You Have To Try It

Ísbúð Vesturbæjar’s legacy of tasty, old-fashioned ice cream

6.7.2010

Words by Julia Staples

Photos by Emily Burton

For the last 40 years, Ísbúð Vesturbæjar has served some most delicious ice cream in Reykjavík. A well-known favourite amongst locals, this neat shop that looks like the inside of a spaceship is tucked away in the lovely west end of Reykjavík. It has consistently offered some staple varieties of soft serve along with some fabulous toppings to crazy up your cone.

We asked owner Baldur Bjarnason how he got started in the ice cream business. “I worked as a pilot for Icelandair... I have no idea what I am doing in this ice cream business,” he admits. “It’s fun, though.” He says Ísbúð Vesturbæjar has a lot of young customers and very old customers that have been loyal to the store for many years. “It’s a nice business. It’s always busy, and it’s a lot of work.”

Baldur says that one of the most popular ice cream choices is vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate sprinkled with snickers. There are no plans to change anything, because Baldur thinks the customers wouldn’t like change. “We serve old-fashioned ice cream which is different from other places’,” he tells us, refusing to divulge any secrets on the recipe. “We are an independent store. We make our own ice cream which you cannot buy anywhere else. It’s a special place.”  Ísbúð Vesturbæjar’s ice cream is one for the ages that will hopefully keep on service up delicious cold treats for years and years to come.

Today Is Beer Day!

A bad day for a hangover

1.3.2012

Words by Melanie Franz

Yes, today is Iceland’s beer day! It was only on March 1, 1989 that beer became legal in Iceland. While the prohibition of most strong alcohol ended in 1935, the vote did not include the legalization of beer because it is cheaper than strong spirits and was thus more likely to lead to a life of depravity. It took more than 70 years and a yearlong debate, before the parliament voted in favor of lifting the ban. So only 23 years later Iceland is still going strong and has a lot of catching up to do for the lost time. Therefore, today is dedicated to the celebration of the wonderful world of beer.

Many bars have great offers on beers, today the perfect beginning for a long weekend. If you are pickier about which kind of beer you drink, our Beer-Off, in which we reviewed a bunch of Icelandic microbrews, might point you in the right direction.

So head out to the next bar and enjoy a cold one. And then start a long weekend or drag yourself to work the next day. Whatever you prefer. We are still waiting for March 2 to become national hangover day...

Harpa Reykjavík Concert Hall & Conference Centre selected as "Best Performance Space"

The centerpiece of this complex on Reykjavík’s eastern harbor is an 1,800-seat concert hall, but the standout feature is the southern façade, designed collaboratively by the architects, engineers, and Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. Composed of 12-sided glass-and-steel “quasi-bricks”—developed in Eliasson’s studio—the structure, illuminated at night, acts like a massive kaleidoscope mixing light from many sources and reflections of the city to spectacular effect. 2 Austurbakki; 354/528-5050; en.harpa.is.

From the Jury
“Harpa evokes water in all of its grandeur—the prismatic quality of the glass reflecting ice and clouds.” —Michele Oka Doner, artist
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tl-design-awards/2
Pictures of HARPA on Flicr

Minister Agrees With ÁTVR

28.2.2012

Words by Paul Fontaine

Minister of Finance Oddný Harðardóttir told reporters that she believes that decisions recently taken by the State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland (ÁTVR) to reject the sale of two different brands of alcohol due to their labeling is fully within the spirit of the law.

As reported earlier this month, Motörhead brand shiraz was rejected for import because the name of the band "is a reference to users of the illegal drug amphetamine, and the lyrics of the band's songs are regularly about war, the abuse of power, irresponsible sexual activity and drug abuse." Later, Black Death beer was also rejected for import on the grounds that the message "drink in peace" written on the label is outside the bounds of what is allowed to be printed on a label of an alcoholic beverage.

These decisions have been met with a great deal of public resistance, but Minister of Finance Oddný Harðardóttir told Vísir that they are fully within the spirit of the law. The Ministry of Finance is the ministry that oversees ÁTVR.

Oddný added that she has seen labeling on alcohol that she would consider questionable. "I've seen Easter beer with cute little ducklings on it," she said. "And alcohol decorated in such a way that it looks like juice."

