art in beautiful surroundings WHERE: Vík in Mýrdalur, South Iceland WHEN: 9-11 October The Rainbow— art in beautiful surroundings is a cultural festival held in the area of Vík in Mýrdalur the second weekend of October.

The festival has been held every year since 2007. The population of Vík in Mýrdalur and the surrounding area comes together in order to create a cultural event, where everyone is welcome.

The Rainbow’s program includes the opening ceremony at the sports hall with food and music promotion from locals, a market in Leikskálar the community center, entertainment for the whole family during the day and entertainment at night. After the formal program is completed on Friday and Saturday the local bars are open with live performances. On Sunday the festival ends with music concert in Vík Church. Other events during the festival are open houses around town, hiking, church mass, karaoke for the kids and offers on dining and accommodation and much more.

Hey WHAT: Concert - Agent Fresco WHERE: Akureyri, North Iceland WHEN: 24 October

look!

One of Iceland’s more progressive bands, Agent Fresco, will put on a show at the well-known concert bar Græni Hatturinn (The Green Hat) in Akureyri. Agent Fresco recently published their second album, Destrier, which has been praised by critics all over the world.

Agent Fresco will begin touring in Europe as well as in the US next year. This is a perfect opportunity to see one of Iceland’s hottest bands in their own country and who knows, maybe they’ll be the next hit band from Iceland.

You can find your ticket at www.midi.is

WHAT: Reykjavík Comedy Festival WHERE: Reykjavík WHEN: 23-30 October Everybody likes to laugh and usually stand-up comedy is a guarantee for a good night out. Reykjavik Comedy Festival will be held for the second time during the 23rd to the 30th of October. Reykjavík Comedy Festival is in cooperation with Europe Comedy Fest which has been held in numerous countries with great success. Well-known English speaking entertainers headline at the festival so there will be no languages barriers. Some of the biggest names this year are Dylan Morgan, Gabriel Iglesias, Doug Stanhope and Daniel Sloss. for camping with WC and washing facilities very close to the festival location.

You can buy your ticket at www.tix.is.

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WHAT: Concert - Skálmöld WHERE: Akureyri, North Iceland WHEN: 30 October If you are in Akureyri at the end of October you are in luck as Skálmöld is in town. The well-known Viking metal band has established solid fan base both in Iceland and abroad with their unique sounds and powerful stage presence.

They will perform at Græni Hatturinn.

You can find your ticket at www.midi.is

Issue five 109

Virgo

23 August - 22 September Someone messes with your alphabetized order of breakfast cereal and you go all nuclear. FYI – it was the Aquarius.

Libra

23 September - 23 October Because you’re always on the edge of every trend you single-handedly start an awareness movement of some sort. The stars don’t really understand what it’s for and neither do you.

Scorpio

24 October - 21 November

Aries

21 March - 19 April The stars commend you on getting your Christmas shopping done early but please try and learn from last year’s mistakes and remember where you hid all the presents!

Taurus

20 April - 20 May After losing your sunglasses you’ll have a hard time driving in the low autumn sun. The stars recommend just walking, it’s safer for everyone.

Your hacker abilities will come in handy this month after you “accidentally” join Farmville on Facebook and realize you’re totally into it.

Hurry up and sow those wild oats.

Sagittarius

22 November - 21 December Your rude bumper sticker will get you in trouble soon, and don’t try to blame the guy who made it stating it’s a type-o. We all know what you meant.

Capricorn

22 December - 19 January Delusions of grandeur? You do know you’re not above taking a shower every once in a while, right?

Gemini

21 May - 21 June Today you’ll pick a fight with yourself and lose. Too bad no one will ever hear those excellent arguments you made for dog and cat slippers.

Aquarius

20 January - 18 February After doing your regular “breakfast for dinner” thing you might want to stay away from your Virgo friend for a while. Just a hunch.

Cancer

22 June - 22 July The stars are a little on the fence about this new idea of yours. We know it’s nice to have adoring fans but forming a cult is a little overboard, don’t you think?

Leo

Pisces

19 February - 20 March All those life decisions you made as a toddler are slowly being realized but somehow you seem to have changed your mind since then. What happened? Why don’t you like your new job at the ice-cream parlor?

