Because of my fascination with Kirk Douglas's Viking funeral in The Vikings from 1958, I attended the opening of Viking World museum on the Icelandic National Day.
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More than 70 percent of all state-run institutions in Iceland are managed by men, as revealed when MP for the Social Democrats Thórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir posed a question on the matter at the Icelandic parliament, Althingi, last week.
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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow about Strandir in the West Fjords, one of the most remote regions in Iceland. The region’s dramatic landscape, high mountains, deep fjords and lack of vegetation, along with its history of sorcery, lends it a mythical atmosphere and driving on its narrow gravel roads is certainly a fear-evoking and unforgettable experience.
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Akureyri (“gravel bank field”) promises visitors a lively stay with its many art galleries and museums, outdoor recreation in summer and winter, an awakening of the taste buds at the town’s gourmet restaurants and breathtaking views of natural sites around the corner. Take a look at this special promotion about Iceland’s northern capital.
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Head of rural district Hrunamannahreppur Ísólfur Gylfi Pálmason believes an ancient knife found in Kjölur mountain pass in 1990 in Iceland’s central highlands could lead the way to a secret underground dome where some believe the Holy Grail is being kept.
“The knife was discovered […] in a place where there is a good overlook of Skipholtskrókur, where the dome is believed to be located,” Pálmason told Fréttabladid. “A guard may have stood there to watch over the place.”
Pálmason has authorized a team of scientists, led by Italian cryptographer Giancarlo Gianazza, to search for an underground dome in Skipholtskrókur which they believe the Knights Templar created in the 13th century for hiding the Holy Grail.
“Gianazza has submitted some very credible theories on this matter,” Pálmason said. “The ancient knife […] may support his theories further.”
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For limited time while supplies last, new subscribers to Iceland Review will receive the book Adventure in Iceland (normally USD 20) as a gift. You will also be entered in a draw to win a trip to Iceland next year! Start your subscription now by ordering here.
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One thing is for sure, compared to other Icelandic productions, Circledrawers, an online mini-series by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson, is in a class of its own and is certainly not lacking in originality. The series centers around Oleg, a Russian angel who has been sent from the Angel Station in Moscow to Central Transmission, a.k.a Iceland.
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An architectural gem situated in the vanishing marshlands of Reykjavík’s Tjörnin pond, the Nordic House, a cultural center and link between Iceland and the other Nordic countries, was designed by the Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto in 1963. Now the center is undergoing a serious cultural and culinary touch-up.
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The third concert in the “Summer Tones in Ellidaárdalur” series will be performed by David Schlaffke from Germany (organ) and Mariya Semotyuk from Ukraine (flute) on 16 July at 8 pm in Fella- og Hólakirkja Church. The program consists of music by J.S. Bach and German romantic composers. The final concert in the series is scheduled for July 23.
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