Author: Erik Pomrenke

Culture

Icelanders Want Their Bones Back

Skulls found to be missing from a graveyard in Haffarðarey in West Iceland have turned up in Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Some

Erik Pomrenke October 2, 2023

Society

Prosecution Seeks 8 Year Sentence in Bankastræti Case

Morgunblaðið reports that the prosecution in the Bankastræti Club case is seeking a minimum sentence of 8 years in prison for Alexander Máni Björnsson due

Erik Pomrenke October 2, 2023

Nature

German Expedition Vehicle Causes Damage to Nature Area

A recent YouTube video, published by the German tourist Peter Ruppert, has drawn considerable critique and commentary in Iceland. Ruppert, who runs the YouTube channel

Erik Pomrenke October 2, 2023

Ask IR

Why are there no trees in Iceland?

The short answer: sheep. According to the earliest records of the settlement of Iceland, the island was forested everywhere between the highlands and the coast

Erik Pomrenke September 29, 2023

Podcast

Deep North Episode 45: Borrowed Crime

On May 26, 1982, sisters Yvette and Marie Luce Bahuaud arrived in Iceland from France. On August 15, after nearly three months of travelling, they

Erik Pomrenke September 29, 2023

Features

Mycological Magic

On a grey afternoon in late August, a small crowd has gathered near the old hydroelectric power station in Elliðaárdalur, a nature area near the capital. Helena Marta Stefánsdóttir, a specialist in the Forestry Service, has prepared a lecture on mushroom foraging 101 for the amateur mycologists gathered here. But it seems to be the […]

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Erik Pomrenke September 27, 2023

Features

Give Icelandic a Chance

As ever more tourists stroll around downtown Reykjavík, a debate has intensified within Icelandic society about the changes they bring with them. Minister of Tourism,

Erik Pomrenke September 25, 2023

Podcast

Deep North Episode 44: Working it Out

A few years ago, Iceland instituted a four-day work week. It’s gone off without a hitch and everyone’s been happier since. At least that’s the

Erik Pomrenke September 22, 2023

In Focus

In Focus: Cruise Ships

Small town Iceland isn’t what it used to be. During the peak summer season, some of Iceland’s coastal communities are bustling with cruise ship tourists, overwhelming local residents many times over. For some, these tourists represent an injection of cosmopolitan vitality into otherwise small, sleepy towns. For others, they represent the noise, pollution, and crowds […]

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Erik Pomrenke September 21, 2023

Ask IR

Is Iceland Spar your national crystal? Is it a popular product in Icelandic gift shops?

Iceland has no official “national crystal,” but if such a title were ever bestowed, Iceland spar would likely be a contender. Known alternatively as Icelandic

Erik Pomrenke September 20, 2023