Carbon Recycling In Effect Near Blue Lagoon

28.2.2012

Words by Paul Fontaine

A recycling plant which turns carbon dioxide into Renewable Methanol (RM) is in operation near the Blue Lagoon.

Geothermal power, while cleaner than petroleum-based power, does produce emissions. Among them is carbon dioxide. RÚV reports that the plant, run by Carbon Recycling International (CRI), takes on about 85% of the carbon dioxide produced by the geothermal power plant at Svartsengi for conversion.

CRI uses electricity to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water atoms, and then binds the hydrogen to carbon dioxide to create Renewable Methanol (RM), a clean fuel. CRI's particular conversion process requires little electrical power, so more energy is produced than is used in production.

While usually vehicles need to be specially converted to use RM, it can be blended with petrol for use in traditional vehicles. However, CRI hopes that hybrid cars using 85% RM to 15% petrol will increase in Iceland.

CRI has been operating in Iceland since 2007. According to CRI's website, "The Icelandic New Technology Development Fund awarded CRI and its partners, SORPA bs (a public partnership for waste management for the capital area) and the Innovation Center of Iceland a three year grant to fund a research and development project titled Waste gasification and fuel production."

Hunting in Greenland

Hunting in Greenland Reindeer - Musk Ox - Ptarmigan - Eider Ducks - Seals - Arctic Hears.

Greenland is a hunting paradise, here we have exclusive hunting area of 500 square Kilometers. Our Caribou quota is every season 200 trophy bulls. Our one of kind programs have become popular and they are fast becoming a firm favourite amongst our clients. Our Caribou hunters have been returning full of praise for what they have experienced there.

New for 2012 , we are the first outfitter in Greenland to build a proper hunting camp. We are building 12 comfortable twin sleeping cabins. There we will create a very special atmosphere, there will be a large get-to-gether place in the middle of the camp where the sitting area and dining area will be located all around fire place. This will be the cooking area as well, both charcoal- and gas BBQ. There will be running water and warm showers. You can be sure that you will experience the true feeling of beeing an adventurous outdoor person in this camp. In the evenings if you feel like there is only few hundred meters to the next fishing place, if you want to have a little moment with your self with a rod in your hand. The Arctic Char tastes great on the Grill! Meals in the camp will be mostly from the local nature, that is Caribou meet , fresh Arcic Char and fresh fish from the sea, basic but very tasteful and healthy.

Going hunting Caribou in Greenland you have the choice of hunting Musk Ox as well, Arctic Hare, Seals, Ptarmigan and Marine Birds. This will keep you very busy for the whole week, and if you still have a little bit of time you grab some of our fishing rods and you go fishing for the Searun Arctic Char. Bow hunters will find Greenland extremely interesting as the landscape is made for bow hunters, canyons, big rocks, hides that allow bow hunters to get carefully very close to the animals.

We have a vast hunting concession in the south of Greenland, whitch also offers endless fishing opportunities on hundreds of rivers and lakes. Some times even in the river mouths when the char run up the rivers. Those lakes connected to the ocean by clear rivers provide the best fishing, but the fjords are also extremely productive in the early part of the season. Char start to gather in the fjords near the river mouths in early July and begin to move into the rivers by mid-month.

Itinerary: 
5 days trip Friday to Tuesday July - September.
8 days trip Friday to Friday July - September.

Photos

http://icelandontrack.is/Hunting-in-Greenland.html

Searun Arctic Char fishing in Greenland.

Greenland is the wildest place on earth for char fishing. This is the biggest island in the world, and in fact one of biggest countries as well. Greenland is inhabited with only 55.000 people, sharing thousands of rivers and lakes, full of Arctic Char. This means that many of those fishing areas are hardly fished at all, some rivers have not seen an angler - ever. You will catch Searun Arctic Char from 1 – 7 lbs. The fishing is on a vouluntary catch and release basis, but you will appreciate this high quality fish on the BBQ as often as you like.

Fish are plentiful but the season is very short. You have to be there at the right time of year. The best time is from middle of July until mid September. We fly you in through Iceland and you have the option of either a 5 day tour or an 8 day tour. Friday – Tuesday or Friday – Friday.

