As previously reported on mbl.is, the first concert in the new Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre will be held on 4th May next year. Vladimir Ashkenazy will be the first performer, leading the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra as he so often does.

The main hall at Harpa will accommodate around eighteen hundred guests in its seats. Such is the demand that it has now been completely booked from the opening date until Christmas 2011, according to Pétur J. Eiríksson, chairman of Portus Group, who has been overseeing the construction of the venue.

For the next 35 years, the state and the City of Reykjavík will pay just under one billion krónur a year to pay for the construction of Harpa. Pétur says that the final cost of construction for the building will stand at 17.7 billion krónur. The government will not take over operations initially, rather at some time in the future. “We are predicting positive cash flow soon, in the third year. Until that time, we will need to finance the running costs.”

The project was controversially funded by the government after the bank collapse, who promised that they would secure all the funding necessary to complete the project. After construction came to a stop in 2008, it since resumed in 2009 and is expected to be completed early next year.

Source: mbl.is
Image: harpa.is

Labels: Harpa

A device designed and developed by an Icelandic inventor to remove oil from the sea and lakes is under consideration by oil company BP. The company, who is responsible for the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is looking into employing the technology in its cleanup effort. Inventor Ólafur Ögmundsson says that he is honoured that the technology is being considered.

Labels: Innovation

Flooding in the Skaftá has occurred for the second time in a week, after floodwater from the west part of the Skaftárjökull glacier, which entered the river on 20th June, has resumed.

The water is now flowing at high volume from the same part of the glacier, according to Snorri Zóphóníasson, a hydrologist for the Icelandic Met Office. Snorri says that the flood started last night and that the discharge of the river now stands at 700 cubic metres.

The flood was first recorded in measurements at Sveinstindur, which is about 20 km from the glacier site. The rising water levels have not yet reached built-up areas, but that situation is expected to change towards the latter part of the day. Snorri says that this flood is around twice as large as the one which occurred last weekend, and that it looks to be a typical of the eastern part of the glacier.

Civil Defence Service has issued an announcement which says that there is no risk to travel, but the public should be aware of sulphur pollution, especially near the site where the floodwater originated. Tourists in the area are requested to travel carefully. The water has submerged the road between Hólaskjól and Skaftárdal.

Source and image: visir.is

Labels: Natural disasters

Reykjavík’s new mayor, Jón Gnarr, has said that he has not given up his acting career despite becoming mayor. The mayor answered questions from listeners in a brief radio interview. One listener asked Jón whether he promised to not stop acting, to which he promptly replied that he would never give up the profession—all he needs is an offer from somebody.

It has emerged recently that Jón has offered to play a role in the famous New Year’s comedy show, broadcast by state broadcaster RÚV. Before his rise to prominence in politics, Jón Gnarr was best known for his role as Georg Bjarnfreðarson in the Vaktir shows, and most recently the feature film Bjarnfreðarson which draws a close to the series. Bjarnfreðarson was recently released on DVD.

Source: mbl.is
Image: Dagbók borgarstjóra

Labels: Jón Gnarr

An Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter was called out last night after a cow attacked a woman. The attack took place at the farm in Kálfafell, directly east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur in south Iceland. The woman was injured badly enough to warrant calling out the helicopter, which promptly took her to the hospital in Fossvogur.

The woman was descended upon in an animal enclosure at the farm, which is in Vestur-Skaftafell county. She was badly wounded after the incident. No witness was present when the incident occurred, so little is known about the events leading up to the attack.

No further information about the condition of the woman has been released yet. The image is unrelated to the story.

Source: mbl.is
Image: Neil D’Cruze

Labels: Accidents

A fire was discovered this morning at the Frón biscuit factory at Tunguháls, in the Reykjavík suburb of Árbær, at 10:42 AM. According to the fire brigade, the first notification of the blaze said that looked to be a serious one, and therefore all crews were activated.

Just as the first crew arrived at the scene of the fire, it was evident that the response could be curtailed as it was discovered that the fire was restricted to one machine in the factory. According to the fire brigade, there was little chance of the fire spreading further.

The fire was quickly taken under control, and was extinguished with handheld fire extinguishers to limit the damage on the factory floor. At the moment, work is being carried out to free the factory of smoke.

How exactly the fire started is still uncertain, and the machine that was on fire has been damaged. There is no evidence of further damage to other parts of the factory, as the fire was extremely local. There have been no reported injuries.

Source: mbl.is
Image: david.nikonvscanon

Labels: Accidents, Fire

Kristján Loftsson, director of whaling company Hvalur, is one of many who are currently in Agadir in Morocco, attending the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) annual general meeting. Newsagency AFP says that Kristján does not see a difference between whale hunting and other forms of fishing, “whales are like any other fish.”

Labels: EU, Whaling

The University of Oxford, along with five British local authorities, is filing a lawsuit against the now defunct estates of Glitnir Bank and Bayerische Landesbank. A source for news website Vísir claims that up to fifty court summons against the bank could be on the way. The claims come to approximately 50 billion krónur (£205 million, €250 million, $306 million).

The lawsuit is being filed to try and reclaim the deposits that the respective parties had in accounts with Glitnir in the UK. The suit which has just been filed is considered to be a test case; if the suing party wins, then Glitnir can expect around fifty more similar cases, expect to come to 50 billion krónur (£171 million, €208 million, $255 million).

