Reykjavík Grapevine - 25.07.2003, Blaðsíða 29

- the reykjavík grapevine -28 july 25th - august 7th, 2003 - the reykjavík grapevine - 29july 25th - august 7th, 2003
PLACES TO LOOK AT:
1. THE BLUE LAGOON
One of the first stops for any visitor,
and situated very close to Keflavik’s
international airport. The lagoons´ mud
is believed to have healing powers,
especially for people suffering from
psoriasis or other skin diseases.The
distinctive blue colour is due to the
warmth and the high level of silicone
in the water.Sadly, there´s no evidence
that this increases cleavage size.
2. ÞINGVELLIR
In 930 a.d. the Vikings decided they
needed to find a way to settle their
disagreements, so they founded a
parliament, and called it Alþingi. Today,
although relocated, it is the oldest
(sometimes) functioning parliament in
the world, The Vikings, when not busy
hacking limbs of one another, were
quite aware of the beauty of nature and
picked this breathtaking spot to meet.
The American and European continen-
tal plates meet precisely here.
3. GULLFOSS & GEYSIR
Usually these two are mentioned to-
gether, partly because of geographic
proximity, partly because they both
start with the letter G. Geysir is the
geyser from which all geysers derive
their name. Sadly, it rarely erupts these
days, the family business having been
taken over by heir Strokkur. Gullfoss is
generally thought to be Icelands most
beautiful waterfall, hence the name,
meaning “Golden Waterfall.”
4. LANDMANNALAUGAR
Probably one of the most popular jeep
excursions tours is a round trip from
Reykjavik to Landmannalaugar. Not
surprising since Landmannalaugar is
actually a natural swimming pool in
the middle of Iceland’s highland desert.
Don’t bring shampoo or soap because
this pool is so natural that we wouldn’t
want to spoil it would we? If you’re up to
a 12 hour journey, most of the time in-
side a huge jeep, it is usually worth it.
ICELAND: A USERS MANUAL
CLOSE LOOK AT THE FIRST WEEKEND IN AUGUST
O U T S I D E T H E C I T Y
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
THE FIRST WEEKEND IN AUGUST
You wake up hung over in a collapsed
tent. It is raining and there is someone
that you do not know lying beside you.
All of your clothes are wet. All of your
belongings are either ruined or they
have been stolen. You are not sure
about what has happened in detail, but
the fact that some days before you took
the healthy decision of packing loads of
alcohol in a rucksack and going to the
countryside to celebrate a bank holiday
weekend seems quite obvious to you
given the dreary circumstances.
We make up excuses for drinking
on every occasion. The first Monday
of August is a bank holiday and the
preceding weekend we go to one of
numerous festivals located all around
the countryside packing everything
necessary (alcohol, some food,
alcohol, some clothing and, of course,
alcohol) and leaving behind everything
unnecessary (ethics and prudence).
Among the oldest and most popular
festivals would be Galtalækur (Boars
Creek) and Vestmannaeyjar (Westman
Islands). Galtalækur has gained a
reputation as a family festival for dried up
alcoholics… so many a teenager takes
his first steps towards alcoholism during
that festival, smuggling in booze by any
means possible. It is now only a family
festival and not run by AA anymore,
so maybe the teenage drinking has
decreased. Vestmannaeyjar have their
own national holiday. The reason for
a special national holiday on an island
which is (still) Icelandic, dates back to
1874, when the granting of the first
constitution by the king of Denmark was
being celebrated. The Vestmannaeyjar
folk wanted to take part in the festivities
but could not make it there on account
of a storm preventing them to sail
to the mainland. So they decided to
have their own national festival, which
lasted the whole weekend. It was so
much fun they decided to do it again
next year. And then every year since.
To most people it is the nicest festival
and personally I prefer it because of
the sense of history and tradition which
give the festivities increased value as a
festival which is not just about drinking
your self into oblivion, although this is
certainly done as well.
There are numerous downsides to
these festivals. In the first place the
expenses are gigantic since you have to
get yourself there and then pay to get
in, In addition you have to bring three
days worth of alcohol and we all know
how expensive that is on our island.
And the weather usually sucks. It is not
uncommon that it rains a lot and it gets
so stormy sometimes that the tents
blow out in the wind. The crime rate
also explodes. There was an incident
in a festival called Eldborg a couple of
years ago when a gang of guys gave
“date-rape” drugged drinks to girls and
then they walked around gang banging
their passed out victims using an igloo
tent which they had cut out the bottom
off so they could put it over the girls and
do their thing in peace.