Our camp in Greenland is a basic adventure, outdoor camp. It is one of a kind, sitting in the unspoiled nature, where you are completely alone in the wilderness. The camp consists of 12 twin bed cabins. In the center of the cabin area is an outdoor BBQ and dining facilities under a roof. There youwill enjoy sitting around a fireplace, sharing tactics and swapping stories. The camp is designed and built to create the exact atmosphere of being in the middle of the wilderness of Greenland. It is not a luxury camp but it serves your basic needs. A comfortable bed, outdoor showers and toilets.

Greenland char run between 1 lbs. and 7lbs, but we've caught a few weighing close to 10 lbs. We have a vast hunting concession in the south of Greenland, which offers endless fishing opportunities on hundreds of rivers and lakes.

They are free takers of both streamers and nymphs. Bright flies with orange or magenta in the dressing are most effective. You have to be well prepared for good long walks in Greenland Wilderness.

Arctic Char is very tasteful fish , ideal on the evening BBQ, just with butter and potatoes. By mid July the rivers and lakes are full of fish. August is a more comfortable time to fish as the mosquitoes are beginning to die off.

Endless fishing areas from along the coast to the endless rivers and lakes.

The lakes, that connect to the ocean by clear rivers, provide the best fishing, but the fjords are also extremely productive in the early part of the season.

Itinerary:

5 days trip Friday to Tuesday June - September.
8 days trip Friday to Friday June - September.

Photos
http://icelandontrack.is/Fishing-in-Greenland.html

Are you adventurer

Greenland is in fact a world of its own. Icebergs and the inland ice are probably the most famous aspects of the Greenlandic nature. Massive icebergs in unbelievable shapes of blue and white float on the deep blue sea. The internal ice - a truly unfathomable sheet of ice, kilometers thick, which seems frozen hard and immovable but, as the loud and creaking reveals, is in fact under constant movement and change. Greenland is also about green mountains with beautiful flowers, long fjords, steep cliffs, hot springs and fresh air. It is not just people who enjoy living here. Animals also prosper here - at sea and land - reindeer, seals, musk oxen, whales, polar bears. Greenland is a paradise for anglers . The Arctic char is common in most rivers and if you fish from a boat at sea or on a fjord, you may be able to hook a halibut several meters long or a record-size catfish. Greenland is also hunting paradise, here we have exclusive hunting area of 500 square Kilometers. Our Caribou quota is every season 200 trophy bulls. Our one of kind programs have become popular and they are fast becoming a firm favourite amongst our clients. Our Caribou hunters have been returning full of praise for what they have experienced there.

http://icelandontrack.is/Are-you-adventurer.html

Shatteringly beautiful, barren and brutal...

„You can try and CGI this but there is no need - look at it, it exists,“ exlaims actor John Bradley, pointing at the landscape of Iceland where his character, Samwell Tarly, is facing the elements in season 2 of the TV Saga Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martins epic fantasy novels.

Iceland in the middle of the winter was the filming location of choice for Jon Snow‘s adventures north of the Wall, into the mystical landscape of the Frostfangs. David Benioff, Executive Producer, explains the choice of Iceland:  "We always knew we wanted something kind of shatteringly beautiful and barren and brutal for this part of Jon's journey cause he is in the true north now."
Alan Taylor, Director and Co-Executive Producer, says that being able to go out into a world that actually ewokes the world they were trying to create was inspiring for everybody.

DESIGN MARCH 2012

For four days at the end of March Reykjavik will be awash with design events – during the festival, hundreds of opening galas, exhibitions and other events will be organised within the city.

Representatives from all sections of the industry from architects to product designers and jewellery designers to ceramic artists are expected to attend. The festival will begin with a series of lectures, which will this year feature architect and musician Tuomas Toivonen among others.

As part of the DesignMarch there will also be a so-called DesignMatch which aims to bring designers and purchasers to the same table. The participants who have already agreed to take part in the 2012 DesignMarch event include: Katrin Olina, Scintilla, Spark Design Space, Vík Prjónsdóttir, KRADS, Aurum, The Icelandic Museum of Design and Applied Art, KronKron, MUNDI, Tinna Gunnarsdóttir, The National Gallery of Iceland, HAF by Hafsteinn Júlíusson, Sruli Recht, STEiNUNN, The Reykjavík Art Museum, Megan Herbert, Kraum, Kurtogpi and Hanna Jónsdóttir.

