Your Friend In Reykjavik Blog

One of Iceland’s most famous architects is Guðjón Samúelsson. Just like sculptor Einar Jónsson seems to have created every other statue in downtown Reykjavik, Guðjón Samúelsson designed many of Reykjavik’s most recognizable buildings. He was State Architect for most of his professional life, just as Iceland gained independence. He was born in 1887 in South Iceland and moved...Read more

Last year an eruption began in Fagradalsfjall in Reykjanes Peninsula. It was the first eruption in over 700 years in the area. Berserkur, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons It quickly became one of the most popular eruptions in Icelandic history. It was an effusive eruption and relatively safe to walk up to. Some gas was emitted, of...Read more

What is happening in environmentalism in Iceland? Icelanders are lucky that all manufactured electricity in Iceland (or 99.99%) is green and renewable. Most of the electricity manufactured is either hydro or geothermal, but there are a few wind turbines as well. Their number will most likely grow in the coming years. Solar cells are not used to generate...Read more

Could chocolate-covered licorice be the premise for an International Crisis? Sillier things have been known to happen. Icelanders generally protect their cultural heritage, and we can be pretty pedantic. The Icelandic horse is a horse, not a pony. Our hot dogs are the best. Some swear by fermented sharks, and so on. We get kicked into overdrive when...Read more

There is a long history of whaling and eating whale meat in Iceland. Whale hunting began in Iceland as early as the 12th century, and stranded whales have always been a significant windfall. Iceland is a part of the International Whale Commission and has been since the beginning, apart from a few years. Icelanders quit the commission in...Read more

Finding horse meat in Iceland to eat can be difficult outside the regular slaughtering seasons (in the fall and winter). The most common things to find are horse meat sausages and foal meat. The Icelandic horse is, in many ways, an exceptional horse breed. It was brought over from Norway during the settlement era in the 9th and...Read more