Apart from such atrocities, which
fortunately are rare but do happen,
festivals can be pretty claustrophobic,
since you are in an isolated place which
you can not just walk away from if it gets
boring… actually I think that is one of
the main reasons for this excessively
heavy drinking… you just have got
enjoy yourself somehow, otherwise you
realise where you are and get depressed
(editorial note: much
the same might be
said of Iceland in
general).
The music sucks
too. It is played by
cover bands who
all share the same
sound and same
really bad taste in
music. All of them
cover exactly the
same songs in
exactly the same
way. When the
bands have been
around long enough
they manage to
make their own songs, but since they
have only been playing cover songs,
their own material tends to be a pop
music in a bizarre mixture of other
music styles and genres. Therefore it is
not uncommon to hear in one song a hint
of some eighties glamour metal, some
seventies disco and funky death-metal,
even all at once in a strange mix. It may
look interesting on paper but do not be
fooled… it is truly bad to listen to and to
enjoy it you have to either be a person
with absolutely no taste in music or
sufficiently out of it to enjoy it ironically.
Given that we Icelanders drink a lot we
can not blame these bands existence on
anyone but ourselves since we make up
the masses who ultimately attend their
shows, but foreigners beware, do not
let your selves get sucked in… you will
regret it for ever!
The upside can be the fun of going
out of the city and live completely free of
all boundaries of clubs and their dress
codes. As stated above, every sense of
ethic and prudence is left at home (some
take it too seriously though… hence the
rapes) so the fun can be pretty damn
crazy and it is said that EVERYONE gets
laid causing a birth explosion in May
since nobody has sense to use proper
protections in his or her drunken stupor.
(editorial note: this is not literally true.
Grapevine has found out the hard way to
never trust statisticians.)
Things to bring: Alcohol, food, tent,
warm and water resistant clothing
(umbrellas are not enough). Places
to go: Vestmannaeyjar, Galtalækur,
Akureyri, Kántríbær (the northern
wild wild west celebration), and many
others… posters are everywhere.
Bands to avoid: Írafár (avoid the singer
and 2003 Eurovision contestant Birgitta
Haukdal), Í Svörtum Fötum (avoid that
singer too), Skítamórall, Á Móti Sól,
Buttercup.
Follow the above, and let the
good times roll.
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson
For some reason, single men were frequent visitors to the hospital,
although none appeared injured. (Photo: Geiri | http://goto.to/eyjar)
The biggest town in the east. The
festival is held by the local blues,
rock and jazz club, Brján, who play
on Friday. Stuðmenn, the country’s
best goodtime band play on the
Sunday evening. Also hosts the Golf
Championship of the North Country,
and Tour de Norðfjörður. Entrance
is free.
NEISTAFLUG NESKAUPSSTAÐ
Iceland’s oldest and biggest festival.
Apparently, the scenery there is
great, but few guests ever notice.
The highlight has always been the
slope singalong, hosted by politician
and artist Árni Johnsen, sort of
Iceland´s Jeffrey Archer, who is
currently in jail for corruption, but his
release might be secured in time.
For those who are not attracted by
the prospect of rolling around dead
drunk in a sleeping bag in the great
outdoors, this is undoubtedly the
best option. It is in fact the most
music orientated of the festivals, with
some of the best underground bands
rather than the obligatory jolly cover
bands of the outdoor festivals.
INNIPÚKINN, REYKJAVÍK
IÐNÓ THEATRE, SAT. 2ND AUG
NATIONAL FESTIVAL
AT VESTMANNAEYJAR
Has both kinds of music, Country
and Western. Immortalised in a 1984
film by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. Run
by the original Icelandic Cowboy
Hallbjörn Hjartarson, who has so
far released 8 C&W albums and also
runs a radio station, sadly only heard
in the North. Don’t forget the whisky
and the beans. Or the hat.
The sober family festival, supposedly,
as alcohol is not permitted. People
are said to have gone to great
lengths to smuggle it in, injecting
it into oranges supposedly being a
favourite method. Still, if you have
the little uns along, and can stay in
a tent without drinking yourself to
sleep, this one’s for you.
GALTALÆKUR
COUNTRY FESTIVAL
AT SKAGASTRÖND Siglufjörður is the northernmost
town in Iceland. In the first half of
the 20th Century, it was the best port
for herring fishing, the “silver of the
sea,” people came there in droves
looking for employment and a sort of
gold rush fever reigned. The herring
disappeared in 1968, but the festival
still bears its name.
SÍLDARÆVINTÝRI Á SIGLUFIRÐI