My Destination Reykjavik Winter 2013

Winter 2013

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SOUVENIR SHOP SH OP O F TH E YEAR 2012

The viking:info Laugavegur 1 · Reykjavík Hafnarstræti 1 - 3 · Reykjavík Hafnarstræti 104 · Akureyri e:info@theviking.is

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Akureyri Reykjavík

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Open everyday from 8am-10pm

Ice Climbing Glacier Hike Horse Riding Snorkeling

Diving

Caving

Snowmobile ATV

Super-Jeep Sightseeing Combo Trip

www.adventures.is | info@adventures.is | +354-562-7000 | Downtown ReykjavĂ­k Sales Office at Laugavegur 11

Hello and Welcome to Iceland We want your stay in Reykjavík to be as enjoyable as possible and we are here to help. While turning the pages of this magazine you will learn about many of Reykjavík’s best restaurants, stores, clubs, excursions and transportation companies along with some practical tips and fun facts about the city and its surrounding areas.

The information provided on these pages will give you an insight into life in Reykjavík and introduce you to the highlights of the city. However, it is hard to explain to you the magic of Reykjavík on just 64 leaves of paper. To be properly informed about everything during your stay here in Iceland we highly recommend a visit to our website, www.MyDestination.com/Reykjavik.

On the My Destination Reykjavik website you will find absolutely everything you could possibly want to know about Reykjavík and more. The greatest thing about the My Destination network and what seperates it from other travel sites is that it is filled with tips and reviews

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from locals who really know what they are talking about. My Destination Reykjavik is there for you whether you want to get to know the history of Iceland, learn about the culture, read about the restaurants you plan on eating at, book your accommodation, rent a car, find out What’s On in Reykjavik, browse through photos or load up on useful information. Basically we have everything you need to get informed and make the best of your trip.

My Destination is a global travel resource that is powered by a diverse community of hundreds of local experts. The local experts at My Destination Reykjavik are on the ground and have personally experienced what our destination has to offer. We make sure to produce comprehensive information in the form of travel articles, local tips, guides, reviews, videos and panoramic virtual tours. Let My Destination be your tour guide during your stay in Iceland and you will get more out of your experience than you thought was possible.

Reykjavik

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WWW.SEAFOODGRILL.IS SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGUR 14 - 101 REYKJAVÍK - TEL: +354 571 1100

The Wonders of Volcanoes You’ll find the Volcano House near the old harbour close to Reykjavík’s city centre. It gives guests a glimpse of how erupting volcanoes and earthquakes can be part of daily life in Iceland.

VOLCANO HOUSE CINEMA – DRAMATIC AND INFORMATIVE

VOLCANO HOUSE CAFÉ – HEALTHY AND AFFORDABLE

The Volcano cinema shows striking documentaries on two of the most powerful eruptions in Iceland in recent times. One features the famous natural disaster in the Westman Islands, where a tremendous eruption began after midnight on the 23rd of January 1973. That night nearly 5,000 people had to be evacuated to the mainland, using all boats available on the island. The other film presents Iceland as one of the youngest volcanic islands on earth and documents the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull and others in amazing Emmy nominated footages. This famous eruption caused unprecedented interruptions to air traffic over a large part of Europe.

It is perfect to sit down at the Volcano House Café if you want a healthy and affordable meal or refreshments. You will find that the menu is under both Icelandic and make travel plans or just have a nice meal and a chat. The menu has a volcanic twist and even their coffee has a connection to volcanic activities, grown in the hills of volcanos in Guatemala. At the Volcano House café you even get a piece of lava with your coffee. Free Wi-Fi for our guests.

GEOLOGICAL EXHIBITION – YOU MAY TOUCH THE ITEMS! A brief synopsis of Iceland’s geological history and volcanic system are on display in the Volcano House, together with superb photographs of volcanic eruptions and other mysterious aspects of Icelandic nature. A large collection of semiprecious rocks and minerals from around the country are on display. A visit to the exhibition is a one of a kind experience which offers a hands-on geology experience where guests can handle various samples of pumice, ash and lava from Icelandic volcanoes. Some members of staff are geologists and everyone is well informed if you have any questions or inquiries.

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VOLCANO HOUSE INFORMATION AND BOOKING SERVICE Do you want to know more about travelling in Iceland, activities, nature or culture? Do you need a relaxed forum to book your tours with knowledgeable, friendly staff? Whether you are interested in whale watching, horse riding, bus tours to the countryside or other Icelandic adventures, Volcano House Information centre will help you find the activities of your choice and take care of your booking and other arrangements.

VOLCANO HOUSE BOUTIQUE The Volcano House has a souvenir shop that offers various gifts and artwork connected to Iceland’s volcanoes and nature. It has on offer classic souvenir items that make it possible for you to take home a piece of Iceland. These are items such as lava rocks, pumice, bottles of ash from Eyjafjallajökull, lava jewellery and more.

Volcano House Tryggvagata 11, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354 5551900

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Some places have a certain something about them. People just want to be there. And if you are lucky you get to spend some time at one of those places. Atli Bollason shared an apartment at Ingólfsstræti 8a few years ago with two friends. He never knew who would be there or what would happen when he got home.

Sometimes it was a café, sometimes a cinema and after the bars closed there would maybe be a line outside.

People just showed up.

Ingólfsstræti 8 Skál fyrir þér!

Léttöl

Winter Magic at Hotel Ranga If you followed the volcanic eruptions in Iceland in 2010, you will have noticed that many of the international news reports came from the terrace of a country resort, 30 kilometres away from the first eruption site. Hotel Ranga is one of the finest luxury hotels in Iceland but its location also makes it unique. The owner and manager of Hotel Ranga is Friðrik Palsson. In 2003, he joined a friend in running a four year old 20 bedroom hotel in the middle of nowhere. Later that year he took over the business and has since then turned this gem into the best known country resorts in Iceland. Now the hotel offers 51 bedrooms and an exceptional a la carte menu.

REPUTATION IS EVERYTHING Friðrik is no ordinary hotel manager. With 25 years of travelling around the world under his belt, he has well-constructed ideas on how to run the tourist industry in Iceland: “I marketed Icelandic fish products for 25 years. I travelled all over the world and probably spent four months out of every year in hotels. I did not have any preferences in the way I travelled but to my mind it was important that the hotels

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were of a certain standard and offered good service. It did not take me long to decide which hotels to visit on a regular basis. I only returned to those hotels that showed interest in me coming back.“ This has been his guiding light in running Hotel Ranga for the past ten years and to Friðrik‘s mind, reputation is the key element of his business. “Todays marketing requires impeccable service and the delivery of promised goods. The customer‘s experience

travels quickly onto the internet and it stays there. There are millions of computers all over the world that search for reputation and if this search shines a light onto the good reputation of your business, then you have been successful. Reputation is everything.“ THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE When asked how in the world they got the idea to place a luxury resort out in the middle of nowhere, Friðrik replies: “Out in the middle of nowhere is the place to be in you want to enjoy what the northern sky has to offer.“ And he is absolutely right. When the lights are turned off at Hotel Ranga during the dark winter months, there is no place better to enjoy not only the northern lights but the stars in the pitch black sky, which urban inhabitants otherwise never get to see. Gazing at the northern lights has been a favourite activity of Hotel Ranga guests from the beginning. To further enhance the

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possibilities in astronomical observation, Friðrik is in the process of having star telescopes installed at the hotel. According to him, the northern lights have been the resort‘s main attraction during the winter but the northern lights alone do not bring in all the customers: “What makes this possible is the fact that all operations in the area offer their services all year round. Whether your heart desires to go horse riding, biking, riding snowmobiles, hiking on a glacier or scuba diving, all this is available twelve months a year now. The only thing you cannot do in the winter is fly fishing” he says with an impish smile.

THIS IS THE FUTURE Friðrik is a visionary when it comes to tourism in Iceland. Coming from over two decades of working in the fishing industry, Iceland‘s economic cornerstone, it is easy for him to compare the two: “It was not until a few decades ago that Iceland managed to move on from focusing on quantity and shift the attention over to value, sustainability and quality. The Icelandic fishing industry eventually got to where its reputation justified charging the highest price for the product.

To the same degree, this method should be applied in turning tourism into our second or third economic cornerstone. We must stop thinking in terms of quantity and focus on quality if we are to maintain the same degree of living standards in this country.” To Friðrik, they key is to make tourism in Iceland an all year event and not just focus on our short and fickle summer. According to him, foreign guest are even more excited to visit Iceland during the winter, with the possibility of snow storms and dubious driving conditions. They anticipate heavy winds and snow and find that scenario exhilarating.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY As previously mentioned, Hotel Ranga‘s location out in the middle of nowhere is one of its strongest attributes. Seated

centrally in South-Iceland, the resort is an ideal hub for day trips in all directions.

Travelling up to the Fimmvörðuháls eruption site or visiting The Golden Circle or Þórsmörk and the glaciers via super jeep or helicopter along with hiking and/or horseback riding is just a small example of what this magnificent location has to offer. Since the 2010 volcanic eruptions, the demand for trips to the eruption sites has been constant. It is a short drive by super jeep followed by a two hour hike on site, absolutely unforgettable according to reviews. Alongside the Hotel Ranga, Friðrik runs two hotels in the Hrauneyjar area, at the threshold of the Icelandic highlands, en route to Landmannalaugar and Sprengisandur. The Hrauneyjar Guest House offers simple two to three star accommodation and the other, the Hotel Highland, is a luxury resort with a first class a la carte menu and exquisite accommodation. A mere 90 minute drive from Reykjavik, these two lovely options offer a unique opportunity to dwell in direct contact with the powers of the highlands.

According to Friðrik, he is doing what he loves and the reviews for Hotel Ranga confirm that. It is futile to build goodwill and reputation to this magnitude without passion and dedication. It becomes apparent the minute you step into Friðrik‘s hotels that they are run with the heart and soul of someone who loves what he is doing. Whether you are there in search of an action packed activity or the chance to relax in a luxury resort with hot tubs, massage therapists and one of the best restaurants in the country, all this is just a one hour drive away from Reykjavik. Sometimes, the middle of nowhere is where the adventures take place, not far, far away.

Hótel Rangá Sudurlandsveg Hella, 851 Tel: +354 487 5700

We’ll take you there!

Reykjavik Excursions | 9

Rustic Luxury under the Glacier Búðir is located on the southern part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

It used to be a place of commerce during the settlement, and it became a trading centre the 17th century. It was popular in the old days to base fishing-boats at Búðir and a hundred years ago this was one of the best places in the country to hunt sharks. Today, Búðir is the seat of one of the beautiful countryside hotels in Iceland.

NEW ON TOP OF OLD The hotel sits in a lava field on the westernmost tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It was originally built as a reconstructive addition to an old apartment-store complex in Búðir. The first guests arrived in the summer of 1948.

Since then, the running of the hotel and restaurant has been in the hands of many, with different emphasis at different times.

Hotel Búðir has always been renowned for great food and the unique aura of power and mystery delivered by Snæfellsjokull glacier to those who stay in its vicinity. The hotel was rebuilt in the years 2001-2003

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after having been completely destroyed in a fire in February 2001. The new hotel was constructed in the spirit of the old building and specialists agree that the designers did and outstanding job in maintaining the atmosphere of the old hotel. It is safe to say that every single one of the 28 rooms and suites is a work of art.

BABY, WILL YOU MARRY ME? In my dreams, this hotel is where I would get married. The main dining room sits 80 people and the church sits 70 people, but some lovely alternatives in the beautiful weather that Snæfellsnes peninsula sometimes has to offer would be the beach or the lava field or the harbor at the hotel.

In the eyes of many of my friends and family, Búðir is one of their favorite places in Iceland and for good reason.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF ALL GOOD THINGS The sights and wonders surrounding this beautiful oasis of good food and natural beauty are endless. Exceptional beaches, endless lava, seals swimming in the NorthAtlantic and a hidden hot spring you can bathe in are just a few of the wonders you’ll encounter. But ever watchful is Snæfellsjokull glacier. This natural work of art is where Jule Verne placed his book, Journey to the Center of the Earth and the glacier is believed to have great supernatural powers. To spend time in this spectacular landscape in a luxury hotel with supreme food and drink is something I think everybody should indulge themselves with at least once in their lives. It does not matter if you are an Icelander or a citizen of a foreign country on your first visit to our lovely island, visiting Hotel Búðir is always going to be the experience of a lifetime.

Hótel Búðir Búðir Snæfellsnes, 365 Tel: +354 435 6700

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The Golden Circle If you ask anyone what the number one tourist attraction in Iceland is, the answer is clear: The Golden Circle. It is without a doubt the best known and best publicised day tour in the country with the best access and the highest number of organised seats per day.

For instance, Reykjavik Excursions has this tour scheduled every day of the week at 9am, all year round, with guidance in English, German, French and Scandinavian. The question is: Why? The Golden Circle is a 300 km loop that usually opens and closes in Reykjavik. It covers three main locations: Þingvellir National Park, the waterfall Gullfoss and the erupting geyser Strokkur in Haukadalur. ÞINGVELLIR Þingvellir National Park is a historical and geological wonder, located in fields of the beautiful vegetation north of Þingvallavatn, the largest lake in Iceland. There you will find the famous rift Almannagjá where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates are pulling apart by a few centimetres each year. Þingvellir was the founding place of Iceland’s Parliament in 930 and the venue for annual parliament meetings until 1798. Þingvellir is also the place where in 999 or 1000 it was decided that Iceland should be a Christian nation and where Iceland declared its independence from Denmark in 1944. There is nothing more Icelandic than Þingvellir. Even the least patriotic Icelander will experience feelings of loyalty and commitment upon walking through there. It is sacred and it is who we are.

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GULLFOSS Then we have the two attractions in Biskupstungur, a waterfall and a geyser.

The waterfall Gullfoss (Icelandic for golden waterfall) is in the river Hvítá and is 32 metres high where it plunges into the 70 metre deep canyon surrounding it. In the early 20th century there were many who felt strongly that Gullfoss should be harnessed for production of electricity. This plan was abandoned when the daughter

of the main advocate threatened to throw herself in the waterfall. The State of Iceland acquired the waterfall in 1940 and it has been on the state preservation list since 1979. Nobody ever speaks with solemnity of harnessing it anymore, it is considered priceless in its natural state. This has even developed into a phrase within certain circles in the country so that when you suggest something inanely stupid you get replied to with the words: And then what?

Sell Gullfoss?

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GEYSIR Haukadalur valley, where both Gullfoss and the geyser Strokkur are located, is a very active geothermal area. In addition to Strokkur and his brother Geysir, Haukadalur is the home of a multitude of mud pools, fumaroles and algal deposits. Strokkur erupts once every 4-8 minutes and reaches a height of 15-20 m, sometimes it goes as high as 40 m up in the air. It is spectacular, scary and very Icelandic. But then again, so are many, many, many other locations in Iceland.