In addition to the University of Oxford, there are other universities who are demanding their money back from Glitnir. However, most claims are coming from local authorities. One local authority which has come off worse than others is Kent County Council, which also lost approximately £50 billion (€60 billion, $74 billion) in Icesave, a former subsidiary of Landsbanki.

Source: visir.is
Image: net_effekt

Labels: Glitnir, Kreppa, Landsbanki, UK

Summer is a wonderful time of year in Iceland. The days blend into one another as the sun never sets, the flowers are in bloom and the city is buzzing. If you take a walk down Laugarvegur, the main shopping street in the middle of the day, something will strike you. There’s not an Icelander in sight. The city is plush with tourists, each replete with their own brightly-coloured rain mac, laminated city map and, occasionally, hiking poles. In the city centre.

For the discerning tourist, we have produced a guide to fitting in Iceland, i.e. not sticking out like a sore thumb. We also hope that by blending in, you will get to see a real city experience in Reykjavík, as the Icelanders do, rather than the glossed-over tourist version. Carry on reading after the break to find out how you go about this.

Read more »

Labels: Features

The police force and customs service have taken the first step in breeding their own search dogs in Iceland. Until recently, authorised breeds have been brought to Iceland from abroad, at great expense to the authorities. The dogs have then been trained in Iceland.

The office of the national police force is conducting the breeding, in co-operation with the Suðurnes police force and the customs service. Two search dogs, Ella and Nelson, were paired together in April. The dogs are both labradors and have been serving the police force and customs service for many years.

Seven puppies are the successful result of the pairing, and are now just over eight weeks old. In the next few days, the puppies will be moved into homes where they will be raised traditionally. The header trainer of the police force and customs service will check in on the puppies regularly. When they have reached the necessary age and level of development, they will receive intensive training. It is expected that the fittest could go into police service within two years.

Source and image: visir.is

Labels: Animals, Police

News and opinion site Eyjan today published an article saying that the recent change in government in the UK has had no apparent influence on the country’s position regarding the “alleged” (their words, not ours) obligation that is Icesave. This is not an unexpected announcement, but rather an official confirmation.

Incumbent Conservative prime minister David Cameron told parliament today that Iceland should pay the United Kingdom the sum of £2.3 billion (€2.7 billion, $3.4 billion), and that British authorities intend to use Iceland’s application to the EU to ensure a favourable result for Britain is reached.

Cameron delivered a report from the EU summit talks to parliament, which were held last Thursday. At the summit, it was decided that accession talks with Iceland could go ahead. He said that Britain is in favour of EU expansion, but would like to recover the money it lost in Icesave.

“But Iceland does owe the United Kingdom £2.3 billion... we will use the application process to make sure that Iceland meets its obligations because we want that money back,” Cameron said in an article in the Wall Street Journal.

The comments are getting quite heated on this issue over at Eyjan, with one commenter calling for an end to the discussion over Icesave, saying Iceland should just pay the UK back. Other commenters disagree, saying that Iceland should not agree to pay off a “loan” it has no interest in taking out.

The term “debt” regarding the payment of Icesave is highly controversial for some Icelanders, with the term already appearing in quotation marks in newspaper Morgunblaðið, which is edited by Davíð Oddsson. Many Icelanders blame him for the financial crisis, as he was head of the Central Bank when the economy collapsed in October 2008.

Source: eyjan.is

Labels: icesave

In the spirit of keeping in touch with his citizens, recently-elected mayor Jón Gnarr has started a “Mayor’s Diary” (Dagbók borgarstjóra) on Facebook, proving that he is not afraid of social networking technologies as a method of communication.

The site also affords him the opportunity to get his citizens’ opinions on his ideas, and his updates are clearly being followed. For example, Jón Gnarr posted an status message saying that he woke up with a sore throat, which resulted in him being given a ginger drink to help him get better whilst he was shopping in the supermarket.

One idea that was met with a popular response was his proposal to open a berry garden at the forest in Öskjuhlíð, which has 1,539 “likes” and 253 comments as of this post being written. The mayor’s latest update, which received 1,031 likes, is a recipe for salmon pasta:

“Salmon pasta: Two fillets of salmon with skin removed. Season with salt and pepper and 2 tbsp of sweet chill sauce per fillet. Bake in the oven for 12 mins at 190°C. Melt 200–250g of butter, adding 6 cloves of crushed garlic and some parsley. Mix the salmon and pasta together and pour over the sauce. Serve with lemons, parmesan, salad and garlic bread and season to taste. Very good!”

We’ve yet to try the recipe ourselves here at the Enquirer, but it does indeed sound “very good”. We thought we’d translate it for your delectation, and so that you can find out for yourself whether Jón Gnarr is any good in the kitchen. Do let us know.

Source and image: Mayor’s Diary

Labels: Jón Gnarr, Politics

Well as we’re quite an enterprising bunch here at the Enquirer, we thought we’d give you another way to stay up-to-date with the stories we publish by opening a Twitter account. You can follow us on our Twitter page, which is twitter.com/icelandenquirer, aptly enough. We aim to try and become a little more interactive, so please mention us with @icelandenquirer when you see a story you like or we throw a question out there.

One more little thing: you may have noticed a “Donate” button pop up on the right side of our page. If you like what you read, why not think about putting a few pennies in there to help keep us going? Totally up to you of course, we don’t do this for the money, more the thrill of sifting through the Icelandic media and cherry picking the best of it for you lovely lot, our readers.

