England’s infamous TV show Top Gear is in the country and my favorite presenter Curly Sue is behind the wheel!
more
The exhibition “Mourning” by Elsa Björg Magnúsdóttir opened in the Reykjavík Museum of Photography on April 8. The exhibition consists of three integral works; plaintive portraits expressing loss.
more
Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of the volcanic eruption on Fimmvörduháls in south Iceland. The pictures were taken from air by Bjarni Brynjólfsson and from Mýrdalsjökull glacier by Páll Stefánsson. The music was written by Páll Kjartansson. There will be more pictures in the upcoming issue of the print edition of Iceland Review.
more
Located just 40 minutes by car and six minutes from Keflavík International Airport, Sandgerdi (“Sandy Hedge”) is a growing town of 1,700 with a storied history and loads to see. Read this special promotion about the hidden secrets of one of Iceland's most charming seaside villages.
As the name indicates, the soil in Sandgerdi is sandy and not optimal for cultivation, so the main industry is fishing. Soil erosion was prevented by planting lyme grass and constructing a large protective wall by the seaside in the early 20th century.
At the nearby Hvalsnes, a former parish, Iceland’s most treasured psalm writer, Hallgrímur Pétursson, after whom Reykjavík’s Hallgrímskirkja Church was named, served as priest for the first time between 1644 and 1651.
The fiercest flood in Iceland’s history wiped out the nearby village of Básendi in 1799. An elderly woman drowned in the flood but the remaining inhabitants barely managed to save themselves by climbing a heath. Another tragedy took place in 1928 when the trawler Jón Forseti (“President Jón”), the first trawler specifically constructed for Iceland’s rough seas, sank off Stafnsnes.
As it would happen, Iceland’s first gunfight took place in 1551 in nearby Másbúdarhólmi, a few minutes from Sangerdi, when a group of Catholics were hoping to avenge Bishop Jón Arason, who was executed in 1550 for refusing to further the progress of Lutheranism in Iceland.
Not to worry, the fiery action has subsided considerably in the last 400 years and what remains today are the same beautiful views with some great galleries and museums to boot.
Accommodation and tourist services:
- Summer houses for rent at Thóroddsstadir (Tel: +354-423-7748, +354-8937523)
- Travel agency Hópferdir Saevars (Tel: +354-4217353)
- Car repair services (Strandgötu 4, Tel: +354-4212005; Sjávargötu 3, Tel +354-4237660)
Shops/restaurants:
- Vitinn restaurant (Hafnargötu 4, Tel: +354-4237755)
- Mamma Mía restaurant (Tjarnagötu 6, Tel: +354-4237377)
- Strax grocery store (Miđnestorgi 1, +354-4237410)
- Shell petrol station (Strandgötu 15, +354-4237650)
- Hafnarvídeó video store (Vitatorgi 9, +354-4237878)
Attractions/places of interest:
- Stone gallery Gallerí Grýti (Vitatorgi, Tel: +354-6606087)
- Handicraft workshop Ný Vídd (Strandgötu 18, Tel: +354-4237960)
- Candle-making workshop Jöklaljós (Strandgöty 18, Tel: +4237694)
Events/exhibitions:
- “The Attraction of the Poles” an exhibition dedicated to the French polar explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot at the Fraedasetur – the Nature Center – (Gardvegi 1, Tel: +354-4237551)
- “Life By the Open Sea” at the Nature Center, May 1 to August 31
- Sandgerdi Festival, August 25
For further information visit sandgerdi.is or call the Nature Center, Tel: +354-4237551.
Click here to download a detailed map of Iceland.
Iceland Review is a quarterly magazine and the next issue, which will be out in a few weeks, will provide extensive coverage of the current volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier. New subscribers will receive the book Puffins as a gift and all subscribers are part of a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
more
First when I heard of Christina Sunley’s debut The Tricking of Freya I thought it was some wishy-washy mystical tale loosely based on Norse mythology, Icelandic sagas and unrealistic stereotypes of Vikings. However, I quickly realized that this is a completely different kind of book and found myself pleasantly surprised.
more
In a country like Iceland, where the winters are cold, long and dark, it is a good idea to step out of your comfort zone. By going outdoors in the wintertime you get to know an entirely different side of the country—almost a complete opposite to the usual sunny, bright and summery one.
more
This week get to know the artwork of Alice Olivia Clark, one of Iceland’s leading mosaic designers, through an exhibition currently running at the Gerduberg Culture Center in Reykjavík. The artist concentrates on large-scale murals, but also produces smaller works and utilitarian objects.
more