Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of a road trip from Reykjavík to Akureyri and back, one of the most frequently-traveled journeys on Iceland’s Ring Road. The pictures were taken out of the window of a moving car; snapshots of the ever-changing landscape and weather on this route, which many Icelanders have stopped noticing.  more

Akureyri (“gravel bank field”) promises visitors a lively stay with its many art galleries and museums, outdoor recreation in summer and winter, an awakening of the taste buds at the town’s gourmet restaurants and breathtaking views of natural sites around the corner. Take a look at this special promotion about Iceland’s northern capital.  more

Instead of cursing the rain (the much needed rain, I might add) and sulking on the sofa on Monday night, I grabbed my umbrella and sped downtown for a great night out with my Salsa friends.

It might seem an odd combination; a bunch of Viking-blooded, fair-skinned people dancing like mad hatters to hot ‘n steamy Latino music. But Salsa has this effect on people. Once you start you can’t stop.

Which is why Icelandic dancing enthusiast Edda Blöndal formed the group Salsa Iceland. While living in Sweden she learnt Salsa dancing and became accustomed to going to Salsa clubs regularly.

When she moved back home, she missed being able to dance Salsa so she simply formed a group, along with a few other keen Salsa dancers who had fallen in love with Salsa abroad too. In their spare time, they teach people how to Salsa, initially out of the pure selfishness of wanting to be able to dance with other people.

Now, Salsa Iceland holds Salsa courses throughout the year, from beginners’ level to very advanced workshops; they get highly-trained visiting teachers from abroad; they do private lessons and visit companies to introduce Salsa to everyone. You can even get them to come to your wedding reception and teach your guests some basic steps to turn your wedding banquet into a Salsa party!

The first and third Monday night of every month Salsa Iceland organize a Salsa night at Café Sólon in downtown Reykjavík. It’s free of charge, newcomers get a lesson between 8 pm and 9 pm and after that the floor is open for everybody who wants to Salsa.

Judging by the rapidly increasing number of people learning Salsa and attending the classes and the parties, there will eventually be enough demand for a Salsa night once or twice a week somewhere in Reykjavík.

We get tourists coming in out of the street to join us, just because they hear the music, so if you’re interested, check out the website www.salsaiceland.com before you visit Reykjavík.

And it’s not all just about the Salsa itself. It’s a different way of meeting new people; people of all ages, with diverse backgrounds and various education and employment status.

I never see most of my Salsa friends anywhere else or socialize with them otherwise than through Salsa. We have a Facebook group and stay in touch there, e.g. to quickly gather a group to dance Rueda de Casino (a type of round-dancing of Salsa) in the park on a nice summer night.

Edda Blöndal’s urge to dance Salsa in Iceland has snowballed into this whole Salsa culture where people feel alive, make friends and new connections and dance Salsa till they drop.

It’s a great exercise, it’s mentally uplifting and anyone can do it. We do need some more guys, though, it’s frustrating for us girls to spend most of the night sitting and waiting until it’s our turn.

I’m looking forward to go and find Salsa clubs next time I travel somewhere. I know I can walk right in there and start dancing without even needing to speak the language.

And I’m proud to say that anyone visiting Iceland who wants to dance Salsa can now find a suitable partner in downtown Reykjavík.

IRB – ingibjorgrosa@gmail.com 

Ingibjörg Rósa Björnsdóttir is filling in for Jonas who is away on holiday.

 

What makes this Bang Gang album different from the previous albums is Bardi Jóhannsson’s decision to sing it himself. This really sets the tone for the album as his voice is distinctively low and monotone. His voice in addition to the soft quiet melodies results in an album which at first sounds quite flat.   more

If Doc Brown’s time machine made famous in the 1985 classic Back to the Future could ferry us back, say, five million years we would find the area now known as present-day Skaftafell National Park, in southeast Iceland, virtually flat, fully vegetated and, gasp, snow and glacier-free.  more

This week participate in the Reykjavík Experiment Marathon, the most broad-reaching art event that the Reykjavík Art Museum has undertaken since its inception. The exhibition is a joint project of the Reykjavík Art Museum and the Serpentine Gallery in London and the centerpiece of the 2008 Reykjavík Arts Festival.  more