Famed Icelandic band Sigur rós teamed up with cannabis confectionary producer Lord Jones to release a new brand of cannabis-infused gumdrops. Called “Wild Sigurberries,” they are reportedly inspired by the flavours of Icelandic berries such as blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. Lord Jones’s founder said Sigur rós had been an “inspiration for us over the years,” which is a fancy way of saying, “We have often blazed it to ‘Ágætis byrjun’.”
Esja is often referred to as Tourist Mountain, but despite its easy accessibility, it isn’t without its dangers. Recently, a hiker on Esja was mowed down by a small avalanche, and got his leg broken in the process. Fortunately, he was soon discovered by fellow hikers, who alerted authorities and kept him warm until emergency services arrived. Let that be a lesson to you: no mountain should be underestimated.
Renowned TV chef Jamie Oliver came to Iceland on a food-related trip, and unleashed a shitstorm when he posted a photo of the Arnarlax salmon farm, calling it “sustainable.” This kicked off a flood of comments from angry Icelanders, who pointed out that the farm is not only far from sustainable—it also presents an environmental risk. Oliver’s social media cadre fired back fast, maintaining that the farm “works closely with environmentalists,” effectively “salmon-splaining” the situation to people who live here. Amazingly, this didn’t sit well with the locals, who proceeded to school Jamie’s team on what the real situation is here.
Do not bring your cat to Iceland! An elderly Swiss couple discovered this the hard way when, after arriving by ferry in a camper van, locals discovered they had a cat and immediately snitched on them. This prompted police to seize the cat and kill it. When the head of the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority was questioned on the matter and asked why they didn’t just send them packing, cat and all, she said that the couple had not informed anyone ahead of time that they were bringing a cat—thereby confirming that killing the cat was an act of punishment, rather than exclusively about health concerns.
American travel journalist Godfrey Hall lost one of those 66° North caps while visiting Iceland, prompting him to bemoan the loss on social media. This may seem odd, considering that those caps are common as dirt, but Godfrey’s particular hat was actually of a variety that hasn’t been produced in years. 66° North, in their infinite generosity, have offered to custom-make him a new one, and inform him when it’s ready.
Lastly, the international media got it wrong again when it comes to news in Iceland, erroneously reporting that a unicorn was spotted on an Icelandic farm. As any Dungeons and Dragons nerd will tell you, the animal in question was not a unicorn—which has the head and body of a horse, the legs of an antelope, the tail of a horse or a lion, and the beard of a goat—but was in fact just a regular ol’ ram with a single horn. SAD!
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