Image: adie reed

Labels: Enquirer

Hydrographers for the Icelandic Met Office announced on Sunday afternoon that a flood started in the river Skaftá in southern Iceland, near Kirkjubæjarklaustur. At the time of publication of the first report the size of the flood was unknown, but a report released later in the evening states that the flood seems to be a small one. It is said to be similar to a flood in the area in 2005.

The source of Skaftá is Vatnajökull, Iceland’s largest glacier, which takes up a large portion of the western part of the country. It is not known at this point exactly where in the glacier the floodwater originated. Residents of Skaftárdalur, the valley which the river flows through, have been informed of the flood. It is thought that the road into the valley may be flooded. There is considered to be no danger to travellers.

The water level has begun to rise at Sveinstindur. Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the water was predicted to reach the mountain lodge Hólaskjól at Nyrðra-Fjallabak by 16:00, and later the municipality of Skaftárdalur at around 18:30. It was also predicted that the flood would reach Kirkjubæjarklaustur, which lies on the south coast. It is unclear from the reports whether this is the case.

Later on in the day, the police in Hvolsvöllur issued their thoughts on the flood. They considered it average, going so far as to say that it is a cyclical event. The image above was taken in 2008.

Sources: mbl.is, mbl.is
Image: genevieveromier

Labels: Natural disasters, Nature, Weather

“Cutbacks to the university have to stop now—we cannot afford to give up any more investment in the future of the nation,” said Ari Kristinn Jónsson, rector of the University of Reykjavík, in his speech to graduates yesterday. The university graduated 501 students, the highest number in its history.

Ari highlighted the fact that Icelandic universities have performed extremely strongly in education and research, despite receiving about half the state contribution per student than would be received in neighbouring countries, according to an announcement from the university.

He said that university education and innovation are the two largest contributing factors in making capital goods and economic growth.

He also urged the nation’s universities to better unite to protect university education. “A fragmented university community damages the state of university education, thereby also weakening Iceland’s ability to compete in the future. I welcome those steps that have been taken to reinforce co-operation between schools and look forward to taking part in this work next year,” he said.

In total, 77 graduated with a diploma, 288 with a bachelor’s and 142 with a master’s. The graduation kicked off with a celebratory ceremony at the Vodafone Stadium in Hlíðarendi. Of those who graduated, 272 were men and 229 women. The average age of a graduate is 31.2 years.

The most students graduated from the faculty of business: 155 altogether, followed by 153 from the faculty of technology and engineering, 78 from the law faculty, 44 from the faculty of computer science and 71 from the faculty of teaching and public health. Congratulations to all those who graduated from the University of Reykjavík yesterday!

Source and image: mbl.is

Labels: Education

Morgunblaðið today posed a question that has stumped many: how would the streets of Reykjavík look without cars?

The question was posed in response to the actions of one Reykjavík photographer. His pictures, which show a crowd of people walking on the street, contrasted with images of members of the same crowd each with their own car, will be used to demonstrate the negative side of private car use.

The pictures were taken on Saturday in the street Melhagi, in the Vesturbær district of Reykjavík. City councillor Gísli Marteinn Baldursson is the brains behind the idea, which has been modelled on a foreign example.

Sigrún Helga Lund, a director of organisations for a car-free lifestyle, says that pictures such as these are famous in the field of planning studies. They convey a shocking message about the wider effects of car use.

Labels: Art

So, Jón Gnarr, the newly-elected mayor of Reykjavík, has had little hesitation diving straight into action. His first scheme, to allow children to swim for free, took effect this Saturday. It will run throughout the summer. According to a tour guide at the Alþingi (the Icelandic parliament), the move has been well-looked upon by city residents. But that’s just one person’s opinion.

Under the mayor’s scheme, all people under the age of 18 can use the city’s swimming pools at no cost to themselves. This is the Best Party’s first job since they’ve been in power, and was announced in a co-operation statement for the party and the Social Democratic Alliance. Jón Gnarr became mayor of Reykjavík on 15th June.

Iceland has an abundant supply of geothermally-heated water, along with an abundant supply of often abysmal weather (although in the past few weeks there have been some beautiful days). As a result, swimming pools and heitir pottar* are widely popular all over Iceland. Swimming is almost the national sport (handball takes the official pride of place), and all children are required to learn to swim as part of their education.

The move by the the mayor should encourage children to get active and spend more time in Reykjavík’s wonderful pools, and outside—many of the pools are outdoors (hence the barren indoor pool above). All that’s left for the children to do is enjoy the swimming pools and celebrate the summer!

*hot pots, communal hot tubs found at nearly every pool across Iceland

Source: mbl.is
Image: chrissy575

Labels: Politics, Sport

According to a report by a journalist for the EU Observer, Dutch officials have managed to “convince” other members of the EU that the Icesave dispute is not simply a bilateral with Iceland on one side and the UK and Netherlands on the other, rather an EU-wide issue which concerns all member states.

Morgunblaðið spoke to Leigh Phillips, the EU Observer journalist, for a short time at the end of the working day in Brussels.

Phillips speaks about Iceland’s application to the EU in an article on the website of the publication, which has been republished on Bloomberg Businessweek’s website. When asked about the headline, “Iceland faces uphill battle to join EU”, Phillips says that it was not him that decided to use it.