Light A Pyre In The Sky

The hunt for green ember 7.2.2012 Words by Clyde Bradford 


You know those pictures you see of the Northern Lights? The ones where they engulf the night sky and the hues of green and red are really intense...You know they're not exactly accurate, right? Of course it's the Northern Lights you're seeing in the photographs, but camera trickery is afoot! A bit like touching up the photo of a model, techniques are used to make the lights appear even more spectacular. The pictures are often ‘hyper-real.’ The lights are still pretty spectacular, but you need to know this information before you set off on your big adventure in search of them. You're not necessarily going to see what the pictures show you. Our guide Snorri Valsson makes sure to inform us of this fact as we embark from the BSÍ bus terminal. Snorri and our driver Guðjón Bogason will be aiding and abetting our hunt this evening. Another thing you need to know is that the lights don't come out just because you decided you wanted to see them. They're no dancing monkey. But tonight holds the promise of the largest solar storm in seven years so we should be in for something spectacular! The reason for this is that the lights are caused by the Sun emitting charged particles into space. When they reach Earth, they head towards the poles because the poles are magnetic. For this reason there are Northern (Aurora Borealis) and Southern (Aurora Australis) Lights. When they’re in the Earth’s atmosphere (in the Auroral zone to be precise), these charged particles bash into oxygen and nitrogen particles in the air, which creates green (oxygen reaction) and red (nitrogen reaction) light. 


 FIRST CONTACT A solar storm means lots of charged particles, which means lots of Northern Light activity. This explains why there are five coaches full of people on the tour tonight. However, Iceland is currently being battered by storms. And with storms come clouds, the sworn enemy of any Northern Lights hunter. Snorri tells us that we will be heading to the hopefully cloud free Reykjanes peninsula, close to the international airport in Keflavík. Thirty minutes down route 41 (the main arterial road between Reykjavík and Keflavík), we stop and Snorri jumps out to take a better peak at the night. “We need to head west,” he says and with that we’re off, Guðjón’s eyes on the road and Snorri’s eyes fixed firmly on the sky. We’re now off route 41 and taking our chances on some less well lit roads... You don’t want pesky man-made light when you’re searching for the Northern Lights. Then murmurs start to pick up, heads peer skyward and eyes strain through coach windows—we have first contact. 


 I WAS THERE AND HERE’S THE PROOF Piling out of the coach, the throng assembles and aims their cameras towards the sky. No comment. I head closer to the lights and watch them undulate about the atmosphere. It seems like we’ve hit the sweet spot and we get a good twenty minutes worth of action. But minutes later the lights begin to fade. The clouds are foiling us. Snorri takes this opportunity to get us all back into the coach and we head towards the picturesque village of Hvalsnes—a prime Northern Lights viewpoint that also happens to appear in the film ‘Mýrin’ (“Jar City”). As we approach town, we get a better view of the column of light streaking across the sky. It appears from behind the church and houses of Hvalsnes, and I crane my neck back to follow its route. Quickly giving up on that approach I spin around only to see the column disappearing behind the clouds. The horizon catches my eyes as man-made light makes its attempt to vie for attention. A far off town obscured by hills throws up its lights and they bounce off the clouds that cover it from above. It looks as though the horizon is on fire. Good, but no dice... I spin back around and keep my eye on the Northern Lights until they fade from view. 


 NO DICE The clouds have closed in again and as we all look hopefully to the sky, catching only glimmers of green light, a 4x4 arrives on the scene. It’s a local on his way to destination unknown and he needs to get by our coach. As he attempts to squeeze past, his 4x4 slides off the road. Disaster. Like a turtle on its back the guy needs help. Snorri, Guðjón and some of our group (myself included) give him a push back on to the road. It’s a tense few minutes, but real disaster is averted! That brief bit of excitement out of the way, we go back to searching the sky for lights, but a few glimpses aside, we have no dice. It’s getting late so Snorri hustles us back into the warmth of the bus and we make our way back to our hotels and homes. Lights were seen, japes were had and a little bit of excitement even when the lights were hidden, but in the end we were mostly foiled by the clouds.

