The surroundings appear tropical and the gleaming sun makes the illusion complete. I snap out of it as I remember that I’m sitting on the back of a horse.
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Yesterday, the man accused of having killed Haukur Sigurdsson in Reykjanesbaer this spring refused to answer whether he was guilty of manslaughter. He did however admit to have inflicted injury on Sigurdsson, which led to his death.
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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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Russian chess grand master Boris Spassky was in Iceland this week to participate in the Reykjavík Chess Tournament. On Monday he visited the grave of late chess legend Bobby Fischer, his rival and friend, at the remote Laugardaela Churchyard.
Other participants in the tournament, chess masters Fridrik Ólafsson, Lajos Portisch, Vlastimil Hort, Pal Benko and William Lombardy accompanied Spassky to Hraungerdishreppur parish where Fischer chose to be buried, Fréttabladid reports.
Lombardy, who was Fischer’s assistant in the legendary match with Spassky in Reykjavík in 1972, organized a small memorial ceremony for Fischer and afterwards the other chess masters held short speeches in honor of their lost companion.
The 23rd annual International Chess Tournament in Reykjavík ended yesterday with an award ceremony, as Morgunbladid reports.
Chairman of the Icelandic Chess Federation Gudfrídur Lilja Grétarsdóttir presented the top three players with a joint award of USK 8,000 (EUR 5,000), Hannes Hlífar Stefánsson from Iceland and Wang You and Wang Hao from China.
Click here to read more about Spassky in Iceland and the Reykjavík Chess Tournament, and to read more about Bobby Fischer.
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 Puffins 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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Future of Hope is an aptly named documentary directed by Henry Bateman about what some people are doing to shape the future of Iceland, hoping that above all, the crisis will ultimately strengthen the country.
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There can’t be many novels that are heralded as being “a purification for body and soul” recommended to “those who enjoy experimental cookery” (review of November Rain in DV newspaper) and “as beautiful as a painting from the golden age” (review of The Offspring by Danish newspaper Politiken). However, Reykjavík based writer, Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir, has attracted such attention not to mention literary prizes.
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Have a laugh this week by visiting Hafnarborg, the Hafnarfjördur Centre of Culture and Fine Art, where the exhibition “Humor in Icelandic Art” is currently running. The exhibition consists of works by contemporary Icelandic artists from different generations which deal with humor and irony.
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