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Westman Islands: More Like ‘Best Man Islands’
Three weeks ago on the Westman Islands there was one day when Eyjafjallajökull’s ash fell so thick that everything outdoors was covered. Everything. But the Grapevine arrived in Heimaey on a sunny morning that belied the long stretch of ash fall the…
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Reykjanes Peninsula: Romping Through Lava Fields
A walk through customs plus a small wait for suitcases at the Keflavík International Airport plus a dip in the Blue Lagoon just about sums up the Reykjanes peninsula for many tourists who then hop on a bus to Reykjavík. But that’s…
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Road Trip To The East: East Winds Blow Good
There is a very small window of time between the winter and summer seasons when hitting the road in a sketchy vehicle is ideal in this country. Winter driving is a nightmare with the ever-changing and unpredictable weather conditions. Summer can feel…
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Grapevine Takes A Tour On Icelandic Horseback
You’d think from the looks of these dwarfen beasts that they’d be meek and mild, happy to carry a hobbit off on an adventure into Iceland’s fairytale landscape. At least, this is what I had in mind when I stepped into the…
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Djúpidalur: Spending The Night With A Farmer
It was early evening by the time we descended into Djúpidalur valley after spending a successful day weaving in and out of Iceland’s most spectacular Westfjords. We arrived at a cluster of red-roofed houses where a man and a couple of toddlers…
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Eyjafjallajökull: Who’s Laughing Now, Europe?
You are probably aware of the spectacular (if small) volcanic eruption on Fimmvörðuháls, the ridge next to Eyjafjallajökull glacier. We wrote about it last issue and everything. That eruption sadly ended not long after we went to print, and even most volcanologists…
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Eyjafjallajökull Raves On
As those European airport slumber parties wind down and guests return to the humdrum of sleeping in real beds, taking showers and hopefully changing their socks, the Eyjafjallajökull ash fest is far from over for the farmers living near the base of…
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Snorkelling In Long Underwear And Thick Socks
School’s out, work’s off and Spring Break has finally arrived. Like countless others with the same ideas of escape, I fled the city for a nice snorkelling destination. Only this was going to be nothing like that infamous image of Spring Break…
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Aldrei Fór Ég Suður: Cheerful, Drunken Voices
Inexplicably, at midnight, the bar gets crowded. There’s no clear reason why. The house lights have come on and Reykjavík! have stopped playing. By all traditional indications, this should be the end of the night. But the stairs leading down into Krúsin…
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Festivals Outside Of Reykjavík
There’s a lot going on in Iceland’s capitol this month. We’re sure you’re all hyped up for DesignMarch, Reykjavík Fashion Festival and the Reykjavík Blues Festival. These are all surefire events, and it will be time to find time to go to…
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Obscura Day: Celebrating the Obscure
Joshua Foer has made a name for himself as a freelance science journalist for various publications such as Slate.com, New York Times and the Washington Post. He is also the author of the forthcoming Moonwalking with Einstein, which documents his journey from…
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Your Last Chance To Go Skiing
The Icelandic ski season is surprisingly short, and we sure as hell haven’t managed to produce the same number of top skiers as our neighbouring countries. There is still a proud skiing tradition in Iceland. Icelandic ski resorts usually open during winter,…
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Mýrdalsjökull: Scary Adventures On A Glacier
As most Icelandic adventures, this one starts at eight-thirty in the morning at Reykjavík’s central bus terminal, BSÍ. Grapevine’s photographer and I are there to embark upon Reykjavík Excursions Glacier Adventure, which entails riding snowmobiles around the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. We board the…
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Lake Mývatn: Northern Exposure
Boarding a plane at the Reykjavík airport has all the pomp and ceremony of catching a city bus: no gates, no magic wands, no taking my belt or shoes off. After a few minutes of waiting in the lobby with other red-eyed…
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Akureyri: Browsing Backyards on the Verge of Winter
Walking around Akureyri on a beautiful November afternoon got me thinking. Coming from Reykjavík, I’m pretty used to see trash lying around. Compared to Tokyo our capital is like a dumpster filled with candy-wrappers, empty beer-cans and cigarette butts. It’s like a…
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Jökulsárlón: Welcome to Fairytale Land!
Visiting the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is like stepping into a fairytale. The dreamlike world is one of the greatest natural wonders in Iceland, by far. And it’s very easy to access, even in winter, since it’s situated right along the ring road.…
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Tres Foss
This country sure has a lot of water: trapped in glaciers, flowing from glaciers, trickling down mountainsides, raging through canyons. And all that water sure is something nice to look at. But what watery spectacle is the nicest to look at? The…
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Yoko’s Tower of Power
I like Yoko Ono. In fact, I like Yoko Ono far more than I’ve ever liked John Lennon. I once worked in a museum and watched Ono’s “Cut Piece” almost every day. I appreciated the way she felt it necessary to include…
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Brilliant Hike on Sólheimajökull
“For how many gin and tonics could you get ice from this glacier?” asks one co-traveller as our group of hikers makes its way towards Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier in Southern Iceland. “Uhm… that’s a tough one,” ponders our glacier guide for…
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Ásbyrgi: Giant Horses, Hidden Folk And UFOs
Sleipnir was one hell of a horse. Born of the eternally mischievous god Loki (while in the form of a seductive white mare, naturally) and Svaðilfari, the magical stallion of a stonemason-impersonating giant; and not limited to only four legs like others…
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There Ain’t No Party Like a Réttir Party
All summer long, the sheep roam hills and fjords without a care in the world. Lambs nestle into their mothers’ backs until they are too big to carry and rams stubbornly block the passage of tourists on roads. They fatten up on…
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Winter Wonderland
The equinox is almost upon us, and a big ol’ nine-month night will soon overtake our days. Temperatures are rapidly dropping and the snow will soon fall. Alas, all-night adventures, hiking through the mountains and impromptu 4 AM road trips, will soon…
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Ísafjörður, Dead Ahead
A bird slamming into the windshield. That’s my greeting to Ísafjörður. To be fair, there are signs warning that birds may slam into your windshield just outside Ísafjörður. Just as, for the hour or so of surreal unpaved mountain road driving, there…