We have geothermal areas and awesome waterfalls all over the place. So why is this 300 km loop such a phenomenon when it comes to tourism? Ask anybody and they will tell you that if you only have one day in Iceland, spend it on the Golden Circle. Why? It has been argued that any wonder of nature that can me fitted into a day tour from Reykjavik, has nice roads and shops and catering at the other end would become an attraction.

The argument is basically that it is simply combination of these factors that has made the Golden Circle what it is. I must admit that this is an argument that I have found myself making from time to time in pure irritation over the popularity of this particular waterfall over all the others.

But I’ve been thinking and I have a theory: When my parents were kids, people used to go for a drive on

We’ll take you there!

Sundays. Sometimes just within the city limits but on nice summer days the Sunday-drive concept was taken to the next level. Is it possible that this is when the Golden Circle came to be? The trip would take the entire day and the roads were nothing like what they are now but all the same. People would make a packed lunch, eat it on Þingvellir, go to Geysir for afternoon coffee (where there has been coffee for sale since 1928!) and be back home in Reykjavik by dinner time. And now that I think about it, that is why the Golden Circle is so popular.

Because in the old days it was OUR main attraction and when the tourists started pouring in, showing interest and asking where to go we naturally told them, without even a moment’s hesitation, to go where we have been going for decades. So the Golden Circle being what it is really just says one thing about Icelanders; We are a “mi casa su casa” sort of folk and we want you to enjoy the same things we do. So I welcome you, no implore you, to go see the Golden Circle if it’s the only trip you make out of town while you’re here.

Reykjavik Excursions | 13

A Wrist-Work of Art What springs to mind when you think of watchmakers? Do the words Swiss, old and tradition leap up there by any chance? I thought so. Now, think again because there is a new boy in town and he‘s proven that timeless innovation, superior craftsmanship and exquisite precision can be achieved even if your heritage does not include chocolate and the Alps.

When Sigurður Gilbertsson, in association with his friends Grímkell Sigurþórsson and Júlíus Heiðarsson, approached his father Gilbert Ó. Guðjónsson, a watchmaker of 40 years, with the idea of them designing and producing their own collection, his father laughed.

Today JS Watch co. has five collections and sells around 350 watches per year.

When Gilbertsson‘s father stopped laughing back in 2005 and this beautiful father and son venture became a reality they created their own brand and made 100 watches to begin with, to test the waters so to speak. Within 6 months they were completely sold out. This was back in the day when the Icelandic financial bubble was growing at the speed of light and almost every man, woman and child in the country was splashing money around like there was no tomorrow. Soon after the launch of their first collection, JS Watch made preparations for a follow up line but then the financial environment started to change. The Icelandic krona, a local currency used in Iceland since the

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beginning of time, started weakening and in a short period of time it became three times more expensive to import the foreign-made components, the country’s currency became worthless and for a small manufacturer operating in the world market this was a huge problem.

But there are blessings in everything and when the Icelandic economy crashed, along came the tourists. People from all over the world flocked to this curious volcanic island in the North because it had for the first time become affordable for ordinary people to visit. More importantly for JS Watch co; it became affordable for your average tourist to buy high quality design watches. They had an unrivalled high quality product at unbeatable prices for foreign visitors.

“People had been desperate to come to Iceland but it was just too expensive,” explains Gilbertsson. “Once they discovered their money would go a lot further the country became full of tourists. It has been great for business and not just in terms of sales. We not

only take pride in our watches, but also our customer care. It’s very important for us that the people who buy our timepieces know the level of perfection we try and achieve. Although we aim to get that message across on our international sales, nothing can beat talking to someone face to face and welcoming them into our workshop.”

Speaking of their workshop, among the many happy watch owners on their list of clientele are men such as Quentin Tarantino, Viggo Mortensen and the Dalai Lama, not to mention the entire Icelandic Coastguard. JS Watch co. is the Coastguard’s official supplier of watches and the offshore emergency service exclusively uses the Sif North Atlantic Rescue Timer, which says it all regarding the brand’s reputation for durability and accuracy. So dropping in on Laugavegur 62 for a warm welcome and a tour of the exquisite watch collections of JS Watch co should without question be part of your Reykjavík tour, it’s the chance of a lifetime to get the watch of a lifetime.

JS Watch co.

Laugavegur 62, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354 551 4100

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(354) 58 12345

Treat yourself to Ic popular pizza. Ca eland’s most ll us at 5812345 and we deliver rig ht to your room!

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Misconceptions Want to know the population of Iceland? Who‘s the president? Why there are so many beautiful women in Iceland?

Why people live so far north in the cold? When is the best time to visit? We have all these answers and plenty more.

We strive to have the answer to everything you might possibly. With permission from our friends at WhatsOn.is we‘ve published an example of the commonly asked questions they deal with every day.

ARE YOU REALLY ESKIMOS? Where did you even get that idea from?

No we‘re not.

DO YOU GUYS LIVE IN SNOWHOUSES? Yes. Yes we do. As well, we tend to embark on raids to Europe, pillaging and plundering peasants in England. On a serious note: We wish we lived in snowhouses, that‘d probably be awesome. But alas, we don‘t.

I JUST GOT MUGGED! WHAT SHOULD I DO???

No you didn‘t get mugged. You don‘t get mugged in Iceland. You can literally leave your wallet on the ground and either some one will deliver it to you, the nearest police station, or it‘ll still be there the next morning.

SINCE YOU GUYS LIVE IN IGLOOS, DO YOU HAVE INTERNET? The igloo joke is not funny. At all.

We are serious folk, living in serious looking houses, with roofs and doors and electricity and stuff. Yes we have internet. Actually, we have like, the highest internet penetration in the world.

Practically everyone in Iceland has access to internet.

I HEARD ICELANDIC FOOD IS DISGUSTING, WHAT‘S UP WITH THAT? It‘s not really. Well, some of it is, sure, but the regular food is honestly just that, regular food. You have to keep in mind that back in the day, Iceland was dirt poor and isolated in the middle of the ocean. So we really didn‘t have much choice when it came to culinary development and enhancements. Summer was about hoarding as much food as possible, just in order to survive winter. However, having plenty of food in August is not going to help at all if it‘s all destroyed and disgusting in April is it? So the ingenious Icelanders of yore had to figure out ways to preserve the food and did so by inventing methods of varying foulness, ranging from not foul at all (drying, smoking, salting) to quite foul and even very foul (fermenting stuff in sour whey, leaving stuff in barrels for weeks and calling it “processing”, when in fact things are just going bad.) As a result, some of the traditional Icelandic food has an acquired taste. A lot of it is quite delicious though. For more information, please refer the article “The Taste of Iceland,” on page 18.

WHAT ABOUT TROLLS AND ELVES AND STUFF? SHOULD I WORRY? Nah, not really. Unless you provoke or irritate them, in that case you should run.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME POSITIVE ABOUT THE FOOD?

See more FAQ on page 55 and online at WhatsOn.is

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Skyr, Hangikjöt, Harðfiskur, Kleinur, Laufabrauð. We have plenty. Modern Icelandic cuisine is awesome. Icelandic fish is by default superb, and the lamb is great as well. Visiting modern-day Iceland is not going to leave you disappointed when it comes to food. No we‘re not.

YOUR LANGUAGE DOESN‘T MAKE SENSE, ARE YOU REALLY SPEAKING REAL WORDS? No, this is just an elaborate scheme we put in action whenever there’s a foreigner around. In reality our language is Spanish, because we used to do a lot of business with the Spanish some hundreds of years ago. We sold them salted fish in bulk, in exchange for red wine. That was a great deal… Okay, in reality. Yeah…Icelandic is a real language, spoken by some 300.000 Icelanders.

It’s related to the other Scandinavian languages, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian, though it doesn’t really sound similar.

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“One of the standouts in recent cookbook releases” Iceland Review “...captures the extraordinary otherworldliness of the Icelandic landscape” Lonely Planet Magazine

Into the North

beautifully illustrated cookbook, a culinary saga of Iceland Zest Magazine

We’ll take you there!

Reykjavik Excursions | 17

The Taste of Iceland If you’re coming to Iceland, you will be blown away by the vibrant and unique food culture. Between the worldclass restaurants with pristine ingredients and master chefs, the quaint little local flavours and the unique and unusual traditional cuisine, there is no shortage of flavourful experiences for both the adventurous explorer and the demanding connoisseur.

MODERN ICELANDIC CUISINE Modern day Iceland offers every kind of food you can imagine, and many that you probably can’t. With world-class chefs working with pristine ingredients, Icelandic Restaurants are sure to be a thrill. Most restaurants will offer some traditional Icelandic dishes, such as smoked lamb, or some twist on tradition, such as a reindeer burger.

Reykjavik offers any kind of international food you can imagine, sushi, thai, mexican, you name it. It offers steak houses and seafood restaurants. You can go from very high end to fast food in one block.

spring up in different places that may seem a bit weird to an unaccustomed onlooker.

Here are some choice examples, but be on the lookout for more, they are different all over.

THE ICELANDIC HOT DOG – AN UNUSUAL INSTITUTION You don’t get more authentically Icelandic than the hot dog. Whereas some of the more traditional food are only really eaten during the Þorri festival, Icelanders actually eat hot dogs all the time.

Because icelandic farms are relatively traditional and the icelandic nature is very pure and unspoiled, the ingredients of the food will be absolute first rate. We particularly recommend you try the lamb, which is in a league of its own.

The Icelandic hot dog is unique in that it contains lamb in addition to the international pork and beef, and it is supposed to be eaten “með öllu” (with everything): raw chopped onions, roasted onions, ketchup, mustard and remoulade. If you order one “with everything” up north, it will also include “cocktail sauce,” a mixture of ketchup and mayo.

LOCAL FLAVOUR

ICE (CREAM) LAND

Icelanders don’t like to walk the beaten path. They do what they want and they don’t really care what anyone thinks. This means that different local customs will

Icelanders, somewhat appropriately, love ice cream. They love it at any time, in fact, you can sometimes see a line at the ice cream parlour in a snowstorm.

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There is a long-standing debate in Reykjavík of which is better, Ísbúð Vesturbæjar or the one in Skeifan. Unless of course you’re from the north, and the obvious winner is Brynjuís. Because, well, obviously.

TRADITIONAL ICELANDIC FOOD Finally, don’t miss out on the traditional Icelandic food! These dishes, prepared the same way they have for centuries, are steeped in history and... other things.

There are some flavours everyone can enjoy such as the smoked lamb, flat bread, and liverwurst and some more unusual delicacies such as blood pudding and dried fish. At the far end of the spectrum you find curiosities of acquired taste such as fermented shark, singed sheep’s head and pickled ram’s testicles. These are otherwise known as “things you only eat so you can tell your friends at home you did it”. With a shot of Brennivin, an Icelandic Schnapps lovingly nicknamed “Black Death”, you can wash down your meal, along with washing away any memory you might have had of the whole affair.

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COFFEE, JUICE AND MUCH MORE!

FÍTON / SÍA

YOU'LL FIND US AT KRINGLAN AND SMÁRALIND SHOPPING CENTRES

Great food, great price, great atmosphere.

Come for our famous fresh fish of the day

Open Mon - Thu 11- 01, Fri - Sat 11- 02, Sun 12 - 01 Kitchen is open until 23:30 Friday and Saturday Vegamótastígur 4 | Tel. 511 3040 | vegamot.is

From City Lights to Super Jeeps Snowmobiles are great fun and easy to operate. All the Mountaineers’ snowmobiles are two seated touring sleds with hand warmers and a high windshield. Participants can choose between a double and a single ride. Just remember to bring your driver‘s licence and make sure it‘s valid. To them, safety is the biggest issue and everyone engaged in their activity service operations have extensive experience in the tourism industry and in activity operations. The strictest safety standards are always employed. All participants are provided with necessary gear like warm overalls, helmets, boots and gloves.

The Mountaineers of Iceland offer day tours where 1 hour of snowmobiling is included: The Express Activity Tour and the Pearl Tour. The Pearl Tour takes you on the Golden Circle, but with a snowmobiling twist. This tour allows visitors to get in touch with some of Iceland’s most famous and exciting natural phenomena and add a

glacial adventure to it. It takes you to all the must-sees; Þingvellir National Park, Geysir hot spring, Gullfoss (English: The Golden Waterfall) and then they kick the action into higher gear to get even closer to Iceland’s nature and go for a snowmobiling tour on Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier.

If you have a knack for adventure and the need for speed, this day trip offers Iceland‘s best and then some. To be the operator of an open motorized vehicle on your way up to the second largest glacier of a volcanic island will introduce you to a feeling to which there is no comparison. Mind you, everybody is allowed to go at their own pace to start with and if you would rather double up with your partner and sit in the back, the experience will still provide you with something to share with your grandchildren.

If you are on a tight schedule while staying in our beautiful country, the Express Activity tour might be more suitable for you. It takes you to Langjökull or a snow area in the mountains. Once there, you will embark upon an exhilarating one hour snowmobiling tour across endless white fields of snow. This is a great way to combine the experience of some aweinspiring scenery and an adrenaline-filled activity.

But this isn’t everything. The Mountaineers also own and operate super jeeps and trucks which have been specially modified

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to get to glaciers and other remote areas by the rugged mountain tracks of the highlands, inaccessible by normal cars. Their super jeeps have extra-large tires, 38 and 44 inches, so they can get their guests to areas that no other vehicles can. As if that isn’t enough, the biggest “car” of the fleet is a modified ManKat 8x8 army truck for up to 56 passengers! All the Mountaineers’ Jeeps have radio transceivers for communication between cars and a GPS Satellite Navigation System so whether you want to go on a scheduled trip or design your own Icelandic adventure, you are in good hands.

If you are in the mood for a mysteryfilled tour in a super jeep, that can also be arranged. The Mountaineers have put together a special tour spiced with excitement and surprises, away from the city lights and into the barren landscape in the outskirts of Reykjavík in search of the elusive Northern Lights. On a clear night and with a little luck you can see the lights swirl around in dramatic shapes across the night sky. Let me tell you on behalf of everybody who has witnessed such an amazing sight; life will always be a little bit better for it.

Mountaineers of Iceland Skútuvogur 12e, Reykjavik Area, 104 Tel: +354 580 9900

Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

must call for this sort of relaxed attitude.

At Snaps Bistro you will not find glass and steel unless in the form of cutlery.

The key words here are more along the lines of flowers and wooden panels with the addition of a gazebo (yes, really).

The food was first class, his steak was perfectly cooked, my chicken was zesty yet tender and the wine was lovely. All around us were people enjoying the simplicities of a good Bistro menu. But even though all the ingredients were first class and the wine list exemplary, that alone does not create a desired atmosphere. It is rather simple, when you think about it. There is such a thing as “that extra special something”, a form of ambiance that has nothing to do with the food or the drinks or the waiters (which were great by the way). For some reason, this place has it. We had an absolutely lovely evening, without really being able to put our finger on what made it so.

