WOW magazine - Issue 5 2016 by WOW air

e azin mag ISSUE FIVE 2016

TURF HOUSES:

A CULTURAL ICON

PLUS: EXPLORE ICELAND: AMAZING ALTERNATIVE WINTER TOURS

Y O U R F R E E C O P Y -TA K E M E W I T H Y O U

WHATEVER THE WEATHER...

ZOâ&#x20AC;˘ON is born in Iceland, and we have a passion for outdoor living. We love the feeling of being in sync with nature, of being part of something bigger than ourselves. This is reflected in how we design 2 and create outdoor wear. WOW Power to the people

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IN THIS ISSUE 12 A LETTER FROM THE CEO 14 WOW CYCLOTHON Our favorite aircraft company, Airbus, sent two teams to race around Iceland on bikes during WOW Cyclothon 2016.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE – ISSUE FIVE 2016

18 A LIGHT FOR PEACE From October 9th to December 8th the Imagine Peace Tower shines it’s light of wisdom, healing and joy into the world from Reykjavik. 20 THE ULTIMATE SUMMER EVENT The third annual Secret Solstice had both Icelanders and visitors flocking to Laugardalur Valley in the middle of Reykjavik.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WINTER VACATION

ou could easily argue that fall and winter are the best seasons to visit Iceland. With a great chance of sunny and beautiful days, the summer harvest just in and the Northern Lights finally returning to the dark night skies, fall makes up for its lower temperature with brilliant colors and sunsets that will make you teary eyed. Even when it’s windy and raining you can’t help but enjoy this season. When winter arrives, nature becomes more quiet and crisp. Blanketed in white and made more mysterious by the twilight, the landscapes become soft and the natural wonders of Ice land look different, somehow more powerful and more pronounced, fight ing off the grasp of frost and snow. The Northern Lights come out in full force and never are we more thankful for our abundant geothermal energy.

24 WHEN THINGS REALLY GET COOL Check out these alternative ways to explore Iceland to its fullest. 28 THE HOMES OF THOSE WHO DARE Interior designer Auður Gná and photo grapher Íris Ann have joined together to give insight into selected Icelandic homes. 30 PARTYING IN REYKJAVIK Wondering how to booze it up in Reykja vik on a budget? Our friends at WakeUp Reykjavik will guide you through it. 32 THE POWER OF INTUITION Producer and director Kristin Olafsdottir recently premiered her documentary InnSæi, about unlocking a world of huge potential that lies within all of us.

ine ma gaz

THE FOOD ISSUE WOW MAGAZINE – TURF HOUSES: A CULTURAL ICON

ISSUE FIVE 2016

TURF HOUSES:

A CULTURAL ICON

POWER TO THE PEOPLE three 2015 Issue five 2016

PLUS: EXPLORE ICELAND: AMAZING ALTERNATIVE WINTER TOURS

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 Historically, Icelanders just recently left the turf houses but these seemingly hobbit-like houses helped us survive some harsh times and deserve to be recognized. On the cover is the turf church at Árbæjarsafn Open Air Museum in Reykjavik shot by WOW magazine’s photographer Kristinn Magnússon.

38 TASTING ICELAND Ania Neuman tried out some Icelandic dishes and discovered that Icelandic food should not be overlooked. 42 ICELANDIC HISTORY IN A HURRY Check out this brief guide to Icelandic history and learn all about the loveable rouges that make up this nation.

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82 THE U.S. CUSTOMS DECLARATION FORM What is this? Why do I need to fill it out?

124 WHAT’S GOING ON? …quite a lot, actually. 126 WOW HOROSCOPE What’s in your future? WOW air’s famed astrologist has the answer. 128 BORED ON BOARD? Solve these sudokus.

130 WOW Destinations 86 New York A WOW guide to New York City’s street food 88 Miami Welcome to Miami! 90 San Francisco The infamous Alcatraz Prison 92 Paris Underneath it all 94 Baltimore The charming “Charm City”

48 THE TURF HOUSES OF ICELAND People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones but what about the people who live in turf houses? 70 WOW DESIGN London-based product designer Theo dora Alfredsdottir has created an exclusive handmade dining set for two, named “From the Ground Up.” 72 REYKJAVIK CATHEDRAL Take a look at Reykjavik’s post-classical shrine to Heaven.

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

80 THE VATNAJOKULL REGION Filled with contrasts, the Vatnajökull Region is a great destination all year round.

118 THIS AND THAT …mainly this.

34 WOW SNAPTRAVELERS This summer four happy WOW SnapTravelers took on the world and added everything to “MyStory.”

These are magical seasons in Iceland. Come on, have a look. Happy travels, Guðrún Vaka Helgadóttir, editor in chief magazine@wow.is

74 THE FLYING WOW FAMILY Here at WOW air we give our aircraft some unusual registration names.

96 Amsterdam The greatest small city in the world –on a budget 98 London Twilight Soho Food Tour 100 Bristol The ship that changed the world 102 Los Angeles Twenty free things to do in Beverly Hills 104 Montreal Manger (Eat) Montreal

130 THE TRAVELING INQUISITION Sigríður Huld Blöndal, director of the Arctic Circle Secretariat has made the Arctic hot again.

WOW MAGAZINE STAFF Editor in chief: Guðrún Vaka Helgadóttir Design and layout: Ivan Burkni ivanburkni@gmail.com Proofreading: Paul Michael Herman Contributing writers: Marvin Lee Dupree, Svava Jónsdóttir, Gerður Harðardóttir, Cindy-Lou Dale, Judy Colbert, Conor Purcell, Eliot Stein, Eygló Árnadóttir, Krista Connor, Guðrún Baldvina Sævarsdóttir, Theadora Brack, Andrew Marshall, Ania Neuman, Caron Luteran

WOWAIR.COM Tel: 00 354 590 3020 E-mail: magazine@wow.is Oddi environmentally certified printing company All rights reserved. Reprinting, direct quoting or recapitulation prohibited except with a written permit from publisher.

106 Stockholm Nordic delights 110 Copenhagen 7 things to know before you go 112 Dublin The rise and fall (and rise) of Temple Bar 114 You want more? Check out the other destinations of WOW air. Where do you want to go?

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.

On Location. Heidar Logi wears Tindur down jacket. Photographer wears Jokla parka.

Keeping Iceland warm since 1926 Issue five 11 Shop at 66north.com

A LETTER FROM THE CEO

Dear friends, We have just completed another summer of incredible growth, with brand new aircraft and new exciting destinations. Our “little” WOW continues to defeat all odds as we have more than doubled in size year over year and will continue to do so next year with new destinations such as New York and Miami, to name a few, with even more announcements coming soon for both USA and Europe. I am extremely proud of our team that is turning the WOW dream into a reality, especially since we are delivering on our mission to lower airfares dramatically across the Atlantic. I am convinced that as we make it possible for more people to travel and experience new cultures, new countries and meet new people around the world, we will all become more tolerant and understanding towards each other. In fact, we will appreciate and value that we are not all identical and that is why the world we live in is so interesting. We should cherish our differences and view them as opportunities to learn and understand rather than isolate. Here at WOW air we will continue to support and welcome everybody on board our aircraft and we hope you enjoy the ride. Thank you for choosing WOW air and we hope to see you again soon. Sincerely, Skúli Mogensen Founder and CEO of WOW air

WOW Power to the people

MADE OF ICELAND and lava rock. FOR MORE ON OUR UNIQUE PROCESS AND AWARD-WINNING SMOOTH TASTE, VISIT REYKA.COM

The Reyka Brand Story Our Inventive Path to Making Vodka

- CHAPTER I -

Born of Iceland Unique Provenance The Reyka story is one of People, Product(ion) and Provenance. And it begins in Iceland. A captivating, one-of-a-kind land of volcanoes and glaciers, geysers and lava fields, Iceland is both beautiful and rugged, fiery and icy. Resourceful people When you’re separated from the world and surrounded by such magnificent natural resources, you learn to be resourceful. And live creatively. So Icelanders bring a unique perspective to the world. We call it an inventive spirit.

- CHAPTER II -

Inventive Production Not only was Reyka the first vodka distillery in Iceland, but we built the only Carter-Head Still in the world that distills vodka. It gives us unparalleled purity of spirit with only one distillation. We use pure arctic spring water. To give our vodka its silky finish and allow the flavour to shine through. We use lava rocks as a natural filtration system. They help create Reyka’s clean fresh character and smooth taste. We use geo-thermal energy from volcanic activity to power our distillery without adding impurities to our vodka…or the world. Our master distiller hand crafts Reyka in preciously small batches to ensure each and every bottle retains the highest of high quality

- CHAPTER III -

Distinctive Results As unique as the land that inspires it, Reyka captures the spirit of Iceland to make a deliciously smooth vodka with a distinctive taste like no other. Nose: Soft, with delicate hints of vanilla and citrus. Taste: Exceptionally smooth and rounded with a classically grainy flavour profile and a soft natural sweetness; slight hint of wild fruits on aftertaste. People have taken notice. Among other honors, Reyka has won the world’s most prestigious vodka award, the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) Trophy. Our story is really just beginning. It’s time to share Reyka, and the inventive spirit behind it, with the world. Skal! (That’s cheers in Iceland.)

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WOW CYCLOTHON 2016

LET’S GET MAD WOW CYCLOTHON IS A TEAM AND SOLO BIKE RACE AROUND ICELAND, A TRUE ULTRA-CYCLING EXPERIENCE AND A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY ICELANDIC NATURE DURING ITS 24 HOURS OF DAYLIGHT IN JUNE. ALTHOUGH MOST TEAMS ARE ESSENTIALLY ICELANDIC MORE AND MORE VISITING TEAMS HAVE BEEN TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE. Photos: Kristinn Magnússon and from team’s private collection

ast summer two teams from Airbus, WOW air’s favorite and only maker of aircraft, came to Iceland to experience this amazing race; TF-MAD, an A team of four cyclists and two drivers and Team GUAYABO, a B team with 10 cyclists that took turns driving the support vehicles.

“WOW, LET’S DO IT!” “When we heard about this race in November 2015 during a WOW staff visit to Airbus in Toulouse, France, we quite literally said, “WOW, let’s do it!”. Having worked closely with our friends at WOW air for 2 years, we were well aware that ‘impossible is just an opinion!’” says Jerome Viguier, Customer Support Director at Airbus and member of TF-MAD. From the very beginning, the team’s objective was quite clear—to have FUN and to cross the finish line within the 72 hours! “Little by little we managed to build a team of four intrepid cyclists, which then rapidly saw the addition of another team of 10 cyclists as the buzz began to propagate throughout the halls of Airbus.” TRAINING AND PLANNING With both teams secured, more challenges began to appear. What about the logistics; the training? Where would they find a motorhome and rent bikes? A task made more daunting by the fact that for most of the team’s members, it was their first time in Iceland and that they didn’t speak the language. “Thanks to some very helpful recom mendations from the WOW Cyclothon organization, and also some WOW staff members, we managed to

WOW Power to the people

Having worked closely with our friends at WOW for 2 years, we were well aware that ‘impossi ble is just an opinion!’”

have all these things properly arranged,” says Jerome. “With mixed ability within the teams, we turned our attention to our training plan. During the spring, we spent our Sundays riding around the foothills of the countryside that surrounds Toulouse, where the greatest challenge was to find the Icelandic weather conditions necessary to acclimatize

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ourselves properly.” During this preparation phase, another question came up: What would they call their team? “Having had the opportunity to see the substantial growth of the WOW fleet over the past years, with the aircraft registrations TF-DAD, TF-MOM, TF-KID and so forth, we decided to be “The Mad” element of the group and as a result, we adopted the name TF-MAD,” Jerome explains. A ROUGH START One week before the race, the team received the unwelcome news of a French strike planned the day before the race! Despite the risks, they all finally managed to reach Reykjavik on time. “Having picked up the motorhome and the bikes, we realized that it was going to be very cozy indeed: six people and all our equipment living in such close quarters.” An executive decision was made to gamble and ditch the mountain bike, knowing that they might have to pay the consequences during the gravel section at the Öxi mountain road. Happy to have everybody ready and on-time, they decided to have one last balanced meal before their departure by enjoying some vegetable asparagus soup, grilled cod (with all the trimmings) and raspberry pannacotta—copiously watered down with some Icelandic beer (carb-loading they called it!). Then, it was off to the starting line. “We rushed to the site, only to be met by the other Airbus team, GUAYABO. Becoming suspicious that something was amiss 20 minutes before the start, we contacted the organizer of the race and realized that we were at the wrong stadium and that the departure point was some 15 minutes away from our current location!”

WOW Power to the people

STICKING TO PLANS Finally, TF-MAD managed to arrive at the starting line and depart on-time, but with an extra bit of stress! “The first two legs will remain memorable as we lined up beside the legendary cyclist George Hincapie. It was quite impossible to keep the same speed especially just after our nice meal

and not having enough time to digest before jumping on the bike! Afterward, it was on to the second leg, where we had some gear problems with one bike. To sumup, all that slightly destabilized the well-engineered strategy we’d put in place before the race for the relays, but from the third shift on, we were able to stick to our plan and make our relays as scheduled, every hour. The road quality was generally very good except over the Öxi mountain road, where the use of mountain bike was, as announced by the organization, recommended. Thankfully, we had in our midst a proficient mountain biker who lapped up the challenge of the Öxi section.” LET’S DO THIS AGAIN For the life onboard the motor home, in grand French fashion, TF-MAD just did the best they could with the circumstances. “This meant sleeping whenever feasible on a bench in a curled-up dog position, the constant rota tion of people and equipment, preparation of meals, drivers shift changes every 4-6 hours, and the drying of wet cycling clothes to enhance the fragrance and

“Thankfully, we had in our midst a proficient mountain biker who lapped up the challenge of the Öxi section.” decoration of our makeshift home,” Jerome tells us. “All in all, we had an amazing team come in from different parts of the world, France, Canada, USA, Dubai … and it all worked like a charm. All the riders were strong and determined to finish the race even after taking a wrong turn and adding to their miles and sore legs. In spite of the physical constraints and pressure, we had very good team spirit, and beside that etched in our memories are the beautiful and evolving landscapes of this

wonderful country, amplified by the 24 hours of constant daylight,” he adds. TF-MAD passed the finish line after ca. 53 hours. “We arrived under applause from the wonderful spectators, with a lot of emotions and pride at having succeeded in our challenge—to have FUN and pass the finish line within 72 hours!” says Jerome. “It is hard to describe how incredible this race is. We would recommend the WOW Cyclothon challenge to anyone, and would like to sincerely thank WOW air

and the Cyclothon organization team for putting on such a great event. For our part, everybody is keen to fly back for the Cyclothon 2017, so hopefully, we’ll see you at the starting line next June,” Jerome concludes. v

Think you and your co-workers could take the Airbus teams? Put together a team and find out. Join us on the Ring Road for WOW Cyclothon, June 20-23 2017. Register your team at wowcyclothon. com and start training for this amazing race around Iceland.

GET YOUR DESIGNER BR ANDS TA X F R E E AT K E F L AV I K A I R P O R T

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IMAGINE PEACE FOR 10 YEARS

A LIGHT FOR PEACE This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Imagine Peace Tower, dedicated to John Lennon by Yoko Ono in 2007. Emanating the light of wisdom, healing and joy, the Imagine Peace Tower communicates awareness to the whole world that peace and love is what connects all lives on Earth.

The Imagine Peace Tower is an out door artwork located on Viðey Island just outside Reykjavik’s harbor. Every year, around October 9th—Lennon’s birth day—Yoko Ono visits Reykjavik to light the Imagine Peace Tower in his memory and present the LennonOno Grant for Peace. This year, four renowned artists were given a grant which they then assigned to a cause of their choice. The artists are Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, Katalin Ladic and Olafur Eliasson. Previous recipients of the award have included Doctors Without Borders, Josh Fox, Michael Pollan, Alice Walker, The Center for Constitutional Rights, Pussy Riot, Art Production Fund,

WOW Power to the people

Yoko Ono.

Olafur Eliasson

Lady Gaga and the late Rachel Corrie. Yoko said of the four recipients, “I am so proud to see such deserving recipients and causes chosen to receive this year’s grants. These people and organizations work tirelessly to try and improve our fragile world by fostering peace, education, health and aid to those most in need of it and should be given our love, attention and gratitude, if we are truly devoted to peace and hope across the world.” SEE THE LIGHT From October 9th, Lennon’s birthday, to December 8th, the anniversary of his death, the great column of light can

be seen from around the capital area as it reaches high into the sky. With a background of Northern Lights, it is especially impressive, but the strength, intensity and brilliance of its light continually changes with the prevailing weather and atmospheric conditions unique to Iceland. While the Imagine Peace Tower is lit, a ferry leaves from Skarfabakki pier to Viðey Island every night at 8 PM. The world certainly needs more peace. Taking a look at the white light column of the Imagine Peace Tower on a cool, crisp October or November evening can be a spiritual experience. Dress warm, take a moment and send out a wish for peace. v

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O N

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Our service team is on duty 24/7 and will happily assist you at any time. Check out our tours and prices on our website. E-mail to info@rehe.is or call (+354) 589 1000 www.reykjavikhelicopters.com

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SECRET SOLSTICE

WOW Power to the people

We are family The third annual Secret Solstice festival was a family affair as Icelanders of all ages and their guests spent a long weekend in Laugardalur Park in Reykjavík soaking in the music, the midnight sun and the madness. by Guðrún Baldvina Sævarsdóttir Photos: Vlad Solovov, courtesy of Secret Solstice

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Granted, spirits were already high when the festival started on Thursday the 16th of June as Iceland had just played its first ever EU game and scored against Portugal. June 17th is our National Day and on top of that, the weather had been sunny and still for a week. (This almost never happens.) THE SITE A little foreword about the site itself: Smack down in the middle of Reykjavik, Laugardalur is a big green park with various sporting grounds, a botanical garden and petting zoo. During this music festival, it is somehow transformed into a delightful area with street vendors selling everything from haircuts and tattoos to high fashion clothing, an air mattress castle, a hot tub and circus tower, not to mention the seven venues of music and accompanying bars. The area is big enough to comfortably accommodate up to 14,000 guests yet small enough to make you feel like you’re at the center of whatever is happening. UNITING THE GENERATIONS As a 35-year-old Icelander, I’m naturally inclined to go for the big foreign headliners and my generation’s comfort zone and I had plenty to choose from in that category. I am, however, well versed in music festivals and know that one of the best things about this type of event is the chance to explore and discover stuff that you wouldn’t normally come across in your traditional music scene outings. Here is where it becomes helpful to have stepsons that represent the very youngest generation at Secret Solstice. While I planned my schedule around Radiohead, Róisín Murphy and Goldie, they couldn’t wait for Action Bronson, Flatbush Zombies, Of Monsters and Men and yes, Radiohead, because they rule no matter how old you are. So I knew what to look out for should I want to hear something new and fresh. Here are the highlights: GÍSLI PÁLMI Rapper Gísli Pálmi has quickly become a huge celebrity among Icelandic teenagers. He won’t keep a shirt on for more than a few minutes at a time, and at last year’s festival he famously got into a fight with Bam Margera backstage. He truly is a bad boy but he seems both authentic and genuine in his performance, a feat for sure considering that he raps about his gangsta lifestyle in the ghetto from his suburban Reykjavík home. RÍMNARÍKI Rímnaríki was a big surprise for me. The rappers of this Icelandic rap group are my

age and apparently they have been active since forever. I had never heard of this group before and I don’t know why. They were quite good and seemed to entertain the youngest generation and arguably the age group with the best rap palette. I enjoyed their lyrics which included Jesus’ golden rule “do as you would be done by,” frankly a rather refreshing message from bad boy rappers. SISTER SLEDGE Just like last year, the festival line-up included one secret headliner which fuels rumors for months about who it might be. You can always count on it being a big, well-recognized name but you never know in advance if it will suit your taste. When I heard that it would be Sister Sledge this year, it certainly did not light my fire and I won’t even repeat what my teenaged stepsons had to say about it. However, when the three women that make up Sister Sledge stepped onto the stage and proceeded to dance their ancient choreographed disco dances, we couldn’t help but swing our hips right along with them. The mood lifted and we were all suddenly very gay and cheerful. The Sister Sledge, aged 57-61, proceeded to entertain all age groups. Hats off to them and shame on me for distrusting these veritable disco queens. GUS GUS In a surprising turn of events, St. Germain missed their flight to Iceland and to save the day, beloved electronica group Gus Gus stepped up. I have probably seen Gus Gus perform at least 20 times in the past 20 years and I’ll admit I’m a fan. It does, however, speak volumes that I was thrilled St. Germain was replaced with good old Gus Gus. When hipster galore front man Daníel Ágúst takes the stage, you will know why. You could wear a fleece jumper and sad mum jeans to one of their shows but somehow they’d still manage to make you feel cool.

One of the best things about this type of event is the chance to explore and discover stuff that you wouldn’t normally come across in your traditional musical outings.

a small crowd around me continued to shout demands for Creep, which as all proper Radiohead fans know, is not Radiohead’s idea of a good time. To my complete surprise and the other 11,000 guests’ utter delight, they eventually played Creep and to my even greater surprise, I still love it. DIE ANTWOORD Being close to 40 years old and 10 years sober, I admit I was pretty tired and run down for the final act on the last day of this four-day packed festival. But I was so excited about Die Antwoord that there was no chance in hell (or is that Hel?) that I’d miss them. I’ve enjoyed their musical antics for quite some years and was under the impression that not many people in Iceland were aware of their brilliance. How wrong I was! I was bewildered when I saw the turnout for their set and shocked when I realized the demographic was all age groups, all eagerly awaiting the phenomena of Yolandi, Ninja and DJ Hi-Tek. What followed is nearly indescribable. I have never experienced anything like it. They seemed equally enamored, gushing loving words all over their sweaty fans. If I ever get a chance to see Die Antwoord play live again, I most certainly will take it and nap vigorously beforehand. There is no yawning at a show like this. v

RADIOHEAD What could you say about the world’s greatest band? Shouldn’t it be clear by now I am a dedicated, life-long Radiohead fan? This was the third time I’ve seen Radiohead perform live and I was not disappointed. They are incredible performers and every time they manage to transport me into a different world, while giving me an out of body experience. They are however not the most personal stage-performers and rarely utter a word to their audience which is always a bit of a bummer for those of us that adore them. After a brilliant set list, which included five songs from the freshly released new album A Moon Shaped Pool,

Secret Solstice Pros : The music of course Kudos to the organizers for bringing such a cool and diverse line-up of artists to the festival this year. The atmosphere was friendly and fun despite the energetic youngsters and jaded oldsters. Both venues and vendors served a wide range of appetites. Secret Solstice Cons: Lines, lines, lines The lines to see both Radiohead and Die Antwoord were ridiculously long and caused an outrage among some festival guests. To be fair, Die Antwoord was never supposed to play indoors. Their flight was delayed, so their slot was pushed back and moved indoors to keep with regulations about noise control. Some things can’t be helped but try telling that to thousands of pissed off (and pissed) Yolandi-fans. Highlights No surprise there, Radiohead and Die Antwoord take home the trophy for epic performances—both groups giving it all to a most appreciative audience.

WOW Power to the people

Explore the countryside in a snow-powered car In Iceland, all electricity is generated from renewable sources; falling water, the heat of the earth and the force of the wind. Welcome to the land of renewable energy. landsvirkjun.com/visitus

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WHEN THINGS REALLY GET COOL

EXPLORING ICELAND TO ITS FULLEST The Danes have their national sport called “hygge” and like many foreign words, it is impossible to encapsulate all of its com plexities into one simple word. The idea behind it is to enjoy the long winter nights and make everything as cozy as possible with candles. Snuggling up with a book or having Taco Friday with a close knit circle of friends are other options. In Iceland the sentiment is the same: “að hafa það huggulegt” or “to make things cozy.” by Marvin Lee Dupree Photos: Viking Heli-Skiing and iStockphoto.com

WOW Power to the people

While plenty of Icelanders go into semi-hib ernation and while some frequent the film festivals and new plays, there are others that venture into livelier activities. The same might apply to you. If you’re coming to Iceland, you might want to do something other than hanging out in cafes and doing the typical Golden Circle tour or checking out the infamous nightlife of Reykjavík. Why not try some of the alternative winter options and escapades that Iceland has to offer; glacial beauty and recreational opportunities that few if any countries can boast? It would be almost criminal to miss out on them. ESCAPADES FOR THE MORE DARING The ideas people have about skiing are usually quite benign: hot chocolate, warm blankets and a maximum amount of cozy time after a day well spent on the ski slopes is customary for most. Think the Alps or Aspen and countless rom-coms. This description is a recipe for an enjoyable time,

but for the adrenaline junkies this might not do the trick —but there is hope for you yet. Iceland has become known as a world-class destination for alternative skiing; including catskiing, backcountry skiing, heli-skiing and ski mountaineering. And in both the northern and western parts of Iceland there are more extreme skiing options and excursions available for tour ists. For example, in North Iceland Viking Heli-Ski ing specializes in the aforementioned heli-skiing excursions, as well as heli-snowboarding. Viking Heli-Skiing takes adrenaline seeking skiers and snowboarders to the skiing areas of Ólafsfjörður and Tröllaskagi Peninsula, which offer vertical descents of up to 1500 meters—not exactly for the faint-hearted. The adventure season begins in February and lasts usually until June, so if you’re in Iceland during that time, why not give it a go? www.vikingheliskiing.com

If skiing is not your thing, we recommend snowmobiling. There are multiple options, from glacier adventures to country affairs. Find a good guide and speed into the blue. Iceland has become known as a world-class destination for alternative skiing; including cat-skiing, backcountry skiing, heliskiing and ski mountaineering.

