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Well, You Asked: Sagas, Slang & Socialising
Stuck in a tricky situation? Don’t worry. Grapevine’s official advice column is here to help you. Is it GIF or JIF? This can all be settled with a history lesson. In the Sagas was the notorious tale of Jón Ívar Friðriksson. While…
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A Decade Of Extreme Chill: A Celebration Of Experimental Music & Family
The Icelandic experimental music festival, Extreme Chill, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Located in Reykjavík, the Electronic Music Capital of Iceland, the festival will this year take place at Gamla Bíó, Iðnó, Gaukurinn, Mengi, Exeter Hotel, Vínyl Bistro and Klaustur Bar…
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Pence Visits From Land Of “You’re Fired” And I.C.E.
US Vice President and no-homo bunny lover Mike Pence has confirmed his visit to Iceland on September 4th—the first stop on a European mini-tour that will also take him to the UK and Ireland on behalf of President Donald Trump. Pence’s visit…
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Reynisfjara Still Closed, Tourists Still Coming
After large rocks collapsed onto the easternmost shore of the Reynisfjara beach in Vík on August 18th injuring some tourists, the area was closed for safety reasons. However, hundreds of tourists are still arriving in Reynisfjara every day. A week ago, 30…
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Food Of Iceland: Hjónabandssæla
The Icelandic model may seem odd from a foreign perspective, with cohabitation being a popular option for couples rather than marriage. In fact, it was recorded that only 30% of children in Iceland are born in wedlock. Yet there are still those…
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Still Angered, Duterte Slams Icelandic Abortion Law
Yesterday, in Quezon City, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte strongly criticised Iceland’s policy regarding pregnancy termination. Switching to English in the middle of his speech for the Iceland comment, presumably to be understood internationally, Duterte said, “Do you know what? Iceland…
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Hope For Victims Escaping Trafficking In Iceland
For years, Iceland has been under international and domestic pressure to take government action to address what experts have persistently pointed to as abundant symptoms of human trafficking taking place. Rescuing victims may soon be more practical, as the Ministry of Justice…
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Food of Iceland: Icelandic Liquorice Booze
A sunny day of camping turned ugly due to a flavour still lingering in my darkest nightmares. I took a swig of what I understood to be an innocent, liquorice flavoured schnapps called Tópas. Needless to say, I was bewildered by the…
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Police Respond To Unnecessary Force Allegations
After police criticism for using unnecessary force at summer festivities, chairman of the Reykjavik City Human Rights Council, Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir, requested a meeting today police chief Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir. “There have been a number of issues that have arisen recently that…
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The History Of Foreign Countries Trying To Claim Greenland
Greenland has a long history of foreign claims. Primarily, the dispute has been between Norway and Denmark, but Iceland, and even the United States, also have some history in these debates. In fact, there was a time when Icelanders thought it would…
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No Borders Activist Arrested At Pride Parade
“I was just walking, not protesting anything,” No Borders activist Elínborg Harpa Önundardóttir told Fretablaðið, when asked about the Pride Parade. Like many others participating in the celebrations, Elínborg was dressed up in pink clothing and a decorative golden mask and carrying…
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Rockfall in Reynisfjara Injures Three
Large rocks have collapsed onto the easternmost shore of the Reynisfjara beach in Vík. The location is a popular tourist spot to see Reynisdrangar, several rocky cliffs in the sea that reaching up to 66 meters high that are rumored to be…
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Farewell To Lost Glacier: Iceland To Combat Climate Change
Five years have passed since Ok, a glacier, was announced by geologist Oddur Sigurðsson to have lost its glacier status. What was once over 3,000 km of ice field has now been replaced by a crater lake. This was the first glacier…
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Teigsskógur Forest In Jeopardy Due To Road Construction
Reykhólahreppur has been waiting for a new road for decades, as the current gravel roads are both worn and time-consuming. So when a new route was proposed by the Road Administration, the municipality readily approved it. While on the surface this seems…
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Reykjavík University Students Help NASA Test Mars Rover In West Iceland
This summer scientists will be testing their prototype rover in West Iceland for NASA’s next mission to Mars. With NASA’s funding, twelve technology and engineering students at Reykjavík University will prepare and participate in the testing that is being called the SAND-E…
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Palm Trees Planted in Reykjavík: Reykjavík Officially Tropical
During the first week of the summer 2019, we were nobody’s fool, carrying around our coats, mumbling skepticism under our breath. Then came the sun, and subsequently the anger that we had to go into work instead of barbecue, followed by the…
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Refugee-Owned Afghan And Persian Restaurant Opens Up In Grafarvogur
New restaurants seem to be popping up every other day, but on August 7th, the opening of Afghan Style marked a first for Iceland serving Afghan and Persian food. The fast-food style restaurant in Langarima in Grafarvogur is owned by Zahra Mesbah…
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Iceland To Face Financial Challenges As Brexit Approaches
As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushes for the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union with or without a deal, Iceland looks to be one of the countries to be most affected as reported by Visir. While Iceland is not in…
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Merchant’s Weekend Weather Forecast
After the chilly, rainy summer of 2018, this summer is making quite the comeback. This July’s average temperature totalled up to 13.4 degrees, making it the hottest month in Iceland since temperatures started being recorded. This weekend, temperatures will overall range from…
