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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Iceland’s entry to the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, “Is It True?” by Óskar Páll Sveinsson, performed by Jóhanna Gudrún Jónsdóttir, placed second in Moscow on Saturday, and the Eurovision team was given a hero’s welcome upon their arrival to Reykjavík yesterday.
From Austurvöllur. Photo by Jennifer Zoltek.
Thousands of people gathered at Austurvöllur parliamentary square and cheered Jónsdóttir on while she performed “Is It True?” one more time. The performance was broadcast live on national broadcaster RÚV.
“I think it is very important for Iceland to receive favorable coverage and good news, something positive,” Jónsdóttir said. The weather was sunny and warm, almost 20°C (68°F), and Morgunbladid described the atmosphere as at a “national festival.”
“All of us in the group are still trying to realize what has happened. It is very strange and we have to get used to the notion that we made such an achievement,” Jónsdóttir told Fréttabladid.
Iceland had not been expected to get this far—the betting house Oddschenker, for example, predicted that “Is It True?” would end up in seventh place.
The song will be included on a summer hits record that will be released in Sweden shortly, and some foreign record labels have expressed interest in signing Jónsdóttir.
Norway won a decisive victory in Moscow on Saturday and Azerbaijan placed third.
Click here to read more about Jónsdóttir and “Is It True?”
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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