23 July - 22 August You mindreading abilities have gotten you in trouble once again. Try not to be so smug about it in the future.

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Disclaimer: This horoscope is total and utter nonsence. Any accuracies, real or imagined by readers, are purely incidental.

Issue five 111

WOW Sudoku But how do I do it?

Really, really bored? Here are a few sudokus to make time fly.

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. What could be simpler?

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WOW Power Power to to the the people people

Issue five 113

“For a first time visit to Barcelona I would not only recommend but demand a visit to Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia.”

The Traveling Inquisition

From skin to paper Artist, draftsman and tattooer Jón Páll Halldórsson is well known for his skin art in Iceland but fewer people know that he’s also worked on character design for Icelandic video game EVE online and was the lead designer for children’s TV show LazyTown among numerous other projects.

Photos: From Jón Páll’s private collection

J

ón Páll is now venturing onto a new page by producing and publishing a comic book series featuring the old gods of the north mythology most famous of which are of course Odinn and Thor.

It all starts with doodling At this moment in his life 41 year old Jón Páll lives with his family in Barcelona and says he’s first and foremost a tattoo artist, but how did he get started?

“For as long as I can remember I have been doodl­­ing and drawing. So at the first opportunity I took my studies in that direct­ion. In Iceland back in the early 90’s there were no options to pursue studies in illustration, animation, comics or any of the things that I was interested in. At the same time I became interested in tattoos. I’d had a couple done when travelling abroad and through that got to know a tattoo artist in Athens, Greece. Before I knew it I was asking my parents for fin­­ ancial support to do my apprenticeship in tattooing in Athens. To this day I am quite amazed at their support, my father being a doctor and my mom a schoolteacher and me only just turning 19. Some years later I headed to Vancouver, Canada to do my studies in classical animation,” Jón Páll informs us.

The Vargöld comics Jón Páll’s new project is Vargöld comic book series featuring the old gods of Norse mythology. “I’m working with my childhood friend “Tóti” or Thor­­hallur Arnors and together we are just about to finish the first book in the series, 60 pages of highly detailed full color art.” In the books they tell the story of the gods of Asgard from the creation of the world to its inevitable destruction in the Ragnarok based on the 12th century Icelandic manuscript Snorra Edda.

The Vargöld project has taken up much of the two friends’ time and drain­­ed their funds so in order to continue and bring this work of art into existence they are planning on going the way of crowdfunding starting at the beginning of October this year. “The Kickstarter campaign will focus on funding the English version and if all goes well with the crowdfunding campaign we are hoping to have it available internationally in spring 2016,” says Jón Páll.

As a preparation for this comic project Jón Páll has done an abundance of tattoos depicting Thors and Odins, hammers and ravens and some of the rewards for supporting the Vargöld project on Kickstarter will be tattoos related to the book’s subject.

The road to Barcelona So here we have an Icelandic Viking-like tattoo artist that draws pagan gods and lives in Barcelona. How did that come about? “For a long time me and my wife had been talking about moving abroad to a warm sunny place. Barcelona was an obvious choice. We had visited before and knew the city quite well and we were deeply in love with it. For us it is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe and definitely the most appealing one to live in. Originally this was supposed to be a one year adventure that has now turned into three years and only the gods know how many more to come.”

“Since we only planned to go for a year we sent a few essentials over with freight and then stuffed the rest in the boot of our car, the kids in the backseat and our senile, blind and semi-bald hamster Gunni on top of the pile. We took the ferry from East Iceland to Denmark and then took our time threading Europe southbound, bypassing all cities and staying only in selected enchanted medieval villages for the nights … smuggling the halfdead hamster in and out of hotels in the dead of night. The rodent survived the journey to pass away only a little while later and is now buried under a palm tree in Barcelona’s Parc Ciutadella.” Jón Páll tells us.

What do you recommend for people to do in Barcelona? “For a first time visit to Barcelona I would not only recommend but demand a visit to Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, no matter how touristy or popular it is, it will just blow your mind. After that just roam around the narrow streets of El Born, Gótic and El Raval and eat drink and be merry.”

Find out more about Jón Páll’s Vargöld comic at www.vargoldcomic.com and support the project through Kickstarter.com.

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Issue five 115

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