Another matter which has been confirmed by acting officials in interviews with José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, is the fact that he has recently registered his concerns about the division of opinion on Iceland’s application to the EU within the country’s political system.

The Icelandic nation and its politicians are completely divided on the issue, with recent opinion polls indicating that roughly half are against and half are for (the opinion polls usually have a variance of  around 10% for/against each time a new one is given out).

Phillips concluded this from a quote by Barroso, where he said that the EU was ready to start formal talks with Iceland over its accession on the proviso that Icelanders stand together on the issue. This was confirmed in interviews with officials, who wished to remain anonymous.

Icelandic speakers can read Morgunblaðið’s interview with Leigh Phillips here, and his blog post on the issue can be read over at Businessweek.

Source: mbl.is
Image: redvers

Labels: EU, Politics

This story broke in UK newspaper The Guardian less than one hour ago, after it emerged this morning that Iceland is clear to begin formal accession talks with the EU.

The UK government has announced that it might decide to block Iceland’s application to the EU until the Icesave dispute is resolved, and the £2.3 billion (€2.75 bn, $3.4 bn) in question is settled. The Netherlands also took the same position as the UK.

UK foreign secretary William Hague stated earlier this week that “Iceland will have to recognise its obligations.” The prime minister of Holland, Jan Peter Balkenende, echoed William Hague’s sentiments in his remarks today. “Before the country becomes a member [of the EU], it needs to fulfil its obligations to the people of Britain and The Netherlands.”

Morgunblaðið also speculates that whaling could be another issue which could come up in negotiations. A few days ago, Germany expressed its wish that Iceland give up whaling in alignment with EU regulations.

Sources: guardian.co.uk, mbl.is
Image: jepoirrier

Labels: EU, icesave

Well the lack of posting over the last 24 or so hours can be put down to good old celebrations. For those of you that may be unaware, today is 17th June, or Icelandic Independence Day (you really should have known, we told you over a week ago).

The day’s events kicked off ceremoniously as the formal portion of the proceedings took place in Austurvöllur, the central square in Reykjavík. Flags were held by scouts and the national anthem was sung as the President Ólafur Grímsson and Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir took their seats. The PM then delivered quite a lengthy speech, in which she expressed optimism about the future and reassured Icelanders that the country “is on the right track”. She also spoke about the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, and how it has reminded Icelanders that they are part of a wider world.

After the PM’s speech was delivered, the traditionally-dressed Fjallkona (Mountain Woman) took to the stage and delivered a short poem in Icelandic, as is tradition.

Later on in the day, the parade began down Laugarvegur, in main street through central Reykjavík, beginning at the bus terminal Hlemmur. The procession was lead by a marching brass band and more flag-toting scouts, followed up by members of the public and unusual street performers, who you can see in the pictures below.

The partying is continuing well on into the evening, with events scheduled in Arnarhóll, Ingólfstorg, Austurvöllur and in the town hall. There will be music-related events this evening, with a concert in Arnarhóll and dance games in Ingólfstorg.


A woman gets patriotic in Austurvöllur waiting for proceedings to begin.


President Ólafur Grímsson walks out through the square to his seat.



Scouts proceed around the square with Icelandic flags.



One Italian restaurant gets balloon-happy in the form of the Icelandic flag.

Labels: Festivals

In a reflection of the general sentiment of the EU towards whaling, the Bundestag (German parliament) has laid down its requirement for Iceland’s membership to the EU: that it stop whaling.

“The German parliament expressed in its decision of 22nd April 2010 its full support for formal talks with Iceland, with a view to Iceland acquiring full membership to the EU. At the same time, the parliament expressed its wish for Iceland to reshape itself in terms of [its policy] for the protection of whales, in accord with international and EU law.”

The statement was made today in a memo issued by the deputy German ambassador to Iceland in a meeting with diplomats.

Jón Bjarnason, the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, says that Icelandic authorities want to collaborate with the group which is working towards a compromise on whaling. The International Whaling Commission will join the discussions in a meeting in Morocco later this month. Jón goes on to say that Icelandic authorities cannot allow the demands of the EU to interrupt their work.

Labels: EU, Whaling

Iceland is a land with abundant supplies of pure, fresh, clean water. The same water that they export the world over in plastic bottles comes out of every tap in every Icelandic home.

The hotly-debated Water Act proposes giving landowners rights to all the water on and under their land. The act has even driven some citizens to incessantly e-mail one particular MP.

It will come as consolation to many, then, that the adoption of the highly-controversial Water Act has been postponed until 1st October 2011. An agreement on the issue was reached this evening between the cabinet and the opposition. The agreement states that a new bill concerning changes to the Water Act will be put forward in the autumn.

The Water Act was originally passed in 2006, but there has been a lot of controversy in the Alþingi surrounding the bill ever since its original passage. A section in the original bill stipulated that the adoption of the act should be postponed until 1st July 2010.

The Minister for Industry Katrín Júlíusdóttir proposed abolishing the bill entirely in the spring, but the opposition disagreed, instead suggesting that the adoption of the act should be again postponed, and that ministers should try and reach an agreement about the most controversial elements of the bill. Discussion of the bill was made a priority in parliament today, as other issues were put aside.

Katrín announced that her ministry is now working on a new draft of the bill for the Industry Committee. She has also distributed a memo identifying particular issues that demand further examination before the bill can presented to parliament once more. The issues are mostly pertaining to the rights of the public and definitions of the rights of the consumer.

