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Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of a hike to Hraunsvatn lake in Öxnadalur valley in north Iceland, which lies at a height of 490 meters, interlocked between two steep mountains and a small glacier with a view of the majestic Hraundrangar peaks.
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Fjallabyggd (“Mountain Settlement”) is a skier’s dream. Its slopes are perfect for slaloming and there are also tracks for telemark skiing. Winter sporting enthusiasts can also go ice skating or rent snowmobiles. In summer, Fjallabyggd turns into a paradise for hikers. Read this special promotion about one of Iceland’s best hidden gems.
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Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphédinsson attended a meeting with the EEA Council in Brussels on Monday and meetings with the Committee of Members of Parliament of the EFTA Countries (CMP).
Skarphédinsson and Ferrero-Waldner sign an agreement on the establishment of an EU Embassy in Reykjavík.
According to a press release from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Skarphédinsson discussed the future of the EEA agreement and said that it has been beneficial for Iceland in most instances.
However, it is clear that stability of the Icelandic currency cannot be achieved with the EEA agreement alone and therefore Iceland has applied for membership to the European Union with the future goal of adopting the euro, the minister explained.
He then emphasized the importance of all countries reaching a binding agreement on the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions during the climate change summit in Copenhagen next month, and that renewable energy sources be used to achieve that goal.
Skarphédinsson stated that 80 percent of the energy used in Iceland comes from renewable energy sources and that Icelanders are willing to share their knowledge and experience of harnessing geothermal energy with other nations.
The attendees of the EEA Council meeting, the foreign ministers of Norway, Lichtenstein and Sweden and representatives of the Spanish government, also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, Iran and the Middle East.
Skarphédinsson then signed an agreement with the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner on the establishment of an EU Embassy in Reykjavík, which will begin operations in the beginning of next year.
Click here to read more about Iceland and the EU.
Iceland’s cabinet met at the presidential residence Bessastadir at noon today where new ministers were announced: Gudbjartur Hannesson of the Social Democrats will lead a new Welfare Ministry and Ögmundur Jónasson of the Left-Greens a new Ministry for Internal Affairs.
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The average temperature of the three summer months, June, July and August, in Reykjavík this year was 12.2°C (54°F), which makes this the warmest summer in the capital since temperatures were first recorded in 1871, according to meteorologist Trausti Jónsson.
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The comedy sketch show Spaugstofan, which has been shown more or less continuously for 21 years on the Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV, has now been relocated to the private television channel Stöd 2.
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The crew of the sailboat Santa Maria from Hamburg, Germany, called for assistance when they ran out of fuel 140 nautical miles west of Reykjavík last week. The guard post of the Icelandic Maritime Administration contacted ships that were nearby and as it turned out the whaling ship Hvalur 9 was located closest to Santa Maria.
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The second issue of the print edition of Iceland Review 2010 has just been published. Entitled “Under the Volcano” the magazine dedicates 20 pages, words and pictures, to the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull glacier which made headlines all over the word. New subscribers will receive the book 2010 Eruptions as a gift and all subscribers are part of a draw to win a trip to Iceland. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
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REVIEWS
Dadi Gudbjörnsson's art with its smiley faces, Aladdin's lamps, gleaming hearts, blue mountains and psychedelic flora of unearthly origin reminds me of the cheesy R.E.M. song “Shiny Happy People”. The sugar-sweet naivety fails to amuse me but I must admit it infects my mood with delirious joy.
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Former President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir turned 80 on 15 April this year and Mayor Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir—in making her an Honorary Citizen of Reykjavík to mark the occasion—observed that Finnbogadóttir’s life was interwoven with that of Reykjavík. In June 1980 Finnbogadóttir made history when she became the world’s first democratically elected female head of state.
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Today, August 30, and tomorrow is your last chance to visit the exhibition “Eau De Parfum” by Andrea Maack at the Spark Design Space in Reykjavík. In the exhibition space, Maack introduces three perfumes that are the result of her collaboration with French perfumery apf aromes & parfums.
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