It is my solemn belief that sometimes restaurants try too hard. Snaps Bistro does not try. It just is.

Mastering the Simplicity of Good Bistro A bistro-style restaurant under Scandinavian influences? This I have got to try. So, I did.

When we arrived it was after eight o’clock on a Wednesday night. The place was packed with smiling faces and suddenly

it didn’t feel like a Wednesday anymore.

Everybody there seemed inanely determined not to let anything get in the way of them and their constitutional right to relax, chat, eat good food and have a drop of wine. At first I thought to myself that the interior of the place

Snaps Odinstorg, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354 511 6677

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Reykjavik Excursions | 21

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The Gem of Reykjavík Perlan, or The Pearl in English, opened in June 1991. It is one of the capital’s landmarks and an amazing construct, a gigantic dome that connects six geothermal water tanks, who each has the capacity to store 4 million liters of geothermal water. Situated on the top of Öskjuhlíð hill, The Pearl can be seen from all over and serves as one of the greatest locations for sightseeing in the Reykjavík area.

A CONSTRUCT LIKE NO OTHER The dome is made from glass and steel bars that not only connect the water tanks and form the dome-like structure, but also supply the building with heat. The steel shell is, in fact, a gigantic radiator. In cold weather during the winter, warm water flows through the steel shell. In the warm summer days, cold water flows through the shell and serves as a cooler. That is how the temperature within the dome is regulated to keep an even temperature all year round and make this beautiful construction truly amazing.

There is much to see within this remarkable structure. The fourth floor cafeteria is surrounded by a broad deck from which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. On a bright day, the view there is simply spectacular. Another fun feature is the indoor geyser imitation. This powerful gadget creates an indoor hot spring that can reach meters into the air. Quite intense actually!

A VIEW FROM THE TOP The pearl within The Pearl is the restaurant on the top floor. With its rotating floor and an unparalleled view, it is one of the most popular restaurants in Reykjavík and rightfully so. The Pearl is a landmark that should not be overlooked by anyone who visits our nation’s capital and the same goes for the restaurant. It is only fitting to mix the magnificent view and impressive architecture with food prepared by some of Iceland’s greatest chefs. Some of the Pearl’s chefs are even members of the Club des Chefs des Chefs, a membership of chefs who prepare food for presidents and other national leaders and VIP’s. I have had the pleasure of dining in the Pearl’s

restaurant on several occasions, and it really is an absolute favourite of mine. Whether it is their wild game buffet, their Christmas buffet or a la carte, whatever the occasion, the Pearl offers nothing but impeccable service and exquisite food. One thing to note is that Perlan restaurant places high emphasis on creating everything from the ground up. As such, you’ll find that the delicious ice cream served is made on location, by the highly qualified staff.

Likewise, their bread, pastry and other such items are made right there. This is really in line with the quality focus that surrounds every aspect of the Perlan Restaurant.

Dining there, one can really sense that everyone is working towards the same goal – that of customer satisfaction.

But that is not all. Dining there comes with a very special feeling which is difficult to put into words. I guess that the word which is best suited to describe this experience is festive. Not only does it feel both classy and fancy, but it has the ring of true celebration, to dine below this huge dome, seated on a rotating floor with a view of the entire capital, the mountains, the ocean, and if you are there at night in the wintertime, the city lights and the stars. It makes me feel like a princess. And that, my friends, is a feeling that I like.

Perlan Reykjavik Area, 105 Tel: +354 562 0200

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Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

e c r u o s A alth e h of

T her m al sw im m in g po ol s

Hot t ubs and jacuzzi

Sa un as , steambat hs an d sh ow ers

*Admission January 2013. Price is subject to change

Reykjavik's Thermal Pools

*

O N LY

k.

55AD0ULiTsS k.

130DiRsEN CHIL

For he al t h an d w el l-be in g

Se ve n lo ca t io ns

Op en ear ly un t il la te

Thermal pools and d baths in Reykjavik are a source of health health, relaxation laxation and puren pureness.

All of the city´s swimming pools have several hot pots with temperatures ranging from 37˚ to 42˚C (98˚–111˚F). The pools are kept at an average temperature of 29˚ C (84˚ F).

Tel: +354 411 5000 • www.spacity.is

“ZOMG REYKJAVIK HAS A BIG LEBOWSKITHEMED BAR!” Tweeted by @caitlinmoran – Followers: 467,786 – a Journalist for The Times.

Ever seen the 1998 cult classic “The Big Lebowski” by the Coen brothers? Of course you have!

Everybody has. But for those of you unfamiliar with the concept (you really should see this movie though) it involves the “Dude” Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, who seeks reimbursement for a ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it. In Reykjavík, we, now, have a bar based on the concept.

YEAH, WELL. THE DUDE ABIDES. Lebowski Bar on Laugavegur opened in April 2012 and immediately became a huge hit. The general idea was to combine a bar with a diner styled grill, furnished in The Big Lebowski bowling style.

Among the many great happenings at Lebowski Bar you will find are the Wednesday night Beer-Bingo and Thursday night Movie-Quiz, followed by the Lebowski house band with their ever so popular blues cover songs. The bar can serve up to 300 people with food and drink in four dining areas so every individual or group can be seated comfortably. Their Diner Menu offers a variety of Lebowski burgers and milk shakes. The crown jewel, however, is definitely the White Russian Menu, made up purely of Vodka and Kahlua-based cocktails.

THAT RUG REALLY TIED THE ROOM TOGETHER The location of Lebowski Bar, along with its brilliant concept-design, is a big contributor to its success. Laugavegur is the main shopping and bar-hopping street in Reykjavik. Virtually everybody goes there at one time or another, both locals and visitors. Lebowski Bar has through its location been both frequented by regulars and attended by passers-by and foreign visitors equally.

I checked out Lebowski bar on a Thursday night. I had been there several times before on a weekend, but arriving tipsy and leaving drunk I never wrote any reviews (although I should highly commend the bar staff for great cocktails) so I decided to behave like an adult, see the house band and have a beer. Having shown up early I got a seat between the bar and the band. Starting with a Tuborg Classic draft, I waited for the band to play their tunes and boy, was I in for a treat. The young keyboard player (a 19 year old prodigy) started the night off with Booker T & MG’s Green Onions, followed by the guitar player serving ZZ Top’s La Grange with a twist.

Needless to say, people could barely sit still in their seats. By the time I saw the bottom of that Tuborg draft glass, people were dancing to The Doors and my instinct told me to pick up a White Russian for me and my date, who had been talking to some EVE online game conference guests as I made notes in my head about the brilliant atmosphere.

HEY, CAREFUL, MAN, THERE’S A BEVERAGE HERE! Among the previously named EVE Online conference guests I spotted a pair of Icelandic actresses, having what I can only imagine being a glass of milk (as opposed to heavy cream and vodka) considering their itsy bitsy waistlines.

Also present was an Icelandic MMA fighter (the only one we have come to think about it) and a group of college students who looked like they were really enjoying the music. The atmosphere in Lebowski Bar does not ask for age, gender, if you are wearing a watch or if you like bowling at all. It only asks that you loosen up, have a beverage or two and maybe a burger but most of all that you have fun. Walking out of the front door I wondered how on earth such a wide group of people could find themselves sitting down and having such fun in the same place. But if the Dude abides, so should we.

Lebowski Bar Laugavegur 20a, Reykjavik center, 101

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Álafoss The Small Dell with the Big History

North of Reykjavik is a small town called Mosfellsbær. It is one of the smaller municipalities surrounding the capital, inhabited by just under 9000 people. It differs from the other suburban towns in being detached from the urban area, although Reykjavík keeps moving closer and closer.

HOW IT USED TO BE In the heart of Mosfellsbær, up the Varmá river (e. the Warm River) is a small village within the village It is called Álafosskvosin, which in English can be referred to as “The Dell by the Waterfall of the Eels“. Yes, as cute as it gets. Because of the warmth of the river, this location spawned the first industrial cluster in Iceland in 1896. The river was utilised to clean and colour wool, which spawned the founding of the company Álafoss, which later became the main exporter of Icelandic woollen clothing and an empire as such, at least on an Icelandic scale. All of the buildings that make up this little gem of a dell originally belonged to and served the wool industry in one way or the other, but today they are part of a society made up by a coffee house, a recording studio, a carpenter’s workshop, a knife maker and the store named after the original wool exporters, Álafoss.

HOW IT IS TODAY In addition to its magical location, the Álafoss store is an adventure in itself.

Located in the old factory house that was used to drive the mills of the wool factory, it offers everything your heart could possibly desire when it comes to Icelandic woollen

products. From the traditional Icelandic “lopapeysa” (woollen sweater), handmade by knitters from all over the country, in all the colours and patterns they can think of, to high fashion woollen clothing, Icelandic jewellery, gift merchandise and souvenirs, this is a store that absolutely needs to be on your bucket list. Finally, if you are a knitter yourself, the store offers a handsome selection of knitting wool yarn of all types and colours plus recipes. After a visit to Álafoss, all you have to do is get started!

MAKE IT SIMPLE But what truly makes Álafoss so magical is the history. On display at the store you will find a selection of old knitting machinery and photographs from the early days, and looking out of this 110 year old factory house, overseeing the Varmá River just outside the window, it is easy to imagine the power and foresight that turned this lovely little dell into a busy industrial site, buzzing with life and big dreams. Taking a walk outside, you can almost hear the voices of children spending their early 20th century summers diving into the warm river swimming pool. Life was simple back then.

When you visit Álafoss, it becomes simple again.

Álafoss Alafossvegur 23, Mosfellsbaer, 270 Tel: +354 566 6303

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Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

TAKE THE WARMTH WITH YOU! WOOL SWEATERS, ACCESSORIES, BLANKETS, TRADITIONAL CRAFTS & MODERN ART

ÁLAFOSSVEGUR 23 - MOSFELLSBÆR OPEN: MON. - FRI. 9.00 - 18.00 SAT. 9:00 - 16:00 LAUGAVEGUR 8 CITY CENTRE OPEN: 10:00 - 18:00

www.alafoss.is

1896

A Unique Craft Brewery by the Arctic Located just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Einstök – which means “unique” or “distinctive” in Icelandic – starts its process with the perfect foundation for brewing craft ales, i.e. the purest water on earth. The water starts as rain or ancient glacial water from atop the Hlíðarfjall Mountain, from where it flows through and is naturally purified by ancient lava fields. From there, brew master Baldur Kárason unites it with ingredients sourced both locally in Iceland and from all over the world to deliver craft beer that is distinct and flavourful, yet deliciously refreshing and drinkable.

THE SEARCH FOR PURITY Einstök Ölgerd was founded in 2010 by Bernard La Borie, David Altshuler and Jack Sichterman after visiting Akureyri, Iceland, on a global search for the purest water in the world. They found not only an abundant natural source of pure water there, but also a partner, the Viking Brewery, a division of Vífilfell in Reykjavík, that was interested in pursuing the craft beer market.

READY TO CONQUER THE WORLD This unique beer is currently available in Iceland, the United Kingdom, California and Florida. In its first ever competition, Einstök Icelandic White Ale won gold in the venerable Belgian-Style Witbier category and the seasonal Einstök Icelandic Doppelbock won gold in the German-Style

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Doppelbock category. Also, Einstök Icelandic Toasted Porter was awarded a silver medal in the Robust Porter category. “From day one, we have focused on putting the best possible quality and flavour into the bottle,” said Jack Sichterman, who, along with David Altshuler, founded Einstök in 2010. “Our brand and packaging have always received a lot of recognition, but this means more to us than any of those accolades. Our beer is fantastic.”

QUALITY AS A CORNERSTONE Along with the White Ale, Doppelbock and Toasted Porter, the Einstök craft beer portfolio also includes an Icelandic Pale Ale, which British GQ Magazine included as the only beer on their 2013 list of the “100 Best Things in the World Right Now!” “The quality of our beer is the cornerstone of our strategy to expand internationally”, said Altshuler.

“We are in the process of identifying distributors and partners that have the same focus on quality as we do. With new breweries opening every day, we need to differentiate with the best beer, the best brand and the best packaging possible.”

For a taste of this unique beverage while staying in Iceland, simply turn to the next alcohol serving restaurant or bar and ask for Einstök. For a more personalised experience, you will find the Einstök beer in most stores of The State Alcohol and Tobacco Company of Iceland. In my experience, and I consider myself somewhat of an expert, you will find this interesting addition to the Icelandic beer-marked quite pleasing. Just remember to serve the Einstök beer ice cold, like its designers intended, because as a wise man once said: Life is too short for boring conversations, unsalted popcorn and warm beer.

EINSTÖK ICELANDIC WHITE ALE Brewed in the centuries-old Belgian tradition, our White Ale features the complex flavors of the classic witbier, including orange peel and coriander – all brewed with pure Icelandic water that delivers a cool smoothness that is flavorful and refreshingly drinkable.

EINSTÖK ICELANDIC PALE ALE American and Bavarian craft come together with the finest Icelandic water to create the Viking version of the Pale Ale, where robust hoppiness meets smooth malty undertones. Cascade hops give it the American character, while Northern Brewer hops add just enough bitterness to make this Ale refreshingly Icelandic.

EINSTÖK ICELANDIC TOASTED PORTER With clear notes of toffee and dark chocolate, this Porter is roasty and rich, offering a medium body that is robust, yet smooth on the palate. Toasted and chocolate malts give it a sinister black color, but its easy-to-drink taste will have you believing that there’s no need to be afraid of the dark anymore.

EINSTÖK ICELANDIC DOPPELBOCK This limited-edition winter brew will make its debut in October, but this winter celebration ale is worth the wait. Malted barley and chocolate tones define the traditional style, while the robust aroma and long, mellow finish will make this the perfect companion for your holiday adventures.

Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

Carrying on the Tradition A Knife at a Time One of the various entrepreneurs who have made themselves comfortable with their business at the Álafoss dell is the knife maker, Páll Kristjánsson, though everybody calls him Palli. Both he and his knifes are one of a kind.

Upon entering his workshop, I was greeted (rather harshly) by a huge German shepherd. Of course he was already tied up and Palli called him down instantly so I had nothing to worry about. But there was something rather special in meeting a knife maker for the first time, surrounded by blades, wood, reindeer antlers and a dog the

size of my car. Palli is the only knife maker in Iceland and to be honest, I doubt that they make knifes like his anywhere else in the world either. The blades vary in being hand-made copies of Iron Age or Viking Age designs from Denmark, Damascus steel, or factory-produced blades from other parts of Scandinavia. And each handle or hilt is hand-made by Palli from reindeer antlers, sheep and cow bone and hoof, whale tooth and bone, and 12 million-yearold trees (brown coal or fossils). He also uses various Icelandic stones and hikes both the highlands and lowlands of Iceland in search of materials; this man truly is the real thing. Not only that, but he also fashions the sheaths for the knives and they are no less evocative. Using leather, tree and skin from cow, seal and fish, he creates a unique and fitting holster for each knife. Often, like with the handles, they are intricately patterned with Viking symbols and carvings. But you can ask for any writing or pattern. It is my solemn belief that when it comes to his labours of love, this man can do anything.

