Maybe it would be best for both Jón Bjarnason and the whole country if he were to move to Grímsey, an uninhabited island in the West Fjords.
more
The 11th annual Night of Lights festival begins today in Reykjanesbaer municipality in southwest Iceland. Tomorrow and Saturday night, many of the country’s best bands will play in Reykjanesbaer and on Sunday local choirs will entertain guests.
more
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.
more
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.
more
The Icelandic parliament, Althingi, voted in favor of applying for membership to the European Union yesterday, following a proposal submitted by the government on May 28. Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir declared the event “historic.”
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.
PM Sigurdardóttir released the following statement to the media yesterday:
“The Parliament has decided that Iceland will apply for membership to the European Union. This is an historic decision for Iceland. Today’s vote was likely one of my most enjoyable due to the importance I attach to this issue for Iceland.
“We will now deliver a formal application to the EU Presidency in the coming days and begin the process of preparing for accession negotiations. We will do our utmost to ensure broad participation and access for all political parties and interested parties in Iceland during the course of the negotiation process."
"We will also disseminate information on the benefits and costs of EU membership to the general public to ensure an informed choice can be made in a national referendum on a prospective Treaty of Accession."
"Iceland and the 27 member states of the EU share a common democratic and cultural heritage. Iceland has been an active participant in European cooperation for many decades."
"As a Nordic welfare state and a member of the European Economic Area and Schengen Cooperation, Iceland is well prepared to discuss the conditions and terms for full membership with EU member states and institutions."
The resolution proposal was submitted to parliament by Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphédinsson on May 28, which included a mandate by parliament for the Icelandic government to put forth an application.
The resolution was passed with 33 votes in favor, 28 against, and two abstentions. MPs from all five political parties voted in favor of the resolution.
The commenary submitted with the resolution states that the government shall be guided by the majority opinion of the foreign affairs committee on working methods and matters of important interests in its preparation and organization for future EU accession negotiations.
Iceland will formally submit the EU membership application on July 27 and negotiations are expected to take two years.
Click here to read more about the results of yesterday’s vote.
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.
more
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.
more
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.
more
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.
more