Author: Anna Andersen
Do Icelanders Need More Ayn Rand In Their Lives?
As Iceland struggles to emerge from an economic depression brought on in part by lax government regulation, Professor Hannes Hólmsteinn…
What! The Police Are On FB, Twitter And Instagram, Too?
It’s 11:30 PM on a Sunday night and the police have just replied to a question posted on their wall…
The Situation
Unlike most of Europe, Iceland escaped the ravages of World War II. With the exception of Hitler’s girlfriend, Eva Braun,…
Bouncing Back
Last Wednesday was a sad, sad day in Iceland. Our esteemed handball team lost to Hungary in the quarterfinals during…
Selling The Town’s Best Hot Dogs For 75 Years
Bæjarins Beztu Tryggvagata, 101 D4 The Grapevine has a soft spot for Bæjarins Beztu. The famous hot dog stand is…
What’s Best About Reykjavík?
I’ve been thinking about this question for the last week, as we’ve been making our fourth annual Best of Reykjavík…
I Left My Heart In Ittoqqortoormiit
Located at the mouth of Scoresby Sund—the largest fjord system in the world—Ittoqqortoormiit is so remote that supply ships can…
Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone About Greenland
On the day after this paper hits the streets, Iceland’s presidential race will be over. Incumbent Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson may…
The Incumbent
Incumbent President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is Iceland’s fifth elected president. If re-elected on June 30, he will become the longest-sitting…
___________ For President?
Iceland’s presidential race has certainly been interesting to follow over the last five months. Only days after incumbent President Ólafur…
Why Do Icelanders Drink Like College Freshmen?
Icelanders are not the kind of people who go to a pub to drink a beer or two over the…
23 Awesome (Or Not So Awesome) Vanity Plates
Among his claims to fame, MP Árni Johnsen successfully lobbied for legalising vanity plates on vehicles in Iceland and became…
Warning To Travelers
I had a drink with an elderly couple from Washington, D.C. the other day. They were stopping over for a…
Murder And Suicide Through The Ages
Iceland saw its first official murder of 2012 this February. A 22 year old man showed up to a police…
News In Brief: May Edition
Just when we thought we had heard the last of the Worm of Lagarfljót, a former FBI agent showed up…
Our Summer Is Here!
It may have snowed last week, but summer is here at The Grapevine. It started about two weeks ago and…
It’s A Bit Like Blood On White Snow
Best selling crime writer Yrsa Sigurðardóttir interviewedYrsa Sigurðardóttir, who began her writing career in children’s fiction, wrote her first crime…
News in Brief: April Edition
Well, Hamborgarabúllan, one of Iceland’s most treasured hamburger shops, will soon be opening in London. Owner Tómas A. Tómasson told…
Meet Iceland’s Award-Winning Raw Food Chef
Sólveig Eiríksdóttir, better known as Solla, was recently voted “Favourite Raw Gourmet Chef” and “Favourite Raw Simple Chef” in the…
Europe’s Ex-Best Kept Secret
Every now and then, Icelanders—and expats especially—complain about living on an island. The produce can certainly get old in every…
A Black Box
In post-collapse Iceland, mortgages are hard to come by, and a growing number of people are turning to the rental…
Looking Out The Window
Whenever we share a photo of the view from our offices on Facebook, there’s always that person who points out…
Happy Easter Weekend!
Did Reykjavík Mayor Jón Gnarr convince you to come to Iceland for Easter? If you recall, in his New Years…
Renting In The Free World
by Pallih and Anna Andersen
The rental market in Iceland is historically small and the large majority of Icelanders own their homes today. However, an…
Where Is Icelandic Design Today?
Iceland Design Centre Manager Halla Helgadóttir explainsThe Iceland Design Centre was founded in the spring of 2008, just three months…