Knife maker Palli Kristjansson Álafossvegur 29, Mosfellsbaer, 270 Tel: +354 566 7408

www.knifemaker.is

© Visit Reykjavik - Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson

The Traditions of Christmas Iceland takes Christmas very seriously, but it’s warm, cosy and delightful Christmas in Iceland is a magical time. Taking place a few days after winter solstice, during the darkest time of the year, Christmas brings light and joy to a season that sometimes seems to go on forever.

The history of Christmas is interwoven with the heathen celebration of the winter solstice here in the north. This Nordic festival fell together with celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ when Iceland turned to Christianity over a thousand years ago. In the 4th and 5th centuries, it became a tradition to remember the birth of Jesus on December 25th and to celebrate his christening on January 6th. It is because of this that the Icelandic Christmas, as Christmas in many other countries, is thirteen days long. It starts at 6.00 pm on December 24th and ends on the night of January 6th. The main events, Christmas

Dinner and the opening of presents, take place on the evening of December 24th, which is different from most other Christian countries, where Christmas Day on December 25th brings most of the fun.

PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING But to many people, the time spent on preparing Christmas is in no way less important or magical than the actual event. The last four weeks before Christmas are called “aðventa”, equivalent to the English advent. The word comes from Latin and means emergence or coming. When I was a child, some thirty odd years ago,

Christmas preparations usually didn’t start until during the advent and for instance, an unwritten rule existed until a few years ago that none of the Icelandic radio stations would play Christmas songs until December 1st.

People would also wait to decorate their houses until the advent and stores would not advertise Christmas goods until that time. All this has changed and now the first Christmas advertisements usually see the light of day around October 20th. But despite all that, rituals and tradition, more than anything, are what makes Christmas in Iceland. People use the same food recipes, attend the same Christmas parties and set the table in the same manner year after year so that when the bell strikes 6.00 on Christmas Eve, everything is the same as it ever was.

WHITE CHRISTMAS IN ICELAND, ANYONE?

© Golli

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© Visit Reykjavik - Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson

To many of us simple creatures, it is very important to have snow on Christmas.

There is usually great speculation during advent on whether Christmas will be white or red here in the land of ice and snow. Because of changes in climate

Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

REYKJAVÍK CHRISTMAS CITY: PACKED FULL OF FESTIVE FUN AND EVENTS! In collaboration with various partners throughout the Reykjavík Capital Area preparations for Advent and Christmas are in full swing for the creation of an exciting, eventful and decorative season.

Established as a joint initiative between the City of Reykjavík and a number of partners in the capital area, the project is designed to promote our festive winter celebrations throughout the month of December, attracting both residents and visitors from around the world. © Visit Reykjavik - Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson

Select zones within the city have been designated as special Advent areas where our business partners and colleagues are encouraged to collaborate in the creation of a unique Christmas experience by organising markets, events and exhibitions.

Drawing on Iceland’s rich tradition of folklore and storytelling, Reykjavík residents are encouraged to engage visitors with tales of Yuletide legends, such as the notorious Christmas Creatures, who will once again take up residency in the form of projected animations on the walls of various city buildings. Guests are also encouraged to take part in the Hunt for the Christmas Creatures - a fun activity for all the family, leading participants through the wonderland of Icelandic Christmas.

© Visit Reykjavik - Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson

(dare I say Green House Effect?), white Christmases have become somewhat of a rarity in the southern part of Iceland.

During the first ten or so Christmases that I remember (yes, that would be the ‘80s), we always had snow during Christmas. In fact, we also had snow during the weeks before Christmas. And the months after Christmas. We basically had snow from November until March (at least that is how I remember it). I guess I have to accept the fact that the 30 centimetres of snow that we had during Christmas in 1982 are never coming back.

THE PARTY-PART Getting together with aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews and of course, grand- and great-grandparents, is what this is all about. Christmas Day, the Second Day of Christmas and the weekend between Christmas and New Years are usually packed with family events. I sense a split in opinions among my friends towards these events. In my family, we try to keep Christmas Day open and obligation-free. For many years, I didn’t even get dressed on Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

Christmas Day, and I sensed some envy from my more party-oppressed friends.

I remember friends of mine having stopped by on their way to a Christmasfamily function on Christmas Day a few years back. It was around noon; they were all dressed up with their two small children still somewhat sleep deprived yet sugar-overloaded from the night before, they looked tired and annoyed.

Coming into my house did not help.

There we were, me and the kids, sitting in front of the TV in our pyjamas, with steak and sauce leftovers on the living room table and the extended version of The Lord of the Rings about to start.

Poor guys mumble something about this being the Christmas Day that they always wanted and slouched off to have smoked lamb with their great aunts. But the thing is, you can watch LOTR any time.

Playing cards with your grandma in her best dress while sipping hot chocolate is something that must be cherished without question.

WE LOVE IT In all fairness, regardless of what

religion Icelanders adhere to, we are a very Christmas-oriented nation. And no wonder. Can you imagine what the winters must have been like back in the day? When people lived in huts, lived off the land and could hardly go outside during the winter months without freezing to death or getting lost in a blizzard, it must have been nice to turn on the single candle they had, have the only nice meal they were going to get until spring and put on that one piece of clothing they had that was not used every day. My grandfather, bless him, once described to me his childhood Christmases. They had a small Christmastree his father built out of wood, they had good meat after having had nothing but fish for weeks and they had apples, which made him very happy. I cherish this memory with my grandfather. There is something beautiful in imagining him as a small boy on a farm in the 1930’s, happy as a clam with his apple, while modern day culture has us running around like headless chicken in trying to get the biggest presents, the best steak and the sweetest pie.

MyDestination - Reykjavik | 31

© Kjarnafæði

The Festival of Overeating All over the world, food traditions are a significant part of Christmas and Iceland is no exception.

Each family has their own special features of traditional Icelandic courses that cannot be changed because then Christmas wouldn’t be the same. But what used to be a two day feast a few decades ago has now turned into weeks of indulgence and luxury. Not that I am complaining.

THE MEAT The weeks before Christmas used to be connected with fasting. In some cases, it was a religious thing but in Iceland it more often than not was simply a result of poverty and limited resources. People had to save the good stuff for Christmas because there wasn’t much of it around. The traditional Icelandic Christmas dish at the start of the last century was “hangikjöt”, smoked lamb served with potatoes and white sauce made from butter, milk, wheat and sugar. For the less fortunate, the alternative was cooked grouse which remains a peremptory course for some, even to this day. In many households, hangikjöt is still served on Christmas Day but what is served on Christmas Eve varies more than it used to. Smoked ham (a Danish tradition) and turkey (an American dish) have become very popular in the last decades.

THE COOKIES One thing is an absolute must in preparing for the holidays in Iceland, and that is the baking of Christmas cookies. There was a time when the excellence of a housewife was primarily judged by the number of cookie-types.

Anything less than ten types was a sign of inadequacy. This has changed, both with the

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increased variety of sweets on offer and also because, let’s face it, who has time to spend weekend after weekend making cookies that will probably take up shelf space long into the new year because everybody had crème brûlée and Ris à l’amande?

event, serving herring and cold meats. Soon this developed into a full dinner which most major restaurants in Iceland offer in the weeks before Christmas, and many companies now invite their employees to such events as part of the holiday spirit.

THE DRINK

THE GREATEST TRADITION OF ALL

Yes, we have a unique Christmas drink. Not everybody likes it though. I’ve claimed that those who do not must have had their taste buds removed, but that is just one woman’s opinion. It is a soft drink, a mixture of two soft drinks actually. One is an Icelandic orange soda; the other is called Malt and is, as the name suggests, a malt-based soda, dark brown and very sweet. When you mix those two together, you get what I can confidently claim that 90% of all Icelandic households serve with Christmas dinner.

Not every tradition involves fresh ingredients and the faint smell of quality cuisine. One of the largest Christmas-traditions in Icelandic takes place on December 23rd. It is the preparation and eating of fermented skate. To be fair, the preparation begins a few months earlier. The Icelandic way of fermenting the skate is quite simple; the flaps of the fish are piled into a container and left there for a month or two. During that time, the urea in the blood of the skate brakes down into ammonia compounds. Harmful bacteria that would otherwise cause the flesh to rot (to become putrid) are kept away by the high acidity and other harmless bacteria during this process. It is commonly thought that Icelanders eat putrid skate, but that is not the case. The strong ammonia smell of a well-prepared skate should take your breath away and thoroughly clean your sinuses. I know people who say that if eating fermented skate does not bring tears to your eyes, then it is not potent enough. It is fair to say that wherever you go on the day before Christmas, you will smell this wonderful tradition. The smell gets into people’s hair and clothing and spending time outside does nothing to get rid of it, so people carry it with them wherever they go. If you are not lucky enough to know one of the many brave Icelanders who cook this controversial dish in their home, some restaurants offer fermented skate on the day before Christmas, thus creating an atmosphere that is truly, in more ways than one, like no other.

THE BUFFETS A novelty was introduced into the Icelandic Christmas scene in the 1980’s, namely the Christmas Buffet, which has since then become an indispensable part of getting into the holiday spirit. Originally, this was a Danish tradition and the buffets were a lunch

Locally Informed, Globally Inspired

© Hótel Rangá

Bonfires away When I was a child, my anticipation during the weeks before Christmas sometimes became palpable, even painful at times. Looking forward to Christmas as a child is a memory that millions of people around the world can relate to on some level. But do those people also remember what it felt like when Christmas was over? I do.

Luckily, when you are in Iceland, there is no need to despair on December 27th.

New Years is still to come and after that, you have Þrettándinn, or the Twelfth Day of Christmas, to look forward to. If you are a kid (or a grown up with a moderate to severe interest in lighting fires), these two evenings can be just as fun as Christmas, but on a completely different level.

THE PARTY-NIGHT OF THE YEAR New Year’s Eve in Iceland is a very special event. It is the party-night of the year, with “party” being a very broad term with endless different interpretations.

The core of the evening, for the majority of Icelanders, is getting together with family and/or friends, looking spectacular, eating something fantastic, watching the Annual Comedy Revue on television and then completely letting go of themselves fireworks-wise at midnight (and well into

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the morning in some cases). After that, the evening splits into two scenarios. Those of us with kids try to get them into bed some time before 2 am. Those without such obligations get busy taking the party, in whatever shape or form, to the next level.

LIGHT’EM IF YOU GOT’EM

But what happens between the meal and the TV Show was always my personal favourite; the bonfire. Every town in Iceland, no matter how small, throws a bonfire on New Year’s Eve. In my youth, the kids helped with gathering firewood for the bonfire. When I say firewood, I mean pellets, old tires, worn out furniture, cardboard boxes, dry wood (and sometimes not-so-dry wood). The tires made the biggest smoke. Black as night. Awesome.

The first New Year’s bonfire on record In Iceland was in 1791 when a group of schoolboys gathered on a hill in Reykjavik and turned fire to barrels and old timber.

Half a century later, the bonfires had become quite common but they were not regarded as particularly intellectual gatherings since drinking and hooliganism was quite common. The hooliganism has been toned down somewhat since then, but you can still see a person or two with beer in one hand and a lit sparkler in the other at the New Year’s Eve bonfire. For the most part, it is just people dressed in winter-clothing on top of their best

evening-dresses and suits, hand in hand with their kids, enjoying what they used to enjoy when they were kids.

FIREWORK CITY The amount of fireworks lit and the stretch of time that the show lasts are unique for Iceland at the turn of each year. You will see fireworks almost everywhere, as long as you spend the evening somewhere near other people. The size of the show obviously differs with the size of the town and in Reykjavik you will see a spectacle like you have never seen before. In the most populated areas, the noise, the smoke and the smell in the streets sometimes resemble what I think a war zone must look and feel like. If you prefer less smoke and more overview, move to the higher areas on the east or north sides of town and prepare to be blown away. Figuratively speaking, of course.

THE END OF IT ALL On Þrettándinn, or the Twelfth Day of Christmas, those who have not yet had their fill of bonfires and fireworks can keep smiling. Add all the Yule Lads saying farewell, more fireworks and the odd elf jumping around, and you are in for a treat of an evening. It is safe to say that fire and explosions play a large part during the darkest hours of winter. We Icelanders do anything to brighten our days.

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© sbs

The Mischievous Thirteen In most countries, one Yule lad or Santa Claus is considered quite enough. Iceland, of course, had go overboard. We have no less than thirteen Yule Lads and they have not always been very pleasant, either.

ARE THEY NAUGHTY OR NICE? The first record of our Yule Lads dates back to the 17th century, and it is believed that they came about as a means to scare children. They varied in number at that time and there seem to have been either nine or thirteen of them to begin with. Since the middle of the 19th century, the number thirteen has been constant. The thirteen days of Christmas probably have something to do with that. The Yule Lads live in the mountains along with their parents, Grýla and Leppalúði, two troll-like, baby-eating figures who always get us into the holiday spirit. There they are accompanied by the murderous Christmas Cat, who sinks his claws and teeth into anyone who does not get new clothes before the clock strikes 6.00am on Christmas Eve. Charming, right?

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AND THEY BRING PRESENTS, TOO.

THE NAMES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

The Yule Lads arrive one by one and leave one by one. The first one arrives during the night before December 12th and the last on the night before December 24th. Then they start heading for their mountain homes again in the same order, so the last one leaves on January 6th, the last day of Christmas.

As opposed to what happens in America, where Santa Claus brings presents on the night before Christmas, the Icelandic Yule Lads bring trinkets during the nights of their arrival, and place them in the shoes of children who have been behaving in a manner acceptable to the grown up population. Their shoes must be conveniently placed on the windowsills in their rooms in order for the Yule Lads to reach them through the window. Now, you may be wondering if it is a good idea to have children think that it is normal for bearded hobos to be looking into their rooms while they sleep. Believe you me, I know children who have lost sleep from sheer terror of this charming tradition.

But the hope of finding a small toy or a bag of sweets in their shoe when they wake up, usually overrides the fear of the Peeping Toms in red.

Speaking of Peeping Toms, the names of our Yule Lads are quite special. They changed quite often in the old days and varied between regions, but they have remained relatively the same since 1932.

The names are very descriptive and refer to their individual mischievous nature.

For instance, Þvörusleikir translates as Spoon-licker; Hurðaskellir means Doorslammer; Gáttaþefur is Doorway-Sniffer in English, and we also have, and this is no joke, Gluggagægir, which translates as Window-peeper. So we do, in fact, have our own Peeping Tom, who arrives a few days before Christmas, dressed in red.

BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE NICE Today, the boys in red have mellowed.

When they arrive at Christmas-dances with bags on their shoulders they do not in any way attempt to harm, hurt or scare children. They are still loud and very forward but for the most part they have become a bunch of singing and dancing old teenagers who make everybody very happy. For the most part.

