The surroundings appear tropical and the gleaming sun makes the illusion complete. I snap out of it as I remember that I’m sitting on the back of a horse.
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Yesterday, the man accused of having killed Haukur Sigurdsson in Reykjanesbaer this spring refused to answer whether he was guilty of manslaughter. He did however admit to have inflicted injury on Sigurdsson, which led to his death.
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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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Hafberg fish store in Reykjavík is the first to offer fish eggs this season, which usually runs from mid-January to mid-March, and at a lower price than last year. This traditional dish is usually served boiled with potatoes and turnips.
“In December it’s skate and in January it’s fish eggs,” Geir Vilhjálmsson, one of Hafberg’s two owners, told Morgunbladid.
“People who buy fish eggs are usually over 40, although younger people can sometimes be spotted as well,” Vilhjálmsson said. Fish liver is also for sale during the fish egg season, but few people like the taste of liver these days.
“We also have soured fish eggs for Thorri, which are very good, but otherwise people boil them the traditional way,” the fish salesman added. During the old Icelandic mid-winter month of Thorri, Icelanders celebrate Thorrablót, a feast where many strange-looking “delicacies” are served.
Hafberg recently lowered the price of un-skinned haddock and fish eggs, which is, according to Vilhjálmsson, approximately ISK 200 lower (USD 1.62, EUR 1.19) than last year. “We decided to lower the price of un-skinned haddock a few months ago because of the situation in society,” he explained.
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 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.
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Future of Hope is an aptly named documentary directed by Henry Bateman about what some people are doing to shape the future of Iceland, hoping that above all, the crisis will ultimately strengthen the country.
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There can’t be many novels that are heralded as being “a purification for body and soul” recommended to “those who enjoy experimental cookery” (review of November Rain in DV newspaper) and “as beautiful as a painting from the golden age” (review of The Offspring by Danish newspaper Politiken). However, Reykjavík based writer, Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir, has attracted such attention not to mention literary prizes.
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Have a laugh this week by visiting Hafnarborg, the Hafnarfjördur Centre of Culture and Fine Art, where the exhibition “Humor in Icelandic Art” is currently running. The exhibition consists of works by contemporary Icelandic artists from different generations which deal with humor and irony.
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