Food & Fun 2012

The 11th Food & Fun Festival is just around the corner here in Reykjavik, Iceland. For the last few weeks we have been putting the finishing touches on the list of participating restaurants and we are very excited to announced 5 new places joining us in this years festival, all of them are new in the restaurant scene and have all been very well received by the locals. http://www.foodandfun.is

Iceland tops polls as most attractive destination in 2012

Iceland tops polls as most attractive destination in 2012 Tiny Iceland is coming up big in the competition for the most exciting travel destination in 2012. The country recently, topped The National Geographic’s Traveler Magazine’s list of the world’s best destinations in 2012, which claimed it was “[a] final relic from the world’s last ice age.” Iceland also finished atop of the Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel list as the readers’ choice for the best destination in the world. Iceland received a total of 32% of votes cast, 19% more than 2nd place, Italy. In addition, Iceland’s capitol, Reykjavík, finished well ahead of 2nd placed Lisbon, as the most exciting city to visit in 2012 for the same publication. Iceland’s rugged beauty, shaped by glaciers, waterfalls and volcanoes, was a major hit with Lonely Planet Readers’ who were attracted by the country’s untouched nature and pristine landscapes. MORE

Easyjet and WOW Air launch flights to Iceland

Easyjet and brand new Icelandic airline, WOW Air, will increase accessibility from the UK to Iceland by six flights a week. The two airlines are both launching flights from London airports to Keflavik International Airport in the spring and summer of 2012. The inaugural Easyjet flight is on 27 March 2012 and will operate three times a week from London Luton on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Prices start at £32.99 one way and £58.81 return and flights are available to book at www.easyjet.com. WOW Air will fly for the first time on 1 June 2012. Flights from London Stansted to Keflavik will operate three times a week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with prices starting at £53 one way. WOW Air is Iceland’s newest airline and focuses on flexible travel within Europe at competitive prices. The airline will also fly from Iceland to Alicante, Basel, Berlin, Copenhagen, Krakow, Lyon, Paris, Stuttgart, Warsaw and Zurich. Flights are available to book at www.wowair.is.

Iceland Awarded ‘Best Adventure Travel Destination’ by Readers of the Sunday Times Travel Magazine

Iceland was named the ‘Best Adventure Travel Destination’ at the annual Sunday Times Travel Magazine Readers Awards 2011. Iceland beat stiff competition from runners-up Norway and Switzerland. The country was praised for its ‘lunar landscapes’ and wide range of adventure activities on offer. The award comes hot on the heels of two other recent accolades for the country, with Iceland having been awarded ‘Best in Travel’ in the annual Lonely Planet ‘Reader’s Choice Awards,’ as well as being included in National Geographic Traveler’s pick of the ‘Best of the World 2012.’ Commenting on the win, Sigga Groa from Promote Iceland said: “We are delighted to have won the award and to be recognised for our fantastic adventure activities – particularly because these awards are based on public votes. “This is a great end to a successful year for Iceland and we look forward to welcoming more Sunday Times Travel Magazine readers to our country in 2012.” Iceland’s impressive awards win will be featured in a special Readers Awards 2011 supplement in the January edition of the Sunday Times Travel Magazine.

Mythical Icelandic monster captured on film?

A video was recorded this weekend of what may or may not be the legendary Lagarfljóts Worm — Iceland’s answer to the Loch Ness Monster.The video was taken of what looks like a giant, icy swimming snake in the Jökulsá í Fljótsdal river, which runs in to Lagarfljót. The unexplained creature, or phenomenon, appears to be swimming upstream, against the current. The Lagarfjóts Worm, or Lagarfljótsormurinn, is possibly the best-known of Iceland’s many rumoured monsters and sightings have been regularly recorded since the year 1345. The story goes that the worm was once just a little heath worm which was put onto a golden ring, as that was rumoured to make the gold grow. When the owner of the ring came back later, she discovered with shock that the worm had grown enourmous, but the ring was still the same size as before. In frustration she threw both the worm and the ring into the lake, where the worm continued to grow bigger still. Whether the amateur video by Hjörtur Kjerúlf is of the legendary monster must be left to the viewer to decide. See the Video on RUV here