To help complete the work, the Minister for Industry has turned to barristers Karl Axelsson and Ástráður Haraldsson. Together they will go over the draft with the memo sent by the minister, in consultation with lawyers from the ministry and the group have been working on the draft. They will issue their recommendations in the autumn.

Source: mbl.is
Image: Peter Allen

Labels: Politics

Well we’ve been somewhat late in reporting this, but police have uncovered a pretty major drugs front in Reykjavík today. This afternoon the news broke that the owner of sweetshop Draumurinn (“the dream”) was taken into custody while the police searched the shop, which is located on Rauðarárstígur, and his and his son’s houses. Searches were also conducted in two other homes.

A considerable amount of prescription drugs were found, but it has long been known that it is possible to buy legal drugs such as ritalin, which is used to calm those with ADHD, from the sweetshop. Stöð 2 news confirmed that fact in January this year.

In addition to a stash of cocaine, police seized a significant amount of snus (tobacco which is placed under the lip), which is illegal in Iceland. The owner claims to know nothing of the cocaine that was found on his property. Approximately 14 million krónur in cash was also found in the raid.

The owner of the shop and his son were subsequently arrested, and the case will be taken to the Supreme Court of Iceland. The owner, who remains unnamed, will be held in custody until 16th June.

Sources: visir.is, visir.is
Image: unfolded

Labels: Crime, Drugs

Ólína Þorvarðardóttir, MP for the Social Democratic Alliance, has requested the public to stop sending her e-mails regarding the bill for the controversial Water Act, which has yet to be passed by the Alþingi. The act would give landowners the right to control the water underneath their land, including drinking water, essentially privatising the water industry. Ólína claims that her inbox is full up with e-mails challenging the act.

Labels: Politics

It wouldn’t be possible for Iceland to adopt the euro as its currency until some time after 2014 at the earliest, according to Gylfi Magnússon, the economy and business secretary.

Gylfi’s statement was made today in reply to an inquiry made by Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir, a PM for the Independence Party, about a possible timetable for Iceland’s fulfilment of the Maastricht Treaty conditions for countries wishing to adopt the euro.

Gylfi anticipates an adjustment in the interest rate to be closer to that of the Eurozone in the lead-up to Iceland’s adoption of the currency. History shows that the same has happened in other countries before their take-up of the Euro.

Source: mbl.is
Image: 55Laney69

Labels: Economy, Euro

A new road tunnel currently under construction in the Westfjords, the Bolungarvík tunnel, is nearing completion. The tunnel will be officially taken into use less than three months from now. Construction of the tunnel has been progressing well, although the opening date was originally scheduled for 15th July. It is now clear that the tunnel will not be open to the public before September.

On the tunnel’s website at bb.is, quality control manager for construction company Ósafl, based in the town of Bolungarvík, Níels Reynisson, says the work is going well, “The waterproof sidings and coatings are being worked on, and we have made steady progress in laying the drains.”

Amongst the tasks still to be completed are the tarmacking of the road surface and various other road-related tasks. Tarmacking is expected to start in mid-July, and should be completed sometime in August.

When completed, the tunnel will be 8.7m metres wide and 5.1km long. The planned cost of the tunnel stands at approximately 5 billion krónur. The tunnel will shorten the length of time it takes to travel from Hnífsdalur to Bolungarvík, and will avoid a dangerous drive around the mountain which can be seen at the back of the image above.

Source: mbl.is
Image: Gussi Jons

Labels: Construction, Transport, Westfjords

And now for something completely different. This is something of a first for us here at the Enquirer, so be nice! We’re going to do a review.

The centrally-situated Prikið is the first skemmtistaður (lit. “fun place”) to undergo one of our reviews. This café-cum-restaurant-cum-bar is occupies a traditional maroon building on the corner of Ingólfsstræti and Bankastræti, and is by day very popular with trendy laptop-toting twenty-somethings (including the writer of this post, which was written there). In fact, it’s very laptop-friendly, boasting free wi-fi so you can stay up-to-date on Facebook whilst getting your chops around some beef.

But onto the food. This is a place I have frequented several times before, and with the exemption of one visit, I have consumed one of their heart-shocking hamburgers each time I have been there. With plenty of beef-based options on the menu, there’s enough choice to satiate even the largest of stomachs. I went for the coma-inducing einn sveittur (“the sweaty one”), which comes with bacon, a fried egg and the obligatory piece of lettuce, which seemed almost vestigial in the presence of its protein-rich neighbours. All the burgers are served with American-style fries and the mysterious Icelandic seasoning (no Icelander I know knows what this is called), which appears to be a combination of salt, possibly paprika and something else. All I know is, it tastes bloody good on chips.

The burgers start from a comparatively reasonable 990 kr. (£5.20/€6.30/$7.50), and max out at 2.690 kr. (in fairness the most expensive option also includes a milkshake). There are of course other options on the menu, including breakfast options aimed at quelling a hangover. Veggies beware: there aren’t many options for you here on the menu, vegetable burritos was the one I spotted, but that is not atypical of Iceland.

Of an evening, the bar livens up and turns completely. Prikið hosts regular events, as diverse a clothes market followed by DJs and occasional live music (see website for calendar, in Icelandic). Prikið feels trendy yet friendly, and although the service is nothing to write home about it is efficient and fast (my burger was on the table in less than 10 minutes).