Other options for extreme skiers include excursions from an operator such as Borea Adventures. They take you into the alluring and mysterious nature reserve Hornstrandir located on the cusp of the Arctic Circle, one of the most remote places in Europe. Borea Adventures’ packages include backcountry skiing and the chance to ski in very remote areas where only a few souls have gone skiing; including mountains like Issue five 25

Tröllafell and Hattarfell. If you choose an excursion with them, you will be housed at a renovated farm house named Kvíar Lodge. www.boreaadventures.com

While you are there you might even spot Arctic fox es or a pod of whales. Going skiing in Aspen or the Alps will always feel mundane after you’ve seen the kind of hardcore skiing Iceland has to offer. SOUTHERN TREKS During the autumn and winter seasons in Iceland, there are plenty of wonderful options to choose from. In most countries these two seasons are quite distinct but in Iceland they often merge into one long season. To illustrate this, before the end of September it had already snowed partially in the northern highlands while in Reykjavík locals were enjoying the last ounce of the Indian summer at the beginning of the month. With autumn and winter, you might say Iceland ers come alive and so does Icelandic nature: the Northern Lights have arrived and to witness them in all their glory, it is crucial to escape the light pollution of the towns and capital. Sure you can catch them in the capital and sure you can go on a regular Northern Lights excursion—but for something even more memorable, Extreme Iceland offers just the treat. An excursion to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon stretches into two days where you’ll witness the extravagant landscape of Iceland’s south shore. Among the highlights are Seljalandafoss and Skógarfoss, as well as the black beaches of Vík and Reynisdrangar, the basalt sea stacks. The legend says that Reynisdrangar came into existence when a giant and giantess were dragging a ship with three masts to shore but before they could reach their cave, dawn arrived thus explaining the shape of these rock columns. Toward the end of the excursion, there is a glacier hike in Skaftafell, one of Iceland’s spectacular gems supplying a grand view of all of the wonderful contrasts within the country: powerful glacial rivers, jagged mountains and active volcanoes. This is much more of a commitment than taking the classic Golden Circle tour, but worth the trek. No matter which company you choose, you will be in safe and competent hands. Yet, you should keep one thing in mind: never ever, ever attempt to go

WOW Power to the people

glacier hiking or glacier walking on your own while in Iceland. Even experienced people have become lost or suffered worse fates doing that. Hiking on glaciers is of course an immense draw because of its otherworldly sensation and since many glaciers are receding you should give it a go before it is too late.

An excursion to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon stretches into two days where you’ll witness the extravagant landscape of Iceland’s south shore.

GLACIER HIKES AND CAVE VISITS Other alternative adventures include a glacier hiking tour on the Sólheimajökull Glacier that can be done with Arctic Adventures. Hiking on the glaciers is not simply an adrenaline rush. Numerous inhabitants of Iceland have been enthralled by the seemingly endless white and wide-open sky and have described the feeling as magical. Diverse colors and reflections that can suddenly appear can help

you understand why this country is brimming with tales of magic, trolls, elves and ghosts. Sólheimajökull Glacier extends from Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and on this trip a certified glacier guide will accompany you while you explore the amazing cauldrons and crevasses that have formed there. Another unique experience is the crystal cave excursion by Arctic Adventures—doing justice in describing the complexion and beauty of the cave is difficult—but some good advice: You need to book as soon as possible, because this excursion has become increasingly popular in recent years. In addition, there are also excursions to Svína fellsjökull. ICELAND ABOVE OR BELOW Traveling around Iceland by coach can be a thrilling experience. Most companies in Iceland offer plenty of amenities onboard especially when compared with other European companies. However, taking a bus can be time-consuming, and when you factor in the traffic, other options might seem more attractive. Say, for example, you were enthralled by the Icelandic landscape seen in the films Oblivion or Prometheus. It might be enticing to consider a helicopter ride, instead. In contrast to a rental vehicle or bus, helicopters offer a wide, breath taking view of Iceland’s magnificent nature. Should you wish to see Iceland from the sky, companies such as Norðurflug and Helo offer a selection of exciting excursions, including a landing on Lang jökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier. If you prefer the depths over the heights, snork eling or diving in Silfra at World Heritage site, Þingvellir National Park, the location of the world’s longest continually running parliament, should do the trick. Considered one of the best diving sites on the planet, Silfra, located between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates has underwater visibility close to 100 meters. Now that winter is approaching, you don’t have to fret. Iceland offers a plethora of alternative winter options should you choose to venture outside the capital. Just make sure to dress appropriately. For safety sake, check safetravel.is and always have the classic Icelandic joke in mind: If you don’t like the weather here in Iceland, just wait five minutes. v

COLLECT MOMENTS - NOT THINGS! “Iceland had always been one of my dream vacations. The island’s untamed and beautiful landscape make it the perfect destination for a nature enthusiast. Not only did I finally get to come to Iceland, but I also decided to take my first ever helicopter ride. I flew with Nordurflug Helicopter Tours and they made all my wildest flight dreams come true. Not only did they have lots of tour options, but they were super flexible with working around my travel schedule. I ended up choosing the Geothermal Tour at 49.900 ISK per person. The pricing was comparable to other activities in Iceland, but this experience allows you to see the country from the sky!

"it was just us and nature." Unlike being in an airplane, the takeoff in a helicopter is smooth. If I had any nerves about the flight, they immediately vanished at the sight of the stunning landscape. I was amazed by how quickly the scenery changed from the city skyline, to lava fields and volcanic craters. Being up in a helicopter gives you a true perspective of the country as a whole. The experience was worth every penny and more.

“we actually got to land on an old volcano and were able to witness up close the untamed power of geothermal energy” As if flying wasn’t enough, we actually got to land on an old volcano and witness the untamed power of geothermal energy. I got to stand right next to the boiling mud pots and hot springs without other tourists blocking the view and no safety ropes holding us back… it was just us and nature. Our pilot was very personable, knowledgeable about the country, and a veteran pilot. I was amazed to find out he has done aerials for some big film productions like Star Wars and Oblivion. Needless to say, he kept our tour very interesting! Once we got back to the office, it took me awhile to actually “get back on the ground”. This experience was so thrilling and incredible, I had to let it all sink in! It’s no wonder that Nordurflug is one of Trip Advisor's top-rated Iceland experience. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone visiting Iceland!" Get a ISK 5.000 online discount of the Geothermal Tour when booking on HELICOPTER.IS with the Promo Code: WOWAIR

-Kelsey Heide Issue five 27

ISLANDERS.IS

THE HOMES OF THOSE WHO DARE The ISLANDERS project offers a unique insight into carefully selected Icelandic homes; the homes of those who dare to go their own way and make an impression, a world that sometimes can only be found off the beaten track. by Eygló Árnadóttir Photos: Íris Ann

Interior designer Auður Gná and photograph er and visual artist Íris Ann joined hands a year ago and started the ISLANDERS project. From the stunningly beautiful to the humbly unusual, ISLANDERS strives to represent diverse households that are definitely not traditional; actually a completely different picture than the common concept that inhabitants of the North live in a certain way. “We are breaking up that view and showing that some people are really inspired by their personal experiences when seeking to create something that is unique,” Auður and Íris say. “In becoming a popular traveling destination, this nation may be struggling to define its individuality. Things here have developed rapidly in an all too standardized direction. There are too many chains, restaurants and shops that look like something seen many times before in other cities. People in

WOW Power to the people

“We are breaking up that view and showing that some people are really inspired by their personal experiences when seeking to create something that is unique.”

their natural habitat say so much more about society than surroundings made for tourists. The need for something original and genuine is great.” SEEKING THE UNUSUAL The focus is on how a home evolves in line with personal development, views of life and interests of the inhabitants. The islanders featured, see their home as an extension of themselves and use multiple elements to create their own world. These are people who

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Issue five 29

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+354 580 5400 • main@re.is • www.flybus.is • www.re.is

PARTYING IN REYKJAVIK ISLANDERS.IS

BOOZE IT UP ON A BUDGET Going to Reykjavik? Congratulations, you are on your way to the northernmost capital of the world. While Iceland may be known for its amazing untouched nature, Reykja vik is famous for its outstanding and vibrant nightlife, unlike anything else. by Apríl Harpa at Wake Up Reykjavík Photo: Julien Ratel

But here is a thing we feel you should know: Iceland has the 2nd highest alcohol tax in Europe. And for that reason, we usually go out late, hoping to save money on alcohol. Here are three tips on how to get into party mode in Reykjavik without breaking the bank!

STOCK UP AT THE DUTY FREE SHOP IN THE AIRPORT (or visit “Ríkið”) In Iceland, you won’t find alcohol at the local grocery store like in most countries. Instead, we have special liquor stores run by the government and these shops have very limited opening hours. The shops are named ÁTVR and called “Ríkið” (Ree-kith) by locals. To save a buck on alcohol, make a visit to one of these stores and stock up! Alcohol at Ríkið is way cheaper than what you’ll find at bars and restaurants! However, since you are just flying in, you should definitely stop by the Duty Free shop before you pick up your bags at Keflavik Airport. There’s a huge selection of Icelandic and international beverages there that are up to 75% cheaper than city prices!

have strong emotional bonds to their belongings, and seek the unusual where each object is carefully selected and is especially meaningful for the person. Sometimes they are things found while traveling or inherited from relatives, and sometimes they are designer items. “People go surprisingly unconventional ways when it comes to creating their homes. Some of the homes we visited were a pleasant surprise and proved to us that one should never judge a book by its cover.” ISLANDERS is off to a great start, and the girls have plenty more on the agenda: “Next up is leaving the country and visiting Icelanders that live abroad. We would also love to get more writers with different backgrounds in the art scene.

WOW Power to the people

Most of our guests are great art collectors, so we thought it would be a perfect idea to showcase art that is created for ISLANDERS and is available for people to explore and purchase through the site. We are also working on an online store with both Icelandic and foreign designer items. In some cases we will work with people in developing products especially for ISLANDERS. Finally, we plan on publishing our work in a collective book; hopefully sooner than later.” v

The project’s website: www.islanders.is is definitely worth checking out. ISLANDERS is also on Instagram.

DOWNLOAD THE HAPPY HOUR APP There are happy hours every single day at surprisingly many establishments around Reykjavik! We recommend you to download the Appy Hour app to hunt them down! The app is perfect for all budget traveling beer-seeking party-lovers! This little gem holds all info on daily happy hours in Reykjavik, so it’s perfect for saving a few Króna and finding awesome new nightlife spots. The app is called Appy Hour and is available in both Google Play and iStore.

JOIN THE AWESOME REYKJAVIK BAR CRAWL At Wake Up Reykjavik, we have an amazing Reykjavik Bar Crawl that will definitely get you in the mood for a fun night out in Reykjavik. It’s the perfect introduction to the Reykjavik nightlife! In one “tour,” the walk includes tons of unique Icelandic drinks, a visit to all our favorite bars and a local’s insight into Reykjavik’s nightlife scene. You will also meet new friends from Iceland and around the world and get a VIP entry to the clubs—which can save you a lot of trouble! To learn more about the Bar Crawl go to www.WakeUpReykjavik.com.

So, partying in Iceland doesn’t have to break the bank. With some good planning, one can party on and on without going broke. Trust us; we do it all the time!

Issue five 31

THE POWER OF INTUITION

DISCOVERING THE SEA WITHIN Award winning producer and director Kristin Olafsdottir founded the production company called Klikk Productions in 2002 and has produced and directed documentaries, films and plays ever since. Kristin’s latest film, InnSæi, which she co-directed with Hrund Gunn steinsdóttir was world premiered in 30 cinemas in Germany in July and was still running there when this issue went to print. Photos: Ásta Kristjansdottir and from InnSæi

Over 25,000 people have seen InnSæi so far which is highly suc cessful for an Icelandic documentary abroad. “Hrund and I worked on this film for many years and it is very close to our hearts. The whole journey was such an intriguing and inspiring one for us and has changed us forever. You start with an idea and a concept but it will all take on a life of its own when you start meeting all these interesting and wise people on the way who share their knowledge and wisdom. Things will not be the same for us,” says Kristin. The reason behind InnSæi’s suc cess might be that here is a topic that touches most modern people: burn out, distraction and violence which have become an integral part of our culture, media and entertainment and has made us seriously disconnected from the natural world. “Hitting a wall, or experiencing burnout and how that can change your life, was the trigger to

WOW Power to the people

making our film. In the end, it opened up a world of possibilities and new ways of thinking that are explored in our film,” Kristin adds.

creativity. And that has to change.” It is an inspiring film. Hopefully it will change a few lives, perhaps it will change the world.

A WORLD OF HUGE POTENTIAL Kristin and Hrund met with world-re nowned thinkers, scientists, artists, academics and spiritual leaders who gave their insights on how to unlock the nature of InnSæi: a world of huge potential with a new vision, feelings, empathy and imagination—a world that today’s culture of stress and distraction is blocking our access to. “Innsæi is our hidden link in our modern society, something that has always been there but we seem to have lost in an age of distraction and stress,” Kristin explains. “We especially look at how InnSæi is withering away in today’s workplace and in the way we educate our children. We are getting too bureaucratic and systematic and have sponged out

DON’T MISS IT After premiering in Germany, InnSæi has been premiering in other countries as well, such as Austria, Switzerland and USA, an unusual set up for a documentary as they are usually only shown at festivals before being broad cast on television. Yava Films and Zeitgeist will distribute the film world wide. InnSæi was premiered in Iceland during the Reykjavik International Film Festival in the beginning of October, followed by a panel discussion. Already many have contacted Klikk Productions to share their experience of the film and their thoughts on the subject. “It’s our hope that it will be an awakening for people from all walks of life.” v

About the director Kristin Olafsdottir’s best-known works are Sunshine Boy by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson’s, Town of Runners by Jerry Rothwell and Ragnar Bragason’s feature films Parents and Children. She’s also produced with Vesturport; Love at the Lyric Hammersmith in 2008 and Romeo and Juliet at the Young Vic Theatre in London. Want to see it? Go to www.innsaei.is and find out more about the movie and where it’s screened.

Issue five 33

WOW AROUND THE WORLD

THE WOW SNAPTRAVELER ADVENTURES As one of only few airlines active on Snap chat, WOW air decided to do something different this summer and create more content for our friends and fans around the world, so we created the SnapTraveler program and asked people to apply. Four lucky SnapTravelers were selected to travel to WOW air’s destinations and upload fun videos and commentaries about their visits onto WOW air’s Snapchat account (wow-air). They’ve completed their travels and returned to their normal lives and now we’ve got three of them to tell us a little bit about their summer.

WOW Power to the people

NAILA ABBASOVA Naila Abbasova, aka Chief Adven turer, offered our Snapchat friends an amazing mixture of adventure, fashion inspiration and great tips during her SnapTravels. Naila comes from Azerbaijan but lives in London and before she started her summer of SnapTraveling she worked as a department manager at Selfridges. Over the course of four months, in the midst of exploring Iceland, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco, skydiving, zip-lining, surfing and doing plenty of other adventurous things, she managed to switch careers and get engaged. “Nothing can top off my summer of 2016 better than a big fat Azerbaijani-Belgian wedding in Spain, in 2017. I feel like I’m on this crazy awesome life rollercoaster, with my hands up, screaming my lungs out. This is exactly how my summer felt.” Naila’s new job is with Youtube. Say what? “Many people often ask me whether getting a job at Youtube, in the dreamy Google office in London, was easier because of being a SnapTraveler. I feel like my personal brand story as a Chief Adventurer, enhanced by the WOW SnapTraveler experience this summer, made where I am today a reality. It isn’t about just one or two trips, but about being able to layer your life’s adventures into a cohesive story that will capture the audience. Great storytelling matters, whether it is on Snapchat or in an interview setting.”

“Many people often ask me whether getting a job at Youtube, in the dreamy Google office in London, was easier because of being a SnapTraveler. I feel like my personal brand story as a Chief Adventurer, enhanced by the WOW SnapTraveler experience this summer, made where I am today a reality. It isn’t about just one or two trips, but about being able to layer your life’s adventures into a cohesive story that will capture the audience. Great storytelling matters, whether it is on Snapchat or in an interview setting.”

only offered to share a cab into DC but also invited me to her Georgetown house to have dinner with her and her husband. Lisbeth and I got along so well that we are going to work on a very special project together. It’s really exciting! “I held my own contest on the WOW air Snapchat account asking for the best story on my first day in DC. That’s how I got to meet my favorite twins: Sarah and Chellie, who took me up to the W Hotel rooftop, and while sipping on martinis, we spied on secret service officers located on top of the White House. My other absolute favorite part of Washington, D.C. was paddleboarding and kayaking on the Potomac at sunset. It’s a must! Also, being interviewed by The Washington Post was definitely a personal highlight! In LA, Naila invited two of her girlfriends to join her. “We rented a convertible, drove down the Pacific Coast Highway at sunset, took beautiful drone footage, surfed, ate famous black cod at Nobu and longboarded down Sunset Boulevard to the Pretty Woman soundtrack. We also went horseback riding in the Hollywood Hills. “If WOW air gave out an award for the longest and most elaborate message with suggestions of what to do in a city, Quinn from San Francisco would be the absolute

winner. I was so impressed with his extensive knowledge of the City on the Bay, I had to meet him! We went to the top of Twin Peaks for the best views, which was followed by an adventure in the Castro District. My itinerary included cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, a seaplane around the city, a tour of Alcatraz and a Napa Valley wine tour. FOLLOW UP ON CHIEF ADVENTURER Some would say Naila is lucky but she actually gives a lot of credit to the Facebook algorithm that recommended the article about the SnapTraveler program to her. “I think it’s part luck and part taking a chance—bookmarking a page and committing to applying. I’m more of a ‘take a chance’ kind of gal, than the ‘lucky’ kind. “When I stop and think about my summer, this all would have been impossible had I not taken that chance and applied for the program, just like 1 1⁄2 years ago, I took a chance by moving to London from Toronto. WOW air turned out to be my lucky charm!” Naila’s journey continues on her YouTube channel: Chief Adventurer. If you’re up for an adventure, go subscribe and let her know that you came over through this article. v

CHIEF ADVENTURER’S MOST UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS “When it comes to storytelling, WOW air did something quite risky. It gave us the complete freedom in being... us! We had no limitations of how many snaps to take, how to take them, where to take them and who to take them with—this was the best part! Building my own itinerary was also amazing. I think I had the most packed and adventurous itinerary out of all the SnapTravelers. You try jumping out of a plane while snapping!” When asked about her favorite moments while traveling this summer, Naila tells us about some of the incredible and inspirational people she met. “The WOW air team, that is like my extended family now, they’re very well aware of my addiction to WOW air cheese pizza and Kropp chocolate. So much so, they now greet me with Kropp during boarding. My neighbor on the Keflavik-Baltimore flight—Lisbeth, not Issue five 35

WOW AROUND THE WORLD

DAVE KEYSTONE Dave, aka Uncle Dave, lives in Toronto, Canada and we immedia tely fell for his funny rants and quick pace. Dave is a television host and con tent producer and also does stand-up comedy. Just after being selected for the SnapTraveler program, he told us he was hoping to visit Copenhagen. Dave got his wish fulfilled and in addition he visited Barcelona, Berlin and, of course, Iceland. “I think it’s safe to say that Copenhagen was my favorite city. It’s one of those cities that is hard to leave. The beautiful canals, the friendly people, the amazing food, the bike culture, the entire city is so perfectly aligned with the type of lifestyle that resonates with me. It’s laid back, it’s friendly, it’s beautiful; I recommend it to everyone. In fact, I’m jealous of my fellow SnapTraveler Phil Waukee, because he lives and works there and as for me I’m determined to get back.” “What really stood out for me this summer, personally, is that PEOPLE make the place. From the WOW air at tendants, staff and pilots, to the friends I made in every city—it was the PEOPLE who helped bring my summer travels to life. People make the place. Part of being a SnapTraveler was deal ing with fans. “The fans on the WOW air Snap account also made the summer amazing. They would keep me company, they would advise me of what to do and see in the cities I visited and on occa sion, we would even meet in person. The Snap fans who joined my personal account (DaveKeystone) continue to keep me entertained, and remain with me on this exciting journey of life. In my mind, my SnapChannel, is now my own personal travel reality show. The Uncle Dave Show! UNCLE DAVE’S MOST UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS “The WOW air SnapTraveler experience was a once in a lifetime adventure that I feel blessed to have had,” says Dave. “Not only was traveling with WOW air an excellent experience, the cities, attractions and people I was fortunate enough to encounter along the way created memories to last a lifetime.” “Snowmobiling across a glacier in Iceland with the other SnapTravelers and the WOW air team was the highlight of the summer, and one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It was something I would recommend to anyone visiting Iceland—A MUST DO! “I’ll never forget the beautiful views

WOW Power to the people

out the airplane window, specifically, flying over Greenland and Iceland. And I’ll never forget the amazing people I met along the way. I’ll never forget my summer as a WOW SnapTraveler. Dave’s go-to WOW air meal: Turkey sandwich, tomato soup and Icelandic chocolate FOLLOW UP ON UNCLE DAVE Dave says that the WOW SnapTraveler experience helped him amplify his own Snapchat account and extend his job as a television host and digital content

What really stood out for me this summer, personally, is that PEOPLE make the place. From the WOW air attendants, staff and pilots, to the friends I made in every city—it was the PEOPLE who helped bring my summer travels to life.”

host and producer, to now “Professional Snapchatter.” “I’m looking forward to seeing what I can build on this platform.” “I would love it if people would check out my personal Snapchat account (DaveKeystone), enjoy my Youtube channel (youtube.com/DaveKeystone), and check out my web series, Kids On (youtube.com/CanoodleContent),” Dave says. He would love for people to connect with him on all social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) @ DaveKeystone. Dave can also be reached via email at Dave@DaveKeystone.com. v

PHILIP CALVERT Philip Calvert, aka PhilWau kee, lives in Copenhagen but is originally from the United States. Before he started his SnapTravels he told us that any of WOW air’s 28 destinations was his dream and we sent him to Edinburgh, Montreal, Boston and Iceland. After a summer of traveling he now has a favorite. “Edinburgh was the best! I don’t know if it was because I got lucky with great weather or if it was my beautiful kilt. Scotland is full of culture and whenever I travel to a different country I make it my duty to ‘Phil the culture’” We’ll admit, Phil really rocked that kilt! “In every city, somebody recog nized me while walking around snapping. Recently, I even got recognized at Oktoberfest in Munich as a SnapTraveler. Overall, the people reaching out to me during my SnapTravels have been either inspired to travel more or just giving LOL’s or some kind of

laughter emoji. I try to promote positivity when I’m snapping and it’s the best when people following you reach out with positive feedback.” PHILWAUKEE’S MOST UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS The most memorable moment was in Iceland. That snowmobile ride on the glacier summed up life... We started with wind, rain and snow, but ended the snowmobile ride with the sun shining ever so bright. It was perfect and a perfect parallel to life. FOLLOW UP ON PHILWAUKEE “Being a SnapTraveler has defini tely changed my life. I’m currently working with other brands and travel to promote their product. I’ve also been on the road, travel ing ever since I left my last WOW destination. If things go as plann ed, I’ll be on the road until 2017. I’m

closer to my dreams!” If you want see Phil live out those dreams, follow PhilWaukee on Snapchat (Philwaukee). v

THIS IS IT 2016 WELCOME

WHALE WATCHING • HÚSAVÍK • ICELAND

Visit The Gentle Giants

up north in Húsavík – The Whale Watching Capital of Iceland “Amazing customer service ” September 21st 2016 Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go on the tour with Gentle Giants, because I had to return to the US for a family emergency. The staff at Gentle Giants was sympathetic and immediately offered to refund my money, even on a short notice cancellation.

LS ALS INA IGIN RIG OR EO TTH HE

I will absolutely rebook with them when I return to Iceland to finish my trip.

“surpassed our expectations” September 21st 2016 We decided to attend whale watching trip and it was for us one of the best experience in Iceland. We saw lot of big whales from short distance for more then one hour because captain, still moved boat and try to followed movements of whales. Our guide Daniel González was perfect. He reacted really fast and show lot of whales, so we could see whales. He also predicted and knew when the whales is going to breathe to the surface, so we could see whole whale. Guide´s (Daniel´s) knowledge about nature is huge and scientific. He spoke about whales with passion and let us knew lot of interesting detailes. He also answered plenty of question from visitors. I think his work is huge additional value in whale watching trip. We were satisfied with this trip and its surpassed our expectations. Akureyri

150 YEARS OF FAMILY HISTORY IN THE BAY

Húsavík

Reykjavík

Tel. +354 464 1500 · www.gentlegiants.is · info@gentlegiants.is HÚSAVÍK

MEMBER OF ICEWHALE – THE ICELANDIC WHALE WATCHING ASSOCIATION Issue five 37

TASTING ICELAND

EUROPE’S HIDDEN GEM Iceland, a mysterious land of fire and ice, Northern Lights, black sand beaches and incredible wild landscape, can make you feel like you’re on a different planet. For many internationals, Iceland is still largely unknown, yet due to its breathtaking sceneries, in recent years, Iceland transformed itself to the “it” place. Text and photos: Ania Neuman

WOW Power to the people

Iceland is a home to one of Europe’s largest glaciers and the world’s most active volcanoes with a population of over 300,000 inhabitants. Compared to other European countries, Iceland is one of the least populated and most peaceful countries in Europe. The island’s unique, untouched authentic landscape makes it highly appealing for adventure-seeking travelers. When thinking of Iceland, cuisine might not be the first thing that pops into your mind. Still you may be curious as to what

is the Icelandic cuisine. Many Icelandic traditions and cultural traits derive from Scandinavian influences, mainly Norwegi an, and that includes the cuisine. During my first trip to Reykjavik on March 2016, I decided to delve into it. LAMB AND ITS DIVERSITY Iceland’s isolated geographical position, and cold winter climate largely defined the cuisine of the country. Fish from the Northern Atlantic, lamb and dairy products are on top of the list.

When thinking of Iceland, cuisine might not be the first thing that pops into your mind.

