RSS feed from icelandreview.com
Icelandreview.com on your mobile (Nokia)
Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of the lambing season at Brimnes, a farm in the north of Iceland, in April 2008. Sheep farmer Arnar Gústafsson and his girlfriend Edda Björk take shifts watching over the nearly 300 ewes and helping them give birth 24/7 for about two months or until the last lamb is born. In Iceland, the arrival of lambs is synonymous with the arrival of summer. The lambing season is currently at its height.
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.
more
Seventeen people have come forward as victims under their own names to the investigative commission of the Catholic Church in Iceland, responsible for uncovering abuse which is said to have taken place under the church’s veil a few decades ago.
Landakotskirkja, the Catholic Church in Iceland.
Other alleged victims who preferred to remain anonymous have also contacted the commission. All of these people are now adults. However, no teacher, parent or relative have reported abuse to the commission, Fréttablaðið reports.
All these people were either students at the Catholic Church’s school, Landakotsskóli, or attendees of the summer camp Riftún in Ölfus, south Iceland, operated by the church.
The Catholic Church in Iceland established the investigative commission after accusations of brutal sexual abuse, bullying and neglect were reported in the media last year. The commission is to investigate the work methods and reactions of the church.
A former principal and teacher have been named as antagonists in the case.
The extension to contact the commission expired on December 1. Its chair, former Supreme Court lawyer Hjördís Hákonardóttir, said she would also like to hear from people who saw reason to talk with the directors of Landakotsskóli or the church’s board because of the wellbeing of children that were in their care up until 2005.
“No guardian or teacher has come forward. We are investigating the reactions of the church and therefore it would be most useful to hear from those who considered something unnatural was taking place, even complained to directors or notified them,” Hjördís said, adding that because of how old some of the alleged violations are, many of the guardians and teachers may have passed away.
In the coming days the commission will question employees of the church and school if there is a reason to do so and look into whether there are any documents at hand that can prove important to the investigation. The commission expects to submit a report on its investigation in the autumn of 2012.
Click here to read more about this story.
ESA
The first archeological research in Iceland this year will begin at Hafnir in Reykjanes, southwest Iceland, on Monday. Archeologists will continue their study of a hut which may originate from 770-880 AD and predate the historical settlement of Iceland in 847.
more
A small glacial burst occurred in the volcano Katla, which lies underneath the Mýrdalsjökull icecap in south Iceland, on April 28 and lasted a few days. The activity was registered by seismic monitors and increased conduction was measured in the river Múlakvísl until May 7.
more
Kexland (“Biscuit Land”) is a new events organizer and tour operator based at the hip KEX Hostel in Reykjavík, where its plans were presented on Wednesday. These include a guided tour and exercise at the capital’s swimming pools with comedian Dóri DNA.
more
American disco queen Donna Summer, who died of cancer at age 63 on Thursday, worked closely with Icelandic musician Þórir Baldursson in Germany from 1973 to 1976. He remembers her with warmth, describing her as a wonderful person.
more
The current issue of the quarterly magazine Iceland Review includes interviews with fashion photographer Saga Sig and conceptual artist Rúrí. Also, we take you to Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum, that desolate land coveted by a Chinese tycoon, and also explore Icelandic archeological remains. We discuss the Icelandic Church, the flourishing gaming industry, debate the future of Iceland’s energy resources and interview the president of the Icelandic National League of North America. Subscribe now and receive a free photo book by IR’s editor Páll Stefánsson of the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions. Click here to subscribe to the magazine and here to buy a gift subscription.
more
REVIEWS
The Reykjavík Shorts&Docs was held in Reykjavík from May 6 to 9 in Bíó Paradís, and what an enriching experience it was to attend the festival.
more
Shedding light on Iceland’s thousand-year history, as manifested in remains ranging from Viking graves to enchanted sites, Mannvist is a fundamental piece of writing. Ásta Andrésdóttir met with its author, archaeologist Birna Lárusdóttir.
more
“The House Project” currently on display in Hafnarborg, the Hafnarfjörður Centre of Culture and Fine Art, is a new artwork by Hreinn Friðfinnsson consisting of a photography series of the three houses. His work is described as “a poetic and philosophical exploration of every day human experience.”
more
){kind=link}