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The Wonderful Feel of Last Minute Christmas Stress One of the wonderful perks of living in a small country is the closeness that develops between people. This is very apparent in the smaller towns but even in the capital of Reykjavik, with its 120.000 inhabitants, you can sometimes still feel the closeness, although Bob Dylan was not entirely wrong when he said that the times they were a-changin’.

One of the best days to experience this is the day before Christmas.

LAUGAVEGUR The history of commerce at Laugavegur goes hand in hand with the history of Reykjavik. The road construction of Laugavegur was approved in the town council in 1885, and its original purpose was to facilitate travel to the hot springs used by maids and housewives to wash the laundry (the preface “lauga-“ means “spring-“ in

© Golli

English). The street soon became the hub of shopping and commerce in Reykjavik and consequently in the country.

SHOPPING IN DECEMBER They turn the lights on in November.

Laugavegur and the adjoining shopping streets are decorated with lights and ornaments, and that is when the fun begins. Every weekend until Christmas, the atmosphere is cheerful and filled with anticipation. And of course, the stress level rises as the big day approaches because when stores close at 11pm on December 23rd, everything must be in the bag. In my hometown, the women have a habit of asking each other: Have you done everything yet? I never understood this question when I was a child, but nowhere does it spring to life more than at Laugavegur on the day before Christmas.

THE FEEL OF IT December 23rd is called Þorláksmessa, or St. Þorlak’s Day, in Iceland, and it is a very

special day in downtown Reykjavik. You can roughly divide the crowd into two groups; those who have not yet finished their Christmas shopping and those who got everything done in time and just want to get into the mood. There is music in the streets and as the day progresses the crowd becomes denser, and the pubs start filling up. All this is mixed with the smell of fermented skate and the light-salted desperation of husbands who decided to save the wife’s present for last, yet again.

This is the busiest shopping day of the year, and I actually know people who are very organised in their Christmas shopping, but always put off one or two things, just so they can get the true feel of Laugavegur on Þorláksmessa. My obsession with doing everything like the women in my home town permits no such indulgence but for those of you who plan on spending Christmas in this strange country of ours, walking down Laugavegur on this special day is something you should absolutely put on your list of things to do.

© radioedit @ flickr

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Celebrating Design Bringing style to Iceland since 1975 Epal is a company that is lovingly familiar to all Icelanders. It was founded almost 40 years ago when young Eyjólfur Pálsson returned from studying furniture design in Copenhagen. He soon realised that there were things missing in Iceland for him to carry through his projects in the way he would have chosen. It was this shortage that lead to the founding of Epal.

ONCE UPON A TIME ...

Because the Industrial Revolution started late in Scandinavia, Swedish, Finnish and Danish designers created modern design using traditional materials and handcrafts back in the early 20th century and that use of easily available wood types and

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traditional craftsmanship is a continuing Henningsen and timeless giftware by Iittala trend in Scandinavian design. Scandinavian and Georg Jensen have been available in furniture is of a unique and stimulating Epal for decades. But the list of design class and this widely known common term items available is extremely long and very applies to furniture from Sweden, Denmark, interesting. This is the sort of store you can Norway, Finland and Iceland. This type of always walk out of feeling like you have furniture has then evolved over the years invested in beauty and style. to confirm to the THE VISIONARY standards of This is the sort of store Eyjólfur’s objective through modernity. Epal you can always walk out of the years has been to has always strived feeling like you have invested increase understanding and to offer the best in beauty and style. respect for good design of Scandinavian and quality products by design at any introducing first class given time. design and offering noted design labels Famous items such as The Egg and from Scandinavia and other countries.

Series 7 by Arne Jakobsen, PH 5 by Poul

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But his main passion has always revolved THE STORES around supporting Icelandic designers and With this beautiful vision as a guiding he has strived to assist in promoting their light, Epal has flourished in the past four work. In his own words: “I realised a long decades and there are three Epal stores time ago that good things happen at a in Iceland. The flag store is located in slow pace. When you feel like things aren’t Skeifan, Reykjavík, filled with love, beautiful happening fast enough it is best to take a furniture, design ornaments and gorgeous deep breath, look at things in perspective crockery. Epal also have a store at Keflavik and realise that Iceland has an abundance Airport Duty Free that focuses mainly on of well educated, hardworking people smaller design products and gifts, perfect doing great things and working together for visiting on your way back from your in achieving their mutual goals. At stay in Iceland. The most Epal, we want to support this recent addition is a store We offer in any way we can by helping in Harpa, the Reykjavik classical items that Icelandic designers put their ideas Conference Hall and never go out of into action.” In an article Eyjólfur Concert Centre. Harpa style. published in 2004 he addresses has since its opening in this point even further: “Up until May 2011 become one now Iceland has been far behind of the most renowned the other Nordic countries in architectural works of supporting design and designers. With a art in Iceland so it is very fitting for Epal strong, joined effort we could come a long to have a store there and for Icelandic and way in improving the conditions of Icelandic Scandinavian design to shine and flourish designers who are advancing rapidly both within the walls of our beloved and longhome and abroad.” Eyjólfur stepped down awaited music hall. from running Epal in 2010 and handed the torch over to his son, Kjartan Páll Eyjólfsson.

When asked what era of furniture fashion Eyjólfur admits that he still has strong most impresses him, Eyjólfur replies: “It is opinions regarding everything remotely hopeless to speak of fashion when it comes related to the running of Epal but now that to furniture and house accessories and I the store is in his son’s capable hands he would rather not do that. We offer classical has more time to work on his passion: to items that never go out of style. I think it is help young Icelandic designers make their very important for people to invest in items way in the jungle out there. that can withstand the test of time.”

Epal Skeifan 6, Reykjavik, 108 Tel: +354 568 7740

We’ll take you there!

Reykjavik Excursions | 37

Step Back in Time with the Vikings What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Iceland?

Björk, volcanic eruptions and heaps of snow? Well, you wouldn’t be too far off – but what about the Vikings?

The Viking heritage is the cornerstone of Icelandic culture. These gritty, fierce guys who built the country originally, after having sailed over the North Atlantic on small boats, powered by sail and oars, sometimes in questionable weather and always with little to eat or drink. Without them, none of us would be here.

VIKING HISTORY AT THE HEART OF HAFNARFJÖRÐUR The Viking Village in Hafnarfjörður has been a town landmark for over two decades.

The two oldest houses in the village cluster were built in the mid-1800s. In the early 1900s the older of the two was connected to the fishing trawler industry of the town, which later became a flourishing fishing

industry contributing to the growth and development of Hafnarfjörður. In 1985 the town council consented to have the house demolished but the National Committee of Building Preservation was against it and the building was saved. Since then, the Viking Village has been under constant care and renovation and has long since become a permanent part of the Hafnarfjörður landscape and culture.

DINE AND REST VIKING STYLE Although Vikings are (in)famous for their physical stamina, they still need to eat and sleep. The sleeping accommodation in the Viking Hotel now has 42 modern rooms available and is a very popular all year-round choice for travellers. The Viking Village has had a restaurant in operation since 1986 and now seats up to 500 people in the two houses, offering traditional Icelandic courses along with a mixture of mainstream dishes for everybody to enjoy. In all honesty, the Fjörukráin restaurant is an indispensable part of the Viking Village. The long hall

has an authentic feel with its stone throne, rough-hewn tables, wall-mounted animal heads, warrior shields, Norse god carvings and murals of major historic events. In the background you can hear minstrels regaling the audience with stories and songs. The experience is wonderful and quite unique.

If your group is really into having Viking style fun, you can make plans for talented performers re-enacting a Viking kidnapping.

This organized theatrical event can occur off the bus or when you least expect it. Trust me; nothing gets the party started like a Viking uproar! The Viking Village also hosts a number of events all year round, including Folklore Night in September and their annual and renowned Viking Festval in June.

Among the spectacular occurrences are fight shows, storytelling, wrestling, archery and music and it is attended by visitors from both all over Iceland and abroad.

A visit to the Viking Village would be an intriguing part of your visit to our island in the north. If you simply want to eat like the Vikings, that is on offer. If you want action and excitement, that can be arranged. But nowhere in the world will you find more experience and dedication in honouring the heritage of the gritty, fierce guys who got us to where we are.

The Viking Village Strandgata 55, Hafnarfjordur, 220 Tel: +354 565 1213

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What’s On in Iceland

All the information on everything that’s happening in Iceland So you‘ve arrived in Iceland, your warm clothes in your bag, high hopes and a lot of excitement. Great! But now what? There are about a million incredibly cool things to do in Iceland, so it can definitely be a daunting task to organize a stay here. Luckily – you‘ve got a hawk in a corner.

A HAWK IN A CORNER REALLY DOESN‘T MAKE SENSE TO ME.

Well – it would make sense, if you‘d have read the FAQ‘s on WhatsOn.is. They‘re pretty awesome actually, though the author allegedly goes overboard at times in his borderline desperate attempts at humour. So having a hawk in one’s corner is a good thing. It‘s basically an ally, often times an unexpected ally, but one you can rely on. Your hawk will come to your aid when you most need it. Just like the guys at What‘s On in Iceland do!

SO...WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AGAIN?

What‘s On in Iceland! Or Reykjavik. It‘s two different things but still basically the same. You see, What‘s On in Reykjavik is a magazine that‘s published every month all year around. It‘s been published for 30 straight years already and is one of the most established tourist publications in Iceland. There you‘ll find a selection of interesting articles, a comprehensive event calendar, covering everything happening in and around Reykjavik, with a special emphasis on the spectacular museums of Reykjavik and the capital area, as well as plenty of other relevant

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ON WHATSON.IS YOU CAN FIND... »» Events – loads of them »» Older What‘s On issues »» A comprehensive, all-inclusive Iceland Airwaves 2013 guide »» That Airwaves guide really is something actually »» Frequently Asked Questions »» Not-so-Frequently Asked Questions disguised as FAQ‘s »» Great and informative articles »» Bookable Tours and Activities »» Northern Lights tours »» Snowmobiling tours »» Hiking tours »» Many other pretty cool tours and activities »» Restaurants, Bars, shops and museums »» Practical Information »» #WhatsOnRvk instagram pictures! »» They‘re awesome by the way »» Seriously, loads of events. With extended information as well »» And more!

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and fun material such as restaurant, shopping and nightlife recommendation and a map of downtown Reykjavik. All in all, it‘s a cool magazine that you can pick up at all the hotels and the major places usually frequented by visitors to Iceland.

Definitely something you‘ll want to check out if you‘re looking for something to do in Reykjavik.

Some of the tours and activities on offer...

THE GIST OF IT

Now – What‘s On in Iceland is the website, whatson.is. It‘s basically the website for the magazine – but the guys running the show decided to expand on it a little bit and taking advantage of the wonder that is the internet. You‘ll of course find the majority of the content from the magazine, all the best articles and such, but on top of that they‘ve added a very extensive FAQ section, which (hopefully) should answer all the questions you might have about Iceland and Icelanders, and the option to book some hand-picked tours and activities in Iceland, operated by highly experienced collaborators of What‘s On. That‘s something you might really want to consider if you‘re looking for some activities or tours in Iceland, because these guys know what they‘re talking about, and if they don‘t, they definitely know the right guy you should be talking to! Lastly – if there‘s any question you might have that‘s not answered on the site, or anything you might need help with while staying in Iceland, these guys are super helpful and will do their best to help you out if you contact them (on the site you shouldn‘t have any problem finding their contact info, but whatson@ whatson.is will work if everything else fails!) Really – you should contact them, just to test them, or tell them you read this article. They‘ll appreciate it. Unless you‘re annoying – in which case they‘ll most likely be polite, nice and helpful, but curse us instead. We really don‘t mind.

ESSENTIAL ICELAND

QUAD MAD

Enjoy an amazing tour through a landscape of extreme contrasts, full of history and geology. Our day begins in Þingvellir National Park. From there we head into the highlands, through the barren mountain pass of Kaldidalur to Langjökull for an unforgettable discovery of this enormous glacier, before exploring one of Iceland‘s biggest and most spectacular lava caves. A spectacular tour filled with amazing scenery, allowing for a full day of Icelandic wonders.

Quad Mad is an adrenaline-filled ride along beautiful trails in Mosfellsdalur, just outside of Reykjavik. This thrilling tour will test both your physical endurance and stamina, as well as the capabilities of the ATVs, in around 3 hours of exciting ride in the wild outdoors. This tour is quite suitable for beginners and those with a little bit of experience of driving quads. This great tour won‘t disappoint anyone.

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» BOOK NOW ON WHATSON.IS

WHALE WATCHING - ANDREA

PEARL TOUR - GOLDEN CIRCLE

ANDREA is the biggest whalewatching ship in Iceland and provides extra comfort, fantastic inside and outside viewing areas in a safe familyfriendly environment. Inside we have a comfortable seating area with big windows for great viewing on both floors.

You can also stay outside on our extra large viewing decks where everyone can find a spot by the railing and enjoy the fantastic panoramic bird’s-eye-view to capture the fantastic scenery around.

The Golden Circle tour allows visitors to get in touch with some of Iceland’s most famous and exciting natural phenomena.

The first stop is at Þingvellir National Park, which is one of Iceland’s most significant historical sites. From there we head along mountain tracks to Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss waterfall, before kicking the action into higher gear to get even closer to Iceland’s nature, in a one hour snowmobiling tour at Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier.

» BOOK NOW ON WHATSON.IS

» BOOK NOW ON WHATSON.IS

USE WHATSON.IS TO BOOK YOUR TOURS AND ACTIVITES IN ICELAND NOW, OR FOR FINDING EVENTS, INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT ICELAND!

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Reykjavik Excursions | 41

I wish they could go on forever Having been born and raised in Iceland, I have seen my fair share of Northern Lights. That does not change the fact that when they come out, I wish they would go on forever. They hypnotise you and put a spell on you. They make you want more and more; you can never get enough. So I understand why people travel from all over the world to see the northern lights. They are indescribable, and there is nothing like them.

THE PHENOMENA An aurora is a natural light display in the sky, particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere. When I was a child and asked what they were made of, the response I received from my parents was electricity in the sky.

That kept me quiet for a while, but there is more to it, as I discovered when I got older. The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and,

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on Earth, are directed by the Earth’s magnetic field into the atmosphere. Most aurorae occur in a band known as the auroral zone, which is typically 3° to 6° in latitudinal extent and at all local times or longitudes. The auroral zone is typically 10° to 20° from the magnetic pole defined by the axis of the Earth’s magnetic dipole.

During a geomagnetic storm, the auroral zone expands to lower latitudes.

Aurora Borealis is named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas. The northern lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree Indians call this phenomenon The Dance of the Spirits and in medieval Europe, the auroras were commonly believed to be a sign from God. When I was a kid, I thought so too.

In northern latitudes, the effect of this is known as the Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights as we like to call them.