Katla

Katla is one of the largest volcanoes in Iceland. It is situated to the north of Vík í Mýrdal and to the east of the smaller glacier Eyjafjallajökull. Its peak reaches 1,512 metres (4,961 ft) and is partially covered by the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The system has an area of 595 km² (230 sq mi). The Eldgjá canyon is part of the same volcanic system.[3][4] The caldera of the Katla volcano has a diameter of 10 km (6 mi) and is covered with 200–700 metres (660-2,300 ft) of ice. The volcano normally erupts every 40–80 years. The flood discharge at the peak of an eruption in 1755 has been estimated at 200,000–400,000 m³/s (7.1-14.1 million cu ft/sec), comparable to the combined average discharge of the Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, and Yangtze rivers (about 266,000 m³/s (9.4 million cu ft/sec)). Etymology The name Katla derives from the word ketill (“kettle”), referring to the form of the volcano. Katla is also used as a female first name.[5] Prehistoric activity It is thought that Katla is the source of Vedde Ash, more than 6 to 7 cubic kilometers (1.4 to 1.7 cu mi) of tephra dated to 10,600 years BP.[1][6][7][8] found at a number of sites including Vedde in Denmark, Norway, Scotland and North Atlantic cores. Historic activity Sixteen eruptions have been recorded for Katla since 930. The last major eruption started on 12 October 1918 and lasted for 24 days.[9] It was likely a VEI5 level eruption. The 1918 eruption resulted in extending the southern coast by 5 km due to laharic flood deposits. Its present dormancy is among the longest in known history.[10] Major eruptions occurred in : 1918 - VEI4 or VEI5; about 0.7 cubic km ejected material 1860 - VEI4 1823 - VEI3 1755 - VEI5; 1.5 cubic km ejected material. Flood discharge 200,000–400,000 m³/s 1721 - VEI5 1660 - VEI4 1625 - VEI5 1612 - VEI4 1580 - VEI4 934 - VEI5 or VEI6, 5 cubic km of tephra and 18 cubic km of lava Locations of caldera rim and previous eruptions

Most of these eruptions resulted in glacial floods. The severe fissure eruption in 934 was one of the largest lava eruptions in the past 10,000 years.[11] Before the Hringvegur (Iceland's Ring Road) was constructed in 1974, people feared traversing the plains in front of the volcano because of the frequent jökulhlaup (or glacier bursts) and the deep river crossings. Especially dangerous was the glacier outburst that followed the eruption of 1918. Present day activity Schematic cross-section from west to east across the Eyjafjallajökull and Katla volcanoes. Magmatic intrusions are drawn in red, rhyolitic domes and the cryptodome in yellow; glaciers are shown in light blue. Katla has been showing signs of unrest since 1999, and geologists have concerns that it might erupt in the near future.[12] Particularly, monitoring has been intensified following the March 2010 eruptions of a smaller neighbouring volcano, the Eyjafjallajökull glacier.[13] The eruption of this nearby long-dormant volcano in March and April 2010 prompted fears among some geophysicists that it might trigger an eruption at the larger and more dangerous Katla.[14][15][16] In the past 1,000 years, all three known eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull have triggered subsequent Katla eruptions.[15] Following the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptions, on 20 April 2010 Icelandic President Ólafur Grímsson said "the time for Katla to erupt is coming close ... we [Iceland] have prepared ... it is high time for European governments and airline authorities all over Europe and the world to start planning for the eventual Katla eruption".[17] Increased earthquake activity has been noticed on Katla since the eruption at Eyjafjallajökull, but no other signs of an imminent eruption have been observed. These quakes are located mainly on the northwestern rim of the caldera. On 9 October 2010, a sudden rise in harmonic tremor was observed in the stations around Katla, a sign of a possible impending eruption.[18] As of 2010, volcanologists are continuing to monitor Katla, aware that any eruption from Katla following an eruption from Eyjafjallajökull has historically occurred within months of the latter. The Icelandic Meteorological Office updates its website with reports of quakes both at Eyjafjallajökull and Katla.[19] In June 2011, harmonic tremor was again detected at Katla volcano. A few days later, an earthquake swarm took place in the caldera, indicating magma movement inside the volcano, leading to increased fears of an eruption in the near future.[20] On 8 and 9 July another spike in harmonic tremors occurred. Icelandic media reported a small subglacial eruption might have started.[21] On the morning of 9 July a glacier flood was reported in the river Múlakvísl, later also in the river Skálm. The bridge across Múlakvísl was destroyed as well as other parts of the road, Route 1, on the Icelandic ring road. Helicopter pilots flying over the glacier also reported cracks in the glacier, suggesting a large meltdown of the glacier on the south-eastern rim of the Katla crater