Rating: 4/5

Prikið
Bankastræti 12, 101 Reykjavík
prikid.is

Image: aimeeorleans

Labels: Reviews

We first reported on the fact that all Reykjavík criminal holding cells are now full just over a week ago. The situation has one again arisen, as a three assaults were reported in the capital area last night. The victims all had injuries to the head, such as a broken nose. The incidents were all unrelated, and just one victim was taken to A&E.

After last night’s incidents, police holding cells in the region are now full once more. Nearly all of the incidents reported last night were in relation with drink driving. Eight drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs last night, three of which had their driving licences confiscated temporarily. Another three of the party were involved in traffic accidents.

Source: visir.is
Image: conner395

Labels: Crime, Police

Saxifrage your thing? Angelica get your green fingers tingling? Well you’re in luck. Today is Wild Flower Day in Iceland (Dagur hinna villtu blóma). The day is widely celebrated all over the country, where volunteers are giving free guided tours around their neighbourhoods, in which they dispense advice on the most common plants that grow there.

The guided tours are free for participants, and there’s no need to register your interest beforehand, just show up at the advertised time at the right place. How widely across the country the tours will be given depends on how many volunteers are available.

The volunteers representing the day are all flora enthusiasts. Many organisations have taken part in the preparations for today, supporting the volunteers, including the Laugardalur Botanical Garden, the Icelandic Touring Association, Hólar University College, the Agricultural University of Iceland, Natural History Museum of Kópavogur, the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, local natural history institutions and the Environment Agency of Iceland.

Wild Flower Day is held each year in all Nordic countries except the Faroes and Greenland, and has been running in Iceland since 2004.

Source: mbl.is

Labels: Environment, Nature

In southern Iceland, some routes through the highlands have already been opened for the summer. Most highland roads in the north and east remain closed, however. Highland roads through the interior must be closed throughout the winter, as conditions are too dangerous to allow vehicles to use them.

The Icelandic Road Administration (ICERA) announced the situation this morning. Road users are asked to keep themselves informed before setting off on a journey through the highlands. Weight restrictions are in operation on some routes and hauliers are requested to familiarise themselves with those before setting off.

ICERA also announced that work has now begun on lane doubling the ring road (route 1) in Mosfellsbær, from Hafravatnsvegur to Þingvallavegur. Road users are advised to drive carefully around the section undergoing works and to observe the correct speed limit.

Source and image: mbl.is

Labels: Transport

In a fit of yay-saying joy, the Alþingi gave the official go-ahead today for the construction of a new national hospital, or Landspítali á íslensku, which will be situated over the road from the current site on Hringbraut. 45 Alþingers approved the bill, 2 abstained and 14 were absent from the vote.

The bill grants the finance minister permission to found a public company to see over the preparations of offers for tender for the construction of the new hospital in Reykjavík. The bill also states that the company should manage offers for tender, and the state will rent the premises on a long-term basis until construction is completed.

The bill sets out a construction cost of 51 billion krónur, 33 billion of which will go directly into construction of the new premises, and 7 billion on technical equipment and facilities. The remaining 11 billion krónur will go towards refurbishing the current site at Hringbraut, which will come under the control of the new hospital.

Source: mbl.is

Labels: Construction, Health

Being the kind of progressive nation that it is, it was only a matter of time before Iceland passed this law. The Alþingi today voted to remove the clause in the marriage law which distinguishes between civil unions and marriages, allowing gay couples to officially be married under Icelandic law. All reference to gender has now been removed from the law, which instead now refers to “two individuals”.

The law was approved with 49 votes in favour and 0 against, although 14 were absent from the vote. The change in the law extends all marriage rights to any couple, regardless of the gender the individuals.

The law was initially met with strong opposition from Christian groups in Iceland, who feel that the law goes against the word of God, some going so far as to say it was “discrimination” against their beliefs. The proposal was well received by many groups, however, including The Icelandic Confederation of Labor (ASÍ) and The Free Church of Reykjavík.

We at the Enquirer wholeheartedly welcome the decision. In fact, one of our team is already planning his wedding underneath Seljalandsfoss. We couldn’t think of a more romantic location!

Source: grapevine.is, mbl.is
Image: borkur.net

Labels: Gay rights, Gender

The city council yesterday agreed to a motion to inject approximately 10 million krónur of funding into a programme designed to prepare young people for the world of work. Ten projects will receive support under the programme.

The projects will vary in nature, ranging from football lessons in public parks to teaching sport to children with special needs, an arts centre that will travel around Reykjavík, and architecture and city planning workshops for unemployed young people.

The grants are for people aged 35 and under. The aim is to motivate young people to create new jobs and to make for a better quality of life for citizens. The money is being targeted to provide new job opportunities, enrich city life, encourage innovation of services and to continue motivating young people.

In the winter, the city council approved a cash injection of 150 million krónur into employment programmes, 30 million of which was a fund for young people to form their own employment agency. This is the second time this year that the dispensation committee for projects in the interest of young people has given out support.

Applicants for funding were sought after under the advertising slogan Vertu með (roughly “get it/have it”), with applications closing on the 15th May. The next round of funding will be opened to applicants in August.

Source: mbl.is
Image: j lord

Labels: Unemployment

News website Vísir this morning reported the unfortunate loss of a fibreglass polar bear, which has now turned up at Reykjavík Zoo (Húsdýragarðurinn). The bear, which stood outside a shop on the main shopping street Laugarvegur, was stolen yesterday in what is thought to have been a well-organised robbery. Four young lads jumped out of a van, grabbed the ursine likeness and drove off with it in tow.