Its southern counterpart, the Aurora Australis (or the southern lights), has features that are almost identical

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to the Aurora Borealis and changes simultaneously with changes in the northern auroral zone. It is visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, South America, New Zealand, and Australia. Aurorae also occur on other planets and similar to the Earth’s aurora; they are visible close to the planet’s magnetic poles. I would love to see the southern ones at some point in my life, but to see aurorae on other planets will probably have to wait.

REYKJAVIK EXCURSIONS NORTHERN LIGHTS TOURS For those of you who, like me, want to make do with the Earth for now, the northern lights can be elusive and hard to find. As such, proper care needs to be taken to ensure the highest likelihood of a sighting. There are several things you can do to greatly improve those odds, actually, so pay close attention.

Northern Lights have three mortal enemies – all of whom greatly affect the extent to which one can see them. Avoid those – and you should be relatively well off. Firstly we shall name the dreaded cloud cover. It’s quite difficult to see the lights through a thick carpet of clouds, so – a clear sky is preferable. Do keep in mind though, that a local expert would be helpful there, as while you might see thick clouds right above you, Iceland is a…volatile…country when it comes to weather conditions, so don’t give up hope beforehand!

The second enemy is city lights. While you might occasionally see the lights within city limits, I can assure you, they’d be much brighter and much more impressive without those lights. So going out of town is almost essential to viewing!

We’ll take you there!

The last mortal enemy of the northern lights is one that’s easily avoidable most of the time; daylight. A general rule in the world is that during night time, the daylight goes away. Alas, however, that’s not the case in summertime Iceland! As a result, the so-called “Aurora Season” is generally recognized as being from September to Mid-April. This is the season you’ll want to aim for when going aurora hunting.

Now it’s one thing to know what to avoid and what to seek, but a whole other thing actually doing it. As it turns out, Reykjavik Excursions has an extensive experience in light-guiding, knowing exactly where and when to look for the ever impressive northern lights. These guys will ensure your sighting chances are maximized, and have in fact organized different tours, that should cater to everyone’s needs and wants.

NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR This is the classic one, available daily during the Aurora Season, the Northern Lights Tour is hugely popular, tried and tested. During the 3-4 hours, an auroraexpert takes you to the best spots for a maximum chance of seeing the lights, altering the route based on forecast and conditions. On the off-chance that no lights are seen, you’ll be welcomed to join the tour again, free of charge.

GLACIER AND MONSTER TRUCK ADVENTURE On this tour, Reykavik Excursions visit Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest glacier.

There they meet up with a specially modified 8x8 Monster Truck that will bring you to one of the most unique places you will ever find, the Langjökull glacier area.

There you will learn about the Northern Lights, the glacier itself and the local

nature along with some local stories. On the glacier, you will experience driving through complete and utter darkness, take a short walk and experience the glacial nature. Upon arrival at the glacier hut, you will enjoy some light refreshments.

To experience Langjökull glacier at night is truly remarkable. It is the perfect way to experience the spectacular Icelandic nature, the fresh glacial air and darkness only to be found on such remote locations.

WARM BATHS & COOL LIGHTS! This is an incredibly cosy tour, offering the perfect mixture of relaxation and northern lights hunting.

We start off at the Laugarvatn Fontana open air geothermal baths and spa, for a complete rejuvenation of body and soul.

There you’ll enjoy a local style buffet to ensure no one is hungry and the batteries are charged for the light show of a lifetime, as the Reykjavik Excursions guides take you on a tour of the area, before dropping you off at your hotel.

Keep in mind that the lights are, as mentioned, quite elusive, so sightings cannot be guaranteed. Additionally, make sure to bring warm clothes, a swimsuit and a towel for the best experience!

Reykjavik Excursions | 43

The Icelandic Horse A Faithful Servant and a Loyal Companion Someone once said that there are only two ways to properly explore Iceland; from the air and on horseback. All the SUV-owners in the country will probably beg to differ but there is at least some truth in this.

THE BACKSTORY

A FIRST CLASS RIDING CENTER

Thousands of people in Iceland keep horses simply for the pleasure of riding and enjoying the companionship of these wonderful animals. The popularity of travelling on horseback has been growing continuously and Icelandic horsemen are considerate and respectful when it comes to both nature and their horses. The history of the Icelandic horse goes back to the country’s settlement in the late 9th century and the breed has remained pure for over a thousand years. There is and has always been only one breed of horses here – The Icelandic Horse. For centuries the horse was the only means of transportation and also the most important working animal, through the years it has been referred to as “our most essential servant”. Today there are close to 80.000 horses in Iceland, an incredible number for a nation of 300.000 people. The horse is used for riding, travelling and competition purposes and still plays a practical role in the annual sheep and horse round-ups in the highlands.

Íshestar is a 30 year old company and one of the most well-established horse rentals in Iceland. They provide scheduled day tours, country side tours and highland tours up to 10 days long with airport transfer, full board and accommodation. This is the real thing. The Íshestar Riding Centre is unique here in Iceland with first class facilities set in the beautiful surroundings just outside Reykjavík and endless possibilities in riding, hiking and other outdoor activities.

The company also offers boat trips, jeep safari and horse shows on demand and their Riding Centre includes a spacious restaurant with a fully licenced bar.

TOURS ON HORSEBACK The scheduled tours vary in shapes and sizes from half hour tours for children to ten days of riding in the highlands. The many various day tours include riding in the wonderful surroundings at Hafnarfjörður and other locations but also mixing and matching horse riding with a visit to the Blue Lagoon, whale watching, biking, hiking

and seeing the Northern Lights, to name a few. For longer trips, the country side and highland tours offers many irresistible possibilities, I urge you to visit Íshestar’s website to see what I mean.

I myself have had the pleasure of exploring the Icelandic highlands on horseback on several occasions. There is absolutely nothing like it. If you have the remotest interest in horses (and honestly, even if you don’t) and are ready to explore the highlands of our beautiful volcanic island, I guarantee you that Íshestar will take you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Íshestar Sörlaskeið 26, Hafnarfjörður 221 Tel: +354 555 7000

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Tapas Done the Icelandic Way Walking along the the old fisherman‘s huts

by Geirsgata has become very different to what it used to be a few years back. The activity in these old houses with the weird green colour has shifted from serving the small boat fishermen of Reykjavik to housing various restaurants, a gallery and a goldsmith to name a few. Taking a walk there on a calm evening has really become something else.

One of the restaurants you will find in this lovely area is The Icelandic Tapas

House. Upon walking in there on a brisk Thursday evening in April, the first thing I noticed was the distinctive beat of the Spanish dance Flamenco and guitar music.

The dance was being performed live on the upper floor. I was told they were experimenting with this event and I hope they continue with it, oh what fun! Not in any way less exciting was the menu.

Gorgeous Tapas dishes to be selected individually or mixed by the house. We went for the Cuban mix and ordered a

pitcher of Sangria to go with it. I’m not sure if it was the Sangria talking, but eating in this restaurant made me feel happy inside. There is simply something heart-warming for an Icelander to be sitting in a renovated fisherman’s hut on a pier, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean and eating dish after dish of Spanish food that is so good it makes you want to take the chef home with you. But maybe it isn’t a wonder because the link to Spain is stronger here than one might imagine.

The Icelandic Tapas House is located in a former fisherman’s hut built in 1921. In the old days, the house was operated as a Salt Cod establishment and almost all of the production was exported to Spain. So there is indeed a connection.

Salt Cod therefore has an honorary seat on the menu but according to the Tapas tradition, the menu is filled to the brim with versatile ingredients and cooking methods from all over the world. Eating Tapas is supposed to be loud, colourful, diverse and fun. And here in the old hut in Geirsgata, it sure is.

Icelandic Tapas House Aegisgardur 2, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354-512-8181

art by Hjörleifur Stefánsson developed in collaboration with Minjavernd Heritage Trust. This gives the area a unique atmosphere that gets accentuated even further as the tide rolls in and out of the artwork simultaneously to the tide in the current harbour.

An Adventure Under a Bridge This is not the story of the three goats, this is the slogan for one of the best seafood restaurants in town, a remark made by one of their first customers as he contentedly pushed his plate to the side.

The Fish Company is located in one of the oldest houses in Reykjavik, commonly known as the Zimsen building. It dates back to 1884 and was

We’ll take you there!

originally situated in Hafnarstræti, a few hundred meters east of its current location. In 2006 the house was completely renovated with tender loving care and then moved to Grófartorg in 2008 where it respectfully sits, under a bridge. During the groundwork stages of the Grófartorg reconstruction area, excavation revealed the remains of the older harbour. That has now been incorporated into “The Tides”, a work of

The menu is, as the restaurant name suggests, designed to take you on a seafood journey and not only a journey of the Icelandic culinary waters. With the Fish Company you get taken on a trip around the world, with top class marine cuisine melted together with themes from Japan, France, Sweden, Fiji, Ireland, Tahiti and the USA to name few.

Dining at this restaurant is dining at its finest in Reykjavik. To my mind, this is a restaurant that you can always count on to make your evening something to remember. Add to that the wonderful surroundings of this this renovated lovely old house, whether having lunch or dinner, you are in for a treat.

The Fish Company Vesturgata 2a, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354 552 5300

Reykjavik Excursions | 45

A Food Designer with a Passion for Raw Foods To interview a restaurant owner at lunch time during the opening of her third restaurant was a phenomenally bad idea.

After watching this tiny hurricane of a woman running around for a few minutes, I made a judgement call and told her I would be back in the afternoon. Which retrospectively should have been my plan to begin with.

Gló now has three raw food restaurants in the Reykjavik area. The owner and master chef, Solla Eiríksdóttir, has been involved in vegetarian and raw food cuisine for over 30 years. My first question, when I finally got her to sit down, was on how it all started.

“I became a vegetarian before I was twenty. I was sick with allergies and food intolerance and was forced to choose between going on medication and completely changing my diet. I chose the latter and became a vegetarian, a life change that soon turned into passion for making good healthy food and spreading the gospel. Soon I started teaching vegetarian cooking and by 1994, I had my first restaurant. 16 years after my change, I found myself ready to try something new.

That is when I gained interest in raw foods.

I went to Puerto Rico in 1996 to study raw cooking. So I entered the world of raw rather early. “

According to Solla, people tend to connect “healthy” with “bad taste” in their minds. Her objective is to obliterate that connection by making raw food based on recipes and ideas that people already know and love. “My goal is to slowly but surely root out the prejudice and misconception that people have regarding raw food. In 25 years, the option of having raw meals will have become as common and natural as the vegetarian alternative is today.”

The road to reform is long and winding and Solla takes her role very seriously.

“I am extremely passionate about this.

Instead of turning my belief that raw food makes everything better just onto myself, I have spent the last 17 years inventing and developing recipes that turn what people already know into raw food. As a result, my restaurants offer pizza, enchiladas, sushi and lasagne, all according to the raw ideology. The idea is to get people to have a taste, to like it and to come back. “ But what exactly does the raw concept embody? According to Solla, it is a cooking method that entails heating the food to only 42-47°C. That way the enzymes in the food can be preserved in order to give the human body a chance to maintain its self-healing abilities. This applies to vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds

and corn. But in order to get people on board, Solla adds a twist: “Our restaurants always have on offer six to nine types of salads, one raw dish, one cooked vegan or vegetarian dish and one chicken dish.

We cook the chicken in a simple manner and then we add the raw sauces and good spices to get people used to the raw taste and texture. The purpose of this twist is to enable people who enjoy good raw and vegetarian food to come here and eat with their friends or spouses who do not share their taste in food … yet” she says and laughs. And once a week they have meat free Mondays to raise awareness on how much water and land it takes to make one kilogram of meat.

Her endeavours have not gone unnoticed outside of Iceland. Solla has in the last two years been voted “Favourite Raw Gourmet Chef” and “Favourite Raw Simple Chef” in the annual Best of Raw contest, which accepts nominations and votes through their website bestofrawfoods.com. This is indeed an exceptional honour for her and a priceless praise for Gló. Towards the end of our meeting, I asked this ridiculously busy woman if she never gets tired. She smiled and said: “Yes, but I have so much passion. The passion keeps me going.

The days have been long in preparing the opening of the new restaurant, but I have been giddy as a little girl from excitement.

I am so utterly convinced that Hippocrates was right when he said that we are what we eat. People are just people, they all have to eat. I want them to eat well and feel welcome.”

Gló Laugavegur 20b, Reykjavik center, 101

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Sign seld grein

We are Sign Sign is a wonderful example of the power, dedication and entrepreneurship that have characterised Icelandic operations for centuries. But Sign has taken this unique way of thinking a step further; they have excelled at it.

IT STARTED WITH A CHANGE OF PACE Sign was founded in 2004 by jeweller Sigurdur Ingi Bjarnason, known as Ingi.

He had at that time been working as a goldsmith in Iceland for over a decade and was no stranger to the jewellery business.

Eight years ago Ingi wanted a change and he was focusing on two things; creating his own jewellery line and spending more time with his children. So he started a business out of his garage (honestly, it doesn’t get any more Icelandic than that) and today he makes seven of the most popular design lines in Icelandic jewellery and the company has outgrown the garage a long time ago. But the funny thing is that his place of business still feels like home. Walking into the Sign workshop/store at the Hafnarfjörður marina is quite an experience.

This stylishly renovated fisherman’s hut has been their base since 2008 and was quite a step up from Ingi’s garage. A year ago they expanded again but this time into the

adjacent space at the marina, doubling the size of their work space. Sign has three full time goldsmiths and an intern working on the forging and two multi-tasking warriors that connect the company to the outside world. The spirit in the workplace is that of joy, team-spirit and fellowship and that’s the way the owner likes it. “This company is not just me. Sign only exists in its current form because of the people who work here” says Ingi and his assistant Katla adds: “We are all part of the chain and it is very important that we share the load and are linked into what the others are doing. That way we create the synergy effect that makes Sign so unique.”

FORGING THE MYSTIQUE OF ICELANDIC NATURE The Sign jewellery is designed to be an experience. They are structured on the mystique of Icelandic nature, interwoven with the landscape, the lava and the sea,

fire and ice. Ingi has always emphasised good co-operation with other artists in Iceland and he is a firm believer in that artists of all genres need to stick together and help each other out. He has always been ardent in his support and one day he thought it would be fun to join some of his artist friends in a photo ad. As a result, the photo above is the third annual advertisement for Sign where Icelandic artists gather in a photo wearing Sign jewellery. By now these are awaited with anticipation and the result this year is particularly fantastic.

You can find Sign products in 24 stores around the country, a list of retailers is on their website. They are very strong in the Icelandic market, both with their exceptional design and also with how well they service their retailers. Sign’s prime goal is to make top quality items and serve their clients the best they can. If you have the chance to stop by their workshop at the Hafnarfjörður marina, I guarantee that whether you are there for having them custom make the jewel of your dreams or wanting to look through their collections, a visit there will be nothing but interesting and pleasurable because their happy attitude is absolutely contagious.

