The Grapevine Guide To Spending A Rainy Day

They’re frequent enough, so may as well have a plan to get through them

Summer. What is summer? After a few bright seasons spent in Iceland one learns that “heat” is a relative concept. Soon enough everyone becomes the sun-starved Icelander venturing outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt as soon as the mercury hits 12º Celcius.

So far even opportunities to delude ourselves into believing summer has arrived are too few and far between. The skies hang low and grey and the rain feels like a constant visitor – one that may as well come around since jackets are required to guard against the unseasonable cold anyways.

June has felt bleak in Reykjavík. As such, the Grapevine has compiled a list of suggestions for surviving a bad summer.

Take a stroll through denial

Pretend it’s not a bad summer. In fact, pretend it’s not summer at all, but just any other day of the year for which you have zero expectations of clear skies or warm temperatures. Once you’ve thoroughly convinced yourself of your existence outside of time and seasons, button up your waterproof coat and get out in nature for a stroll in the rain. Find a wooded area, like Öskjuhlíð or the area around Álafoss and wander the paths. You may get wet, but the surrounding greenery will serve double duty of blocking much of the wind and providing you with all those good endorphins that supposedly come with being out in nature.

Channel your anger

Get all that anger at the weather gods out of your system by doing a wholesome indoor activity like smashing a bunch of stuff with a baseball bat or sledge hammer. Scream curses at the clouds lurking over Reykjavík while destroying household objects at the Útrásin rage room in Grafarvogur. It might even get your blood pumping a little faster and see you breaking the sweat you most definitely won’t be doing on account of the weather.

Soak in your regret

Whether you’ve chosen to be in Reykjavík right now or the state of the economy has you stretched too thin to jet off to somewhere the sun reaches, the local pool is a fine place to stew in your feelings. Lay out in the kiddie pool at Sundhöllin to feel the cool rain pattering on your face while your body enjoys the warm embrace of geothermal waters. Or force yourself to spend a couple minutes in the cold pot to fool your body into believing the outside air isn’t so cold after all.

Distract yourself with culture

When you’ve tired of your outerwear soaking up the constant rain, there are few better things to do than soaking up some culture at a gallery or museum. Play a rousing game of eye spy at the Erró exhibition at Hafnarhús, or cocoon yourself in the vibrant strands of Shoplifter’s Chromo Sapiens installation at Höfuðstöðin. The latter also boasts a café overlooking Elliðaárdalur where you can psych yourself up with warm drinks before bundling up for that aforementioned stroll through denial.