Workers at the Reykajvík Zoo found the bear this morning and let its shopkeeper owner know that it had been recovered. Vísir speculates that the gang who stole the bear intended to help the Best Party maintain their election promise of putting a polar bear in the zoo. We are somewhat inclined to agree.

Source: visir.is
Image: tea610

Labels: Crime

The Icelandic Forestry Service (IFS) today announced that Icelandic forests are coping well with ash from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. The forest in Húsadalur is thought to be in good shape after ashfall over the period 18th–21st May. There are considerable amounts of nutrients in the ash, which will act as a fertiliser for the plants.

It is stated in the news letter of the IFS that the thickest ash layer fell in Húsadalur, where it was about 3cm in depth, and the thinnest over Langadalur and Básar where it was only around 1–2cm deep. The ash also fell differently in different areas. For example in Húsadalur, the ash fell with rain and clung to trees, whereas in Langadalur and Básar it fell during dry whether and settled on the forest floor.

Húsadalur forest was at first looking a little worse for wear after the first few days of ashfall, becoming grey under the layer of ash, but a few days later the forest returned to its familiar green hue as the trees disposed of the ash from their branches and buds when they leaved.

It may take the forest floor growth a little longer to recover, however, as it will be more difficult for smaller plants to grow up through the ash layer in the thickest places. It is hoped that the ash will eventually wash into the soil when it rains, allowing flowers to bloom. Hardy plants, such as angelica, are already growing up out of the ash, and the number of visible species is expected to increase with the turn to summer.

Source: mbl.is
Image: skogur.is

Labels: Eyjafjallajökull, Forests

So it’s almost that time again when the Icelandic National Holiday ticks around on the calendar. As of this post’s publication, the blessed event is just over one week away. Next Thursday 17th June, Icelanders of all stripes will take to the streets clad in þjóðbúningurinn, traditional national dress to you and me.

Dubbed the Þjóðhátíðardagurinn in Icelandic (þjóð = nation, hátið(ar)= festival, dagur(inn) = day), or Þjóðhátíð for short, it is sure to be a fun-filled day of celebration as the Icelanders proudly hold up on* their nation’s independence.

This year will be the 66th since Iceland won its independence from Denmark and will be commemorated with the usual brass-band-led parade down Laugarvegur, Reykjavík’s equivalent of Oxford Street. Then the Fjallkona (Mountain Woman) will deliver her speech to the crowds. For the young’uns among you, a trip to the Westman Islands might be obliged if you prefer a more alcohol-fuelled celebration of the day’s festivities.

The whole day is a celebration of a proud nation, and to be honest a good ol’ excuse for some high-jinks and all-around joviality. So why not mosey on down to Laugarvegur next Thursday? After all, none of the shops will be open.

*from the Icelandic að halda upp á = to celebrate

Source: Our hearts
Image: Jakob Fannar

Labels: Holidays

Well this is the kind of light-hearted news you need in the midst of a kreppa. According to the updated Global Peace Index, the yardstick of peace the world over, Iceland is the second most peaceful nation on the planet.

New Zealand comes top of the list, and Japan follows Iceland in third place. Somalia and Iraq occupy the bottom two places on in the list. According to the index, the world is less peaceful than last year despite the fact that the number of weapon-based conflicts has decreased.

The list is published and updated by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The index is based on 23 criteria, such as the rate of violent crime, political stability and military spending, which are then combined with social criteria such as prevalence of corruption, freedom of the press, respect for human rights and school attendance.

The index shows that the most progress has been made on the continent of Africa since the last list was compiled four years ago, where there is now less conflict and lower military spending alongside improving internal relations.

For Iceland however, it seems just another one of those statistics that can be added to its laundry list of superlatives. The news comes despite recent events involving angry ash-spewing volcanoes.

Source: mbl.is
Image: nick_rusill

Labels: Peace, Statistics

A bilateral currency swap agreement between the Central Banks of Iceland and China was signed by both parties this morning. The agreement, which is to the tune of 66 billion Icelandic króna or 3.5 billion Chinese yuan, lasts for three years and can be extended if both parties agree.

According to IcelandReview, Minister for Economic Affairs Gylfi Magnússon says that the agreement will improve Iceland’s ability to access foreign currency, which is good news for the economy as a whole. It also opens up new avenues for trade between the two countries.

Labels: China, Economy

Strong words came from a former director of one of The Netherlands’ largest banks which foresaw the Icelandic financial crisis, as he claimed that Iceland will be unable to pay back the controversially-named “Icesave debt” to the Dutch government. This was announced on the RÚV evening news.

Bert Heemskert, former CEO of Dutch bank Rabobanka, stated his opinion on TV station RTL when asked whether The Netherlands would get back the money it lent to Iceland for Icesave. He said that the amount is far too large for a small economy like Iceland to pay, also stating that it would be very difficult for Icelanders to completely pay off all of their debts in a reasonable amount of time.

Labels: icesave, Kreppa

An Iceland Express flight that was due to depart from Newark airport in New York was this morning postponed due to a technical fault. According to Kristín Þorsteinsson, PR representative for the airline, the aircraft was turned around after a noise came was heard from one of the doors of the plane. The problem has turned out to be a minor one and has since been fixed.