Sign Fornubúðir 12, Hafnafjörður, 220.

Tel: +354 555 0800

We’ll take you there!

Reykjavik Excursions | 47

The History of Iceland in 10 Short Steps Iceland is a proud nation with a rich history. From the world’s oldest democratic parliament, to an economic crash of unprecedented size, Icelanders have a lot to boast about, and they‘re usually not shy to do so.

Here we present, for the first time ever, the complete, not-reallyunabridged History of Iceland, in just 10 short items. This is your unique chance to read up on major events in the history of Iceland, without having to sift through thousands of pages.

Now...Let‘s start at the very beginning.

16-18 MILLION YEARS AGO: THE FORMATION OF ICELAND Iceland lies on the intersection of the American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

When they started drifting apart, around 16 million years ago, it caused a major volcanic eruption, resulting in the creation of Iceland!

Even today, the island still sits on a volcanic hotspot, creatively named, “The Iceland Plume” – resulting in a multitude of earthquakes every year and volcanic eruptions every few years as well.

871 AD: THE SETTLEMENT OF ICELAND A Norwegian named Ingólfur Arnarsson killed a man and was exiled from his home country. He sailed to a legendary land in the west with two ships. People from the Nordics engaged in a massive land grab in this uninhabited country, taking with them

Irish slaves, resulting in a Norse-Celtic mix of genes in Iceland.

Thanks to the almost obsessive fixation of early Icelanders with genealogy, most modern Icelanders can still trace their family lines back to this time. As a matter of fact, Icelanders can look up their entire family history on a single website, and they even have an app called Íslendingabók that makes sure they don’t date their (close) relatives.

930 AD: PARLIAMENT ESTABLISHED Being a land of renegades and runaways with no king, some system of government had to be instituted. The people of Iceland went ahead and created Althing, the oldest democratic parliament that still exists today.

In each area there was a chieftain (Goði), a political and religious leader. Every summer,

all the chieftains would meet at Parliament Fields (Þingvellir) to discuss laws and settle disputes. Every year, the law speaker, standing on top of the Law Rock, would say a third of the law, completely from memory.

This way, the whole law was heard every three years.

The law was later written down in the book Grágás, which still exists today. Contained therein are practical laws, such as the penalty for your pet polar bear killing someone.

The parliament functions to this day, uninterrupted aside from a period of 45 years from 1800 to 1845.

1000 AD: CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY, DISCOVERY OF AMERICA Until the tenth century, the predominant religion in Iceland was “Ásatrú”, the worship of the Norse gods, Óðinn, Þór and the like.

In the 980s Christian missionaries started spreading the faith, leading to violent confrontations. The two factions asked Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði Þorkelsson to mediate. He lay under a bear hide for a day and a night eventually coming to the conclusion that Iceland should be a Christian country. However worshipping the old gods was allowed as long as nobody found out!

Iceland remained Roman Catholic until 1540, when it converted to Lutheran Protestantism. The Catholic bishops Jón Arason and Ögmundur Pálsson violently opposed the reformation. That opposition came to an abrupt end with the beheading of Jón Arason in 1550.

© Vovan UK

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The year 1000 is also when Leif “The Lucky”

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Ericson discovered America, or “Wine-land” as he called it. He was planning on sailing to Greenland, but was blown off course to the west, where he saw land. He later sailed there and attempted to settle, but gave it up after conflicts with the locals.

These and other stories are written down in the sagas of the Icelanders, an extensive body of 13th century writings.

1262 AD: ICELAND SUBMITS TO NORWAY In the years leading up to 1262, the Icelandic chieftains gradually became more and more powerful, until the whole country was in a state of constant civil war between 7 powerful clans. In order to end to the war, the leaders submitted peacefully to Haakon IV, king of Norway. The story is preserved in saga of the Sturlungs, written down as the events were taking place or shortly after.

Later, in the 14th century, the Kingdoms of Norway, Denmark and Sweden became one kingdom, and when they split up again Iceland somehow wound up under Danish rule. Even today Icelanders are confused and even a little sore about the whole situation.

1602: MONOPOLY (NOT THE FUN KIND) In the 1500s, English and German fishermen and traders set up posts in Iceland and traded with the Icelanders.

Seeing a mutually beneficial situation which brought prosperity to his subjects, Christian IV King of Denmark naturally decided he wasn’t having it. He granted exclusive rights to trade in Iceland to certain merchants. It is hard to overstate how devastating this decision was. Danish merchants could pay as little as they wanted for Icelandic goods, and charge what they wanted for imports. It led to the nation of Iceland wallowing in abject poverty, basically until the monopoly was abolished in 1786.

Sheriff Skúli Magnússon was a man of the enlightenment. He picked Reykjavík to become the center of modernization, and pioneered the building of wool workshop buildings, one of which still stands, on Aðalstræti 10. This marked the beginning of Iceland’s rise out of the dark ages.

1845 AD: THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PARLIAMENT AND THE INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT The enlightenment came to Iceland, and with it, nationalism. Chief among the Icelandic independence campaigners was Jón Sigurðsson, whose birthday, June 17th, was later chosen as the Icelandic Independence day. The movement led to the re-establishment of the Icelandic parliament as an advisory body to the king in 1845. This was followed by home rule in 1905, sovereignty in 1918 and independence in 1944, when Denmark was too busy being invaded by Germany to do much about it.

20TH CENTURY: THE WORLD WARS AND MODERNIZATION Industry and urbanization was growing, but Iceland had quite a lot of catching up to do. 1900-1910 saw such novelties as electricity, the first car and the first trawler, which marked the beginning of the still-important fishing industry. In the

world wars, selling products to the allies and servicing the American occupying force brought an economic boom and cultural influence, such as TV and jazz. This catapulted Iceland into the 20th century and still today the Icelandic culture has an incredible fascination for new and foreign things, technology and culture.

CRASH AND MIRACULOUS RECOVERY Since the 1950s, Iceland’s economy was characterized by rather high inflation. In the late 1990s, the commercial banking system was privatized and the law was changed to ease restrictions on trade. Following an incredible growth in everything financial, the bubble finally burst in a spectacular manner, in October 2008. The currency of Iceland, the Króna, fell by 50% overnight. People lost their jobs, their houses, and their livelihood and finally to top it all, McDonalds left the country.

Since then, Iceland has caught the attention of the international community because of how quickly the economy has recovered. Industry is operational and unemployment is under control, but wages and prices are still quite low, which means it’s a good time to visit for people with foreign money.

THE 1750S: THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE BIRTH OF REYKJAVÍK Until the middle of the 1750s, Reykjavík was just a single farm, and Iceland had no towns or villages of any kind.

We’ll take you there!

© Harpa

Reykjavik Excursions | 49

Tax & Duty Free

Ă?SLENSKA/SIA.IS/FLE 64277 05/13

Experience Iceland All of our shops and restaurants offer you Icelandic memories to take home.

Nearby Landmannalaugar

One of few airports in the world that is both tax and duty free — meaning up to 50% off city prices.

Precious Family Design and Endless Variety Visit Jón & Óskar, one of Reykjavík‘s most established watch and jewellery stores. They will be happy to see you.

The owners and founders, Jón Sigurjónsson master goldsmith and Óskar Óskarsson master watchmaker have over 40 years of experience under their belts and their store in Laugavegur 61 is the largest of its kind in the country.

TLC ALL THE WAY

The idea of Icecold first emerged in the year 2000 and has been constantly growing and developing ever since

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They are renowned for their personal service. Customer care has always been Jón & Óskar’s forte and they pride themselves in serving their clients the best they can. Their collection of engagementand wedding rings is one of the largest in Iceland and the store has a special room for happy couples to view engagementand wedding rings in private. For a time the company even offered to drive the newlyweds on the big day in a Rolls Royce

’72, owned by Jón Sigurjónsson himself.

The store includes members of the watchmaking and goldsmith associations and they offer professional quality service.

They commission a large number of brand names and direct trading ensures the best prices.

Jón & Óskar was divided into jewellery and watches from the beginning. The staff have always been specialised in serving customers in each department because Jón and Óskar started off by emphasising that their employees are well educated in their field. In 1987 the company had ten employees in watchmaking, forging jewellery, repairs and customer service.

In an interview from that year Óskar describes their selection of watches: “We

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have a wide variety of top products which we import directly. The Pierre Cardin pieces have become very popular, they are practically time-measuring jewels. We also have Delma, Casio, Seiko and Chizen.

These are all quality brand names, we offer nothing else.”

To this day their imported jewellery has come from renowned manufacturers in Germany, Belgium and Italy. To the same extent their workshop has a long history of designing and forging and the latest addition in jewellery lines is Icecold. The idea of Icecold first emerged in the year 2000 and has been constantly growing and developing ever since.

MAIN STREET SHOPPING The history of commerce at Laugavegur goes hand in hand with the history of Reykjavík and the location of Jón & Óskar has always been a big advantage for their business. The road construction of Laugavegur was approved in the town council in 1885 and its original purpose was to facilitate travel to the hot springs used by maids and housewives to wash the laundry (the preface “lauga-“ means “spring-“ in English). The street soon became the hub of shopping and commerce in Reykavík and consequently in the country. When Jón Sigurjónsson and Óskar Óskarsson founded their company in 1971 they opened their first

store in a 50 square meter cellar at Laugavegur 70. That space soon became restricting as the business took off so they soon extended to the east into the next building. In 1995 there was a revolutionary change when they moved to a spacious and elegant store space in Laugavegur 61 and became the largest jewellery- and watch retailer in Iceland. Today they also have stores in Kringlan and Smáralind shopping centres and as ever before, their devoted staff welcomes you to stop by and aim to make sure you find what you are looking for.

Jón & Óskar Kringlan Reykjavik center, 103 Tel: +354 552 4910

We’ll take you there!

Reykjavik Excursions | 53

The Light of Our Lives Iceland, silly as the name can seem during the summer months, was named so for a reason. In the old days, before electricity and heating when the cold and dark actually killed people, self-preservation and innovation were the key to surviving. It is a wonderful thing that one of the best known brands in Icelandic export is a product that has helped the Icelandic nation survive since the settlement. It‘s called lýsi and we are so proud of it.

Our Norwegian settlers brought with them the knowledge of how to process lýsi which in simplified terms is oil from the livers of the animals in the sea. They made it from whale, shark, fish, seal and even birds and used it as fuel for light, to calm waves, to soften and protect the clothing of seafarers and as a nutritional supplement for both humans and animals. For a time it was even used as currency, as sources from as far back as 1096 state that church taxes in Iceland were paid in the form of this life saving, smelly liquid. The name “lýsi“ comes from the product having been used as lamp oil, in Icelandic the verb “lýsa“ means “to illuminate“ and when living this close to the Arctic Circle one can only imagine how precious it must have been to be able to have light in the house. Add to that the fact that lýsi is a valuable source of vitamins A and D (in a country where the sun is absent most of the time and low in the sky when

it does show its face) and it becomes an understatement to say that lýsi has had a real impact on survival in this country.

The method of processing lýsi from the liver in the old days was, in the simplest terms I can think of, something like this: They dug a hole, put the liver in the hole and waited for the oil to squirt out. Nevertheless, Lýsi was the biggest export product of Iceland as early as the 14th century, along with dried fish and woollen cloth.

THE BEGINNING In 1938 a man named Tryggvi Ólafsson founded a production and export company and called it simply LYSI . He had then spent the decade before trading and experimenting with lýsi, first in a small lab he prepared in his home. At the time he founded LYSI, the company was considered a pioneer in the production of marine lipids and later became a global leader in the field. The company’s research has been on-going for decades and today LYSI is at the world forefront of research and product development. Tryggvi had a seat on the board until he was 96 years old and it was in the year 1981 that the first non-family member became president of the company.

In 1999 the company changed owners again and has been run by Katrín Pétursdóttir and her family since then. Katrín is the granddaughter of Tryggvi Ólafsson. Her

parents left LYSI in 1981 and founded Fiskafurðir, a company in similar ventures as LYSI. It was a happy day when they gained ownership of what had been founded by her grandfather over 60 years earlier.

In April 2007, LYSI was awarded the President of Iceland’s Award for Export Achievement for its “unique achievement in the sales and marketing of marine lipid products and for the vision the company demonstrates in product development and for the build-up of knowledge and expertise in its field.”

THE REST IS HISTORY Every child in Iceland knows that there is no way of growing up to be big and strong without having a spoonful of Lýsi with breakfast every day. They have no idea what Omega-3 and vitamins A and D do for them and at that point they don‘t care. This is tradition. This is what mummy and daddy raise them to do because their parents told them to and that has been the way of things in this country for hundreds of years. But the LYSI product line has more to offer than just classic cod liver oil in a glass bottle. The company now has various production lines, including shark liver oil, omega-3 fish oil and various blister products where in addition to the lýsi itself the customer is provided with vitamins and minerals to go with the ever so healthy liver oil we all love. But the majority of the company’s turnover comes from a tradition of 700 years, exporting cod liver oil in bulk. And in a country that is consumed with nostalgia, you can just begin to imagine how loving and respecting LYSI is branded into our dark-enduring, hard-working Icelandic soul.

It’s part of who we are. Simple as that.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Understandable Concerns Even more answers to frequently asked questions from our friends at WhatsOn.is.

HOW BIG IS ICELAND? Size really doesn‘t matter, so we‘re not too worried about that...But, we‘re talking 103,000 high-quality km‘s (40,000 sq mi).

Iceland is actually the worlds 18th largest island, which isn‘t really that impressive.

WHAT’S THE POPULATION OF ICELAND?

© Leifi - photographictours.is

WHY DO PEOPLE LIVE SO FAR NORTH IN THE COLD? Meh…It’s a mixture of reasons really. Firstly – we were born here, so we’re just used to it and don’t know anything else. Secondly – we have some seriously warm clothes up here, so we’re not that cold all the time. Thirdly – Iceland is packed with steaming water pouring from the ground here and there, so our houses are warm all the time. Now on top of that – Iceland is BEAUTIFUL! It’s like…jaws-to-the-ground stunning at times. We have Aurora borealis, waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and a multitude of other super cool awesome amazing stuff. That alone makes living here a dream. Oh we also have a bunch of fish – we like fish, so it makes sense to live here for that.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN ICELAND? This is not coming from us, but according to some people, it‘s because, back in the days, the Vikings went over to England and stole all the beautiful women from them, which resulted in Iceland being a disproportionally beautiful nation, as opposed to the English... This is not something we honestly believe though – the official story is Lýsi, high quality fish and a biased, yet favourable, general opinion on beauty standards.

YOU GUYS DON‘T HAVE AN ARMY? No. We’re peace loving to infinity. On top of that we have some pretty muscular friends.

WHAT IF YOU‘D BE UNDER ATTACK? Then we’d call upon said muscular friends. If that wouldn’t work we’d point out that we’re a tiny island way north in the middle of the ocean. If THAT wouldn’t work, we’d send forth our arsenal of international beauty queens and world’s strongest men.

