I broke a spell. For four centuries my ancestors have been employed by the state. Not me.
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Icelandic mountaineer Ingólfur Geir Gissurarson made it up the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest at 8,848 meters, by the South East Ridge at 1 am Icelandic time last night. At 50, he is the fifth and oldest Icelander to make the climb.
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Watch an audio slideshow of how traditional Icelandic rhubarb stew is made. Rhubarb is one of the few vegetables that grows effortlessly in Iceland and for that reason it used to be a highly-valued addition to the traditional diet of fish and lamb.
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The thousands of herring that were found dead in Kolgrafafjörður, West Iceland, in early December are causing a stink.
Archive photo: Páll Stefánsson/Iceland Review.
The fish died of a lack of oxygen, along with other factors, according to preliminary results of the Icelandic Marine Research Institute’s testing which showed that close to ten percent of the herring in the innermost part of the fjord, or 25,000-30,000 tons died.
Farmer at the nearby farm of Eiði, Bjarni Sigurbjörnsson, told Skessuhorn that when the wind blows from the east, the rotting fish can be smelt. The man described the smell as unbearable.
According to Skessuhorn, the authorities told Bjarni that he would have to clean up the fish himself if the smell is bothering him.
As reported earlier, the low oxygen levels are thought to have been caused by a landfill and bridge across Kolgrafafjörður, constructed in December 2004.
The oxygen level in the inner fjord is thought to have dropped significantly when the large school of herring entered it.
The Marine Research Institute is continuing to monitor the herring in the area and the environmental conditions in the fjord.
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ZR
This year, Iceland Review celebrates its 50th anniversary. In ‘Cover Story’, the magazine’s first editor, Haraldur J. Hamar, recalls its history and discusses the work of its first designer, Gísli B. Björnsson. The issue is packed with colorful articles, ranging from notable artists and athletes to memorable coffee and pancakes at the Reykjavík wharf. Click here to subscribe to Iceland Review and here to look at a selection of pages from the current issue.
REVIEWS
The 11th Reykjavík Shorts & Docs. Catch it while it lasts!
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Artist couple Nína Ivanova and Ómar Smári Kristinsson explain why they decided to settle in the West Fjords’ capital.
Reykjavík Queer Choir’s annual spring concert takes place on Friday, May 24.
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