Sheep is the most common farmed ani mal in Iceland. Being farmed in one of the purest mountain environments, drinking natural spring water, eating grass, moss, wildflowers and herbs, Icelandic lamb is tender and has a wonderful flavor. The first dish on my tasting list was the Icelandic meat soup called “Kjötsúpa,” a traditional lamb soup of a brownish color, consisting of potatoes, carrots, rutabagas and pieces of lamb cooked for a couple of hours. The Icelandic meat soup can be ordered at Café Loki, a restaurant which Issue five 39

specializes in traditional Icelandic food, across the road from Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland’s tallest church. At Café Loki, the Icelandic meat soup may be served with a dark rye bread, with a lamb paté giving internationals a unique experience in tasting lamb, presented in such various ways. The soup itself was really tasty, wellseasoned and ideal on a cold winter’s day. After an intensive day of sightseeing around the Golden Circle and its most popular attractions such as the Thing vellir National Park, Gullfoss and Geysir, it was great to end the day with a filling dinner. A restaurant called Matur og Drykkur by the Reykjavik harbor offers old, traditional Icelandic dishes with a modern twist, in a wooden décor, and a Viking-like atmosphere. Smoked lamb, aka “hangikjöt” was a completely new experience for me. Thin slices of this crispy lamb served with buttermilk and nutmeg was absolutely delicious. Fried tender lamb, from an organic farm, for the main course, served with cabbage and kale grown indigenously, showcased some of Iceland’s authentic food fare. STREET FOOD The one food that Icelanders seem very passionate about is the Icelandic hot dog, and in particular, the hot dog sold at the “Bæjarins Beztu” hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik. In 2006 The Guardian rated it as the best hot dog in town. The uniqueness of the Icelandic hot dog is rooted in its flavor and consistency. The hot dog consists of a lightly smoked pork and lamb sausage is kept in the hot dog water mixed with beer or pilsner, and is served in a bun with ketchup, mustard, remoulade (relish and mayo sauce), and both fried and fresh white onions. Icelandic hot dogs differ in taste from their European coun terparts because the sausage is largely made of a free-range lamb; the crispy onions add an extra crunch. Customers have been queuing in front of Reykjavik’s hot dog stand for decades, to enjoy this authentic flavor, even Bill Clinton, USA’s former President, took the opportunity to try it himself. To eat a hot dog like a true Icelander, I had “one with everything.” SUSTAINABLE FISHING AND FISHERIES For centuries, fishing has been a vital part of Icelandic history and culture. It has been the country’s leading export product, and a key part of local dishes. Icelanders understand fishing. Hence the standards for sustainable fisheries are so austere. Fish farmers farm fish in eco-friendly salt water tanks without any chemicals and due to the climatic privileges, Icelanders’ produce some of the world’s purest foods. Iceland’s local conservation and environ mental laws protect the coastal waters from pollution. To guarantee the best fish

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quality, Icelandic fish is freshly frozen at sea and shipped to consumers. One certainly cannot leave Iceland with out eating its freshly caught fish available in a majority of eateries in Reykjavik. Cod and haddock are particularly abundant, and their lean meat has a slightly sweeter taste. SWEET ICELAND For anyone with a sweet tooth, Kleinur, traditional Icelandic twisted donuts, will do the trick. Unlike a circular European donut, Kleinur have a twisted and a crunchy exterior and are perfect when combined with a cup of coffee. Restaurants often tend to coat Kleinur with sugar or serve with caramelized whey, which adds an extra layer of sweetness. These golden

“The one food that Icelanders seem very passionate about is the Icelandic hot dog, and in particular, the hot dog sold at the “Bæjarins Beztu” hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik.”

twists have a tallow flavor and are a really enjoyable treat. This Icelandic culinary experience opened my eyes to a new adventure that beckons me to discover more. Icelandic cuisine also includes a variety of less prominent dishes, like puffin, horse or shark, which are rather unusual in other parts of the world. The chemical free, organic food, certainly inspired me to come back for seconds. Sooner or later, I will be back, picking up where I left off, expanding my degustation list and continuing one of my best European trips. v

Looking for good eats in Iceland? Check out our recommended restaurants (pgs. 53-67) or go to tours. wowair.com to book a real food tour of Reykjavik.

Issue five 41

THE LOVEABLE ROUGES

ICELANDIC HISTORY IN A HURRY History has the misfortune of being considered boring and irrelevant to contemporary matters and concerns. Countless shows have riffed on this idea by saying, “Why learn about something that already happened—it doesn’t matter.” But like every nation on this Earth, Iceland cannot be divorced from its twisted, dark and bloody history. by Marvin Lee Dupree Photos: iStockphoto.com

Many believe that national identi ties and characters are formed from social factors and create a psycho logical profile for nations—and this is often called geographical determinism. This jargon might not seem crucial but it helps clarify many Icelandic phras es and social mores. For example, the word “vertíð”, which can loosely be translated as fishing season, has a historical and social resonance with many Icelanders—it is not only about fishing but also about how Icelanders view work. But we’re drifting off topic, so for now let’s dive into the murky past of Iceland. THE FIRST ICELANDERS Before the settlement of Iceland, there was really nothing here except Arctic foxes, tundra and volcanoes. Seemingly some Irish monks were recorded as having made a brief visit to Iceland before being scared off by the Nordic hordes that eloped from Norway. A who’s who list of names includes the famous settler Leifur Eríksson who discovered North America way before Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World; other famous luminaries of this period include Auður “djúpúðga” Ketilsdóttir or Auður “The Deep Minded” who I descend from thirty-two generations back. Before these icons came to Iceland, however, there were a few other souls that strayed here and began the troublesome process of naming the country. In Landnáma or the Book of Settlements, the first settlers in Iceland were Naddoður, Garðar Svavarsson and Hrafna-Flóki.

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Before the settlement of Iceland, there was really nothing here except Arctic foxes, tundra and volcanoes. Seemingly some Irish monks were recorded as having made a brief visit to Iceland before being scared off by the Nordic hordes that eloped from Norway.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Naddoður, the first Viking explorer known to set foot in Iceland, came ashore in an area of the East Fjords now known as Reyðarfjörður, and it is claimed that he named the land he saw Snæland (or Snowland) due to the snow laden mountains that came into sight. Later the traveler Garðar Svavarsson came to this mystical place and gave it the remarkably unimaginative, or perhaps just amusingly narcissistic, name: Garðarshólmi, which translates into Garðar’s holm. Never-the-less, as the classic cliché goes: third time’s the charm. Luckily, Hrafna-Flóki (Raven

Flóki) arrived. As the story goes in what can be considered a very Biblical tale, Hrafna-Flóki released three ravens from his ship: the first one flew back to Norway whereas the second flew back to the ship, while the third raven flew in the direction of this wonderful island. Later Hrafna-Flóki, along with two of his buddies, would gift us with the name of Iceland. Unfortunately, it seems this newly named country did not leave a lasting impression on the now ravenless Flóki but to make Iceland more enticing, Flóki’s companion Þórólfur, adept in the PR department, cleverly declared this island to be a land of milk and honey.

Photo: iStockphoto / Dash_med

Proudly Making Iceland a Hot Destination. We could talk forever about how interesting our clean energy production at Hellisheidi is. But, instead, let’s see what some of our guests at the Geothermal Exhibition have to say on TripAdvisor: “A must see activity”, “Bucket List”, “... interactive and inspiring”, “Now I’m impressed!”

ENNEMM / SÍA /

N M 76 5 3 5

We hope to welcome you too on your trip to Iceland at the most powerful exhibition in the world.

Only 20 min. drive from Reykjavík. A perfect stop on your way to or from the city.

Issue five 43 The exhibition is open every day from 9am-5pm. Please direct any inquiries to exhibition@on.is Tel: (+354) 591 2880 www.onpower.is/exhibition

Guðríður Ósvífurs dóttir, the heroine of Laxdæla Saga, sums up this bloody period with the legendary quote “Þeim var ég verst er ég unni mest” —or roughly translated, “I was cruelest to those who were dearest to me.”

the misery of Icelanders who had already gone through a smallpox epidemic and numerous volcanic eruptions in previous years. As a result of the eruption, a quarter of the population sluffed off its mortal coil in the ensuing years and the livestock population was decimated. Commiserations on the mainland were sorely lacking and Denmark seems to have essentially written Iceland off anyway after years of extortion with their monopolistic practices. Fortunately, not all Danes were bad, for a brief interlude in the early 18th century we had a rebel Danish king or protector, Jörgen the Dog-Day King who declared Iceland to

Photo: iStockphoto / BirgitKorber

YOU CAME HERE—BUT WHY DID THE SETTLERS? Iceland is quite isolated and therefore you might wonder what its appeal might have been before the advent of modern amenities like electricity, hot water and telecommunication? What exactly was running through the mind of protoIcelanders when they first arrived here? Today much of Iceland presents a barren, unforgiving landscape, but when it was first settled, there were more trees (before the Icelanders chopped most of them up for hearth and home) and it was warmer then. So. what was the motivation for vent uring into this new unknown, you may ask? The soon to be Icelanders that fled Norway were as every child in Iceland knows: tax evaders. Yes, we are loveable rogues. Now the stage was set for the Sturlung Era of Iceland, which in two minutes or less makes the Battle of the Bastards in Game of Thrones seem like a playground tiff. In the Icelandic Sagas, it seems nobody was safe. Some women were widowed multiple times and Guðríður Ósvífursdóttir, the heroine of Laxdæla Saga, sums up this bloody period with the legendary quote “Þeim var ég verst er ég unni mest” —or roughly translated, “I was cruelest to those who were dearest to me.” With the constant blood feuds and battles, Icelanders sought out the assistance of the king of Norway, which led to the creation of the Old Covenant, thus making Iceland a part of a union with Norway.

Photo: iStockphoto / Leif Norman

THE TRULY DARK AGES Defeating England in the European Foot ball Championship was an astounding feat for this small island nation. First of all, after its golden era of saga writing and other cultural creations, there was

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a decline. This is the period that many consider the era when we became unhappy hobbits, living in the earth, starving and constantly cold in our turf houses. Admittedly, there is quite a bit of truth to this generalization. Because of the shift in the climate, Iceland became even more isolated; indeed, during this transitional period in Icelandic history, there were many intervals when Ice land’s climate became harsher and colder than when it was first settled. For example, there were times when ice surrounded the country, making travel difficult if not impossible. Although it is a bit of an oversimplifi cation, when you factor this in with the advent of the interference of the Danish Crown with Icelandic trade (that came later) and its insistence on establishing a monopoly (history books refer to this as The Danish-Icelandic Trade Monopoly), Iceland suffered greatly economically. Mercantilism was, without a doubt, not a good economic policy for Iceland. Being poor and underdeveloped, these ideas imported from Denmark shattered the already sickly economy, forcing the majority of Icelanders to live undignified lives in almost abject poverty. The low point of our history was perhaps when Henry the VII declined the offer made by Christian II to sell Iceland to the English Crown. MIST AND MISERY After Iceland had accepted Christianity in the year 1000, it went on with a humble existence for the next five-hundred years or so. In the period of the Reformation, Iceland like many other countries in Northern Europe was imbued with the ideas of Martin Luther (1483-1546) or rather had these views forced upon them. In 1550, the last Catholic priest lost his head, and the joke goes that half of the population is related to him. Understandably, Iceland at first glance does not seem to have contributed much to world history during this period. However, this is far from the truth be cause in 1783, Lakagígar erupted—it did not create any memes or annoy people all around Europe by delaying their flights like Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. Instead it produced the Mist Hardships (Móðuharðindin) which contributed to

A replica of a turf house in Skálholt. Photo: iStockphoto / dennisvdw

This photo actually depicts the recent Holuhraun eruption, no casualties or Mist Hardships followed. Photo: iStockphoto / GISBA

RElax - enjoy - experience

- Welcome TO Mývatnssveit www.jardbodin.is · phone +354 464 4411 · info@jardbodin.is

Issue five 45

Photo: iStockphoto / bluejayphoto

There are two semi nal dates in the 20th century for Iceland; the first one is Dec ember 1, 1918, when Iceland became a sovereign state with its own flag while still being part of a union with the Danish Crown.

be independent(ish). Essentially, he just wanted to profit off the state of affairs, notably the monopoly. As for the rest of the Europe, severe weather extremes followed for almost a decade. Along with the effects of the Mist Hardship it caused both starvation and unrest, and according to many, the French Revolution. During this period of our history, scholars such as Árni Magnússon managed to salvage our cultural heritage, keeping some calfskin manuscripts from being used for less scholarly practices in the turf houses. Students like Jónas Hallgrímsson and Grímur Thomsen would sail to Copenhagen and bring fresh ideas from the mainland via Copenhagen and infuse Icelanders with ideas of romanticism and nationalism, causing a revival in folklore and other aspects of Icelandic culture. MODERNITY KNOCKS ON ICELAND’S DOOR There are two seminal dates in the 20th century for Iceland; the first one is Dec ember 1, 1918, when Iceland became a sovereign state with its own flag while still being part of a union with the Danish

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Crown. Elated with the development, many Icelanders began arguing about what kind of flag we should have. Much to the chagrin of history nerds, the first known flag, the cod-flag that Jörgen the Dog-Day King had designed for Iceland, was not utilized—instead, the less cool flag we currently use won out. Later on June 17, 1944, Icelanders, ever the rebellious, took advantage of Denmark’s preoccupation with World War II and formally founded the Republic of Iceland. While most countries suffered during the carnage of the World Wars, Iceland profited handsomely or, so to speak, finally caught a break. The trawler age arrived and with it Iceland raked in money from its fisheries. With the arrival of the American military, Icelanders flocked towards the capital to improve their standard of living. After the English attempted to brow beat Icelanders into submission over the extension of Iceland’s territorial limits and after all the legal mumbo jumbo dust was settled (at the cost of many English coastal towns), Iceland became wealthier. Still smarting from this defeat,

the English have to think, “Maybe we should have bought Iceland when we had the chance.” Also, the immense wealth that the American military brought by setting down roots in Iceland helped quickly modernize the country, and on top of that, after ratifying the EEA agreement, Iceland quickly became even more affluent and for a while was considered an economic miracle—that is until the now legendary economic meltdown. But now that tourism has surpassed the fisheries as the dominant economic pillar of Iceland, the financial burden has, in the main, lifted and one wonders what new and outstanding events will emerge from the icy climes of Iceland. v

A possible replica of Jörgen’s cod flag. Imagine if this was the national flag of Iceland! Illustration: Wikipedia.

Issue five 47

THE TURF HOUSES OF ICELAND

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A CULTURAL ICON Many items, designs or buildings have become symbols for the country associated with these products of human invention. Within the former lands of the Ottoman Empire, the fez is a reminder of its great heritage; and in the former Yugoslavian countries, it is their boisterous folk music. For Iceland, the turf house is an iconic emblem of Icelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past. by Marvin Lee Dupree Photos: Kristinn MagnĂşsson

Issue five 49

o point out this connection and its impact on the cultural memory, it is interesting to note what the famous television presenter, media celebrity and Icelandic nature’s number one ally, Ómar Ragnarsson said almost three decades ago. When the Leif Eiríksson Airport was inaugurated, Ragnarsson said: “Icelanders have finally left the turf houses.” But even though we have left them, turf houses are still an intrinsic part of Iceland’s culture since it is here where poems were written, and a national identity was formed and most importantly without them, there wouldn’t be any Icelanders today. SOME MISCONCEPTIONS Most Icelanders are only 2-4 generations away from inhabiting these turf houses. In fact, in 1914 over half of Icelanders still lived in them and for centuries these humble buildings provided both home and hearth with the requisite shelter from the cruel elements that nature devised in the North Atlantic. In Icelandic there is a derogatory say ing often used to indicate someone is backward or a tad too folksy: “Oh, he or she still lives in a turf house.” What is implied is the stereotypical image of a backward Icelander that once lived in turf house, pickled all his food, wore sheep skin shoes and tried to keep warm in his turf house by taking a calf or sheep into the “baðstofa” (main living area) for heat. While there is truth in this, turf houses were far from uniform since their design depended on your social class; for example, many of the remaining ones are more representative of those that belonged to people on lower rungs of society, whereas homes of the gentry or chieftains have not been as wellpreserved. In some cases, there is textual evidence or sketches. More importantly, most turf houses were in constant de

velopment or were restructured to fit the needs of their inhabitants. The building methods also varied depending on the regi on and availability of materials. ARRIVAL OF THE TURF HOUSE The settlers that came to Iceland brought with them the building traditions of their native land which meant longhouses that usually consisted of one long or large room. These homes were usually made of wooden planks, had reed or straw thatches and an open hearth, usually in the middle of the room. On both sides of the accommodation there were sleeping benches or platforms, which were also utilized as sitting areas. In Iceland, there was never an abundance of trees so the majority of timber had to be imported, ironically from Norway in many cases, which was quite expensive. Because of that, the settlers had to make due with what was available: the earth. Nonetheless, the interior of many turf houses had timber scaffolding or support depending on the type of structure. In some cases, driftwood was used. However, during the two centuries of Danish commercial monopoly from 1602 until 1787, timber became even more expensive, so most likely many homes would eventually “cave in” and thereby leave scant traces of their previous existence. MAKE ROOM In the 12th century, the building style de veloped and extra living spaces were added such as a communal space and a cooking area. One of the most famous examples of this is on display at the farmhouse Stöng in Þjórársdalur Valley. There you can see a conjectural reconstruction of the farmstead, which was excavated by archaeologists in 1939. Unfortunately for the settlers, Mt Hekla erupted in 1104 and destroyed their homes but also preserved

Most of the turf houses from the beginning of Iceland’s settle ment until the 20th century utilized an assortment of peat, dirt, stones and timber.

them for posterity. The Commonwealth Farm in Þjórsárdalur is, therefore, based on Stöng and was constructed to celebrate the 1100 anniversary of Iceland’s settlement. It is crucial to remember that even though Stöng is a remarkably well-preserved example of an early medieval farmhouse, it is only representative of how a chieftain lived during the Age of Settlement. Gaukur Trandilsson, who lived at Stöng was a famous Icelandic chieftain with an Icelandic saga (now lost) attributed to him. If you visit this historical place, it is interesting to compare its layout to an 18th-century turf house. In the book, The Natural History of Iceland the scholar Niels Horrebow gives a detailed account of a more common dwelling. In this book he describes the “stofa” where the women worked wool and spun it, and did all the necessary tasks for the home. Within the “stofa” there is the bedchamber for the mistress and master of the house and a loft over it, where the children and servants sleep. In other areas or rooms, there would be a dairy pantry of sorts, the kitchen and a dining area, while there would also be space near the outer area for male servants or people that were passing between farms. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE TURF HOUSE After being passed to the Danes from the Norwegians, social customs began to change that included the building style of turf houses. One example of this is the farmhouse in Keldur, which also happens to be considered by scholars as the oldest example of a turf farmhouse. Written sources indicate that it was built in the 12th century and it includes a pantry and other rooms as well as an underground tunnel. The passageway is assumed to have been used during periods of strife which was basically almost every day during the Sturlung Era as blood feuds galore occurred all over the countryside. As mentioned above, due to the lack of timber and the high cost of importing the materials, turf house building in Iceland suffered tremendously. In many instances, people were crammed into the communal living area, which indicates why this became the era when living spaces called fjósbaðstofa (interior stalls) popped up. This area would often be directly underneath the main living area, and there the livestock were kept due to the warmth given off by the creatures. It wasn’t until the 20th century that heating with oil, coal or wood and burning stoves became commonplace. Before the homes were mainly heated with a hearth kitchen. Alternatively, if you lived in an area rich with peat or some woods, or if you were part of the aristocracy, then other options were available. As for lighting, it was mainly fish oil or tallow. BUILDING A TURF HOUSE Other reasons than those already mentioned, why, unlike our literary heritage Iceland’s building history in general is not well preserved is due to the organic nature of the building materials and because many of the buildings constructed were later altered and built upon and the foundational stones would be reused. Most of the turf houses from the beginning of Iceland’s settle ment until the 20th century utilized an assortment of peat, dirt, stones and timber. Traditionally, when building a turf house, it was crucial to dig into the soil and create the walls. The hole would need to be deep

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BREYTTUR TOLLKVÓTI OG MEIRI SVEIGJANLEIKI

DUTY FREE ALLOWANCES IN ARRIVAL STORE

6 1

einingar og þú raðar þeim saman eins og þú vilt. units of alcohol, any way you like it. eining = 25 cl af sterku áfengi eða 75 cl af léttvíni og léttum líkjörum eða 3 l af bjór, síder eða gosblöndum. unit = 25 cl strong spirits or 75 cl wine and aperitif or 3 l beer, cider and alcopop.

FYLLA TOLLKVÓTANN MEÐ EINUM VÖRUFLOKKI? ALL YOUR DUTY FREE ALLOWENCES FROM ONE CATEGORY? STERKT ÁFENGI SPIRITS 22—55%

LÉTTVÍN OG LÍKJÖRAR WINE AND APERITIF <22%

BJÓR, SÍDER OG GOSBLÖNDUR BEER, CIDER AND ALCOPOP

6 einingar/units – 1,5 l

6 einingar/units — 4,5 l (6 flöskur/bottles 75 cl)

6 einingar/units — 18 l (36 dósir/cans 50 cl)

TILLÖGUR AÐ SAMSETNINGUM MIX & MATCH SUGGESTIONS STERKT ÁFENGI

BJÓR, SÍDER OG GOSBLÖNDUR BEER, CIDER AND ALCOPOP

SPIRITS 22—55% 1 FLASKA 1 BOTTLE

4 einingar/units — 1 l

STERKT ÁFENGI

4 einingar/units — 1 l

WINE AND APERITIF <22%

LÉTTVÍN OG LÉTTIR LÍKJÖRAR WINE AND APERITIF <22% T.D. 3 FLÖSKUR E.G. 3 BOTTLES

3 einingar/units — 75 cl

2 einingar/units — 50 cl

LÉTTVÍN OG LÉTTIR LÍKJÖRAR

SPIRITS 22—55% 1 FLASKA 1 BOTTLE

12 DÓSIR 12 CANS

T.D. 2 FLÖSKUR E.G. 2 BOTTLES

2 einingar/units — 75 cl

BJÓR, SÍDER OG GOSBLÖNDUR BEER, CIDER AND ALCOPOP

18 DÓSIR 18 CANS

3 einingar/units — 50 cl Issue five 51

enough to avoid frost, while the stones used were selected from the nearest environment and seldom polished. The stones used were often basalt and dolerite. When laying them down, Icelanders would place the dirt in between the peat and stones, so it functioned as insulation and support. The peat used for this process was usually procured during the spring before the grass began to sprout again and there were specific tools used to harvest it. WHERE TO SEE THEM Across Iceland, it is possible to see magnificent examples of turf homes and farmsteads. For instance, as previously mentioned the reconstructed Common wealth Farm of Stöng in Þjórsárdalur Valley is an important landmark. Other significant farmsteads definitely worth visiting are Glaumbær in Skagafjordur (North Iceland) and Bustarfell close to Vopnafjordur (Northeast Iceland).

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It wasn’t until the 20th century that heating with oil, coal or wood and burning stoves became commonplace. Before the homes were mainly heated with a hearth kitchen.

If you don’t want to leave town, you can visit a turf house in Reykjavík at the Árbæjarsafn Open Air Museum. Another place to go is the Icelandic Turf House Cultural Center in Selfoss, just a short drive from Reykjavik. At the Icelandic Turf House, you can see firsthand the tools used to cut out peat as well as explore the rich cultural heritage of the turf houses in the exhibition hall. To top it all off, you can have a culinary potpourri of Icelandic treats similar to previous times. No matter which turf house you visit, all of them display an integral part of Icelandic history, now also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Fortunately, many Icelanders have ceased to view turf houses as being cold, damp and detri mental to one’s health and have started to appreciate their aesthetic value and practical use of topology and landscape and you can too. v

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.

ituated at Skólavörðustígur 40 in Reykja vík, Kol Restaurant’s design concept is a mixture of warm modern Icelandic feel with international touche s 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 spaces with cozy leather couches and a variety of different 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. v

Kol Restaurant centers on the bar where the country’s best cocktail bar tenders serve craft cocktails from the best ingredients available and offer an ambitious cocktail list to begin and complete the dining experience.

KOL RESTAURANT Opening hours: Monday-Friday 11:30-23:00 / Saturday-Sunday 17:30-23:00 Issue five 53

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.

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 Mediterranean 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. v

VEGAMÓT Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 11:00 am - 1:00 am Fri-Sat:11:00 am - 4:00 am Sun: 11:00 am - 1:00 am

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

Promotion

Issue five 55

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.

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 tenderloin. If that’s not enough, choose from one of the 12 kinds of milkshakes to go with it.

“Careful man, there’s a beverage here!” Jeffrey ‘the Dude’ Lebowski, the protagonist of the Coen brother’s comedy, is renowned for his penchant for ‘White Russians’ – vodka based cocktails featuring coffee liqueurs and cream or milk. The Lebowski Bar has taken this now-iconic drink to a new level, offering an astounding 18 varieties of White Russian, along with an extensive bar list.

Bowling at the bar 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. v

Try their amazing burgers, there’s cheese, bacon, a béarn aise 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 - Opening hours: 11:00 – 01:00 Sun-Thurs and 11:00 – 04:00 Fri/Sat

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Promotion

Bar Ananas & SmakkBarinn Klapparstigur 38 101 Reykjavik E-mail: bookings@barco.is Tel: +354 774 4 404

A taste of summer Whatever the season, you can count on it being summer at Bar Ananas and just to make things even more interesting, they’re now offering a brand new tapas experience in a cozy establishment downstairs called SmakkBarinn.

eel the beach in the snow! Or at least have a little flashback while drinking cocktails with pineapple. Yup, it’s a beach bar in Iceland! A tropical theme designed to conquer over the cold winter. How COOL… WARM! is that? So when you don’t feel like doing that northern lights tour or going with all the other tourists into the Blue Lagoon, you can always check out the happy hour at Bar Ananas. Drink some cocktails and have the surroundings constantly reminding you of warm weather and the beach. Unique in Iceland because nobody thought it would work – well, they’ve all been proven wrong. Bar Ananas is a popular spot on the Reykjavik nightlife scene with cool DJ’s all the time. Below is a restaurant called SmakkBarinn which serves Icelandic tapas. You can even order from them and eat it at the beach. No reason to give up a good tan!