DO YOU GUYS SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGES BESIDES ENGLISH? Back in the day, all of us spoke Danish, or some sort of an equivalent language, usually called “Scandinavian”. That was just a random mixture of Icelandic, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, jumbled together and, surprisingly, always understandable by everyone from the Nordic countries. Except the Finnish of course, they have the most absurd language…

In later years, we don’t really speak as much Scandinavian, unless we’re drunk, then we speak everything fluently. However, there’s a rising proficiency in super cool languages such as German, Spanish, French and more. Some people are learning Chinese as well, that’s pretty cool. Now, if, by “you guys”, you meant us here at whatson.is, then we can proudly inform that we speak Icelandic, English, Spanish, Scandinavian fluently, with a dash of German and a google-translate-proficiency of every other language conceivable.

We’ll take you there!

Roughly 320.000. That’s thousand, not millions. Yes – we have about the same amount of people as Santa Ana or Riverside California. Or one tenth of Berlin (Germany) or Madrid (Spain) if that scale makes more sense. Less than Bilbao (Spain), Cardiff (UK) and Nice (France). More than Utrecht (Netherlands), Bari (Italy) and the renowned town of Wirral (UK). Stop making fun of us. We’re blond, tall and strong. Who cares we’re just a handful.

We’re statistically good at everything!

© PopTech

WHO’S THE PRESIDENT OF ICELAND? Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, or Óli, as the locals call him. He’s Iceland’s fifth president, having served since 1996. He’s a cool guy who occasionally stirs things up and is generally unpredictable; which at least is amusing for the general public.

Perhaps not so much for the guys making the laws though. His wife is Dorrit. She’s super cool as well. She won the hearts of every Icelander ever to be born when we won silver prize at the Olympics in team handball (yeah, team handball is huge in Iceland. No, we don’t know why.) by stating that “Iceland is not a small country, it’s the biggestest country in the world”.

That was super cute.

See more FAQ on page 22 and online at WhatsOn.is

Reykjavik Excursions | 55

A Journey to the Center of the Earth and more Taking a glimpse of the wonders of Snæfellsnes Peninsula Snæfellsnes has everything and a bag of chips! In Snæfellsnes you can see a microcosm of all Iceland in a convenient Reykjavik Excursions day trip from Reykjavik. It has majestic mountain views, black-sand beaches and a volcano and glacier rolled into one (a Volclacier? A Glacano?) and scattered around the scenery you find quaint little towns with interesting histories, as told by their local folk museums.

SNÆFELLSJÖKULL – THE ENTRANCE TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. One of the most interesting things on Snæfellsnes is without a doubt Snæfellsjökull glacier, which sits atop an active volcano at the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The volcano is 700.000 years old and has erupted about 20 times since the last ice age.

In his book a “Journey to the center of the earth” Jules Verne used Snæfellsjökull as the point of entry through which Lidenbrock and his team start their journey.

In the park, among other things, you will find Djúpalónssandur black-sand beach.

There you can test your strength with the three rocks, Strong, Full-Strong and Half-Strong. These were used by sailors of ages past to compete in strength and the heaviest one is 154 kg! (339 pounds!)

ARNARSTAPI Arnarstapi is a long-abandoned fishing village which comes to life in the summertime, with fishermen sailing from the harbour and people spending their summers in local cottages. It has a camp ground, an inn and a restaurant. Here you can hike around the surrounding area and enjoy the mind-blowing rock formations of the coastlines from the observation deck to which the RE tour will take you.

STYKKISHÓLMUR. Stykkishólmur is a picturesque and beautiful fishing town with only 1100 inhabitants, but this doubles in the summertime with all the fishermen and tourists. It serves as the center of transportation for the area – it’s

where you catch the ferry for Flatey Island and Brjánslækur in the Westfjords. The town has many wooden houses from the 19th and early 20th century. The oldest of these is the Norwegian House, built in 1832, which now houses the local folk museum.

Stykkishólmur also has a volcano museum and a swimming pool, among other things.

From Stykkishólmur you can also catch one of a selection of fascinating boat tours, which also available through Reykjavik Excursions. Among them are scenic tours where you can explore the whales, dolphins and the incredibly diverse birdlife of the Breiðafjörður bay. On at least one of the tours you can even sample “Viking Sushi” seafood fresh from the sea.

That’s just three of the countless interesting things to see, not even mentioning the scattered little farms, the area’s rich history (the peninsula was where the Saga of the Icelanders, one of the main historical sources of Iceland was written, as well as being the setting of the ancient Laxdæla), the magnificent Gerðuberg basalt columns, mountains like Helgafell and Hólahólar(the Hill-hills), and many other things. To learn more, book a trip and see for yourself! Tours of the whole area and all the sights are available through Reykjavik Excursions.

Reykjavik Excursions BSI Bus Terminal, Vatnsmyrarvegur 10, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354 564 4776 56 | MyDestination - Reykjavik

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How to Relax in Reykjavik Enjoy a relaxing holiday in Laugar Spa Do you want to relax during your holiday?

Laugar Spa is an all-round wellness center for the whole family! Their outdoor and indoor thermal pools, beauty and massage clinic, along with the unique fitness center combined with a luxury spa, will help you breeze into a wonderful and relaxing holiday.

Laugar is the country‘s largest health center establishment. Their philosophy is that everyone should be able to find a leisure activity to fit their needs. At Laugar, you can mix and match your own personalized leisure programme, and afterwards you will feel so much better in both body and soul.

HOT AND COLD In Laugar Spa you enter an aquatic haven.

Six different saunas and steam rooms are available, each one with a different theme.

You can experience sounds of nature and a starry night sky and inhale different aromas. You can soothe tired limbs in a Thalasso therapy Jacuzzi, rejuvenate tired

feet in a special foot-bath, switch between hot and cold showers in special cubicles or enjoy delicious food and drink in one of the three restaurants on the premises.

THE SALON Laugar Spa is also a beauty and massage salon where professionals ensure that guests get good service and excellent relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They use products from the world-famous brands Guerlain and Comfort Zone. The treatments offered present a combination of ancient wisdom and modern knowledge, mixed with the benefits of nature.

The atmosphere in Laugar Spa is very relaxed and designed to help create the best possible experience for every guest.

Try the famous relaxation room, where you can lay on the comfortable benches around a centrally located fireplace.

Perfect to shut your eyes and forget all your worries!

Laugar Spa & fitness Sundlaugarvegi 30a, Reykjavik Area, 105 Tel: +354 553 0000

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LIVE MUSIC EVERY NIGHT! All the games and all the action on 5 Big HD Screens.

Icelandic Beer on draft.

Outside area in the sun.

Save Water, Drink Beer AUSTURSTRÆTI 12 • 101 REYKJAVÍK • ENSKIBARINN@ENSKIBARINN.IS

Experience Iceland at Keflavík International Airport Duty Free Icelandic products, food, and art We hope you’re looking forward to your stay in Iceland, or perhaps you’re on your way back home? In that case, we hope you’ve enjoyed your stay in Iceland! Regardless of which way you’re currently travelling, did you know that Keflavík International Airport (KEF) is one of only a few airports in the world that offers both Tax and Duty Free in all of its stores?

Not only that, whether it’s your first point of call, or you final memory, KEF’s undeniable Icelandic atmosphere will make your travelling experience more memorable.

What d’ya mean ‘Icelandic atmosphere’ in an airport you say? Well, there’s more than meets the eye in KEF’s Duty Free shopping area and Leifur Eiríksson terminal, there’s bountiful amounts of Icelandic-ness for your senses to enjoy.

Whilst you’re waiting for you flight home, or wherever you’re travelling to,

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there are a variety of Icelandic delicacies to try out, some more adventurous than others. For example, Icelandic flatbread with smoked lamb and horseradish; Icelandic pylsur (hotdogs) with threetypes of sauces and two-types of onions; Skyr, the famous dairy-based yoghurt; putrescent shark; and boiled sheep’s head.

Of course everyone loves to shop, despite what some people say. The KEF Duty Free area sells the latest in electronic products and all such things.

But more importantly, KEF specialises

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in selling and promoting Icelandic-made products and one-of-a-kind items as unique as Iceland itself.

Available in the Duty Free area you can find everything from novelty Iceland underwear to high-end Icelandic-design jewellery and crafts. You can also pick up cosmetics made from the purest Icelandic-glacial water, silica, and algae.

Feeling thirsty? KEF’s Duty Free area gives you the opportunity to purchase Icelandic soft-drinks, kókómjólk, and alcoholic beverages, including Brennivín, an unsweetened schnapps known as “Black Death”. Fancy a snack? You can also purchase Icelandic sweets, chocolate and baked goods for your journey home.

If there’s one thing Icelanders know how to design better than anyone else in the world it’s outdoor clothing, as the weather in Iceland can sometimes be savage. Icelanders understand how water-resistant jackets and thermal vests are vital pieces of clothing whilst being in the great outdoors. Handmade Icelandic-wool sweaters (lopapeysa) are probably the most-famous exports

from Iceland, and popular amongst Icelandophiles (lovers of Iceland).

Known for their projection, comfort and striking designs, lopapeysas are perfect souvenirs for the whole family, as well as Iceland-wool mittens, hats, and scarves - all of which are available for less at KEF’s Duty Free area.

You may or may not have noticed the incredible art work within the terminal.

KEF is proud to exhibit pieces that are inspired by the Icelandic landscape and spirit. One such installation can be found right before departures; titled Áttir (Directions), the four cardinal points of the compass are represented by four aluminium human-like figures placed on top of columnar basalt plinths.

The piece, by Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir, allows passengers to stand in the middle of it and experience the installation by becoming its central focus. In fact, Þórarinsdóttir’s statues can be found in Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður, Grundarfjörður, Akureyri, and Ísafjörður – so in essence, the piece brings together different parts of Iceland into the airport.

Have you been sharing your Icelandic experiences with your friends and

family online? Are you big Tweeters?

Instagramers? Facebookers? In KEF’s Leifur Eiríksson terminal you can connect to the Internet via your own laptop, smartphone, or tablet using the airport’s wireless connection for free.

This way you have the option to let them know how much fun you’re having/had, or just to make them extremely jealous!

Oh, and one final thing that’s worth mentioning, Keflavík International Airport was voted as the best small airport in Europe by an extensive airport service survey conducted by the Airports Council International.

As part of the survey, participants answered a number of questions about the quality of more than 36 service factors, such as its helpfulness and courtesy of staff, ease of flight connections, cleanliness, check-in times, and for the overall customer satisfaction – just so you know that you’re in good hands; correction, good Icelandic hands.

Keflavik International Airport Keflavik Airport, 235 Tel: +354 425 6000

We’ll take you there!

Reykjavik Excursions | 61

Big City Feel in a Small Town It’s the place where the locals feel at home. So will you.

When I walked into Café Paris to interview the manager I was for some reason expecting the place to be closed. After all, it was 10 am on a Thursday and I figured that if the staff were in fact already there then they were probably just getting ready for the day. To my surprise it was not only open but fairly busy with people eating breakfast and having coffee. I noticed and elderly man sitting at a table facing the bar when he called out the waiter’s name and asked if they had a certain type of croissants.

“Wow, a regular, how cozy” I thought and proceeded to ask for the manager. After we sat down on the next table she told me that he was not the only regular customer, not by far. For example a group of 14 people have met there every morning for 20 years, not always all of them but always sitting at the same table. The staff calls them “the wise men” and there are pictures of some of them on the wall. By that time it started to dawn on me that there was something very special about this place.

THE LOCATION The house that Café Paris is in was built in 1925. There was a big fire in downtown Reykjavík in 1915 which destroyed everything that had been on that spot before. After the fire, the particular property Café Paris stands on was called “The golden spot“. It was very expensive and because of that it went unsold for 10 years.

It finally went to Mayor Jón Þorláksson who built the house sparing no expense.

It was the second house in all of Reykjavik to have an elevator in it, which was a clear sign of prosperity back then. There have been various operations in the building throughout the years, such as restaurants, clothing stores and a kiosk. Axel Ketilsson and his sister Soffía bought the house in

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1936, in which Axel’s wife ran a women’s clothing store, featuring the latest Paris fashion. On top of that, Axel’s daughter studied in Paris, making the city dear to the family, which really made the naming choice easy, when Axel’s son, Ketill, opened up Café París back in 1992. Originally they served crépes and cakes, immediately becoming a huge success, serving up to 500 customers every day before changing owners.

THE CHANGE In 2005 Ketil‘s family decided to sell the business, and the current owner, Grétar Ingi Berndtsen invested in the whole building along with the café. He soon decided to make changes, both in the accommodation and the menu. “We found ourselves having to re-think everything” says manager Guðný Atladóttir. “We calculated how many seats we needed and decided to turn the focus onto creating a pub culture in the evenings and expand the patio outside the café.

We had to close for 6 weeks during the renovations. Everybody had an opinion and critics claimed that we were making a huge mistake and that the spirit of Café Paris would disappear with the changes. Today we get over one thousand customers per day during the summer and all the regulars still come here every day so I guess we have thoroughly proven them wrong“ Guðný says and smiles.

many people from the Icelandic media in here, lawyers from the court house and also groups of friends that come here every week, same weeknight, year after year.

In December we have groups from the kindergartens during the day, small children that come in with their nannies for hot cocoa and ginger bread cookies. We have college and university students coming and going all day. This is where the locals and the tourists mix and mingle. We are first and foremost a restaurant; the magic in here is a free side dish.” I have to agree with her and I hate to leave. There is just something so irresistible about sitting by these huge 87 year old windows and watching the people, both inside and outside. Café Paris will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in the next months and has had a 35% increase in turnover this year. I’m not surprised.

“Every detail matters and every day has its charm. We never know how the day will turn out when we turn up in the morning.

All we know is that everybody at Café Paris has a common goal; to keep the customer satisfied.”

THE PLACE TO BE But what is it that makes Café Paris so special? “I actually gave this question some thought last year” she says laughing. “For tourists, Café Paris is simply part of seeing downtown Reykjavik. Our clientele during the summer months is 50/50 tourists and locals so this is where people mix. We get

Café París Austurstræti 14, Reykjavik center, 101 Tel: +354 551 1020

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Connect to the largest mobile network in Iceland

Use Frelsi Prepaid to stay in touch with friends and family

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Pay less with Frelsi Prepaid It can be costly to use your regular phone card overseas. Buy a prepaid SIM card package, which includes a mobile number and an ISK 2000 voucher, in any SĂ­minn store or at N1, OlĂ­s, 10-11 and various other retailers around the country.

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WORN OUT FOR CENTURIES We of fer clot h i n g & ot her mer ch a nd is e t h at r em i nd s u s of go o d old Ic el a nd

– V i s it ou r s t or e s : 101 R e y k j a v í k , A k u r e y r i a n d G e y s i r, H a u k a d a l . w w w. g e y s i r. n e t –