Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2010, Síða 14

www.inspiredbyiceland.is
OOD NEWS
We are generally inspired by Iceland and the stuff going on here. We wanted to bring y'all the good news
happening in our fair country and why we love living here.
Barefoot Iceland
We all need to get more grounded
Name: Michel Jones
Where have you been tonight?
Bar 11, which is actually really perfect,
it’s really nice. It made me drunk, and
a lot of other people too.
What makes Reykjavík nightlife
special?
People here are really open and have
nice hearts. It's really perfect and I'm
having a lot of fun.
What about the drinking culture?
Iceland is a calm place, and this kind
of drinking is really nice because in
Iceland people drink enough. When
I say 'enough', I mean a lot. Every
person, girl or boy, they always drink
as much as they want and as much
as they can. Every time they go down
town they are the most open people
and it's just a different kind of feeling.
Favourite places to go out?
Hverfisbarinn is number one for me.
Over there I know a lot of people
that I just met in one night. They just
come and are like “hey you are a
nice dancer” or whatever, you know?
Doesn't matter what it is they are
always willing to meet new people.
Why is Iceland different to
anywhere else?
Out of Scandinavia, Iceland is
one of the best countries to travel
around. It has more things to offer,
particularly in terms of nature. It
has a lot of different things to show
you. Tourists coming to Iceland and
travelling around will have a really
nice memory.
Tourists
On The Street
We stopped to interview some
lucky tourists on the street to see
why they chose to visit Iceland.
The following people graciously
complied to dish out the details of
their trip.
G R A P E V I N E
SHOWS SOME LOVE
A buncha stuff we thought we’d love on
Hitt Húsið
Austurstræti
Hitt Húsið is currently occupying
that big red house on Austurstræti
(along with the Post Office). It was
founded in 1991, as a resource
centre for young folks between
the ages of 16–25. They aim to
help young people formulate and
execute their ideas (for instance
by providing them with space
to work on them). They are for
instance responsible for some of
the awesome street happenings
that have been going on in town
this summer, and there’s plenty
more to come. We cannot imagine
Reykjavík without it, so here’s
some love.
Villa Reykjavík
This crazy travelling art festival has
brought an arty party hearty spirit
to Reykjavík over the past week—
and it ain’t over yet! They’ve got
some sort of opening or cocktail
event or concert going on pretty
much every day, so those of you
that are into art and/or free drinks
and hors d’oeuvres should have
plenty on your plates. More info on
www.villareykjavik.com
Flight Of The Testes Fest
This unique metal festival went
on last weekend, way out in
Neskaupstaður. Grapevine was
there, and boy did we have a
blast! Some of Iceland’s best,
most awesome heavy bands
playing in near-perfect sound,
to a crowd that displayed near-
perfect harmony. And Napalm
fucking Death were there too!
The organisation of the thing was
exemplary, the staff was friendly
and helpful and the spirit was
just amazing to witness. Expect
extensive coverage in our next
issue (the writers that went there
were all too hung over to do their
jobs when they got back).
Miss U Karamba :(
Klapparstígur
So some bad news is that Karamba
is closing down indefinitely as of
this weekend. This sucks. We’ve
had some great times there since
they opened up last year, seen
some great shows, drank some
great drinks and generally enjoyed
life in the company of the friendly
staff and nice wall paintings.
They’re having a farewell party this
weekend that you should definitely
attend. Miss U, Karamba. Thanks
for everything.
Iceland: a veritable cornucopia of tex-
tures. Soft snow, smooth ice, squishy
moss and a whole lot of hard rock. Dur-
ing the last six months or so—most of
that time spent in Iceland—I’ve been
experiencing these sensations in a way
alien to most people. I’ve been feeling
this amazing country… through my
feet. Now, I know what you’re think-
ing. But for the next few minutes, as in-
sane as this may sound, I’d like to push
your comfort zone and suggest that by
wearing shoes, or at least traditional
ones, you are in fact missing out on a
whole lot that Iceland has to offer.
It’s not just me, though. A minor
revolution is sweeping through some
areas of society, especially that of rec-
reational and professional runners.
Barefoot is back and apparently it’s
very healthy indeed. A growing number
of people are casting off their shoes
and not just running, but living their
everyday lives unshod. Studies by well-
respected scientists, such as Harvard
University’s Dan Lieberman, offer that
we as humans are made to be bare-
foot. They argue that we evolved this
way and that shoes are damaging our
feet, letting our muscles atrophy away
through under-use. There is still much
debate in this area—although it is hard
to argue that barefoot living is harm-
ing people—but the list of evidence in
favour of barefoot living is certainly
growing.
Cut and bruised
Of course, the world we live in is
harsh—arguably much more so than
thousands of years ago. Broken glass
and sharp tarmac leave unprotected
feet cut and bruised. If you are ventur-
ing up mountains or through volcanic
ash, naked feet are clearly a bad idea.
But where there’s a market, there are
products, and some shoe manufactur-
ers are beginning to expand on this by
offering shoes that are little more than
protective coverings for feet, letting
them work unsupported and uncush-
ioned, as nature intended. And while
your opinion may vary, I actually think a
lot of these shoes currently pushing the
boundaries of footwear fashion, look
pretty cool. Disappointingly I only know
of one store in Reykjavik that sells
such minimalist shoes, but they are out
there, and if you’re coming from abroad
they are generally easier to find.
So, fashion and health are my rea-
sons for this, then? Actually, no. I’m not
sure how I got turned onto this whole
movement in the first place, and Lord
knows what made me take the leap
and purchase a pair of freaky-looking
shoes with toes. But when I slipped my
feet into those foot gloves, it suddenly
all made sense. When I ran through
my Reykjavík neighbourhood, I could
feel the changing surfaces beneath my
feet—tarmac, concrete, grass, gravel.
Running in the snow was an (admit-
tedly slightly chilly) joy, added to by the
fact that I was leaving bare footprints
in the snow as I went. Hiking up nearby
Esja, I could wrap my toes around every
little rock, feeling rooted to the moun-
tain. Clambering across lava fields near
Hekla for some recent fieldwork, the
combination of the thick carpet of moss
and the sharp lava rocks were a feast of
feedback for my feet.
Completely connected
to the ground
Venturing through the ash fall area
during the recent Eyjafjallajökull erup-
tion, I felt completely connected to the
ground. I felt as if I could sense the
Earth moving beneath my feet. It was a
wonderful feeling. Not only have I seen
amazing things in Iceland, but I have
actually sensed them through my soles.
Of course there are places you can’t
really do this. I’m not suggesting you
walk across glaciers barefoot, or make
long hikes in adverse conditions like
this. I probably wouldn’t even suggest
walking across those lava fields in any-
thing less than hiking boots. But even
if you just do it once, for a few minutes,
give it a try. Go into the countryside,
cast off those blocks around your feet
and set them free. Take a little walk.
Marvel at what you can feel. Iceland
is such a special country, richer in raw
nature than almost any other, and it
would be a shame not to get as close to
that as possible once in a while.
By james Ashworth
Names: Flory and Etienne
What made you choose Iceland?
F: I came here seven years ago,
and it was really nice. We love the
wilderness and it's a great place to
go hiking.
What's been your favourite thing
so far on this trip?
The trek from Landmannalaugar to
Skógar.
Biggest disappointment?
Well we went to Vík to look for some
Puffins, just like it said in the guide,
but we couldn't find any!