SmakkBarinn A cozy place in the heart of Reykjavík, Smakk Barinn and Bar Ananas are just a short walk from Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street. SmakkBarinn offers tapas in jars and it’s all Ice landic with many cool combinations of food to try out. For the sake of variety, their menu changes all the time. Eating at SmakkBarinn is one thrill after another; you can taste everything on the menu without having to sell your car. All their tapas dishes are presented in jars perfect both for dining out and also just for getting a snack with some friends and still come out happy you didn’t spend a fortune on a whole meal. The next best part is the beer… Oh yeah! You can taste that too in jars. Whatever you decide to do in Iceland, you might want to try out some Icelandic tapas and party the night away at Iceland’s all season beach bar. v

SmakkBarinn offers tapas in jars and it’s all Icelandic with many cool combinations of food to try out. For the sake of variety, their menu changes all the time. Eating at SmakkBarinn is one thrill after another; you can taste everything on the menu without having to sell your car.

You’ll find both Bar Ananas and SmakkBarinn on Facebook Issue five 57

Promotion

Hressingarskálinn Austurstræti 20 101 Reykjavik Tel: +354 561 2240 www.hresso.is 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.

itting down for a coffee has a magnetic eff ect on Iceland’s most talented artists 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 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

HRESSINGARSKÁLINN Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 9:00 am - 1:00 am Fri-Sat: 10:00 am - 4:30 am Sun: 9:00 am - 1:00 am

WOW Power to the people

disappointed. Hressingarskálinn is stylish and old at the same time, a history well preserved. Check out Hressingarskálinn for great prices and awesome fun! v

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 build ings (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.

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 Sakebarinn. 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. v

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 - 11:00 pm Issue five 59

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!

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 in cluding the famous Danish white beers, the darker more malt brews and of course the traditional and almost obligatory Tuborg and Carlsberg. 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”).

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

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 and Saturdays. Put your musical knowledge to the

DEN DANSKE KRO Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 14:00 – 01:00 and Fri-Sat 14:00 – 05:00

WOW Power to the people

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. v

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.

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. v

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.

KALDI BAR 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 I Issue five 61

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.

he fishing industry still thrives in Reykjavik, 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. v

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

WOW Power to the people

s 1’sty ’ d n a l e Ic ewer Microb&r Bistro

Our dockside bistro. Our bistro offers the freshest seafood and gourmet delights, the bistro presents a selection of superb dishes focusing naturally on fresh seafood, great steaks and vegeterian delights for a memorable lunch or evening feast.

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ata

Live Jazz Join the locals for an evening of world class jazz in our beautiful brewery room.

Daily at 13:00 & 17:00 - Price: 2.900 kr.-

Sundays at 20:00 - Entrance is FREE

rðu

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Brewery Tour A 20-30 minute introduction to our brewery including a tasting platter of our freshly brewed beers.

REYKJAVÍK HARBOUR

Issue five 63

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.

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 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

REYKJAVIK FISH Opening hours: 11 AM to 10:30 PM

WOW Power to the people

alike. When you come to Reykjavík and would like to try a nice fish and chips just look for the big red door. v

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.

LOFTIÐ // AUSTURSTRÆTI 9 // SECOND FLOOR FACEBOOK.COM/LOFTIDBAR

Promotion

VON mathús and bar Strandgata 75 220 Hafnarfjordur Tel: +354 583 6000 E-mail: info@vonmathus.is www.vonmathus.is

VON mathús The idea to open VON mathús could be attributed to Einar Hjaltason and Kristjana Þura Berþórsdóttir’s enthusiasm and passion to realize their dream, but location and the demand for a diverse and local food culture, also played a big part in their decision. VON mathús emphasizes seasonal Icelandic cuisine combined with ingredients that complement the each dish perfectly.

Acclaimed chef Einar Hjaltason, acclaimed and experienced chef studied at Grillið, in Hótel Saga, one of the finest dining establishments in Iceland. He also took part in the opening of the Sjávargrillið restaurant. In 2012 he set his sights on England where he facilit ated in the opening of a new fine dining restaurant by the name of Dabbous, which, only eight months after opening, received a Michelin Star. After returning to Iceland, he became a head chef at KOL restaurant on Skólavörðustígur, where he recently resigned to focus on opening VON mathús. Kristjana Þura, managing partner at VON, is born and raised in Hafnafjörður and has extensive knowledge in the restaurant- and the hotel sector of the service industry, having spent the last ten years working in both.

Homey atmosphere In 2013, when the couple discovered their first

child was on the way, it was as if Hafnafjörður called out to the young family. Shortly before the arrival of their daughter in early 2014, they’d al ready settled in. VON actually means “hope” and the family now hopes to make their mark on the food and restaurant culture in this “town in the lava.” They felt that VON was especially appropriate for the optimism that is ever present in this port town. Einar and Kristjana associate “hope“ with “fresh and healthy,“ hence they place a heavy emphasis on seafood- and sea-based ingredients and strive to use only the freshest ingredients in their dishes. The fundamental concept of VON mathús is that there is always a homey atmosphere where personal comfort and professional service are interwoven. Their hope is that this combination along with consistently great food will make every customer satisfied and delighted whenever they dine at their establishment. v

The fundamental concept of VON mathús is that there is always a homey atmosphere where personal comfort and professional service are interwoven.

VON MATHÚS AND BAR Opening hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays: 11:30-22:00 Fridays-Saturdays: 11:30-23:00 Sundays: 11:30-14:00 Mondays: Closed Happy Hour: 16:00-18:00

WOW Power to the people

Montreal Toronto Boston New York San Francisco

Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles

Miami

CO N N EC T I N G T H E CO N T I N E N T S

WOW I S IN THE AIR!

WOW Power to the people

Reykjavik

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London

Dublin

Berlin Amsterdam

Bristol Paris

Warsaw

DĂźsseldorf Frankfurt Salzburg Milan

Lyon Barcelona Alicante

Tenerife Gran Canaria

wowair.com

Issue five 69

WOW DESIGN

WOW Power to the people

FROM THE GROUND UP by Gerður Harðardóttir Photos: Fernando Laposse

Riding atop the current down-to-earth-farm-to-table trend, handmade ceramics are in hot demand these days. Turning our back on factory-produced perfection, we are increasingly acquiring tactile and often charmingly imperfect vases and dinnerware that feed into our burgeoning need for something unique, warm and cozy to contradict our current high tech, fast forward lifestyle. London-based product designer Theodora Alfredsdottir has created an exclusive handmade dining set for two, named “From the Ground Up”, founded on the abundant rock-forming mineral feldspar that makes up around 60% of the Earth’s crust. Feldspar is also a common raw material used to pro duce many of our most familiar objects and materials within the home, such as glassware, rubber, paint and tiles. v

For more info on From the Ground Up go to Theodora’s website: theodoraalfredsdottir.com.

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 71

REYKJAVÍK CATHEDRAL

A POSTCLASSICAL SHRINE TO HEAVEN In downtown Reykjavík, the Reykjavík Lutheran Cathedral (Dómkirkjan) stands next to the Parliament House and the city’s main square, Austurvöllur. The cathedral is rich in history and in an aesthetic sense. by Svava Jónsdóttir Photos: iStockphoto.com / Bernhard Richter

WOW Power to the people

The Icelandic Nobel Prize winner, Halldór Laxness, says at the beginning of his novel Iceland’s Bell (Íslandsklukkan) that once upon a time the Icelandic nation only had one common property: A bell. That bell, according to the novel, hung by a house in Þingvellir. If you don’t already know it, Þingvellir is a national park in Iceland where the Icelandic parliament, Alþingi, was established in 930 AD. TRADITIONS THAT RING A BELL Traditions are good because they bond people together with those that practiced them in the past. In an age when the world seemed to be in black and white; at least as we imagine it, the tolling of the bell was one such tradition that penetrated in the hearts of the people. Today, the bell in the tower of the Reykjavík Cathedral peals for Icelanders and continues to reverberate for them as it did for their forebears. THE RISE AND MAINTENANCE OF REYKJAVIK’S CATHEDRAL Iceland became one diocese around the turn of the 18th century and it was considered necessary to build a cathedral in Reykjavík. In 1787, a group of Danish handicraftsmen came to work on a neoclassical style church by the Danish architect Andreas Kirkerup. The proceedings were slow because of their drunkenness—at least so they say. But at last, the cathedral was consecrated in 1796 and because of rotten wood the church was restored in 1817. The church was again reconstructed and enlarged in 1847-1848 in a postclassical style by Winstrup, a royal master-builder from Copenhagen. As before, Danes were employed for the task. The church fell into disrepair during the next decades because of a lack of maintenance which meant additional restoration in 1879 by an Icelandic carpenter. It’s worth mentioning that the National Museum, The National Library and the National Archives were housed in the loft until 1881 when they were moved to the Parliament House.

at the cathedral. After that the dean of the cathedral leads the members of parliament to the Parliament House. The cathedral also plays an important part in the inauguration of the President of Iceland. First, mass is held and then the president walks to the House of Parliament where he is sworn in. The Reykjavik Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Iceland and mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland. It’s also the parish church of the old city center and environs.

GIVING GOD THE GLORY The baptismal font in the cathedral that was put up in 1839 was made by Bertel Thorvaldsen, a Danish sculptor, who was, in fact, half Icelandic as his father was Gottskálk Þorvaldsson, an Icelander who’d settled in Denmark. The cathedral itself is also like a work of art. and adorned with neo-baroque decorations; the altarpiece was painted in 1847 by G. T. Wegener and the altar antependium was decorated in 1956 with a vine of gilded silver and Icelandic agate. If you don’t speak Icelandic, you may not want to attend mass but you might like to attend a concert. It has been said that listening to a concert at the Reykjavik Cathedral is like listening to music from heaven. v

SANCTIFYING THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT The Reykjavik Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Iceland and mother church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland. It’s also the parish church of the old city center and environs. As already mentioned, the cathedral stands next to the Parliament House and each session of parliament begins with mass

“The icelandic museum of rock 'n' roll is as eccentric in it's telling as the tale it celebrates” david fricke, rolling stone.

The museum is located in keflavík / 5 minutes from keflavik international airport. for more go to / rokksafn.is

Issue five 73

FAMILY OF FLYING OBJECTS

THE FLYING WOW FAMILY Unlike most airlines WOW air chooses the registration names of each aircraft very carefully and not according to standard practices of the alphabet. We like our registration names to be fun as they represent us in a big way. Every family is unique and the growing WOW family of Airbus aircraft is no exception. Take a look. Photos: Captain Arnar Rúnar Árnason

TF-WOW TF-WOW was the first aircraft registration name acquired by WOW air after being awarded the Air Operator’s Certificate in 2013. The aircraft which first bore this registration has now been returned but this November WOW air is registering a 2015 Airbus A330-300 aircraft to its AOC to pass on the proverbial torch. TF-WOW, who has been operated on behalf of WOW air under the registration EC-MIO since being added to the fleet early this summer, can seat up to 350 guests in a single class configuration and its main job is to take our guests to sunny California.

TF-MOM The second aircraft to get a WOW registration was TF-MOM. The 2014 Airbus A321-200 is the first aircraft bought and delivered to WOW air and one of only two officially named aircraft in the WOW fleet as she’s also known as Freyja after the Nordic goddess of love. WOW air had previously been made fun of because WOW upside down is MOM but we just went with it. Everyone loves their mom right? TF-MOM joined the WOW fleet in March 2015 and has been servicing the US East Coast and Europe ever since. TF-MOM can seat 200 guests in a single class configuration and has extra-long sharklets at the tip of her wings. Fancy right?

TF-DAD If you register a TF-MOM it goes without saying that you should have a TF-DAD too. Also known as Óðinn, the Nordic god of wisdom and travel, TF-DAD is a 2014 Airbus A321-200 and was delivered to WOW air at the same time as TF-MOM. TF-DAD, or Daddy, loves taking long flights to the US East Coast as well flying to Europe with up to 200 guests in a single class configuration. Today TF-DAD is the only WOW aircraft that’s not painted purple but it has the same impressive sharklets as TF-MOM.

TF-GMA This is TF-GMA, short for Grandma, but don’t let the name fool you, she’s a 2016, straight-out-of-the-box, Airbus A321-200. The brand new matriarch joined the WOW fleet at the end of May 2016 and has room for 220 guests in a single class configuration. Grandma also has extralong sharklets like Mom and Dad.

WOW Power to the people

Getting photos of all the WOW aircraft was no easy task but we’re lucky to have great pilots on board. One of them, Arnar Rúnar Árnason (to the right), was kind enough to let us dive into his personal photo archives of WOW aircraft which he’d snapped while flying around the world. He even volunteered to go to the airport on his day off to take more photos. Captain Árnason, thank you for your help. We salute you! With Cpt. Árnason on this photo are Hildigunnur Guðfinnsdóttir and first officer Haukur Örn Hauksson (far left). Issue five 75

FAMILY OF FLYING OBJECTS

TF-GAY TF-GAY is the out and proud member of the WOW family. A free spirit at heart, he visits San Francisco as often as he can, in between visits to Amsterdam and other cool and happening places around Europe. TF-GAY is a 2010, Airbus A330-300, wide-body aircraft, a truly efficient machine with seats for 342 guests and a flight range of over 6,000 nautical miles. TF-GAY was delivered to WOW air in June 2016.

TF-GPA Also a 2016, straight-out-of-the-box, Airbus A321-200 with extra-long sharklets, Grandpa joined the WOW fleet this June. Just like Grandma, Grandpa has room for 220 guests in a single class configuration. Together Grandma and Grandpa love visiting Canada and USA’s East Coast, it keeps them young!

GET YOUR DESIGNER BR ANDS TA X F R E E AT K E F L AV I K A I R P O R T

WOW Power to the people

TF-LUV It wouldn’t be a family without a whole lot of love, and that’s where TF-LUV comes into the picture. This self-acclaimed harbinger of love was registered to WOW air’s AOC at the beginning of October but has been operated by WOW air under the registration EC-MIN this summer. TF-LUV is a 2015 Airbus A330-300 wide-body aircraft with 350 seats in a single class configuration. Because TF-LUV cares so much about family, she also loves the environment and that’s why she, and the whole Airbus family actually, have increased fuel efficiency; they fly both cleaner and quieter.

TF-BRO

TF-SIS

The big brother, when it comes to age, but not size, TF-BRO is rather petite compared to the rest of the family, but he more than makes up for it with efficiency. Servicing WOW air since September of 2015, this hard working 2010 Airbus A320-200 aircraft has been carrying up to 174 guests to various destinations around Europe.

TF-BRO’s twin sister is similarly petite and, being a 2010 Airbus A320-200, also has that same efficient, no-nonsense character. TF-SIS and TF-BRO were delivered to WOW air at the same time in September 2015, and they’ve been hard at work in Europe ever since. Both have extensive weight-saving composites and an optimized wing that is 20 percent more efficient than previous designs.

TF-KID

TF-SON

Delivered to WOW air in February 2016, this 2013 Airbus A321200 aircraft has really done its job, decreasing the seat-mile costs while increasing the availability of seats to many of WOW air’s most popular European destinations. And because of her long range, she can also go all the way to the US East Coast or Canada if she wants.

TF-SON, like his sister TF-KID, is quite crafty offering the best seat-mile costs of any single-aisle aircraft and seating capacities comparable to that of a wide-body jetliner. Delivered to WOW air in March 2016, TF-SON, a 2013, Airbus A321-200 aircraft, is set up in a 200 seat, single class configuration. Great for both European flights and transatlantic flights between Europe and USA’s East Coast and Canada. TF-KID and TF-SON are missing the extra-long sharklets at the tip of their wings but that’s just because they’re still so young. They’ll grow eventually.

TECHNICAL INFO

Airbus A330-300 Max takeoff weight: 235,000 kg, Range: 11,750 km, Engines: 2xRR-Trent700, Cruising speed: Mach 0.82

Airbus A321-200 Max takeoff weight: 93,500 kg, Range: 7,400 km, Engines: 2xCFM-56, Cruising speed: Mach 0.78

Airbus A320-200 Max takeoff weight: 77,000 kg Range: 6,480 km Engines: 2xIAE-V2500 Cruising speed: Mach 0.78

Issue five 77

BASE HOTELHOSTEL AT ÁSBRÚ

STAY OVER

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASE The recently opened Base HotelHostel at Ásbrú is a budget accommodation conveniently located near Keflavik Airport on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Base HotelHostel is at a former NATO base used by the US Army until 2006. The hotel is located in two buildings where US Army families once resided and it embraces the 55-year history of the army’s presence in Iceland in its overall theme, with quirky little touches and photographs. “We looked to the area’s history and decided to create a positive concept revolving around that history. A big part of the design process was creating a warm, comfortable and fun space that could hold all the modern art that’s now on display. To add to the challenge, everything we did must be low-cost and to keep costs down we kept a lot of the furniture that was left in the house. A good example of that are the rocking chairs found in most rooms, which were used by the army families during the military’s stay in Iceland,” says Leifur Welding, hotel designer. PERFECT FOR STOPOVERS Base HotelHostel is perfect for short stopovers in Iceland and as a base for exploring the Reykjanes Peninsula and Southwest Iceland. The affordable rooms cater to all types of travelers. “Base Hotel has a lot to offer, the lone traveler

WOW Power to the people

just looking for a place to rest, the couple for a fun place to be, or the family needing more space. With our community kitchen, laundry room, TV lounges, library, game room, 24-hour reception and bar, and shuttle to and from the airport we try to meet everyone’s needs without abandoning our policy of being the most affordable accommodation in the area. The Base is not just a place to stay, it’s a place to live, even if it’s just for a few days,” says Base hotel manager Richard Eckard. At Base HotelHostel you’ll find hostelstyle dorm rooms for the extremely cost conscious, suites for the private but thrifty

Get comfortable and check out www.basehotel.is for more infor mation and booking.

and anything in between for everyone else who just like to stay within their budget but still get a good night’s rest. YOUR BASE IN ICELAND Because the Base HotelHostel is located close to Keflavik Airport a lot of precious time is saved on arrivals and departures for those on a brief WOW Stopover in Iceland. This affords guests more time to explore the Reykjanes Peninsula, a geologically young area displaying Iceland’s magnificent nature. From the Northern Lights to helicopter flights— whale watching to geothermal springs, the Reykjanes Peninsula’s got it all! v

Catch the bus to Reykjavík

from Keflavík International Airport Travel in Iceland the smart way Find your routes, plan your journey, locate the nearest bus stop and track your bus on a real-time map with the straeto-app.

Route 55 FLE–RVIK

REYKJANESBÆR 413

FLE 413

REYKJAVÍK 10

VOGAAFLEGGJARI 412

Get tickets at the 10-11 shop when you arrive, opposite where you exit customs. The bus stop is close to arrivals and is well marked. Tickets are also available on the bus. Issue five 79

bus.is

THE VATNAJÖKULL REGION

THE LAND OF ICE AND FIRE In the Region 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. In this region, you 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 Mt. Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest peak in Iceland and a popular hike. Photos: Þorvarður Árnason

The Vatnajökull Region is filled with contrasts with its black beaches, white glaciers, red hot volcanoes, green birch forest and blue Atlantic Ocean. Serenity, energy and the forces of nature combine to make a visit to the Region of Vatnajökull a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Wildlife is rich in the Region of Vatna jökull 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‘ll spot a seal at Jökulsárlón or an Arctic fox running through 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. PHOTOGRAPHERS PARADISE The Region of Vatnajökull in Southeast Iceland spans over 200 km of the Ring Road from Lómagnúpur in the west

Have you ever imagined looking inside a glacier? Wintertime offers this unique opportunity. A trip into the ice caves of Vatnajökull’s southern crawling glacier reveals a wonderous world of colors and refracted light providing a thrill for any photo enthusiast.

For more information go to www.visitvatnajokull.is

to Hvalnes Peninsula in the east. It covers the accessible southern side of Vatnajökull Glacier, an area particularly delightful to photography enthusiasts with its countless magnificent views of the glaciers and mountains both in day light as well as when dusk settles and the Aurora Borealis light up the sky. And the region has a wide range of experienced guides and photographers who can take you to the picture perfect spots! Have you ever imagined looking inside a glacier? Wintertime offers this unique opportunity. A trip into the ice caves of Vatnajökull’s southern crawling glacier reveals a wonderous world of colors and refracted light providing a thrill for any photo enthusiast. Local guides who know every crevice of the glacier seek out caves formed during the winter months and offer tours. Travelers should only go on such trips under their guidance. HÖFN—CULTURE AND CUISINE! The only town in the area, Höfn is a lively

fishing town with a population of 1,800. Höfn is additionally known as Ice land‘s one and only lobster capital with its complement of lovely restaurants offering this precious product as well as various other local specialties year round. Höfn is also a great base for exploring the magnificent landscape of Vatnajökull National Park, and be sure to drop by the park’s visitor center in the beautiful historical building, Gamlabúð, by the harbor. ACTIVITY, ACCOMMODATION AND RESTAURANTS Much of the activity in the Region of Vatnajökull revolves around the glacier and the nature around it. You can choose between glacier walks and ice climbing, a thrilling snowmobile ride on Vatnajökull or a comfortable tour of this mighty 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, a local mineral stone collection, the local handicraft store, the petting zoo at Hólmur and much more. There are various possibilities in accommodations and you’ll be sure to find a warm welcome by knowledgeable hosts. Several restaurants are in the area and most of them offer dishes made with local ingredients. Be sure to ask for the local beer Vatnajökull, brewed from icebergs from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the locally sourced Arctic thyme. ACCESSIBLE YEAR ROUND The Vatnajökull Region is well accessible all year due to good weather conditions and frequent transportation. Eagle Air has a daily flight from Reykjavík to Höfn Airport during the summertime and five days a week during other seasons. Buses between Reykjavík and Höfn (Strætó) are scheduled daily throughout the year. There are also three car rental companies in Höfn. v

WOW Power to the people

Issue five 81

s Declaration Fo

The U.S. Custom

This Space For Official Use Only

U.S. Cu

Customs Declaration

FORM APPROVED OMB NO.1651-0009

19 CFR 122.27, 148.12, 148.13, 148.110, 148.111, 1498; 31 CFR 5316

What is this and why do I need to fill this out? Before you arrive in the U.S., you will need to fill out the US Customs Declaration Form. If you‘re traveling with your family only the head of the family needs to fill out the form. When you arrive on US soil you will hand this form to the U.S. Customs agent. If you’re traveling with fruits we recommend disposing of them before or during your flight to the U.S. but what happens if you answer yes to any of the questions? It’s not as terrible as you might think and being truthful will save you a lot of trouble and a fine of up to $300. See page 90 for more information on answering YES.

Each arriving traveler or responsible family member must provide the following information (only ONE written declaration per family is required). The term "family" is defined as "members of a family residing in the same household who are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship, or adoption." 1 Family Name First (Given) 2 Birth date

MAGNUSSON HAKON Month 0 2

VALUR Year 8 0 2

Middle Day

1 7

3 Number of Family members traveling with you 4 (a) U.S. Street Address (hotel name/destination)

BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL 70 ROWES WHARF (c) State MA BOSTON Passport issued by (country) ICELAND Passport number A0182382 Country of Residence ICELAND FRANCE ~ SPAIN Countries visited on this (b) City

5 6 7 8

trip prior to U.S. arrival

9 Airline/Flight No. or Vessel Name

Français Le formulaire de déclaration en douane américaine

Qu’est-ce que c’est et pourquoi dois-je en remplir un ? FR: Avant votre arrivée aux États-Unis, vous devrez remplir le formulaire de déclaration en douane américaine. Si vous voyagez avec votre famille, seul le chef de famille doit le remplir. Lorsque vous arrivez sur le sol américain, vous donnez ce formulaire aux autorités douanières américaines. Si vous voyagez avec des fruits, nous vous recommandons de les jeter avant ou pendant votre vol vers les États-Unis mais que se passe-t-il si vous répondez « oui » à l’une de ces questions ? Ce n’est pas aussi terrible que ça en a l’air et dire la vérité vous évitera pas mal d’ennuis et une amende pouvant aller jusqu’à 300 $. Consultez la page 90 pour obtenir plus d’informations si vous répondez « OUI ».

WOW Power to the people

WW-125

10 The primary purpose of this trip is business:

Pour remplir ce formulaire, utilisez uniquement des majuscules. Si vous faites une erreur, notre personnel vous donnera un nouveau formulaire. Chaque voyageur entrant ou chef de famille entrant doit fournir les informations suivantes (UNE SEULE déclaration par famille) 1. Nom, Prénom, Initiale du deuxième prénom.

(a) fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, food, insects:

Yes

(b) meats, animals, animal/wildlife products:

Yes

(d) soil or have been on a farm/ranch/pasture:

Yes

12 I have (We have) been in close proximity of livestock: Yes

x x x x x

Yes

(such as touching or handling) 13 I am (We are) carrying currency or monetary instruments over $10,000 U.S. or foreign equivalent: (see definition of monetary instruments on reverse) 14 I have (We have) commercial merchandise:

(a) Adresse Aux États-Unis (Destination ou nom de l‘hôtel) (b) Ville (c) Etat

5. Lieu de délivrace du passeport (nom du pays) 6. Numéro de passeport 7. Pays de résidence

The tra the amo States of both) Custom Moneta bearer bonds. instrum file the carrying instrum prosecu YOU H MADE A

Descrip

(List may

(articles for sale, samples used for soliciting orders,

2. Date de naissance Jour/Mois/Année. 3. Nombre de personnes voyageant avec vous.

Yes

11 I am (We are) bringing

U.S. Cu United officers persona examin dignified Repres are ava Importa U.S. Re are Visitors rem Declare do Duty— en the of ab Agricul ag Fr bir de Cu W su Contro genera

or goods that are not considered personal effects)

15 RESIDENTS—the total value of all goods, including commercial merchandise I/we have purchased or acquired abroad, (including gifts for someone else but not items mailed to $ the U.S.) and am/are bringing to the U.S. is: VISITORS—the total value of all articles that will remain in the U.S., including commercial merchandise is:

0 0

Read the instructions on the back of this form. Space is provided to list all the items you must declare. I HAVE READ THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS FORM AND HAVE MADE A TRUTHFUL DECLARATION.