Due to international regulations about the amount of rest time the crew must receive, the plane could not take off straight after the repair was carried out. The plane eventually took off at 13:00 Icelandic time, and is expected to land in Iceland later on today. The scheduled arrival time at Keflavík airport is 17:50.

Iceland Express began its New York service only last week, adding competition on routes from Iceland to New York for the first time. The maiden flight took off last Tuesday, and according to Kristín bookings have been very good. The airline has also seen good figures for bookings on other routes this summer.

Source: mbl.is
Image: Iceland Express

Labels: Transport

A new management team has been hired to run the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, where construction has been progressing rapidly over the last few weeks (image from April this year). Karitas Kjartansdóttir has been chosen as the conference programme manager, Páll S. Ragnarsson has been hired as technical lighting director and Ingvar Jónsson has been selected for technical sound director.

Karitas worked previously as a business manager in asset management at VBS investment bank, and before that as sales manager for conferences at Icelandair Hotels. She has a BSc in business from the University of Iceland and an MBA from Reykjavík University.

Páll has recently been working as lighting engineer and designer for the Icelandic Opera, and for many years before that at the National Theatre in the same profession. Altogether, Páll has been working in lighting design and engineering for over thirty years. Páll has a master’s in electrical engineering.

Ingvar was formerly a designer and consultant for engineering firm Verkís and Exton ehf. for a number of years. In addition, Invgar has been a freelance sound engineer for many years. Ingvar has a BSc in technology from the Reykjavík University and is currently working on his master’s in sound engineering at Álaborg University.

Source: mbl.is
Image: borkur.net

Labels: Harpa

Apologies for the sparse updates over the last few days. I, the main writer of this blog, have been in transit to Iceland. I am currently staying somewhere without an Internet connection, so it has taken a little while to get up and running with an Internet dongle.

As I am here in Iceland, however, it should mean that the blog posts will be based on a wider range of sources, such as the free Fréttablaðið paper delivered to every Icelandic household. My co-writer Tom will be joining me in July, so expect better posts over the next couple of months.

All that’s left to say is if you’re not already in Iceland, hop on the next plane and join us in the heitur pottur!

Labels: Enquirer

Volcanic activity is continuing to the west of the Eyjafjallajökull vent, and there are intermittent turbulent explosions producing ash, according to a report in Morgunblaðið today. The ash being produced is not being carried very far from the eruption site. The restlessness of the volcano is also showing up in seismological measurements, which saw an increase in intensity with this new spate of activity.

White cumulus clouds produced by the explosions have reached heights of up to 6km. The eruption site will continue to be closely monitored, according to an status report issued by the Icelandic Met Office and the geology department at the University of Iceland.

There is a lot of steam activity in the crater, which has noticeably increased since Thursday. A new crater has appeared to the west of the one where the explosive activity originally emanated. Following a period of restlessness late on Sunday, steam clouds began to rise from the new crater. The clouds and explosions are both small, but because of the clouds it is only possible to see part of the new crater at the moment. The glacier continues to move past the older crater.

As of midday on 4th June, activity has increased in areas surrounding the eruption site, but waned a little towards the evening. Small spells of activity continued, and on Saturday morning reached their peak at around 9am. The restlessness has been steadily decreasing since Sunday morning, yet late yesterday increased for about an hour with small bursts of activity through the night, going as fast as they have been coming.

Source and image: mbl.is

Labels: Eyjafjallajökull

The salmon fishing season officially started this morning on the Norðurá river in Borgarfjörður and Blanda in Húnaþing, but the first catch is yet to be made. The Reykjavík Angling Association was keenly out fishing for salmon on the river, but came back empty handed.

Guðmundur Stefán Maríasson, president of the association, has spotted at least one fish however. The water level has reached a historical low, and has never been so low at the beginning of the fishing season before.

Guðmundur and his friends cast the line out over Brotið, according to tradition, but didn’t spend very long there before moving onto another fishing spot. According to a news reporter for Morgunblaðið, the water level is currently very low in Norðurá, more like it would be at the height of summer. Anglers at the Reykjavík Angling Association say they have never seen the water level so low at this time of year before.

Update: The situation is obviously very dynamic! Just minutes after this post was published, a report reached Morgunblaðið saying that the first salmon has been caught. Bjarni Júlíusson was the lucky angler, landing an 80cm fish.

Source: mbl.is
Image: offiof

Labels: Fishing, Nature

An usually busy night was had by emergency services in the capital area last night, as all holding cells in the city’s police stations became completely full. Three men were arrested for vandalising a car with an axe, and it is suspected that they may have damaged up to eight cars in total. Two others are being held in a temporary cell after being caught breaking into and vandalising cars.

In addition, a woman is being held in a cell after running into two parked cars on Blesugróf in Reykjavík. According to the policemen on duty, she was heavily under the influence of drugs.

Labels: Crime, Police

The reputation of Iceland as a mink-rearing country has apparently made its way to Denmark. A group of Danes came to Iceland in August to familiarise themselves with the mink situation in the country, and one Danish family with connections to Iceland has already purchased a “minkhouse” in Skagafjörður. They hope to bring the facility into operation by the summer.

Einar Eðvald Einarsson, a specialist in breeding of furry animals, says that Icelandic breeders have already started seeing good results, and get good prices for the skins. Danes see the minks as a little superior, however.

Labels: Animals, Denmark