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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of a hike to Hraunsvatn lake in Öxnadalur valley in north Iceland, which lies at a height of 490 meters, interlocked between two steep mountains and a small glacier with a view of the majestic Hraundrangar peaks.
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Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland’s best hidden gems.
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Iceland’s cabinet met at the presidential residence Bessastadir at noon today where new ministers were announced: Gudbjartur Hannesson of the Social Democrats will lead a new Welfare Ministry and Ögmundur Jónasson of the Left-Greens a new Ministry for Internal Affairs.
Bessastadir, the presidential residence, where the new ministers were announced. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
According to ruv.is, changes to the position of ministers from the ranks of the Social Democrats was decided only two hours before the meeting at Bessastadir and the party’s members were not in agreement on these changes.
Four ministers will step down from the cabinet: outgoing Minister of Health Álfheidur Ingadóttir of the Left-Greens and Minister of Transport Kristján L. Möller of the Social Democrats, and the independent ministers Gylfi Magnússon, who chaired the Ministry of Economics Affairs, and Ragna Árnadóttir, who served as Minister of Justice.
Árni Páll Árnason, who served as Minister of Social Affairs, will take over the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Jónasson will take over the projects of the Ministry of Justice and Transport in the new Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will be merged in Hannesson’s new Ministry of Welfare.
Ministers from the ranks of the Social Democrats:
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphédinsson.
Minister of Economic Affairs Árni Páll Árnason.
Minister of Welfare Gudbjartur Hannesson.
Minister of Industry Katrín Júlíusdóttir.
Ministers from the ranks of the Left-Greens:
Minister of Finance Steingrímur J. Sigfússon.
Minister for Internal Affairs Ögmundur Jónasson.
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Jón Bjarnason.
Minister for the Environment Svandís Svavarsdóttir.
Minister of Education Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
The exchange of keys will take place in the afternoon.
Click here to read more about the changes to Iceland’s cabinet.
The average temperature of the three summer months, June, July and August, in Reykjavík this year was 12.2°C (54°F), which makes this the warmest summer in the capital since temperatures were first recorded in 1871, according to meteorologist Trausti Jónsson.
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The comedy sketch show Spaugstofan, which has been shown more or less continuously for 21 years on the Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV, has now been relocated to the private television channel Stöd 2.
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The crew of the sailboat Santa Maria from Hamburg, Germany, called for assistance when they ran out of fuel 140 nautical miles west of Reykjavík last week. The guard post of the Icelandic Maritime Administration contacted ships that were nearby and as it turned out the whaling ship Hvalur 9 was located closest to Santa Maria.
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The theater festival Lókal begins in Reykjavík today and will run until September 5. The program includes the show “The Great Group of Eight” held by the Kviss búmm bang trio where spectators have the opportunity to be national leaders for three to four hours.
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The second issue of the print edition of Iceland Review 2010 has just been published. Entitled “Under the Volcano” the magazine dedicates 20 pages, words and pictures, to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier which made headlines all over the word. New subscribers will receive the book 2010 Eruptions as a gift and all subscribers are part of a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
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REVIEWS
Dadi Gudbjörnsson's art with its smiley faces, Aladdin's lamps, gleaming hearts, blue mountains and psychedelic flora of unearthly origin reminds me of the cheesy R.E.M. song “Shiny Happy People”. The sugar-sweet naivety fails to amuse me but I must admit it infects my mood with delirious joy.
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Former President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir turned 80 on 15 April this year and Mayor Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir—in making her an Honorary Citizen of Reykjavík to mark the occasion—observed that Finnbogadóttir’s life was interwoven with that of Reykjavík. In June 1980 Finnbogadóttir made history when she became the world’s first democratically elected female head of state.
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Today, August 30, and tomorrow is your last chance to visit the exhibition “Eau De Parfum” by Andrea Maack at the Spark Design Space in Reykjavík. In the exhibition space, Maack introduces three perfumes that are the result of her collaboration with French perfumery apf aromes & parfums.
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