Hákon Valur Magnússon

Signature

01/26/2016

Date (month/day/year)

CBP Form 6059B (04/14)

PAPERW sponsor informati number this app commen Border P Washing

8. Pays visités pendant ce voyage avant l‘arrivée aux aux Etats-Unis 9. Ligne aérienne / numéro du vol / Nom de vaisseau 10. Vous vouages our raison d‘affaires: OUI/NON 11. Je suis / nous sommes porteurs de (a) fruits, plantes, produits alimentaires, insectes: OUI/NON (b) viandes, animoux, produits provenant d‘animaux ou d‘animoux sauvages: OUI/NON (c) agents pouvant causer des maladies, cultures cellulaires, escargots: OUI/NON (d) terre. J‘ai / Nous avons visité une exploitation agricole en dehors des Etats-Unis: OUI/NON 12. J‘ai / nous avons touché ou traité du bétail: OUI/NON 13. Je suis / nous sommes porteurs d‘espèces ou d‘instruments monétaires d‘une valeur équivalente en monnaie des États Unis ou de tout autre pays (Voir définition d‘instruments monétaire au verso) á plus de 10 000$ US: OUI/NON 14. Je suis / nous sommes en possession de marchandises commerciales (articles des tinés à la vente, échantillon de démonstration ou tout autre article autresque des effets personnels): OUI/NON 15. Résidents - la valeur totale des biens, y compris la marchandise commerciale, que j’ai/nous avons achetés ou acquis à l’étranger (y compris les cadeaux pour une autre personne, mais pas les articles envoyés aux États-Unis) et que je/ nous rapportons aux États-Unis est de : montant en USD Visiteurs - La valeur totale de tous les articles qui resteront aux États-Unis, y compris la marchandise commerciale est de : USD Signez sur la ligne pour déclarer que votre déclaration est véridique.

Deutsch Die US-amerikanische Zollerklärung

Was ist das und warum muss ich dieses Formular ausfüllen? GER: Vor der Ankunft in den USA müssen Sie das Formular der US-Zollerklärung ausfüllen. Wenn Sie mit Ihrer Familie unterwegs sind, braucht nur das Familienoberhaupt dieses Formular ausfüllen. Wenn Sie US-Boden betreten, übergeben Sie dieses Formular dem US-Zoll. Wenn Sie auf Ihrer Reise Obst mit sich führen, empfehlen wir Ihnen, dies vor oder während dem Flug in die USA zu entsorgen. Aber was geschieht, wenn Sie eine dieser Fragen mit Ja beantworten? Das ist nicht so schrecklich, wie Sie vielleicht denken, und Ehrlichkeit spart Ihnen eine Menge Ärger und eine mögliche Geldstrafe von bis zu 300$. Siehe Seite 90 für weitere Informationen zur Antwort JA.

Bitte verwenden Sie beim Ausfüllen dieses Formulars nur Großbuchstaben. Falls Sie einen Fehler machen wird Ihnen unsere Crew ein neues Formular geben. Jeder ankommende Reisende bzw. jedes verantwortliche Familienmitglied muss die folgenden Angaben machen (es ist pro Familie nur EINE schriftliche Erklärung erforderlich) 1. Familienname, Vorname, Zweiter Vorname 2. Geburtsdatum / Tag/Monat/Jahr 3. Anzahl der mit Ihnen reisenden Familienmitglieder 4.

(a) Adresse/genaue Anschrift in den USA (Name des Hotels/Reiseziel) (b) Stadt (c) Staat

11. Ich (wir) führen folgende Waren ein: (a) Früchte, Pflanzen, Lebensmittel, Insekten: JA/NEIN (b) Fleisch, Tiere, Tier- oder Wildprodukte: JA/NEIN (c) Krakheitserreger, Zellkulturen, Schnecken: JA/NEIN (d) Erde, oder waren Sie auf einem Bauernhof/einer Ranch/Weide: JA/NEIN 12. Ich war (wir waren) in unmittelbarer Nähe von Vieh/Nutztieren (z.B. Anfassen oder Umgang damit): JA/NEIN 13. Ich führe (wir führen) mehr als $US 10,000 in Bargeld oder Zahlungsmitteln oder den Gegenwert in anderen ausländischen Währungen mit (Siehe die Definition von Gegenstände zum persönlichen Gebrauch gelten): JA/NEIN 14. Ich führe (wir führen) kommerzielle Waren mit. (Verkaufsware, Muster zur Werbung von Aufträgen oder Artikel, die nicht als Gegenstände zum persönlichen Gebrauch gelten): JA/NEIN 15. US-Bürger - der Gesamtwert aller Waren, einschließlich Handelswaren die ich/wir erworben habe(n) oder im Ausland erworben habe(n) (einschließlich Geschenke für andere, nicht aber Sendungen in die USA) und in die USA einführe(n) lautet: Betrag in US-$ Besucher - der Gesamtwert aller Artikel einschließlich Handelswaren, die in den USA verbleiben ist: $ Auf der Linie unterschreiben, um zu erklären, dass Sie eine wahrheitsgemäße Erklärung abgeben.

5. Pass ausgestellt von (Land) 6. Passnummer 7. Ständiger Wohnsitz (Land) 8. Auf dieser Reise besuchte Länder vor Ihrer Ankunft in den USA 9. Fluggesellschaft/Flugnummer oder Name des Schiffes 10. Der Hauptanlass dieser Reise ist geschäftlich: JA/NEIN Issue five 83

s Declaration Fo

The U.S. Custom

What happens if you say “YES”? Sometimes we just want to avoid trouble and think that saying NO to everything will make things easier. That’s not the case and in fact, it can even cause more problems, delays and even fines. Be truthful on your Customs Declaration form and all will be good. Worst case scenario they’ll confiscate your banana but we promise you can buy a new one once you’re out of the airport. Yes to 11 (a), (b) or (c) Your customs officer will refer you to an agricultural specialist who will ask you additional questions and might ask to inspect your food items. In many cases, you’ll be allowed to take your food with you. This often depends on where you got the food and how it’s been processed. Fruits, vegetables and raw meats are usually confiscated. You can research ahead of time at canibringit.com which is a U.S. Government run site. Yes to 11 (d) and/or no. 12: An agricultural specialist will ask to inspect the soil or clothes, shoes or luggage that has been in contact with livestock or farm soil to determine if they contain any dangerous organisms. If they find potentially dangerous substances they will disinfect your items before allowing you to bring them in. For bringing soil into the US, you need a permit. Yes to no. 13 or 14: If you are carrying currency worth over $10,000 you will simply be given a special form to fill out for the Treasury Department. For items intended for sale, you should have already filed a “formal entry” before embarking on your journey. You could do so “on the spot” but these matters are subject to many rules and regulations and can be complicated.

Le formulaire de déclaration en douane américaine

Que se passe-t-il si vous répondez « OUI » ? Certaines personnes semblent penser que répondre « non » à toutes les réponses leur évitera des ennuis. Ce n’est pas le cas et en fait, cela peut même vous causer plus de problèmes, des retards et des amendes. Dites la vérité sur votre formulaire de déclaration en douane et tout ira bien. Dans le pire des cas, ils confisqueront votre banane mais promis, vous pourrez en acheter une nouvelle à votre arrivée à l’aéroport. Oui aux questions 11 (a), (b) ou (c) Votre agent douanier vous dirigera vers un spécialiste agricole qui vous posera des questions supplémentaires et qui pourra inspecter vos fruits. Dans de nombreux cas, vous sera autorisé à garder votre nourriture. Cela dépend souvent de la provenance la nourriture et de la façon dont elle a été transformée. Les fruits, les légumes et la viande crue sont généralement confisqués. Vous pouvez faire

WOW Power to the people

des recherches avant de partir sur le site canibright. com qui est un site du gouvernement américain. Oui aux questions 11 (d) et/ou 12 : Un spécialiste agricole inspectera la terre ou les vêtements, les chaussures ou les bagages qui ont été en contact avec du bétail ou le sol d’une ferme pour déterminer la présence d’organismes dangereux. S’il trouve des substances potentiellement dangereuses, il désinfectera vos objets avant de vous laisser les garder. Pour importer de la terre aux États-Unis, il vous faut un permis. Oui aux questions 13 ou 14 : Si vous transportez des devises d’une valeur supérieure à 10 000 $, vous devrez simplement remplir un formulaire spécial pour le ministère des finances. Pour les objets destinés à être vendus, vous devriez déjà avoir rempli un « formulaire d’entrée officielle » avant de prendre votre vol. Vous pouvez faire cela sur place mais ce genre de chose est soumis à de nombreuses règles et règlementations et peut être compliqué.

Die US-amerikanische Zollerklärung

Was passiert, wenn Sie JA sagen? Einige Leute nehmen an, dass sie keinerlei Ärger bekommen, wenn sie überall NEIN sagen. Das ist nicht so. Tatsächlich kann dies sogar mehr Probleme, Verzögerungen und sogar Geldbußen verursachen. Seien Sie bei Ihrer Zollerklärung ehrlich, und alles wird gut. Im schlimmsten Fall konfisziert man Ihre Banane, aber wir versprechen Ihnen, dass Sie sich eine neue kaufen können, sobald Sie den Flughafen verlassen haben. Ja zu 11 (a), (b) oder (c) Ihr Zollbeamter wird Sie an einen Spezialisten für landwirtschaftliche Produkte weiterverweisen, der Ihnen zusätzliche Fragen stellen wird und evtl. darum bittet, Ihre Lebensmittel inspizieren zu dürfen. In vielen Fällen wird man Ihnen erlauben, Ihr Essen mitzunehmen. Oft hängt es davon ab, wo Sie die Lebensmittel erworben haben und wie sie verarbeitet wurden. Obst, Gemüse und rohes Fleisch werden in der Regel beschlagnahmt. Sie können vor Abflug auf der Website der US-Regierung canibringit.com nachlesen, was erlaubt ist. Ja bei 11 (d) und/oder Nr. 12: Ein Spezialist für landwirtschaftliche Produkte wird Sie darum bitten, die Erde oder die Kleidung, Schuhe oder das Gepäck inspizieren zu dürfen, welche(s) in Kontakt mit Tieren oder landwirtschaftlichem Boden war, um zu bestimmen, ob diese gefährliche Organismen enthalten. Wenn er potenziell gefährliche Stoffe findet, werden Ihre Gegenstände desinfiziert, bevor Sie die Erlaubnis erhalten, diese einzuführen. Für das Einführen von Erde in die USA benötigen Sie eine Genehmigung. Ja bei Nr. 13 oder 14: Wenn Sie Bargeld im Wert von mehr als $10.000 mit sich führen, erhalten Sie einfach ein besonderes Formular, das Sie für das US Finanzministerium ausfüllen müssen. Für Gegenstände, die für den Verkauf vorgesehen sind, sollten Sie bereits vor Ihrer Abreise eine „formelle Einfuhrgenehmigung“ einholen. Sie tun könnten dies auch „vor Ort“ erledigen, aber diese Vorgänge unterliegen vielen Regeln und können sehr kompliziert sein. v

ALL rigths reserved E.F. original consept and design 201 6. © By Brynja Sverrisdóttir . PHOTOS BRIAN GRIFFIN

embracing faith by brynja sverrisdottir

Fine Silver & Gold Jewelry Line by

“From Places Where Angels and Elves Live in Harmony” Wolfgang Müller

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Your Perfect Day HILTON NORDICA

SAGA SHOP Issue five 85

SNÆFELLSJÖKULL Photograph by Brian Griffin, postcards available at The Little Coffeshop Sudurlandsvegur. Metal Art Unisex Jewels made in Italy and England. Design by Brynja Sverrisdottir.

A WOW guide

New York City’s street food We’re here to help you navigate New York’s plethora of on-the-go street food—that risky, well-worth-it leap all tried and true travelers must take when visiting a new city. In New York, particularly, what’s the best? Weirdest? Spiciest? From borough to borough, we’ve got you covered. by Krista Connor Photos: iStockphoto.com

NUTS 4 NUTS Multiple locations What began in 1989 with a single pushcart has turned into a one hundred-plus operation. Honey-roasted chestnuts, cashews and, of course, peanuts, are packaged freshly from the carts, and while you’ll have to battle long lines of tourists, it’s worth the wait. You’ll typically find carts at subway stops and bordering parks, and one is almost always at 5th Ave. & E. 72nd St. VERONICA’S KITCHEN Front St. & Pine St. Jerk chicken reigns supreme at this food truck, often served by its eponymous owner Veronica Julien herself. Fried fish, barbecue beef ribs, oxtail stew and more are also popular at this Financial District cart, all inspired by Veronica’s childhood in Trinidad. CALEXICO Multiple locations Fresh Cal-Mex food in New York City? Why not? This food truck empire is named after Calexico, a border town between California and Mexico, and celebrates and recreates the town’s cuisine. Tacos start at $3 and burritos go for $10. The original SoHo cart is at Prince & Wooster St., Manhattan, daily, with restaurants and other carts scattered throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. KWIK MEAL 45th St. & Sixth Ave. On the Sixth Ave. stretch, wafting scents of mari nated lamb and chicken over rice permeate the air. The street cart’s green sign has been a mainstay marker for years. It’s no wonder—the owner, Muhammed Rahman brought his skills from the illustrious Russian Tea Room on 150 W. 57th St., where he was the chef. NUCHAS Broadway between 44th and 45th Sts. Feast in the middle of Times Square on delicious options like empanadas stuffed with short rib or spicy chicken. Vegan or vegetarian? No problem. Rooted in centuries-old Latin American tradition— melded with international flavors, Nunchas has something for everyone. WAFELS & DINGES Multiple locations Considered one of the best Belgian waffle purvey ors in New York City, Wafels & Dinges has taken

WOW Power to the people

to the streets in food trucks, carts and has even established a café. Touting the phrase “All the world is a wafel and all of us are merely dinges,” the business is all about fun. Also, dinge seems to mean topping or add-on—ranging from Nutella to fruit to speculoos. The flagship café is on 15th Ave. B at 2nd St. THE HALAL GUYS 53rd St. & 6th Ave. For years, people have flocked to the original Middle Eastern Halal Guys cart for gyros, chicken and rice and more, always asking for extra portions of the famous secret white sauce. Now, with five carts scattered throughout the city, the Halal Guys are loved more than ever.

VAN LEEUWEN ICE CREAM Multiple locations What started in the kitchen of a Brooklyn apartment in 2007 has led to the opening of ice cream trucks and shops in New York City and Los Angeles, with pints available in some grocery stores, too. Made with just a handful of natural ingredients—fresh milk, cream, cane sugar and egg yolks—at its headquarters at Greenpoint, Brooklyn, vegan options are also available. Unconventional flavors include Earl Grey and ginger, which keep customers coming back for more.

Cano, who has gone from the courtroom as a judge and lawyer to the streets of New York City as a food truck purveyor. The cart is only open during warmer weather on Friday and Saturday nights, but that doesn’t keep faithful followers at bay. Cano serves two types of arepas from her home country Colombia (where she visits during the winter): the arepa de queso, thick and small, its soft insides filled with melted cheese, and the flat, wide arepa de choclo made with a different corn batter and folded over grated cheese. KELVIN NATURAL SLUSH CO. 70 N. Seventh St., Brooklyn These slushies are flavored with natural ingredi ents—like blueberries, ginger, citrus, pomegranate, guava, white peach, basil and more—mixed into the blend. Grab one at trucks around town and at markets like Smorgasburg. ANY NYC STREET PRETZELS Multiple locations Because they’re perhaps the anchor to the New York City street food world, lastly, we have to include soft pretzel carts, unmissable at just about any street corner. They probably won’t be so appetizing, and you’ll find far better options at hip establishments like Sigmund’s Pretzels scattered throughout the city, but in the end, you shouldn’t leave New York without trying the street food snack that has managed to become synonymous with the city itself. v

MORRIS GRILLED CHEESE Metrotech at 110 Lawrence St. Ever had a sandwich comprised of truffle butter, truffle cheese and caramelized shallots? Or a habanero chicken sandwich, made with bleu cheese, chicken chorizo, habanero hot sauce, and pickled celery? Well, these options and more are available at this grilled cheese heaven, which is typically found in downtown Brooklyn. THE AREPA LADY Roosevelt Ave., 78th St., Jackson Heights The colorful Arepa Lady herself is Maria Piedad

It might sound like a cliché, but you really must take a bite out of the Big Apple. Just hop on a cheap flight to New York with WOW air. We’ll start flying there in November, so you’ll have time to enjoy the magical New York holidays. WOW air offers cheap flights to New York every day of the week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to New York from almost all WOW air destinations in Europe at wowair.com.

Issue five 87

We’re going to Miami

Welcome to Miami! Miami, a vibrant city, famous for its beaches and nightlife, will be WOW air’s next exciting USA destination with flights starting in April 2017. Text and photos: Caron Luteran

Miami’s unique location offers visitors both a cityscape and a beach escape so get ready for fun in the sun in this Magic City in the Sunshine State! This casual and magical city sur rounded by palm trees along he beach only encourages one to relax and chillax. THE HEAT IS ON Miami has always been known for its beaches of which South Beach aka SoBe is the most famous and popular. Visitors and locals also flock to three other beaches: South Pointe Park, Miami Beach Central, and Miami Beach North. Together, all four beaches offer sun seekers 7.5 miles of endless stretches of sand, Atlantic Ocean views and cycle/skate/board/walk paths to get from one to another. There are more than a dozen other beaches nearby

Miami offers a wide range of art with museum collections ranging from art deco, modern, contempor ary, aquatic, historical, erotic and automotive. If street graffiti is your thing; check out the outside billboard art at hip Wynwood Walls as well as the many indoor galleries in the area.

Miami for beach lovers to explore and to catch more rays such as Bal Harbour Beach, Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside Beach. Key West will not disappoint. Only a 3-1/2 hour drive from Miami, this very relaxed island which Hemingway (having taken up residence there) made famous is 90 miles from Cuba and makes a great day/overnight trip. Do not even think of leaving there without enjoying a stroll on Duval Street, a slice of sweet yet tart Key Lime pie or a cast of your fishing rod. THE GREAT OUTDOORS If you have ever wanted to go on a cruise to a Caribbean island; Miami is known for having the world’s busiest cruise port, PortMiami. A cruise to Nassau or Freeport located in the Bahamas is all within reach if you so desire. Nature lovers should consider a trip to the Everglades National Park for biking, hiking and boating.

Photo: Adam Bronkhorst

WOW Power to the people

From sunrise to set; Miami inspires with its cool Latin, Caribbean and Floridian fusion vibes. More than half of Miami’s population is Hispanic and that has fostered the spicy cuisine and culture such as salsa dancing enjoyed there. Life in Miami is best lived outdoors, on the beach or on a rooftop dining and dancing the night away. Enjoy the beaches, museums, shopping and art deco and MiMo (Miami Modern) architecture strolls during the day. Embark on fitness related water or land activities for health and wellness. Watch the sunset in SoBe or Coconut Grove over a cocktail or al fresco dinner with water views; enjoy Cuban food in Little Havana or South American cuisine in Miami. Ocean Drive and South Beach = nightlife.

street graffiti is your thing; check out the outside billboard art at hip Wynwood Walls as well as the many indoor galleries in the area. Shop away at the outdoor Lincoln Road Mall or any of the trendy boutiq ues in SoBe or open-air Bal Harbour stores for designer couture. A visit to Miami’s Design District might just reveal the next new thing. v

ICELANDIC GOURMET MENU Freshly caught seafood and free range lamb – with a modern twist

ART HIGH AND LOW Miami offers a wide range of art with museum collections ranging from art deco, modern, contemporary, aquatic, historical, erotic and automotive. If

Now that you know what Miami offers; what are you waiting for? Book your spring break woohooo in Miami with WOW air at wowair.com. WOW air offers flights to Miami several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to Miami from most WOW air destinations in Europe at wowair.com.

DINNER

6 COURSE MENU STARTS WITH A “REFRESHING“ SHOT OF THE NATIONAL SNAPS BRENNIVÍN FOLLOWED BY A BITE-SIZED TASTE OF PUFFIN ICELANDIC OCEAN PERCH Slow cooked ocean perch, beetroot purée, spicy butter, serrano ham, beetroot ICELANDIC MINKE WHALE Shallot vinaigrette, crispy Jerusalem artichokes ICELANDIC SEA TROUT Yuzu mayo, truffle mayo, crispy quinoa, apple ICELANDIC PLAICE Samphire, green asparagus, blood orange, lime beurre blanc RACK OF FREE RANGE ICELANDIC LAMB Slow cooked lamb fillet, leeks, pickled onions, smoked celeriac purée, baked carrots, spinach and dill cream Dessert by pastry chef Axel Þ. SKYR FANTASIA Skyr fromage, Skyr mousse, strawberry & lime gel, lime sponge cake APOTEK KITCHEN+BAR

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Issue five 89

Captured by San Francisco

WOW Power to the people

The infamous Alcatraz Prison We had been out on the water for maybe ten minutes when through the mist a huge, white, square sign with hand-painted black lettering appeared: WARNING: PERSONS PROCURING OR CONCEALING THE ESCAPE OF PRISONERS ARE SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION AND IMPRISONMENT. The sign is mounted on the southeast end of the steep and rocky island, protruding from shrubbery and an abrupt drop into churning water. by Cindy-Lou Dale Photos: iStockphoto.com

Five minutes after our initial Alcatraz sighting, we’re disem barking the ferry then climbing to the cell house at the top of the island, the equivalent of a thirteen-story change in elevation. At the top of the cobblestoned switchback trail, we enter the prison building; it’s dim and gloomy and makes me realize for the first time the impact of the word “institutional,” a description that has previously been as sapped of meaning for me such as phrases like “above average” and “all natural.” Alcatraz’s cell house is the original sin of prisons. The structure has the same green-grey paint and metal stairs and deep-set, metal-grated windows as my boarding school of yesteryear. A DARK MYSTIQUE The 45-minute audio tour included in our $31 ferry crossing fee is dispensed to us in the cell house’s old shower room which is the size of a couple of basketball courts. To our left the site of humiliation, fear, probable trauma: the prison shower. To our right, one broken commode, unshielded from the rest of the room. Alcatraz is replete with history. Once home to some of America’s most notorious criminals, the federal penitentiary that operated here from 1934 to 1963 brought a dark mystique to the Rock. The presence of infamous inmates like Al ‘Scarface’ Capone, and the ‘Birdman’ Robert Stroud helped to establish the island’s reputation. To this day, Alcatraz is best known as one of the world’s most legendary prisons. LEGENDS ARE MADE A high-security prison built on an island off the coast of San Francisco, the Rock’s hyper-vigilant security systems and improbable escapes became the stuff of legend. Alcatraz was once considered the world’s most secure. Due to outrageous running and upkeep costs (all supplies had to be ferried to the island), the Rock emptied its cells after 29 years, but not before housing and breaking America’s most wanted criminals. Over the years, 36 prisoners made more than a dozen

Al Capone was more popular than the US president—one of the less gruesome facts you’ll learn from the audio tour around Alcatraz.

It may no longer hold any prisoners but Alcatraz has America’s imagination on lockdown.

escape attempts. In fact, two men tried twice. Twenty-three men were caught, a half-dozen were shot and killed, two were confirmed drowned and five are listed as missing and presumed drowned. The most famous escape scheme was hatched in December of 1961 and culminated on June 11, 1962, when brothers John and Clarence Anglin followed fellow inmate Frank Morris through vents and vanished into the night, using life preservers and a six-by-fourteenfoot raft fashioned from more than 50 raincoats. Although inmate Allen West made the raft, as well as the life preservers and the wooden paddles for the escape, by the time he got the grill off of his cell vent and climbed to the roof, the others had already disappeared. West was left behind to tell the story of these bank robbers turned escape artists. The Anglin’s and Morris left behind dummy heads made of flesh-colored plaster, topped with real human hair from the prison barber shop to fool guards making their rounds, checking for the requisite head count. There is no evidence that any of the three survived, but if they did, they would be in their mid-eighties now. Federal marshals vow to continue to hunt for the Anglin’s and Morris until they are found, or turn 99 years old.

SETTING THE SCENE I find it difficult to separate the prison itself from its depiction on film, so in many ways entering it feels as though I am entering a movie. We stroll around silently, clustering at points of interest; the audio tour has the effect of dampening conversation, drawing us together at various nodes while discouraging interaction. No one speaks. Almost everyone holds cell phones or other devices aloft, snapping pictures or recording video. We listen to the voices of the old guards and old prisoners. We hear the recorded sound of the cellblock doors closing, our eyes shift and our cameras shift. We are experiencing Alcatraz as if we are living it. The audio program ends in the prison’s mess hall, where an old menu advertising stewed prunes still lingers above the serving area, and our hearty audio guides encourage us to observe the tear gas canisters mounted to the ceiling. Many people though are unaware of the wealth of stories to be learned on the island. Alcatraz is now home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds. Civil War era buildings dotting the island give insight into the 19th century when the island served as both a harbor defense fort and a military prison. You can also see visible reminders of the American Indian occupation that started in 1969 after the prison closed, highlighting an important milestone in the American Indian rights movement. To visit the Rock and experience the Alcatraz Island Tour, buy your tickets online up to 90 days in advance at www.alcatrazcruises.com. There’s a fuel efficient, low-emissions ferry every half hour. TRAVEL TIP You can tour Alcatraz then spot the sea lions at Pier 39, inch up Russian Hill on a cable car and snake down the eight hairpin bends that make one block of Lombard Street reputedly “the most crooked street in the world.” v

To go from the crooked inmates of Alcatraz to the crooked streets of San Francisco, hop on a cheap flight to San Francisco, California with WOW air. Autumn and winter are truly great seasons to visit. WOW air offers cheap flights to San Francisco several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to San Francisco from almost all WOW air destinations in Europe at wowair.com.