MPs Rally To Defend Former PM Trial

Responding to increasing support to nix the trial of former prime minister Geir H. Haarde, members of parliament are currently working to introduce a proposal which would effectively kill legislative opposition to it. As reported, Independence Party chairman Bjarni Benediktsson submitted a proposal last year calling for the trial of Geir, who stands accused of negligence and mismanagement contributing to the 2008 financial collapse of the country, to be terminated. Support for the measure has been seen not just from the conservatives, but also from members of the Social Democratic Party, as well as from Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson. As such, parliament appears almost evenly divided on the issue. However, Leftist-Green MP Björn Valur Gíslason told RÚV that trial supporters have a plan. Bjarni intends to submit his proposal today, but Björn believes that there exists a parliamentary majority, comprised of MPs from every party except the conservatives, to vote to nullify the proposal. If it makes it onto the floor, a vote could be taken on it immediately after Bjarni's proposal is submitted. As it stands now, Geir's trial remains in a state of uncertainty.

Yoko celebrates Lennon's 70th birthday in Reykjavik

Legendary artist, musician and peace advocate, YOKO ONO, will be holding several events in Reykjavík, Iceland on October 9th to promote peace throughout the world and to celebrate what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday.


The Lennon Ono Grant for Peace was created to honor her late husband John Lennon’s dedication to peace and commitment to the preservation of human rights. Created in 2002, this biennial award has always been given to two recipients. To mark this special anniversary year, Yoko Ono will be presenting this award to four recipients who have been selected based on their courage and commitment to peace, truth and human rights.

More on visitreykjavik.is

Iceland Airwaves 2010

It's 4 a.m. You've been tofiive cool clubs, seen ten great bands, made fifteen new friends and fallen in love twenty times. You're tired. You're wired. You're ready to find a bed. You're ready to find the after-party. You can't believe you're here. You're already making plans to come back next year. And guess what? It's still Day One. Iceland Airwaves 2010 vill be held October 13-17.

Since the first edition was held in 1999 (in an airplane hangar), Iceland Airwaves has become one of the premier annual showcases for new music – Icelandic and otherwise – in the world. It's made a heap of friends and won many fans along the way, and been lavished with praise pretty much everywhere they write about music. Example: Rolling Stone magazine called it "The hippest long weekend on the annual music-festival calendar."

Some of the world's most exciting artists have performed there, too. The Shins, The Rapture, TV On The Radio, Florence and the Machine, Klaxons, Hot Chip, Flaming Lips, Wolf Parade, Bloc Party and Fatboy Slim have made the short hop from Europe or North America to share the stages with Iceland's finest talents, including bands such as Sigur Rós, FM Belfast, GusGus, múm, Singapore Sling and Dr Spock, to name but a few. And when the live bands have done their thing, top DJs from all over the world spin across the city until the crack of dawn.

But there's more to Airwaves than music. Reykjavík is quite possibly the perfect festival city – small enough to be welcoming, sophisticated enough to offer cultural, historical and nightlife diversions to rival cities ten times its size. Maybe twenty. Who knows? And it's surrounded by some of the most unique and astonishing natural beauty you're ever likely to see (this is a grand statement, but you should just see it).

Roll out of bed, hose the party remains out of your hair and hop on a bus. Before you can remember what you did the night before, you're looking at geysers, waterfalls, lava fields – all the best that a volcanic island has to offer, including the world-famous Blue Lagoon, favorite soaking spot of the international hung-over glitterati. Mmm! You can really taste the hipster!

http://www.icelandairwaves.is/