Author: Zoë Vala Sands - The Reykjavik Grapevine

Where Was It Shot? Flags Of Our Fathers

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Apparently, the next best setting for Joe Rosenthal’s famous Iwo Jima photograph was our own volcanic island—specifically, on the Reykjanes…

The Name Blame Game: The Icelandic Patronymic Tradition Could Disappear Within Decades

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When a local mom was inspired to name her daughter Blær after a character from Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness’…

The Costco Craze

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The U.S. wholesale giant Costco opened in Iceland in May, taking advantage of the retail boom that has slowly grown…

Music News: Sama-sem, Hórmónar, Milkhouse

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Milkhouse just released their first LP, ‘Painted Mirrors.’ The Indie dreampop band’s 12 new songs feature captivating lyrics in Icelandic…

Miss Iceland Competition Sparks Debate About Fatshaming And Feminism

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The Miss Iceland Competition never fails to cause controversy in Iceland. Most recently, glamour model and IceQueen, Ásdís Rán, was…

Reykjavík’s Cocaine Underworld Reawakens

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So far this year, customs agents at Keflavík International Airport have intercepted 20.7 kg of cocaine coming into Iceland, which…

Foreigners Keep Icelanders From Naming Their Horses Curse Words

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Turns out those keeping Icelandic horses from living their best name-lives are foreign horse buyers. So says Jón Baldur Lorange,…

Faces Of Reykjavík: Tamara

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Icelanders are sometimes said to be reserved. So we at Grapevine decided to do a few of our reserved countrymen…

The Magic Of The Night Shift: Anecdotes From A Sandholt Baker

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As the town falls asleep, the streets fill up with the alluring smell of freshly baked pastries and bread. This…

Blast From The Past: Tommaborgari

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In this issue’s Blast From The Past, we pay homage to Iceland’s first hamburger joint, Tommaborgari, founded by the forefather…

Faces Of Reykjavík: Húbert Óðinn Huntingdon Williams

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You know what they say, there’s no better way to understand a city than by finding out what its locals…

Record Breaking Show, How To Become Icelandic In 60 Minutes, Performed For 500th Time

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The hit comedy show ‘How To Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes’ will be performed for the 500th time on the…

Thomas Møller Olsen Brought To Court

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Thomas Frederik Møller Olsen is being prosecuted by the Reykjanes District Court today, in a case that shook Iceland to…

Viking Row From Svalbard To Siglufjörður

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The Icelandic rower Fiann Paul, and another eight of the world’s fastest rowers, are currently rowing from Svalbard to Iceland…

The Champion

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Ever wonder what a day in the life of a champion looks like? Ari Bragi Kárason set the Icelandic record…

Hour Of The Wolf: A DJ Laying Asphalt

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“Working in the night is not only working with a different routine—it’s like working a whole different economy altogether,” says…

Time For Pride

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“I think I’ve cried every time,” says Eva María Þórarinsdóttir Lange, the six-time president of the Reykjavík Pride management team,…

New In Town: Jamie’s Italian

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Hotel Borg’s lavish art deco architecture, filled with Italian paintings and colorful couches, is the perfect place to unwind with…

40 New Acts Added To Iceland Airwaves Lineup

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Today, 40 new artists were added to the lineup of the Iceland Airwaves music festival. Among the new acts are:…

Iceland To Import Minke Whale Meat As Not Enough Are Hunted

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Only 17 minke whales have been caught in Iceland so far this year, which means that whale meat will have…

Population of Iceland Increases to 344,000!

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The number of people living in Iceland increased by 3,850 during the 2nd quarter of 2017, according to Statistics Iceland,…

Environment Minister Björt Ólafsdóttir Advertises Dress In Parliament

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Björt Ólafsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, caused controversy after modelling a dress for the fashion brand Galvan…