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As a kid I thought airports were the most romantic places in the world. Now, while other airports destroy my jet-setting romanticism, Keflavík aptly revives it.
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Click on the picture to observe how to prepare a traditional Icelandic meal of roe and liver (hrogn og lifur). At this time of year, egg pouches are harvested from female fish, mainly cod and haddock, and sold in fish stores around the country along with the liver. The egg pouches may not look appetizing; just remember that caviar is fish eggs too.
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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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Today, following 10 weeks of debate, the Icelandic parliament, Althingi, passed legislation authorizing a state guarantee for the loans granted by the governments of the UK and the Netherlands to the Depositors’ and Investors’ Guarantee Fund of Iceland.
Inside Althingi. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
The legislation was passed with 34 votes of 63. Fourteen voted against it, 14 abstained and one MP was absent.
According to the legislation, the state guarantee will be subject to certain criteria and preconditions. These are aimed at ensuring debt sustainability and allowing Iceland to restore its financial system and its economy while at the same time honoring Iceland’s international obligations, a press release from the Icelandic government states.
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir welcomed the Althingi’s decision:
“This is one of the largest financial and economic issues ever faced by Iceland and it has greatly preoccupied the Althingi and the people since the collapse of the banking system last autumn.”
“The guarantee of the combined loans from the UK and the Netherlands constitutes the single largest financial commitment ever undertaken by the government of Iceland.”
“Therefore, as I am sure that every parliamentarian will appreciate, the Icelandic parliament has a solemn duty to ensure an economically sustainable future for the country.”
“This has been its goal. Its conclusion of the matter aims towards securing the recovery of Iceland’s financial system and economy. This is for the mutual benefit of both lender and borrower.”
The prime minister also praised the tireless efforts by parliamentarians in the Althingi to reach as broad a consensus as possible and stressed the importance of political unity in difficult times.
Following the outcome of the parliamentary process, the government of Iceland will now consult with the governments of the UK and the Netherlands.
Prime Minister Sigurdardóttir said that her government was hopeful that the Icesave issue would now be concluded in a mutually satisfactory manner.
Click here to read more about Icesave.
Minister of Transport Kristján L. Möller decided yesterday to follow the advice of the committee supervising the finances of municipalities and appoint a three-person board to reorganize the finances of Álftanes, a neighboring community of Reykjavík, which has gone into insolvency.
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Norwegian lawyer Morten Furuholmen is preparing a lawsuit against Icelandic authorities for what he calls an unfounded arrest of Leif Ivar Kristiansen, the leader of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in Norway, at Keflavík International Airport yesterday.
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The government of Iceland and the opposition in Iceland’s parliament reached an agreement yesterday on a discussion point to use in renegotiations with British and Dutch authorities on the Icesave obligations.
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Icelandair has submitted a request to the Ministries of Justice and Industry that operating casinos be legalized in Iceland. The company is interested in opening a casino at the Hilton Hotel Nordica on Sudurlandsbraut in Reykjavík.
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New subscribers to the quarterly Iceland Review magazine will receive the photography book Puffins, which contains a wealth of information about this colorful bird, as a gift. Additionally, all subscribers will enter a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to Iceland Review. The new issue will be out next week!
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REVIEWS
When I first heard of the photographic book Legend by Fiann Paul, portraying people dressed in Viking-style in Icelandic landscapes, I imagined it would depict scenes from Norse mythology. However, the idea with the book is to tell a story of how “The Seeker” finds “The Legend” and it feels like a wishy-washy self-help book.
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Fresh back from Brazil, where she was one of 28 international judges at the ‘Cup of Excellence’ awards, Kaffitár founder and owner Adalheidur Hédinsdóttir sat down with Atlantica’s Mica Allan in Kaffitár’s Bankastraeti cafe to talk about her passion and delight: coffee.
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“Lucy” is a video and music installation by Dodda Maggý (1981), the 15th artist to exhibit in Reykjavík Art Museum’s D-gallery project in the Hafnarhús exhibition hall. In “Lucy” the artist explores the idea of the “acousmetre,” a film character portrayed only by voice, never in body, omniscient and ubiquitous.
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