Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2004, Side 30

Proud Everywhere - Pride For Everyone
by Frosti Jónsson
Anyway, now, some 15 years later, we
have a huge event called Gay Pride
and it has become the third largest
event in Iceland with some 20 to
30 thousand people attending every
year. And that’s a lot for a Gay event
in a society that numbers less than
300.000. Even the big European cit-
ies would be happy to have an event
of this size! But this is Iceland. And
this year’s event will definitely not be
an exception. When listing the artists
performing, it becomes clear that we
have many outstanding performers.
And this year, as in previous years,
some foreign artists will join the local
performers as well and put on a great
show. They know how to do it!

This year’s Pride starts with an
opening ceremony on Friday
August 6th with the Gay theater
group‘Vanity’ performing as well
as the Drag Queen ‘Heklina’ and
friends from San Francisco. Heklina
is half Icelandic, naming herself after
the Icelandic volcano ‘Hekla’. The
Icelandic gay star Maríus will debut
with his orchestra and afterwards
there is a Pride Party all night long.
But the big event takes place the
day after when the Pride Parade will
march down Laugavegur to the city
centre where a huge outdoor Concert
takes place.

Gay Pride has definitely become one
of the most important eventa for
Icelandic gay people. But it is also an
important event for our friends and
families and everyone else who wants
to show solidarity with gay people in
Iceland and everywhere else in the
world. Proud everywhere - pride for
everyone.

For more Information about gay
pride visit www.this.is/gaypride
and for more information about gay
Iceland visit www.gayice.is
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THERE’S MORE TO THE OCEAN THAN BILLY
by Ölvir Gíslason and Kjartan Guðmundsson
One of the things that you should not miss up here is the “Mojito
of the North”, Rabarbara-Rúna (Rhubarb-Rúna). There is vodka
instead of gin and Iceland’s national fruit, the rhubarb, is featured
prominently. Although this may not sound impressive, the results
are stunningly delicious. This rare treat, the brainchild of personable
waitress Sonja Eyglóardóttir, is just the beginning of the evening
in the restaurant Við tjörnina (By the Lake), situated, ironically
enough, by the lake in the centre of Reykjavík.
Grapevine’s correspondents arrived
at Við tjörnina at ten o’clock one
summer evening in June. The late
hour was due to the fact that one
of us felt compelled to attend an
allegedly important football match
(his team, KR, won, by the way).
Grapevine’s editor was beginning
to feel frustrated as it was already
hours past his dinner time, which
usually lasts straight from 5 pm to
8pm. But all was well as soon as we
settled in to comfortable chairs in the
restaurant’s homey lounge and leafed
through the numerous guest books.
Such is the power of the restaurant’s
friendly atmosphere and Rhubarb-
Rúna.
Entering Við tjörnina is like step-
ping back into a different age. The
décor is reminiscent of an Icelan-
dic home in the 50s and while we
dine, the music of classic Icelandic
crooners, such as Haukur Morthens,
Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson and Erla
Þorsteinsdóttir, aids our digestion.
One song that caught our atten-
tion dated from the first Cod War
between Iceland and Britain. The
lyrics compared the intellect of the
cod and the British and, perhaps not
surprisingly, judged in favour of the
cod. This song was particularly ap-
propriate in this place, as seafood of
all kinds is the order of the day here.
The only diners apart from us
were two middle-aged Germans at
the next table, one of whom bore
a striking resemblance to Willy
Schäfer, who portrayed police officer
Berger so memorably on the popular
TV series Derrick. Soon Sonja
began to bring us delicious dishes.
In a place like this, the surroundings
can’t help but affect the conversa-
tion, so our editor pontificated about
Icelandic culture and the state of
the nation, but our starters held our
concentration instead: fish soup with
cream and baked mousse of salted
cod with lobster, hot smoked breast
of guillemot with apple salad and
horseradish cream, each dish more
delicious than the last. We feasted
on grilled halibut with sun-dried
tomatoes and spinach, puffin steak
and fried plaice with blue cheese and
banana (an absolute highlight).
Chocolate cake doesn’t sound like
the most exciting desert in the world,
but the housecake at Við tjörnina is
an endless source of surprises, so that
even the skýr-cake (excellent in its
own right) pales in comparison. At
this point, our editor was starting
to feel the effects of all the red and
white wine, sherry and Rhubarb-Rú-
nas, so we decided to head home. On
our way out we ran into legendary
Icelandic musician Megas and folk
music duet Súkkat, who were going
to the lounge to spend the night
rehearsing for an upcoming concert,
proving that Við tjörnina is more
than a restaurant - it is a kind of a
cultural centre, a friendly oasis in the
busy city life that apparantly never
sleeps. But sleep beckoned us, so we
sauntered into the night one step
closer to happiness, fulfilment and
obesity.
I remember some 15 years ago (and at the time I was not out) see-
ing a picture of maybe 20-30 people marching down Laugavegur
(the main shopping street) armed with banners and flags remind-
ing the rest of the us that gay people do exist and that they should be
accepted on the same grounds as everyone else in the society. I don´t
think it got much attention at the time, as gays and lesbians were
not that visible and the media didn’t really care. Or the media just
found the subject inappropriate for its viewers at the time. I don’t
know. But as I was trying to find out if there were any gays around
me it looked like I lived in a gay-free zone. Maybe living outside
Reykjavik had something to do with it...
Gay bars and clubs in Reykjavik:
Cafe Cozý (Austurstræti 3, city
center) is a friendly gay cafe in the
city center. Relaxed atmosphere and
a good place for lunch and mingling.
Gay Community Center (Samtokin
78) Monday, Thursday and Saturday
evenings there is an open house . An
excellent place to mingle with local
gay people before hitting the bars
and clubs.
MSC Iceland (Bankastræti 11) is a
social club for gay men into leather,
rubber, uniforms and jeans; the heart
of the leather scene in Iceland.
Club Jón Forseti (Aðalstræti 10)Gay
bar and nightclub in Reykjavik´s old-
est house. Bar open all week, night
club open during weekends. Drag
Cabaret every Saturday night.
H
.S
.
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