Issue five 91

Perky in Paris

Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville (Le BHV Marais) also has a stellar lingerie department.

Underneath it all Lingerie has always been a favorite French souvenir. Lightweight and affordable, these confections may raise the bosom but won’t tickle the airport baggage scale. With the right fit and price point, they’ll not only lift you back up where you belong, but they’ll also spur your buoyancy on to almighty dizzying heights. Text and photos: Theadora Brack

However, with so many lingerie boutiques in Paris, where to start? Cutting to the chase of the lace, here’s a retro-rocking lingerie guide. Also included are a few historical tidbits to help pump up the experience of buying strings and slips. From tops to bottoms, all budgets are covered. Nobody gets left behind. SOMETHING OLD Maison Cadolle, 4 rue Cambon First Stop: Let’s meet Poupie Cadolle, the greatgreat-granddaughter of Herminie, at one of Paris’s last custom corsetières, Atelier Cadolle. It was under the Eiffel Tower at the 1900 Exposition Universelle that Herminie Cadolle first unveiled her lingerie innovation: Le Bien-Étre (a.k.a., “the well-being”), one of the first bras, ever. Down through the years, the Cadolle family has enhanced the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, and Wallis Simpson. During WWI, exotic dancer and spy, Mati Hari, carried secret messages in one of Cadolle’s metal, custom-made “sweet nothings.” Talk about a femme fatale. Today, it’s Rihanna who rides the publicity waves while wearing corsets by Cadolle. Recently Poupie deconstructed the complex art of “la Belle Poitrine.”

WOW Power to the people

Look for a rigid cup made of lace.

Resist the allure of big molded cups. Just say no.

Check for seams, because they add support. Plus, they’re sexy looking.

Stay away from stretchy straps. A little elastic in the back is all you really need.

To obtain the coveted high pointed silhouette, the back of the bra needs to stay low so the front will rise. It’s all in the engineering.

WOW FACTOR: Exclusive collections. Cadolle is currently featuring a rosy “Boop-oop-a-doop” nod to cartoon character, Betty Boop. BONUS TIP: Located just a hop and a skip from Maison Cadolle, you’ll find the Chantal Thomass boutique at 211 rue Saint Honoré. For decades, the designer has been working her magic with Calais and Chantilly lace. Nestled in the Marquis de Lafayette’s former digs, Marie Antoinette once paid a visit here, way back in the day. As a Chantilly lace fanatic, Queen M.A. would have totally approved of the current resident’s chefs-d’oeuvre.

SOMETHING NEW Printemps, boulevard Haussmann Now, with Poupie’s perky words of wisdom under our corset belt, let’s get all trend fashion forward at Printemps. Boasting a brand-spanking-new lingerie showroom with 29 marques, love for all that is retro is definitely in the air here. More than a few pointy, triangle-styled brassieres and high-wasted culottes were recently spotted holding court on the freshly minted sixth floor. Dedicated to lingerie and loungewear, here at Printemps you’ll be able to cover a lot of ground without a great deal of wear and tear on your kitten heels. You’ll spy classic French closet staples like Aubade, Chantelle, Eres, Lise Charmel, Princess Tam-Tam, and Simone Perele—a prime hunting ground for a rainy day.

View of the Opéra Garnier from the rooftop café at Printemps at l’heure bleue.

WOW FACTOR: The rooftop café at Printemps is the perfect post-lingerie-shopping spot. Here, the wine is affordable and the panoramic view of the Tour Eiffel, the Opéra Garnier and Sacré Coeur is free. BONUS TIP: Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville (BHV) now has its very own rooftop terrace, too. “Perchoir Marais” is open only after the store closes. Celebrating its 160th birthday this year, the grand magasin also boasts a stellar lingerie department. Don’t leave without skipping to the nearby “loo with a view,” featuring comfortable lounge chairs and flattering lighting.

Swanky yet cozy new lingerie department at Printemps on boulevard Haussmann (Photo: Courtesy of Printemps)

SOMETHING VA-VA-VOOM Boudoir de Marie, L’Auto École 101 rue Oberkampf Hey sister, glow sister! If you’re pining for a handmade souvenir showstopper, get thee to Marie. Looking very much like Bettie Mae Page with a classic French twist, she improvises with kitschy and candied-colored fabric, ribbons, and bows like a jazz musician. Inspired by 1950s cinema and 18th-century erotica, Marie puts her own witty spin on corsets, bras, aprons, waist cinchers, and pencil skirts. WOW FACTOR: Exclusive collections. Marie recently showcased a very naughty matching set of unmentionables made of toile de Jouy. BONUS TIP: Still feeling pin-uppity? Spin by Odile de Changy’s studio, located a few blocks from the Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione in Republique. Odile’s Mad Men-worthy old-school delicates flaunt her signature Chantilly lace hearts and tiny motherof-pearl buttons. Her gift wrapping will also break your heart faster than Don Draper.

Odile de Changy showroom at 6 Rue du Pont aux Choux in Republique (Photo: courtesy of Odile de Changy)

SOMETHING BLUE The Bargain Bins of Sympa Cuckoo for a steal? Well, then you’ll dig the guilt-free experience of rummaging through Sympa’s famous bargain bins. Located in Montmartre at the foot of Sacré Coeur, in a house that was once one of the dance halls and brothels that Pablo Picasso frequented during his “blue period,” the stock is always in rotation. Here you’ll find boudoir favorites like Etam, Chantelle, Huit, Petit Bateau, and Unzies, but at only a wee fraction of their original cost.

Lightweight and affordable, lingerie is the perfect souvenir, Aubade in blue.

Lingerie in Chantilly lace by Odile de Changy.

WOW FACTOR: Starting at two to three euros a pop, you’ll be able to experiment with different styles and cuts without a second thought, and without breaking the bank. TIPS FOR BIN BLISS: Hang tough. Own your corner. Don your elbow pads, eat a hearty breakfast and keep your peepers peeled for pickpockets. Then it’s game on!

Keep the memories from Paris close to your heart. Hop on a cheap flight to Paris with WOW air before the holidays and buy yourself something pretty. You’ll thank us come New Year’s. WOW air offers flights to Paris as often as every day of the week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to Paris from all WOW air destinations in North America at wowair.com.

Issue five 93

Things to do in Baltimore

The charming Charm City 100 Things to Do in Baltimore Before You Die explores the things author Judy Colbert considers the must-do and must-see parts of Charm City for visitors and residents. While the Inner Harbor and the attractions around it are the main draws, there are hidden aspects of even the most popular sights. Here are a few of Judy’s favorites. by Judy Colbert

STARGAZING AT FELLS POINT Fells Point is a popular spot for restau rants and bars and Herman Heyn, the personable Street-Corner Astronomer. He amazes you as he opens the night skies – exploring the stars, planets, and our Moon – through his eight-inch Schmidt-Casegrain reflector telescope. He’s been doing this since November 13, 1987 and still delights when you’re delighted. You can find him on clear weekend nights at the Thames Street end of Broadway Square in Fells Point. He’ll even give you a yellow sticker that says, “I Saw Saturn” (or Mars or Jupiter). There’s no charge, but he will accept donations. Call him at 410-889-0460 to make sure he’ll be there, particularly if it’s stormy or even overcast. www.hermanheyn.com.

NO ORDINARY ART Baltimore has the world-famous Balti more Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum, both of which offer free admission. The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) also shines as a venue for Visionary Art works from self-taught individuals. That means they usually have no formal training. Bob Benson, a local artist, has pieces of his mirror art on exhibit, along with old-school robots by DeVon Smith and a rotating statue of Divine. Check AVAM’s schedule for special events, watch (or participate in) the annual Kinetic Sculpture Race,

WOW Power to the people

Ask why there are no kegs at the beer stands (it’s supplied through 75 miles of pipeline). Load up on peanuts, Cracker Jack and an Esskay hot dog for the full Camden Yards experience and settle in for an O’s game.

or sign up for one or more programs, lectures or classes. Some are free and some have a fee. Some are walk-in and some require reservations. Save time to eat at Encantada restaurant. www.avam.org www.encantadabaltimore.com.

ROCK THE STADIUM In 1993, Orioles Park at Camden Yards, opened as the first of the retro parks, setting the design standard for many years to come. The playing field is 18 feet below street level, helping make everything feel cozy although it holds about 43,000 fans. Other revolutionary features were incorporated and you can learn about them during a fascinating 90-minute guided stadium tour. They’re offered daily during the season except when there’s a day game, and at other times. See the club level suites, press box, scoreboard/JumboTron control room and the O’s dugout. Ask why there are no kegs at the beer stands (it’s supplied through 75 miles of pipeline). Load up on peanuts, Cracker Jack and an Esskay hot dog for the full Camden Yards experience and settle in for an O’s game. This is one of the most beautiful stadiums in all of Major League Baseball (if not all of professional sports). www.baltimore.orioles.mlb.com.

SWEET DELIGHTS Baltimore’s known for its crab cakes, corned beef, snoballs, and numerous other deliciousness. Another specialty is Rheb’s Homemade Chocolates. Busin ess started in the home of Louis and Esther Rheb in 1917; it’s now run by third generation Win and Patricia Harger. Choosing which little chocolate morsel is

best is impossible, but the dark chocolate vanilla buttercreams and the Jimmy truffles are the best sellers. I go for the dark chocolate raspberry cream. You should decide for yourself. And, yes, they have candi es other than chocolates. Fortunately, you don’t have to come to Baltimore to try these sweet treats. They’re available online. Yum. www.rhebcandy.com/321.

THE PRIDE OF BALTIMORE Big ships and little boats visit the Port of Baltimore or call it home. One special boat is the Pride of Baltimore II. The topsail schooner splits the year, berthing part-time at the Inner Harbor and sailing to distant ports as a goodwill ambassador for the city and state the rest of the year. You can visit the Pride when she’s in town and you can live aboard her and help the twelve professional crew members when she’s sailing on the high seas. Trip legs last from four to twenty days and cost from $500 to $1,950. The 2016 trips went to the Great Lakes and other ports where they participated in various Tall Ship festivals.

Judy Colbert is the author of 100 Things to Do in Baltimore Before You Die, published by Reedy Press and available at Amazon for only $16.00.

www.pride2.org.

These are but a small sample of the wonderful things you can do and see in Charm City. Enjoy! v

There are more things to do in Baltimore, just ask Judy. Hop on one of WOW air’s cheap flights to Baltimore/Washington International Airport and start checking off the list. WOW air offers flights to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. several times a week, all year round. You’ll find an available connection from almost all WOW destinations in Europe at wowair.com.

“Great first meal in Reykjavik” “Amazing food, excellent staff” “Best restaurant in Iceland”

Scandinavian cuisine Hönnun: Marknet ehf.

Enjoy a four course Icelandic set menu in one of Reykjaviks oldest buildings

Lækjarbrekka restaurant - Bankastraeti 2, 101 Reykjavik - Tel: (+354) 551 4430 - www.laekjarbrekka.is - info@laekjarbrekka.is Issue five 95

Amsterdam on a budget

The greatest small city in the world! Amsterdam is a city reputed for its inventiveness and claims as its own numerous fashion design icons. Even if your budget prevents you from splurging on one-off designs, there are ways of taking in Amsterdam’s voguish vibe—on the cheap. Text and photos: Cindy-Lou Dale

There is a whole range of second-hand shops in Amsterdam—from thrift stores to cozy vintage boutiques. Many are located in the Nine Streets district; four of the best include Laura Dols with its collection of women’s clothes from different decades. If you have a party to dress up for, this may just be the place for you! Then there’s Wini that specializes in vintage dresses. This shop also sells men’s clothing, like 50s-style polo shirts and flared jeans. They have retro kid’s jackets, jewelry and, if you’re in the market for 60s ski trousers or a perfect petticoat, this is your shop. Don’t let yourself be fooled by the size of 1953 Retro en chic—it’s brimming with must-haves! Once inside you’ll find yourself in a boudoir from a bygone era. This shop has many rare items, spanning the period from 1800 to 1980: dresses, shoes, hats, powder boxes, bags and elegant antiquities. Prices range from fairly cheap to more expensive, given that some of these rare garments are from London and Paris. Out of the Closet is a chain thrift store operated by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Funds earned by the resale of donated clothing and accessories goes directly into the organization’s free AIDS programs around the world, including HIV/AIDS testing, education, prevention, outreach and the care and treatment of patients world wide. At Waterlooplein, there’s a permanent market, open from Monday to Saturday. Several stalls have secondhand clothes, army wear, dresses and tons of shoes. At the Noordermarkt, there are stalls with vintage clothes every Monday morning. It’s a real treat to walk around

WOW Power to the people

Many are located in the Nine Streets district; four of the best include Laura Dols with its collection of women’s clothes from different decades. If you have a party to dress up for, this may just be the place for you!

Photo: Courtesy of Laura Dols

here, rummage through piles of clothes and try on crazy boots. On the first weekend every month there’s a flea market in the north of Amsterdam (the free ferry behind Amsterdam Central Station will take you there) at the NDSM wharf. Count on a good few hours to check out all the stalls. COME THE FESTIVE SEASON What’s not to love about Amsterdam in winter? The city is awash with the holiday spirit, famous squares turn to ice rinks and winter holiday markets, and stalls reward those brave enough to venture outdoors with seasonal

treats like koek en zopie (cake and a spiced alcoholic drink), warme chocolademelk (hot chocolate), and Gluhwein (German mulled wine).

FROM REYKJAVIK

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ase Purchicket t your oard! on-b

All aboard for adventure!

CELEBRATING LIGHT The Amsterdam Light Festival, December till the end of January, will quite CY literally put Amsterdam’s beautiful city center and its canals in the limelight. Dutch and international artists will create site-specific light sculptures CMY around the Canal Ring, the River Amstel and other special locations. Look out K for dedicated canal cruises and a walking route. www.amsterdamlightfestival.com

ICE SKATING Each winter there are ice skating rinks all over Amsterdam—in parks and on squares. The most popular are on the Museumplein, which opens midNovember till March and Leidseplein, open mid-November till January. Skates are for hire (ID required). Hot drinks are available and nearby are traditional hot pancake stalls.

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CHRISTMAS MARKETS From traditional Dickensian markets that aim to capture all the magic of a traditional Victorian Christmas to trendy food festivals inside old industrial buildings—there’s a Christmas market to suit everyone. While many take place in Amsterdam itself, some of the more rewarding markets are found slightly outside of town in areas like Haarlem, Lelystad and Keukenhof. www.christmasmarkets.com/Holland

Amsterdam will make you and your wallet happy. Get on a cheap flight to Amsterdam with WOW air before the holidays and check a few things off your Christmas list.

WOW air offers flights to Amsterdam several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to Amsterdam from all WOW air destinations in North America at wowair.com.

May-Sep

WE GO THE EXTRA MILE! Issue five 97 Book online www.specialtours.is / info@specialtours.is Call us +354 560 8800, or visit our ticket sale at the old harbour

Savory London

Twilight Soho Food Tour While eating your way around the square mile of Soho, you’ll get to meet some of its food heroes— the people who create the greatest food in the capital. Like a gin-infused meat pie at The London Gin Club, La Bodega Negra’s modern-day twist on tacos, the Spanish ham at Enrique Tomas, Basque Country pintxos at Pix Bar, Dim Sum tea pairing at Opium and the ultimate in Italian hot chocolate at Said. Text and photos: Cindy-Lou Dale

Home to the Mozart, Karl Marx, the Swinging 60s, London’s jazz scene, the rag trade, the theatre, The Sex Pistols and the world’s oldest profession—Soho is as notable for its history and culture as it once was for its sleaze. Since the 80s, it has under gone considerable gentrification and is now predominantly a fashionable area of boutiques and media offices. This is where chic rubs shoulders with grunge and where foodies will discover a culinary heaven—a heady mix of Old World preparations, avant-garde in gredients and ethnic flavors, all with a distinctive London spin. TAKE THE TOUR As part of a small group your Twilight Soho food tour will take you through colorful neighborhoods, quirky lanes and hidden alleys, delivering you to Old Crompton St and the gourmet tacos of La Bodega Negra—the go-to place for all things Mexican in Soho. The tavern itself is as eclectic as the food, merging the trendy side of Soho with

WOW Power to the people

As part of a small group your Twilight Soho food tour will take you through colorful neighbor hoods, quirky lanes and hidden alleys, delivering you to Old Crompton St and the gourmet tacos of La Bodega Negra—the go-to place for all things Mexican in Soho.

its infamous history, fiery music, raucous food and racy tequila. At London Gin Club, on Great Chapel St, there’s a selection of five gin-infused pies and a ‘ginspired’ marshmallow treat for dessert—all washed down with a real English gin and tonic. Owner, Julia Forte, offers a ‘gin club’ tasting menu (which includes one she self-distils and can only be described as robust). Says Julia: “It’s fair to say we’re passionate about gin. We’ve been gin lovers for many years and with that, we’ve discovered a thing or two. We pride ourselves on serving one of the best G&Ts in London. The bar offers over 210 premium gins— from household names to varieties you may not have heard of.” On Wardour St, a Spanish ham, cheese and red wine experience await at Enrique Tomas. “This is a Mediterranean delicacy that makes you crazy,” says Enrique, who describes the famous Jamón Ibérico—a prized variety of ham from black Iberian pigs found only in a specific region of Spain. THE SOHO NEIGHBORHOOD Soho has an immense sense of history; nostalgic moments when passing subtly plaqued landmarks like the Sir Paul McCartney’s offices, the former

recording studios of Trident Record and 90 Waldorf St where the infamous Marque Club once was—places where mega rock stars first recorded and performed. Then around the corner is Warner Brothers Studios—opposite from where Karl Marx once lived. Still reeling in the flamboyance of the neighborhood that gave birth to some of the music industry’s biggest legends, you’ll arrive at Pix Bar on Bateman St. Barcelona and San Sebastian pintxos bars inspired Pix which does a roaring trade in tiny Basque-style tapas dishes, each skewered with a signature wooden stick and paired with Txakoli wine. Proceeding down Frith St, where Mozart once lived, you’ll head to Chinatown’s Gerrard St where a further taste-bud adventure awaits—this time in the form of delicious dumplings hidden behind the turquoise doors of Opium. Once you get past the doorman and you’ve climbed the four flights of stairs you’ll find incredible decor and silky Dim Sum dumplings filled with everything from crab and samphire to Cantonese BBQ—all paired with a selection of exotic Chinese teas. SOMETHING SWEET At Said Chocolate Boutique (Broadwick St), you’ll pull up an urn and enjoy their fragrant, gloriously rich, and impossibly thick hot chocolate (and a traditional

tiramisu, if you have room). Inside Said, the walls are adorned with silver chocolate molds of every type and, together with the mood lighting and fireplace (lit on cold days) creating the kind of space you’ll want to experience. In the shop-front window are displays of large glass jars filled with an assortment of white, milk and dark chocolate, while the display cabinet showcases a range of handmade truffles. The food tour will lead you away from the regular tourist haunts and take you instead to the cafes, shops and restaurants that are verily shaping the city’s culinary reputation; and because it takes place in the evening, you’ll experience the true Soho vibe. It’s a unique gastronomic adventure that gives you a taste of London’s most authentically flavored village. You’ll savor the fusion between heritage and exotic ingredients served in experimental restaurants, and come away knowing a little more of the stories that come with the food. v

To savor Soho, hop on a cheap flight to London with WOW air. This epicurean hub in the nation’s capital will definitely whet your appetite during your stay in Britain. WOW air offers flights to the UK all days of the week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to London from all WOW air destinations in North America at wowair.com.

THE ICELANDIC

PENIS MUSEUM We

Dicks!

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is one of the most informative, humorous, and unusual museums in the world. The world famous “Penis museum” in Reykjavik is the only museum in the world to contain a collection of phallic specimens belonging to all the various types of mammal found in a single country. The founder, Sigurður Hjartarson started the collection 40 years ago and made it first accessible to the public in 1997 with the opening of the museum. The Icelandic Phallological Museum contains a collection of more than 220 penises and penile parts belonging to all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland. There is also a foreign section that holds more than forty examples and a folklore section that has some twenty pieces on display. All in all, more than 380 biological examples. In addition to the biological section of the museum, visitors can view a collection of about 350 artistic oddments and practical utensils related to the museum’s chosen theme. The museum is in a 250 square meter location on the upper part of Reykjavik’s main shopping street, Laugavegur, only a 10 minutes walk from the city’s centre. There is a souvenir corner with a small exclusive selection of things related to the museum’s theme.

Seeing is believing! No pornography or offensive material in the museum.

Laugavegur 116 • 105 Reykjavík • Tel.: (+354) 561-6663 (+354) 690 3774• phallus@phallus.is • www.phallus.is Opening hours: Summer: Daily from10 am - 6 pm • Winter: Daily from 11 am -6 pm • Next to Hlemmur bus station Issue five 99

Bristol

The ship that changed the world Bristol is regarded as the capital of South West England, a lively and laid-back city that mixes its rich maritime heritage with an innovative, dynamic culture. This is the birth place of “The Ship that Changed the World,” aka the ss Great Britain. Photos: iStockphoto.com

Let us start this short article about the ss Great Britain by introducing its designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a mechanical and civil engineer and often considered “one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history.” From the Great Western Railway to a series of steamships and numerous bridges and tunnels, Brunel’s designs revolutionized public transport in the 19th century and among them are two of Bristol’s most famous landmarks, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the ss Great Britain, the world’s first propellerdriven ship.

Years later, following a cash donation by Sir Jack Hayward and others, the vessel was towed back to the UK. She is now listed as part of the National Historic Fleet and is an award-winning visitor attraction and museum ship in Bristol Harbour.

Islands. To people’s surprise the ship truly floated and was then towed up the River Avon to Bristol. Crowds had gathered and lined the final few miles under the Clifton Suspension Bridge. On July 19th she was put back into the dry dock in the Great Western Dockyard in Bristol. Some decades later a glass plate was installed across the dry dock. Underneath the glass plate are two dehumidifiers that keep the space beneath 20% relative humidity to preserve the hull of the ship which was corroding at an alarming pace. A team of seven conservators took three years to complete the gigantic task of restoring and conserving the hull of the ship.

THE HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN A former passenger ship, the iron hulled, propeller driven ss Great Britain was very advanced for her time. For a period, she was the longest passenger ship in the world. When launched in 1843, the ss Great Britain’s construction had left her owners in a difficult financial position and they were forced out of business three years later. In 1852 the ss Great Britain was sold for salvage and repaired. After that, she carried thousands of immigrants to Australia. She was converted to sail in 1881 and three years later she was retired to the Falkland Islands and used as a ware house, a quarantine ship and a coal hulk among other things until she was scuttled in 1937. Years later, following a cash donation by Sir Jack Hayward and others, the vessel was towed back to the UK. She is now listed as part of the National Historic Fleet and is an award-winning visitor attraction and museum ship in Bristol Harbour. SHIP SHAPE! When the ss Great Britain finally came home, on Sunday July 5th 1970, the ship was taken off its pontoon that had floated her all the way from the Falkland

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Photo: Andrew Parker

Photo: Jon Le-Bon

Photo: Maisna

THE REAL LIFE ONBOARD As a luxury liner the ss Great Britain carried up to 252 first and second class passengers across the Atlantic Ocean to New York but later in her career the ship was adapted so she could carry up to 700 passengers to Australia. The interior of the ship has now been remodeled after its former design to show guests how people lived onboard, from first class to third class. Because every item in the museum ship is a replica, guests are encouraged to touch and feel, sit in the chairs and lie in the beds. Every detail has been thought out to give guests the most authentic experience, from sounds and costumed characters to the most stupendous stenches such as stale ale, sweaty laundry and of course, the revolting smell of someone being sea sick. Everything you see is based on real events mentioned in passenger diaries and has facilitated in the ss Great Britain becoming one of Bristol’s top family attractions. Tickets to the Brunel’s ss Great Britain include free unlimited return visits for

Photo: Maisna

Photo: Ian Hubball

Great Britain’s maiden voyage. Illustration: ssgreatbritain.org

a year. The museum ship is open every day, except December 24th and 25th and the second Monday of January. Go to www.ssgreatbritain.org for more information, tickets and fun things to do while onboard. Several times throughout the year there are special events aboard, from spooky Halloween parties (October 29th) to Victorian Christmas dinners (December 8th) as well as special family days and storytelling. v

Photo: bagwold

Before testing your sea legs, you must take flight. WOW air offers cheap flights to Bristol three times a week all year round from all WOW destinations in USA and Canada and of course Iceland. Don’t forget that a visit to Bristol gives you two cities for the price of one. Check out the amazing Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and arguably one of the fairest cities in the world.

Issue five 101

Los Angeles

Twenty free things to do in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is known the world around for unparalleled luxury and five-star accommodations, but there is truly something to love about the city for everyone and every budget. by Cindy-Lou Dale Photos: iStockphoto.com

Admire the silver torso sculpture in the Rodeo Drive median at Dayton Way. “Torso” by world-renowned artist Robert Graham is the symbol for the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style.

Head to the edge of town to view the signature Beverly Hills city limits street signs. One is located on the northeast corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Moreno Drive.

Explore the literary world at Beverly Hills Public Library. With 2-hour free parking adjacent to the library, you have the time to curl up and read a favorite book.

People watch! There truly is no place like Beverly Hills to do so.

Take a seat on any street in the 4 Golden Triangle and see some of the world’s finest cars whiz by. Head up to Greystone Mansion & Park, a legendary estate built by the Doheny family which is now a park open to the public. Seek out the koi and turtles.

Print a Beverly Hills Walking Tour from LoveBeverlyHills.com or pick one up at the Beverly Hills Visitor Center and then explore the city on foot.

Take in the sunshine and sounds of the courtyard’s babbling fountain as you relax on the grass or at café tables in Beverly Canon Gardens.

Explore the literary world at Beverly Hills Public Library. With 2-hour free parking adjacent to the library, you have the time to curl up and read a favorite book.

Hotel hop! You don’t have to be a guest to check out the impressive exteriors and lobbies of a dozen hotels around town, each with their own interior décor style from mid-century modern to Italian Renaissance.

Spot your favorite designer, model or another fashion legend on Rodeo Drive’s Walk of Style. Each honoree has a plaque embedded in the sidewalk with their name, a quote and their autograph.

Don’t miss a look at the city hall’s Spanish Renaissance style architecture, including an 8-story tower with blue, green and gold tiled dome.

Watch the Electric Fountain come alive with varying light and water patterns. The fountain made appearances in the movie Clueless as well as the Go-Go’s Our Lips Are Sealed music video.

Take a break in the shade under one of the many trees on public land. For its commitment to public greenery Beverly Hills is actually an Arbor Day designated “Tree City USA.”

Feel like a celebrity when you walk the red carpet entrance at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Pick which public art sculpture in Beverly Gardens Park is your favorite, from the wildly colorful Hymn of Life, Tulips by Yayoi Kusama or the stainless steel Erratic that measures 15 feet long.

Peruse the Beverly Hills Famers’ Market every Sunday from 9 am till 1 pm. It’s a feast for the senses—the market features farm fresh produce, artisanal packaged foods, and flowers alongside live music.

Photo: gregobagel

Smell the roses, literally, at the Rose Garden within Beverly Gardens Park.

Live like a local by discovering the unique boutiques and bustling cafes along North and South Beverly Drive.

Get fit with Lululemon! The fitness apparel retailer offers free yoga classes and a weekly run club, all open to the public at no cost!

Wednesday through Sunday, visit The Paley Center for Media where you can access a library of some of the best television programming of the past decades or catch a screening. Visit the Paley Center’s website for daily screening schedules.

Photo: stevezmina1

Photo: RRHoward

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So much to do and so little time. Hop on a cheap flight to Los Angeles with WOW air, catch some sun and get started on the list. WOW air offers cheap flights to Los Angeles several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to California from almost all WOW air destinations in Europe at wowair.com.

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Photo: Merkuri2

Montreal Foods

Manger (Eat) Montreal It’s a good thing Montreal is readily walkable and bikeable, so you can enthusiastically work off the calories you’ll consume dining at their fine restaurants and sampling the city’s unique foods. by Judy Colbert Photos: Judy Colbert and iStockphoto.com

Among Montréal specialties are poutine (pronounced more like the Russian Vladimir Putin, but you’ll hear it any number of ways), beaver tails, smoked meat sandwiches, bagels, and chomeur. If you’re in town in April, aim for a “sugaring off meal” that takes advantage of the maple trees oozing their goodness and everything made with the rich, sticky, and satisfying liquid; if you don’t have maple syrup childhood memories, it’s time to create some. PUT IN YOUR MOUTH Poutine in its basic form is French fries with small cheese curds, covered with gravy. The salty, crispy, silky combina tion tastes better than it sounds. You may find it with sausage, chicken, bacon, smoked meat (see below), foie gras, caviar, and even truffles. In an attempt toward healthier eating, some places now use sweet potatoes. Beyond those variations, you’ll find influences from Italian, Chinese, and Greek cuisines. Perhaps the tastiest alternative is fries topped with bacon, sausage, and maple syrup. Its popu larity has spread beyond Montréal and Quebec, but you should try it here first.

Put a New Yorker and a Montréaler in the same room and they’ll soon discuss the virtues of their indigenous bagels. The first big difference is that Montréal bagels are boiled in honeyflavored water and then baked in a wood-fired oven.

on rye bread to strain your jaws. It’s traditionally served with yellow prepared mustard. The bits and pieces that do fall off in the slicing process are often added to the French fries, cheese curds, and gravy to make smoked meat poutine.

iStock / Fudio

TOP THE TAIL Beavertails, beaver tails, or “queues de castor” are not literally tails from those furry animals. They’re like a county fair/carnival/boardwalk funnel cake that’s shaped like a beaver tail. It’s large enough to share with at least one friend, maybe even two. The debate comes when you have to decide what you want on top of your tasty treat. The basic toppings are cinnamon and sugar, but you can have it with Nutella (or Nutella and banana slices), Reeses Pieces, apples (or strawberries or blueberries), Oreo cookie pieces, and, of course, maple syrup. Not all flavors are available at all stores and some are “off-menu” requests. PUT A RING ON IT Put a New Yorker and a Montréaler in the same room and they’ll soon discuss the virtues of their indigenous bagels. The first big difference is that Montréal bagels are boiled in honey-flavored water and then baked in a wood-fired oven. Actually, due to fire regulations, the logs are pressed wood, not real logs, but it’s close enough. Montréal bagels are thinner, crisper, and sweeter, and have a larger hole. Stop by the St-Viateur Bagel & Café and note that there’s no lock on the

Photo: iStock / Proformabooks

SMOKIN’ Smoked meat is the same cut as the brisket that makes corned beef or pastrami except it’s dry-cured, then smoked and has a hint of coriander, garlic, and mustard that makes all the difference in the world. It’s also cut by hand, not by machine, which helps it maintain its integrity. Not nearly as spicy as pastrami, the smoked meat is more sweet/salty and piled high enough

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Photo: iStock / Elenathewise

door because they’re open 24 hours a day all year long. Stand around to watch the bagel making process that starts with 30 eggs in a batch of dough that weighs 150 pounds. The dough is sliced and the bagels are rolled and hand-formed. Then, they go on a wooden plank and they’re popped in the oven. Toasty brown and delicious circles come out a few minutes later. Tradition says you try the poppy seed or sesame seed, but there are other choises. THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING Chomeur, or “unemployment pudding” was born in the Great Depression, using the simplest of ingredients, stale bread and brown sugar. It’s become more sophisticated and now maple syrup is the main sweetener. Water, flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, skim milk, eggs, and salt are used for the bread. The water and syrup are heated and put into the bottom of a 9x9” pan and then the other ingredients are mixed and dolloped on top of the syrup, much as dumplings are done. Should you dedicate an entire meal to chomeur? That’s your decision, but we won’t argue with you. There’s more delicious food of course, such as steak seasoning, chocolates, dragon beard candy, and yellow pea soup, but these five should satisfy your culinary curiosity… for now. v

Photo: iStock: Paul Binet

Eat your way through Montréal. Take a ride on one of WOW air’s brand new aircraft heading to Canada and make a meal of these Canadian delicacies. WOW air offers flights to Montréal several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to Canada from almost all WOW air destinations in Europe at wowair.com.

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

7.990 kr.

RESTAURANT- BAR Vesturgötu 3B | 101 Reykjavík | Tel. 551 2344 | www.tapas.is Issue five 105

Nordic delights

Making a meal of Stockholm These days Gastro-tourism is bang on trend. It seems many of us are no longer satisfied with just visiting well-worn cities and their key sites. Now, we want more from our journeys—an authentic experience that isn’t just about seeing but tasting the local cuisine too. A good place to begin is beautiful Stockholm, “the city that floats on water,” which in recent years has become one of Europe’s liveliest and most varied cities for eating and drinking. by Andrew Marshall Photos: Paul Marshall and others

Swedish cuisine is largely based on meat, fish and potatoes, and meals are well-presented, hearty and often delicious. Salmon or lax in various forms and sill (marinated herring) feature widely, and both are mainstays of any Swedish smörgåsbord. Sill is typically eaten with boiled potatoes (preferably new potatoes generously decorated with fragrant sprigs of dill and sour cream) and knäckebröd (buttered hard bread) laden with thin slices of mature hard cheese. HOME-COOKED While exploring the streets of Stockholm, keep an eye out for restaurants serv ing husmanskost (home-cooking), with dishes on the menu like Swedish meat balls (with cream sauce, mashed potatoes, pickled gherkin and lingonberry jam), pytt i panna (Swedish hash) and unusual specialties such as reindeer, elk and wild berries. For filling snacks on the go, there is Stockholm’s answer to street food—the korv kiosk or (sausage stall) dotted all over the city. Some are substantial stand-alone affairs with fluorescent lighting reminiscent of American diners, while others are often little more than a hole-in-the-wall— made conspicuous by the snaking queue of waiting customers. DRINK UP When it comes to drinks, coffee is something the Swedes excel at, and you won’t have to look far to find a freshly-brewed cup of java. Another important part of Swedish drinking culture and well worth trying at least once is the local spirit aquavit or schnapps which comes in a variety of flavors, from anise and fennel to lemon and orange peel. Aquavit is usually enjoyed with a meal of fish, either at lunch or with a starter at festive events like Midsummer or at a crayfish party in August. If you are visiting the Swedish capital at Christmas, then be sure to sample glögg, a delicious mulled red wine with cloves, cinnamon and sugar.

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View of Skeppsholmen in autumn. Photo credit: Jeppe Wikstrom

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Classic Stockholm scene with a mix of boats of all shapes and sizes. Photo credit: Erik G.Svensson

Nystekt Strömming (Newly Fried Herring). Photo: Andrew Marshall

Historic buildings in medieval Gamla Stan (the Old Town). This little caravan outside the Tunnelbana station at Slussen is one of the best places in Stockholm to try Stekt strömming or fried herring.In the background is the Gondolen Bar situated some 33-metres above street level.

Photo: Paul Marshall

Enjoying a crayfish party in late August with glasses of aquavit. Photo: Andrew Marshall

Den Gyldene Freden - one of the capital’s most historic and charcterful restaurants.

Photo: Andrew Marshall

Photo: Karin Riikonen

Where to go? From classic restaurants serving traditional Swedish dishes and characterful bars where you can rub shoulders with the locals, to colorful food halls and cool cafés, here’s a selection of places to eat and drink all within a comfortable walking distance from Södermalm to Gamla stan (the Old Town) and the city center. PELIKAN BLEKINGEGATAN 40 This fantastic old beer hall and restaurant is full of character and characters. Located in Södermalm in a building from 1904, Pelikan has a unique atmosphere with three rooms including a classic German-style beer hall with animal and plant paintings on the pill ars, walls and high ceiling. This is the kind of place where you can feel equally comforta ble sipping a beer alone and eating some Swedish home-cooking or interacting with the locals, many who have been coming for years. CAFÉ STRING NYTORGSGATAN 38 In Stockholm’s fashionable Södermalm district, there’s no shortage of cool cafés, and the long established favorite Café String is a top choice to enjoy the country’s favorite beverage. This is no ordinary café—and almost everything is for sale, from the retro armchairs you sit on, to the mugs you drink your coffee out of. Enjoy your caffeine pickme-up with a delicious muffin or brownie, before checking out the second hand, antique and designer clothes shops, a hop, skip and a jump away on nearby Bodegatan. SÖDERHALLARNA SÖDERHALLARNA 110

NYSTEKT STRÖMMING RYSSGÅRDEN SQUARE/ SÖDERMALMSTORG Freshly fried Baltic herring, known as stekt strömming, with various sides and condi ments, is a signature Swedish dish that tastes especially good on top of knäckebröd served with fluffy mashed potatoes generously sprinkled with chopped parsley and a side of lingonberries. One of the best places in Stockholm to sample, it is the appro priately named Nystekt Strömming, a simple food caravan just outside the Slussen Tunnelbana station on Södermalmstorg. DEN GYLDENE FREDEN (THE GOLDEN PEACE) ÖSTERLÅNGGATAN 51 This historic top-end restaurant right in the heart of Gamla Stan has been open con tinuously since 1722 and oozes atmosphere. Consisting of three cellar dining rooms on three different levels, the environment is matched by food. The selection consists of imaginative modern dishes blended with traditional Swedish cooking including such classics as husets sill (assorted herring of the house) and viltkötbular med gräddsås och lingon (meatballs of game with cream sauce and lingon). GRAND HÔTEL SÖDRA BLASIEHOLMSHAMNEN 8 Opened in 1874, Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel has a long and fascinating history, and from Nobel Prize winners to movie stars, has for decades been everyone’s favorite place to spend the night. Even if you don’t have a room booked, enjoying a leisurely smörgåsbord breakfast is something dear to the hearts of both discerning Stockholmers and visitors alike. Inside the elegant and stylish Grand Veranda, the breakfast table bulges with an assortment of mouth-watering foods; organic cheeses, fresh juices, exotic fruits, grain-topped rolls, breads and smoked salmon. ICE BAR VASAPLAN 4

Situated at Medborgplatsen, this vibrant and lively indoor food hall inspired by Medite rranean markets is an excellent place to sample both local and exotic delicacies. Stands offering gourmet fare from Germany, Estonia and Italy mingle with specialist coffee stores, a Systembolaget (a state-owned alcohol outlet where you can buy wine, beer or aquavit) and seafood stalls selling Swedish favorites such as gravad lax (cured salmon), sill and forellrom (trout roe). BLÅ DÖRREN SÖDERMALMSTORG 6 Eating out in Stockholm needn’t break the bank. On weekday lunchtimes, do what many Stockholmers do and head to the nearest restaurant or café for a dagens rätt or dagens lunch. Costing around 75-100 krona, you get the same quality of food as in the evening for a fraction of the price. This excellent value set menu usually consists of bread, all-youcan-eat salad, a drink (orange juice or beer), the main dish (usually a fish, meat, pasta or vegetarian option) and coffee. One place that rises above the crowd is Blå Dörren (the Blue Door), a beer hall and restaurant offering mainly Swedish cuisine.

Inside the Ice Bar - the coolest place in Stock holm to drink vodka. Photo: Paul Marshall

For the coolest place in town to drink another signature Swedish drink, vodka, head for the Ice Bar located beside the Nordic C Hotel near the Central Railway Station. Dressed in the provided clothing of boots, mittens and a warm silver fur-lined poncho you feel like an extra in a Star Wars movie entering a frozen world of -5°C (23°F). The entire interior is constructed of ice brought down from the frozen waters of the Torne River in Lapland: walls, bar counter, tables, sculptures and even the glasses that the range of Absolut vodkas are served in are made of ice.

GONDOLEN STADSGÅRDEN 6 One of Stockholm’s best-loved bars, Gondolen has a setting that stuns even the most jaded of locals. Situated some 33-meters above street level in the center of the landmark lift structure at Slussen, this glass-walled bar has unparalleled views of the Old Town and Lake Mälaren. Inside the sophisticated 40s style interior, claim one of the swiveling stools at the curved marble bar counter, order your tipple of choice (Gondolen is known for its cocktails, with over 150 on offer) and soak up the scene.

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Stay cool in Stockholm and eat the right stuff. Hop on a cheap flight to Stockholm, Sweden, with WOW air and taste the new Nordic in all its glory. WOW air offers flights to Stockholm several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to Stockholm from all WOW air destinations in North America at wowair.com.

Issue five 109

Cool Copenhagen

7 things to know before you go The home of Hans Christian Andersen and the happiest people on the planet—Copenhagen kind of feels like a cheerful Nordic fairy-tale set inside a design catalog. Text and photos: Eliot Stein

Bursting with cutting-edge architecture, flooded with postcard-worthy canals, and glimmering with Michelin-starred restaurants, compact Copenhagen oozes more cool than most cities twice its size. Sailboats bob in 17th-century canals; ultra-modern galleries brim with Scandinavian sophistication, and crayon-colored row houses line the city’s cobblestone core. Whether you visit for a weekend or a few weeks, here are seven things you should know before you go.

LIFE IS GOOD HERE In 2016 the Danes were deemed the happiest peo ple on the planet by the United Nations for the third time in the last four years. In fact, the country has established itself near the top of most every quality-of-life ranking on earth, and after a quick look around its capital, it’s easy to see why. Safe, clean, and sophisticated, Copenhagen is the kind of place where families leave strollers unattended outside of bakeries in the morning, locals swim in the world’s most pristine harbor in the afternoon, and couples stroll down the Strøget after dinner—the longest and oldest pedestrian-only shopping street in Europe. Add a forwardlooking philosophy of design, fashion, and egalitarianism, and it’s fair to say most cities want to grow up to be more like Copenhagen.

HIT THE HARBOR FIRST One of the best ways to get your bearings is by taking a boat tour from the city’s most photographed harbor: Nyhavn. The popular Canal Tours Copenhagen offers one-hour guided trips in many languages and putters past some of the city’s most striking architectural marvels—like Det Kongelige Bibliotek—as well as by its

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most famous attractions, including the Little Mermaid statue, the Amalienborg Palace, and the whimsical spire of the Savior’s Church. “HYGGE” EQUALS HAPPINESS Pronounced “hooga” and roughly translating as “coziness and camaraderie,” hygge is central to the Danish soul and a key part of all that Scandi serotonin. In essence, it’s a feeling of warm companionship with good people. Lighting candles and curling up with a few friends under a wool blanket? That’s hygge. Drinking warm mulled gløgg

In 2016 the Danes were deemed the happiest people on the planet by the United Nations for the third time in the last four years.

wine under twink ling Christmas lights? That’s hygge, too. In fact, hygge reaches a fever pitch in autumn and winter when many cafes, restaurants, and pubs dim the lights, roll out the sheepskin, and invite patrons to snuggle up and stay awhile.

THERE ARE MORE BIKES THAN PEOPLE–REALLY With its 350 kilometers of cycling paths, Copenhagen was named the most bicycle-friendly city in the world. According to Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen actually has more bikes than people. The best way to experience the city like a local is to rent a bike and join the 50% of Copenhageners who commute on two wheels each day. Copenhagen Bicycles (Nyhavn harbor), beCopenhagen (near Strøget), and Cykelbørsen (Gothersgade), are all centrally located and offer both daily rentals and guided city tours.

COPENHAGEN IS A FOOD-LOVERS’ PARADISE Copenhagen is arguably experiencing the biggest culinary revolution in Europe right now. Eighteen Michelin stars were awarded to 15 restaurants this year (more than anywhere else in Scandi navia); noma has been named the best restaurant in the world four times since 2010, and the city’s famed New Nordic Cuisine is quickly sweeping the globe. Serious foodies should beeline to the Copenhagen’s trendy Nørrebro district, home to locavore standouts Relæ, Bæst, and Kiin Kiin. But for a more traditional Danish staple, head to Schønnemann, Copenhagen’s most historic purveyor of the city’s famous smørrebrød openfaced sandwiches.

The best way to experience the city like a local is to rent a bike and join the 50% of Copenhageners who commute on two wheels each day.

TIVOLI INSPIRED DISNEYLAND Denmark’s number one tourist attraction (and the world’s secondoldest amusement park) is a sprawling eight-hectare stunner that’s been eliciting gleeful shrills in the heart of Copenhagen since 1843. A whimsical world of landscaped gardens, exotic pavilions, and 100,000 soft-glow bulbs that light up the evening sky, family-friendly Tivoli looks like a dream and feels like a fairy tale—which is appropriate, considering it inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland after he visited in 1951. Don’t leave without riding the Star Flyer, one of the world’s tallest carousels with eye-popping views stretching over the city.

some of the city’s major sites—including Europe’s most famous free commune, Christiania, the Davids Samling museum and the Assistens Kirkegård cemetery–are always free. Also, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is free on Tuesdays, and the Thorvaldens and Hirschsprung museums are free on Wednesdays. Renting a bike for three days will cost you about as much as two taxi rides, and the city’s many beach wood-smoked pølser stands are a great way to dine out on a budget. v

IT’S PRICEY Copenhagen is Scandinavia’s most affordable capital, but for those used to the euro, the Danish krona packs a punch. Fortunately,

You won’t be disappointed by the capital of Denmark. Take a cheap WOW air flight to Copenhagen from USA or Canada and immerse in the cool culture while enjoying great food. WOW air offers flights to Copenhagen, Denmark several times a week, all year round. You’ll find an available connection from all WOW air destinations in North America at wowair.com.

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Dublin’s district number one

The rise and fall (and rise) of Temple Bar This is an image commonly associated with Temple Bar: a repository for the drunk and soon-to-be, a mix of disco-bars and faux-traditional pubs charging €7 for a pint. But let’s look a little closer. Text and photos: Conor Purcell

For years this was the only description that applied to Dublin’s Temple Bar: a place where no self-respecting local would venture after dark. It is strange then, walk ing through the district at any time before 7 pm or so, to see just how much good stuff is on offer here. There is more culture per square foot in Temple Bar than anywhere else in Dublin, and some of Dublin’s most interesting independent shops and restaurants. It’s fair to say Temple Bar is almost hidden in plain

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sight—a cultural gem strangely underappreciated by locals. CULTURE ABOUNDS Stroll down Essex Street East from Eustace Street and you will pass one of the entrances to Meeting House Square, which is flanked by the National Photographic Archive, The Ark, and the Gallery of Photography. A few seconds later you will see The Project Arts Centre and the New Theatre next door, as well as Indigo & Cloth across the street. Elsewhere

“There has always been a cultural element here; it just got overshadowed by the pub crawls and the hen parties, but it’s been slowly trying to get back to what the council initially planned.”

in the district, there’s the Library Project, the Fishamble and Smock Alley theatres; then there’s the Gutter

Bookshop, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios and the IFI, one of the best independent cinemas in Europe. The past year or so has seen an influx of restaurants and interesting shops emerge, from the fresh seafood of Klaw to the curated graphic art of Jam Art Factory. BACK TO BASICS The western, quieter part of the district is where some of the most interesting independent businesses are located, places such as Scout.

Opened in spring 2014 by Wendy Crawford, the shop is a treasure trove of hard-to-find womenswear and housewares. “I don’t really feel like we are in Temple Bar. This is a very nice, quiet and cultural end of the area,” says Wendy. “There has always been a cultural element here; it just got overshadowed by the pub crawls and the hen parties, but it’s been slowly trying to get back to what the council initially planned.”

WHAT HAPPENED? Of course, none of this was meant to happen. By the 1970s, the area was just another rundown city center district, and by the 1980s, the stateowned national transport company, CIE, proposed that the entire area be demolished and a bus terminus be constructed in its place. While CIE was waiting for the approvals, it rented out the buildings marked for destruction to a variety of artists and independent retailers. Organically then, Temple Bar became a district that embraced the leftfield, and, by the time the bus station was due to be built, a real community had been created. Protests by various environmental groups, local traders and residents ensured the bus terminus project was canceled, and instead, in 1991, the non-profit Temple Bar Properties was set up to promote the regeneration of the area as a cultural quarter.

they got a four-story building across the street from the Project Arts Centre. “South William Street and Drury Street were where all the cool independents were and I think the western edge of Temple Bar has taken on that mantle now. My first experience of that end was Smock, which was a womenswear shop, and it just felt like a special place, maybe something like New York’s Meatpacking District. You got a vibe there, with the cobblestones, and you come across something that’s ultracool,” he proffers. FROM ANTI-SOCIAL TO UBER-SOCIAL Darragh Shanahan, who has worked at the Gallery of Photography on Meeting House Square for 16 years, agrees that part of the problem with the area is a lack of awareness. “It’s hard for people to realize how much art and culture they engage with on a daily basis, and it would be great to have more money to market on and offline,” he says. The gallery is one of the area’s gems, a multi-floored space that features an exhibition and education space as well as a ground-floor bookshop. While the adjacent Meeting House Square was once home to anti-social behavior, things have changed for the better. “Now you see people eating lunch, reading a book, or even having a nap,” says Darragh. And while more could be done to promote the area, it’s heartening that there is so much to shout about. From a semi-derelict car park to the country’s cultural hub, Temple Bar is a place every visitor should check out. v

ULTRA-COOL Even after its regeneration, Temple Bar was often seen as a way to get from one side of the city to another. Further down Essex Street, in the beautiful surrounds of Indigo & Cloth, Garrett Pitcher, its owner, remembers the district as “the quickest route from Henry Street to Grafton Street.” Today Indigo & Cloth, a menswear shop, café and creative agency, is an integral part of the area’s renewal. They moved from South William Street three years ago. For the same price as a basement space there,

Go out on the town in Dublin’s famous Temple Bar district. Get a cheap flight to the Irish capital with WOW air and drink in the culture.

WOW air offers flights to Dublin, Ireland several times a week, all year round. You’ll find available connections to Dublin from all WOW air destinations in North America at wowair.com.

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ns WOW destinatio

YOU WANT MORE? WOW! We’ve got so many destinations we don’t have room for articles about all of them. WOW air now has almost 30 destinations and will add more this winter as well as increase flight frequency to top destinations. You can also check out all our flight destinations and fares at wowair.com.

BERLIN The capital of cool and quirky is one of our most popular destinations. With history on every corner, a nightlife scene that truly lives up to its name and great shopping for everyone, Berlin won’t let you down.

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, with available connections from USA and Canada, twice a week during the summer months.

Hop onboard. WOW air offers several flights* a week to Berlin, Germany from USA, Canada and Iceland, all year round. ALICANTE Warm up by the Mediterranean Sea and taste the best of Spain. WOW air offers cheap flights* to Alicante from Iceland, with available connections from USA and Canada, up to four times a week from the end of March 2017 until the end of November. We also have a few flights around Christmas 2016.

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, with available connections from USA and Canada, all year round, except in January, April and May.

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BOSTON The city that’s famous for Cheers and good shopping. WOW air offers cheap flights to Boston from Iceland 4-6 times a week all year round. Connecting flights* to Boston are available from most WOW destinations in Europe.

EDINBURGH Enjoy Scottish hospitality, listen to the smooth sounds of bagpipes, swim with the Loch Ness Monster, taste the national dish—haggis—and wash it all down with some fine Scottish whiskey. We guarantee you’ll get hooked on Scotland! WOW air now offers three flights* a week to Edinburgh from USA, Canada and Iceland.

FRANKFURT Frankfurt am Main, aka “Mainhattan” is Germany’s most cosmopolitan city but that doesn’t mean history isn’t appreciated there. When you visit Frankfurt don’t miss out on the Mosel Valley for a taste of Germany’s best wines. Prost! WOW air offers flights* to Frankfurt am Main from USA, Canada and Iceland several times a week all year round.

GRAN CANARIA The city of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria is warm all year round so it’s a perfect destination for both the chilly and the chill. WOW air offers weekly flights to Gran Canaria from Iceland until March.

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, with available connections from USA and Canada.

MILAN Get ready for high fashion and high culture and don’t forget to feast your eyes on da Vinci’s Last Supper. WOW air flies to Milan, Italy from Iceland, with available connections from USA and Canada, 2-3 times a week from June to September.

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TORONTO This hip and happening city is a cultural melting pot where you’ll find world renowned restaurants, a vibrant nightlife and super friendly Canadians. Check out Canada! WOW air offers cheap flights* to Toronto from Europe, several times a week, all year round.

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, with available connections from USA and Canada, up to four times a week starting in May 2017.

SALZBURG Looking for that perfect winter destination? European ski resorts are known for being budget friendly and the Austrian Alps’ best ski resorts are just a short drive from Salzburg Airport. Pack your skis; WOW air flies to Salzburg from Iceland once a week from the end of December to the end of February.

WASHINGTON, D.C. Are you ready for a monumental trip? Get acquainted with the history of the United States of America and enjoy this great capital. WOW air offers cheap flights* to Washington, D.C. from Europe, several times a week, all year round.

The WOW Stopover When flying between North America and Europe take advantage of our WOW Stopover option.

TENERIFE Relaxing on a tropical island sounds like a dream and Tenerife is a dream come true. WOW air offers weekly flights to Tenerife Sur from Iceland all year round, two flights a week starting next December.

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The WOW Stopover allows you to visit Iceland at no additional airfare. It’s kind of like getting two vacations for the price of one. Find out more at wowair.com * 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, Bristol, Edinburgh, Dublin, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Stockholm, Alicante, Barcelona, Lyon, Milan, Rome and Warsaw to New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco in the US and Toronto and Montréal in Canada.

AQUARACER CALIBRE 5

Cristiano Ronaldo is born to break all the records. His motivation is to win at every occasion to challenge the human statistics. Like TAG Heuer, Ronaldo surpasses the limits of his ďŹ eld and never cracks under pressure.

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Laugavegi 15 & Kringlunni - 511 1900 - www.michelsen.is

THIS AND THAT …

MOSTLY THIS

The only app you’ll need in Iceland The BeIceland app will surely become your secret weapon when in Iceland. This travel app is really the only app you’ll need if you’re traveling in Iceland and it’s used by visitors and locals alike. The app can be downloaded for free for both Android and IOS devices and allows you to book various adventures and sightseeing tours and receive vouchers within the app. Based on your location, BeIceland can help you locate most of Iceland’s amazing natural attractions and historic places, towns, hotels, campsites and restaurants which can even be filtered according to your favorite food. The app even helps you find ATMs and recycling stations should you need them. Don’t have a smartphone? Take a look at the BeIceland website at beiceland. is, where you can start planning your travels in Iceland right now.

Kaleo goes vinyl Vinyl records are making quite the comeback! The Icelandic band Kaleo recently jumped on board and published their hit record A/B on vinyl. Kaleo was formed only four years ago in Iceland, but the band has taken the music world by storm. Their single “All the Pretty Girls” garnered over 23 million streams on Spotify, Rolling Stones listed Kaleo as one of

“Ten new artists you need to know” and their music has been featured on television shows such as Orange Is the New Black, Blindspot and Suits. In early 2015, Kaleo signed with Atlantic Records and subsequently relocated to Austin, Texas. A/B is the band’s second album and has been climbing the charts all over the world. It made 15th on the US chart, and the song “Way Down We Go” recently went to the top of Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs chart. Need more

WOW air on TripAdvisor We love giving you that WOW feeling— and servicing our guests with a smile even if we don’t have all the amenities and “free” stuff of those big legacy carriers. WOW air is on TripAdvisor and we would love to get your fair and honest feedback after your travels. Help us out by giving us your review. We hope it’s a good one but we welcome all feedback so we can do even better in the future.

reasons to add Kaleo’s A/B to your record collection? How about this? A/B comes in black & white split color vinyl!

WOW we have a fan!

From bathrooms to punk In 1930, Reykjavík City established under ground public bathrooms downtown. Located in Aðalstræti, they were called Núllið, or the Zero, since they were added to the lower end of the street long after the buildings were numbered. The restroom’s function was shut down in 2006, and the Zero has since been used as an exhi bition space. Soon it will open as a museum, the Icelandic Museum of Punk, thank you very much!

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Following a request from the city council for fun ideas on how to use the old bathrooms in an interesting way, the museum will introduce its guests to the history of punk in Iceland. These days the coordinators are searching for all kinds of punkrelated stuff from the public, to fill the entire 37.5 square meters. They plan to open the museum in November, the same week as the world renowned music festival, Iceland Airwaves takes place.

Even though WOW air doesn’t have flights to Switzerland, 11-year-old Nevis and his family decided to use our services when traveling from Zurich to Iceland last May via Berlin. While Iceland may be inspiring, to Nevis, WOW air was so impressive that he has since created countless drawings of WOW’s aircraft, says his father in a letter sent to our CEO. “In handicraft lessons at school, he now has even made a WOW air watch,” he adds, and he sent us this great photo of our new favorite guest. Nevis and his family loved their stay in Iceland. They were especially excited about the whale watching but, unfortunately, they spotted none on their tour. They are now saving up for their next trip to Iceland to see the great whales and told us they’d, of course, be flying with WOW air; Nevis insisted on it. WOW! Thank you, Nevis! We couldn’t be more pleased to have you and your family as our guests and we really look forward to meeting you all on board our purple aircraft again… and we’ll get the whales to behave this time.

THIS AND THAT …

MOSTLY THIS

by Eygló Árnadóttir

Daily tours

all year round

e golden circ h T le

a on

super truc k

The Icelandic movie Þrestir (Sparrows) by Rúnar Rúnarsson has both been chosen as Iceland’s contribution to the Oscars as best foreign language film and nominated for this year’s Nordic Council Film Prize. Sparrows tells the story of a teenage boy whose lifestyle in the big city is disrupted as he is sent by his mother to live with his uninvolved, alcoholic father and his grandmother in a small fishing village. To qualify for the Nordic Council Film Prize, a movie needs to have Nordic roots plus excellent artistic and original quality. Last year, another great Icelandic film, Fúsi by Dagur Kári Sigurðsson, won the awards. The other four films nominated this year, each contributed by Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, are: Under sandet (Land of Mine), Hymyilevä mies (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki), Louder Than Bombs and Efterskalv (The Hereafter). The nominated films have all won awards at film festivals all over the world and will compete for the awards in Copenhagen this November.

nowmobilin ds g an

Sparrows making us proud

The Viking clap goes abroad!

Photo: www.vikings.com

If you followed the UEFA European Cham pionship at all this summer, you must have noticed the Icelandic team and their very proud and loud supporters. This event was the men’s national team’s first major tournament and the team surprised everyone by making it to the quarter-finals. The players’ support team got no less attention than the team itself; for its an amazing support, positive attitude and, of course, the chilling Viking clap… HUH! In addition to striking fear into the components, the battle cry ended up uniting the whole nation for two incredible soccer weeks.

American football team, the Minnesota Vikings, feel a connection to their brothers and sisters in the north and have now introduced the Viking clap as their new support chant. Check out hashtag #vikingsclap for the chilling results of thousands of football fans chanting in a true Viking style. The Icelandic version will be heard once again in Holland next year since the women’s national team has now qualified to UEFA Women’s Euro. Oh, how we look forward to more soccer and many more HUH!s.

Tel. (+354) 580 9900 ice@mountaineers.is www.mountaineers.is

Your Ticket to Adventure Issue five 119

THIS AND THAT …

MOSTLY THIS

Icelandic sci-fi soundtrack For the third time, Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson joins hands with French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve when writing the soundtrack to the director’s new film Arrival. The film is a unique science fiction and stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. The storyline has to do with mysterious spaceships landing all over the planet and humankind trying to find out what’s going on. Jóhannsson decided early on that the human voice would be central in the film’s soundtrack since the story Photo: www.johannjohannsson.com mainly involves language and interaction. Villeneuve listened to Jóhannsson’s music while shooting the film and it had a great influence on the whole filming process. The Arrival soundtrack will launch this November, and when taken into account that Jóhannson’s soundtrack to Villeneuve’s thriller Sicario was nominated for an Oscar, we are surely in for a treat.

Cocktail Club opening Located in the center of Reykjavík on Aðalstræti in a 160 years old historical building, The Food Cellar opened a new grill and cocktail bar, earlier this year. The food is in the brasserie style, using Iceland’s finest ingredients. The chefs are eager to bring the fare to tables themselves and chat

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…but we must tell you about the awards WOW air just won for excellent achievement in social media! At the SimpliFlying: Awards for Excellence in Social Media 2016, WOW air won in two categories. The category Launches: “Airlines that leverage social media well to launch a new route, destination, plane or airline product”; and in Overall in Europe: “Airlines from Europe that have creatively and effectively integrated social media and/ or other digital technologies into overall marketing and business strategy.” WOW air was also highly commended in the category Branding: “Airlines that leverage on social media very effectively to demonstrate or reinforce clear and consistent branding.” The SimpliFlying Award ceremony was held in London this September, for the seventh time. WOW air battled airlines such as Finnair, Lufthansa and Emirates who were nominated in the same categories. We are very proud of this international recognition of our amazing team’s hard work. From day one, WOW air has used social media to reach people in a very personal way, and taken risks that clearly have paid off. Our social media team works day and night on Facebook and Twitter and strives to deliver original and engaging content on Instagram and Snapchat… so join us there!

“

TOP TEN

BEST RESTAURANTS IN ICELAND

piano, made in 1880. The Cocktail Club was just recently launched, with over 300 excited party guests attending the opening and enjoying a jazz band and an outside popcorn machine. Join that happy gang and check out the brand new Cocktail Club at the Food Cellar.

Sorry for tooting our own horn…

NEW AWARD

ALSO BEST 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

with guests, and the whole atmosphere is friendly and mellow. At 11 o’clock on Friday or Saturday nights, the Food Cellar turns into the Cocktail Club with an easy lounge feeling, superb selection of fine cocktails and live music—often from their mahogany grand

--------------------------------------------

Our VP sales and marketing, Engilbert Hafsteinsson, and Shashank Nigam CEO at SimpliFlying.

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THIS AND THAT …

MOSTLY THIS

Amazing 7 course menu Photos: Sigurjon Arnarsson

Namast’ay in Iceland Want to practice yoga in an old fish factory? In 2015, a new yoga studio, Sólir, opened in a former fish factory at Fiskislóð 53-55 in Reykjavík’s downtown harbor area. The studio is owned by Sólveig Þórarinsdóttir, a former stockbroker turned yoga teacher and author of the book From Business Craze to Balanced Living (Jóga fyrir alla). Classes offered at Sólir yoga studio include Hot Yoga, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Yin, Nidra, Kun dalini and Pilates. Sólir is open every day of the week, so feel free to drop by to get your daily yoga fix or just to relax and meditate. You can also find weekly

workshops and happenings, such as the renowned full moon events. For more information, check out www. solir.is, or Sólir, on Facebook and Instagram.

We were here first! Iceland vs Iceland; as in the Icelandic government is considering launching a lawsuit against British supermarket chain Iceland to make it give up its name. The chain has repeatedly tried to ban the use of “Iceland” in actual Icelandic mark eting promotions such as “Inspired by Iceland” in countries where the supermarket chain has a foothold. Let it be known that ‘Iceland the supermarket’ has had no qualms in capitalizing off ‘Iceland the country’ whenever we happen to get in the news. The frozen food giant has traded under the Iceland name since 1970 and is today one of the UK’s most recognized brands. The company has over 800 stores across the coun

try and employs more than 23,000 people. Malcolm Walker, the boss of the Iceland stores group, says: “We’ve been trading under the name for 45 years. What possible hope have they got? We’ve got five million customers every week—they’ve got 300,000 people living there.” Well excuuuse us, good sir, we’ve only been trading under the name for the past millennium. It probably can’t be ruled out that this whole feud has something to do with Iceland beating England at the UEFA last summer, just saying…

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 – Date purée, wakame, teriaky “Torched“ Arctic charr – Cucumber, truffle ponzu vinaigrette and yuzu mayo Reindeer – Reindeer slider with blue cheese, portobello, steamed bun Icelandic roll, 4 pcs – Gravlax roll with Brennivín and dill. Avokado, mango, cucumber, dill mayo, rye bread crumble Rack of icelandic lamb – Lamb with onion purée, slow cooked leeks, chimichurri, baked carrot And to end on a high note ... Icelandic Skyr – Skyr infused with birch, berries, white chocolate crumble, and sorrel granite

7.990 kr. Our kitchen is open 17.00–23.00 sun.–thu. 17.00–24.00 fri.–sat. Sushi Samba Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík Tel 568 6600 • sushisamba.is

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MOSTLY THIS

Nature trying hard to keep our musical gems away from you

Photo: Gassi

The album Krot – Icelandic Songs, is a collection of carefully chosen Icelandic songs inspired by the ever changing Icelandic nature. The collection spans three centuries of musical tradition, such as popular folk songs and poetry, with every song paying tribute to nature. Five years ago the musicians, soprano Rannveig Káradóttir and pianist Birna Hallgrímsdóttir, traveled the country with a number of concerts, following a musical grant they’d received. The trip marked the beginning of a dream of recording those old and rarely heard songs (four had never been recorded before). That dream came true with the help of Karolina Fund supporters, and

this September the album was released. Things didn’t go smoothly, those five years in between, and ironically it was nature that made the most trouble. In the middle of the original concert tour, a glacier flood ruined a bridge on Iceland’s one main road, forcing the musicians to cancel their next few sessions and turn back to drive the other way all around the island to get to their next stop. Their first attempt to record the album then fell through as the soprano’s vocal cords were badly affected by gasses following a volcanic eruption. Next attempt for recording had to be blown off because of very heavy wind hindering professionals from getting to the place

of recording. But third time is a charm, and voila! The album Krot is finally here. It can be purchased at Rannveig’s website: www.rannveigkaradottirsoprano. com and in music stores 12 tónar and Penninn Eymundsson.

Album artwork: Edda Heiðrún Backman

We do love our strong girls! The “Tsunami,” Sunna Rannveig Davíðsdóttir, was the first female amateur fighter out of Iceland and is now the first female pro fighter! In 2015, Sunna won the IMMAF European Open and decided to go pro. The fighter recently signed long-term with the all-female MMA promotion Invicta Fighting Championship, which ties strongly with UFC. This September, she had her first match at Invicta FC 19 fight night in Kansas City and won all three rounds against the more experienced Ashley “Dollface” Greenway. She celebrated the victory by eating a whole can of her favorite—Nutella chocolate hazelnut jam—but then quickly got to the gym to train for the next fight. Our first female MMA fighter is now ready for her next victim.

Vintage design at Stefánsbúð Photo: Curtesy of Mjölnir

One flight and one whale, please! When you book your flight with WOW air through our website, you can plan the whole trip at the same time and book exciting tours at tours.wowair.com. We handpick and recommend each tour the web page offers, easily categorized for you to choose from. Ranging from glacier hiking and geothermal baths to a city food tour and whale watching, you’re bound to come across something your heart desires. Make your journey even more exhilarating and carefree by booking the flight and adventure tours at the same place. Then there is nothing left to do but catch a plane and enjoy Iceland!

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For the first time, a vintage and secondhand luxury designer shop can be found in Iceland. Stefánsbúð was opened in 2011 by Stefán Svan, first as an online store but it has grown ever since. Recently, Stefánsbúð found a permanent location inside the beautiful studio p3 with a collective of local designers. Although in downtown Reykjavík, the spot at Miðstræti 12 is a bit off track, like the shop itself. Items include one-off vintage pieces from designers such as Sonia Rykiel, Comme des Garcons and Balenciaga. They range from private collections, quality designer clothes and accessories to bring you the best in vintage and secondhand.

Your activity tour operator in Iceland since 1983 Take a day tour from Reykjavík and go

SNORKELING IN SILFRA

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ATV • Caving • Combo tours • Diving • Glacier Hike • Golden Circle • Hiking • Horse Riding • Hot Springs • Ice Caves • Kayaking • Multiday tours Issue five 123 Northern Lights • Rafting • Snorkeling • Snowmobiling • Super Jeeps • Trekking • Volcano Hiking • Whale Watching

One of the world’s most exceptional snorkeling sites that is located on top of the separation between Europe and America.

Hey

look!

WHAT’S GOING ON OVER HERE? by Eygló Árnadóttir Photos: From respective events

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.

WHAT: Airwaves WHEN: November 2-6 WHERE: Various venues at downtown Reykjavík Located in Hverfisgata 54, 101 Reykjavik.

A movie lover’s paradise Located in the heart of downtown Reykjavik, Bio Paradis is a nonprofit organization run by Iceland’s professional filmmaking guilds. Screening the latest art house releases from all around the world, as well as cult films and Icelandic films, it is Iceland’s first and only art house cinema. The theater provides a warm, cozy environment for film lovers of all kinds—both in its three-screen theater and its well-stocked bar.

Reykjavík in November means Iceland Airwaves. This year, the music festival celebrates its 16th year, and as always, thousands are expected. Over 200 artists from all over the world will perform during the festival, including Björk, Of Monsters & Men and PJ Harvey. The intimate venues are located throughout the capital’s downtown area, so you can hop from one performance to the next.

Events in October and November 2016 For further information of the event and scheduled line-up, check out icelandairwaves.is.

WHAT: Happy Hour WHEN: Every day from 5-7 PM No need to explain—happy hour means the same in Iceland as everywhere else.

WHAT: When in doubt, go theater WHEN: October 15 and 16 Helen McCrory plays one of the greatest female roles in contemporary drama in Terence Rattigan’s devastating masterpiece, The Deep Blue Sea.

WHAT: Child Eater WHEN: Premiered October 28 A terrifying USIcelandic horror film about a babysitter, a missing kid and a local legend who feasts on children’s eyes. A stylish and nightmarish roller-coaster ride through dark and twisted woods.

WHAT: Throwback November WHEN: From November 11 Period films are just the thing to snuggle up to in the winter cold. Juliette Binoche stars in the slapstick murder mystery, Slay Bay, set on the northern French coast around 1910, and John Osborne’s modern classic, The Entertainer, happens in postwar Britain. Spend the fall in Iceland’s one and only art house cinema, located in downtown Reykjavik, where all the programs are in English or with English subtitles.

Check out Bíó Paradís’ screening schedule at: www.bioparadis.is

WHAT: The Volcano House Exhibition WHEN: From 10 am to 9 pm, every day of the week WHERE: The Volcano House, Tryggvagata 11 The Volcano House is a good place to learn about Iceland’s geology via their exhibition and through their hourly screenings of two documentaries about Iceland’s most famous eruptions. The 2011, Emmy-nominated documentary Eyjafjallajökull, focuses on the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, which interfered with all of Europe’s air traffic in 2010. The second documentary tells the story of the eruption in Westman Islands in 1973. The exhibition in the Volcano House is a tactile one where you can hold lava from the 2014 eruption in Bárðarbunga and ash from the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull. The exhibition includes samples of pumice and semiprecious stones, and breathtaking photographs of past eruptions. Showtimes for documentaries in English are every hour on the hour from 10 am to 9 pm.

For more information go to: www.volcanohouse.is Get your tickets at www.midi.is

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WHAT: Suede WHEN: October 22 WHERE: Laugardalshöll The British band Suede is heading back to Iceland, 16 years after their last visit. The band will introduce their latest record, Night Thoughts, that has received an excellent critique as do most Suede records. Simultaneously, the show will feature a film the band made with Roger Sargent in celebration of the record. The second half of the concert will be dedicated to the band’s old hits.

For tickets go to midi.is

WHAT: Steve-O: End of World Tour WHEN: December 22 WHERE: Háskólabíó The crazy comedian Steve-O will visit Iceland in December with a fun mix of stand up and a stunt show. In 2011 his Iceland show ended with him (being best known then as one of the Jackass Gang) setting himself on fire, so keep in mind that the show is only for an audience 16 years and older.

Get tickets to the show at www.tix.is or www.harpa.is

PROBABLY THE

WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 125

ARIES

LIBRA

Your lucky number is four. Have four glasses of wine with every meal. Kiss four people a day. Go to sleep at 4 am and wake up at 4 pm. Unless you’re married or employed, then just wear four socks or something.

The stars are clear. This week you absolutely need to learn everything you can about the Icelandic snow frog. It could make you filthy rich so head to the library right away.

21 MARCH - 19 APRIL

TAURUS

20 APRIL - 20 MAY Tough choices need to be made this month and you could do with a fresh per spective. Move to Australia. If things do go down the drain, they will at least go in the opposite direction for a change.

GEMINI

21 MAY - 21 JUNE You are probably not even reading this since you took a load of work papers with you on the flight, you workaholic! This is the right time to rethink your work situation and relax a bit. Just once in a while stop to smell the roses—or stare at the Northern Lights.

CANCER

22 JUNE - 22 JULY The professional that usually does this horoscope just won the lottery (for the third time) and is vacationing in the Bahamas, so you are stuck with me. I spent a whole day staring at your star chart… but didn’t understand a thing. I’m sorry.

LEO

23 JULY - 22 AUGUST If life is like a box of chocolates, you know exactly what you’re gonna get. The same way you only eat those caramel filled ones in the green wrapping, you only plan for certain things in life. Tomorrow will be very much like today.

VIRGO

23 AUGUST - 22 SEPTEMBER Hey, Stephen King is a Virgo—which is fitting since your next few days will be straight out of a Stephen King novel. Well, maybe not straight out of one— probably no crazy murderers and stuff, but definitely some really embarrassing wardrobe malfunction moments.

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23 SEPTEMBER - 23 OCTOBER

SCORPIO

24 OCTOBER - 21 NOVEMBER If you are a librarian, you will have many annoying encounters with a Libra trying to research a made up animal. The Libra is probably broke and desperate, so try to be nice.

SAGITTARIUS

22 NOVEMBER - 21 DECEMBER A romantic date with a tall, handsome stranger is in your chart this month. Actually, he’s not tall at all, and really not that handsome—but a nice guy, though. Stop being so picky!

CAPRICORN

22 DECEMBER - 19 JANUARY Women who come into your life when they are pregnant will bring you good luck for the rest of your relationship. Cherish them. Bring them food and expensive gifts—or a raise if they work for you. All this will pay off in the end.

AQUARIUS

20 JANUARY - 18 FEBRUARY Remember your mom and your psychiatrist saying you need to work on your temper; like stop yelling at the kids so much? This is the week to follow their advice. Actually, this moment, cause you’re really annoying the other guests on board with all the screaming.

PISCES

19 FEBRUARY - 20 MARCH Your alter-ego makes much more sense than you do. You guys should have a good talk. There is much to learn from that genius.

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

Issue five 127

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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Issue five 129

THE TRAVELING INQUISITION

THE ARCTIC IS HOT The Arctic Circle is the largest international gathering on the Arctic and is held every October in Reykjavík in the Harpa conference and concert hall—the architectural masterpiece in downtown Reykjavík. Sigríður Huld Blöndal is the director of the Arctic Circle Secretariat. by Svava Jónsdóttir Photos: Ozzo for Arctic Circle and Sigríður Huld Blöndal

Once she lived in Copenhagen and then Stockholm (her favorite cities she admits) with her Swedish husband who she met while living in Austria where she studied German in Wien and worked for a winter season in the Austrian Alps.

“The Arctic Circle is the largest annual global gathering on the Arctic and is attended by heads of state and government, ministers, members of parliament, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic. “The third Assembly in 2015 attracted over 2,000 attendees from over 50 countries. Since its inception, interest in the Arctic Circle has continued to gather pace,” says Sigríður Huld. The fourth Arctic Circle Assembly was held in Reykjavík on October 7-9. “Although the main Artic Circle Assembly is held annually in Reykjavik, we also hold smaller forums in other countries. Last year we had an Arctic Circle Forum in Alaska and Singapore. This year, in May, we organized a forum in Greenland, and in December, there will be an Arctic Circle Forum in Quebec, Canada.”

GROWING INTEREST Arctic Circle was founded in 2013 by former President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, and other international partners. Sigríður, who has a MA degree in International Relations with a main focus on Arctic matters and politics, has been working there almost from the start. “In my work I’m collaborating with various institutions, ministries, companies and universities around the world. Interest in Arctic matters is growing fast and we have speakers and participants coming to Iceland from a growing number of countries every year. Developing Arctic Circle into the largest international gathering on the Arctic has been a great experience.” Last year, the French President, François Hollande was one of the heads of state who attended the assembly and deliver ed a keynote speech. FAVORITE PLACE IN ICELAND When asked about her favorite place in Iceland, Sigríður says her favorite place is her family farm in Borgarfjörður. Located in West Iceland, Borgarfjörður is the setting for most of the Icelandic sagas. “I have wonderful memories from there when I was a child, spending the best time with my grandparents. Now, I love to go there with my family and my kids enjoy it very much. Horseback riding in the beautiful nature with the spectacular mountain view is a glorious experience!” Sigríður has lived 12 years abroad, in four other countries—the Faroe Islands, Sweden, Denmark and Austria. She simply loves traveling and visiting other countries—yes, believe it or not; she likes warmer destinations than the Arctic even though the Arctic is such a hot spot. “I have many favorite places abroad,” she says. Once she lived in Copenhagen and then Stockholm (her favorite cities she admits) with her Swedish husband who she met while living in Austria where she studied German in Wien and worked for a winter season in the Austrian Alps. Then it’s the adventurous South America where you can dance salsa like the night has no end. Sigríður would like to visit that part of the world again. She loves to dance, and what do you know? Salsa is one of her favorite dances! v

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WARM WELCOME

UNNUR ICELAND 69.990 ISK

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