Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.07.2011, Blaðsíða 57

Barbara
At Laugavegur 22, above Trúnó, Barbara
serves up a lively atmosphere for Reykjavík’s
gay community and anybody else who just
wants to dance and have a good time. The
first level is made for dancing and is often
packed with sweaty bodies, while the second
level of the bar offers a place to sit, drink and
chat with another and in which to smoke.
Laugavegur 22
11
GRETTISGATAFR
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SKÚLAGATA
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SKIPHOLT
East
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“Financial
DistriUp
Town
Hlemmur
Bus Terminal
Sundhöllin
Swimming
Pool
The
Tower
The Einar
Jónsson
Museum
Hallgríms
kirkja
Church
National
eatre
Taxi
6 7 8 9 10
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6
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For a map of outside downtown Reykjavík
visit www.grapevine.is or the Icelandic
phonebook website www.ja.is
If you have an iPhone, check out the cool
Locatify app in the AppStore. It´s got a FREE
guided audio tour of the downtown area,
courtesy of your pals at Grapevine.
14
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Egill ‘Gillz’ Einarsson
What’s up, Gillz?
There are four writers in Iceland who
aren’t lazy, and Big Man is one of them.
I have a day job; I get people in shape
so they can wear their g-strings for two
months a year when the temperature
rises to 15 degrees. When I’m not
getting other people fit I’m getting
myself in better shape or writing my
next bestseller. And yeah, I’m also an
actor and I have the most popular TV
show in Iceland. I am The Shit.
My routine depends on what day it is. If
it’s a Monday I might be thinking about
hanging myself. If it’s a Friday I’ll have
a smile on my face, because in Iceland
we call Friday ‘bottle day’, that’s a
great fucking day. Below I’ll describe a
normal Friday for me.

I wake up at 06:30 and make myself an
omelette out of twenty egg whites. The
life of the bodybuilder is hard work. The
last time I ate a hamburger was 1997; I
don’t care, it’s a lifestyle.
I train people from 07:30 until 10:00,
and then I go to the hairdresser Robbi
Carter in Hafnarfjör!ur. I go to him
every Friday at 10:00. Have you ever
seen The Big G-Man walking down the
street without a fresh haircut? Doesn’t
happen.
At 12:00 I go to Nana Tai to my friend
Tómas. The food there is ridiculously
good and healthy; I only eat healthy
food. But on ‘candy day’, which is
Sunday, I can eat whatever I want.
At 13:30 I get my weekly massage.
When you are 97 kilos of pure muscle,
you need to get that shit massaged
regularly.
I train people until 16:30, and then it’s
time for me to punish the iron. Fridays
are deadlift days. I’ll pump maybe 260,
270 kilos lightweight for about 3-4 reps
and maybe 12-14 sets overall. I do that
outside at Sporthús Beach, which is
an amazing outdoor gym. I can pump
there without my shirt and, as most
Icelanders know, I hate wearing a shirt.
People say that I am the most talented
writer in all Iceland and, well, I’m not
going to disagree with that. I get my
inspiration from the gym, the ice-cold
iron. Right after a quality workout I
drive my 500 horsepower Mercedes
straight home to make myself a 400
gram tenderloin. Because it is ‘bottle
day,’ I drink a glass of red wine with it.
After the steak is done and going fast
to all my muscles I drink some more red
wine whilst I write my next bestselling
book, which is called ‘Heilræ!i Gillz’ or
in English, ‘Gillz’ Advice’. I have a simple
goal: to make Icelanders fitter and
happier. My books make people laugh,
and that truly makes me happy.
Sincerely, Big Man Gillz.
EARLY MORNING >
LUNCH >
AFTERNOON >
EVENING >
Hemmi & Valdi
The “colonial store” Hemmi and Valdi was
probably 2008’s most surprising crowd
pleaser. The cosy hangout advanced from
being a toasty retreat, where you could
get cheap beer and have a quiet chat, into
being a chock-full concert venue and an all-
night party place. And believe me, the new
atmosphere is brilliant. SKK
Laugavegur 21
1817 Hressó
You know, Hressó is basically the only place
I go for coffee. Why? Their coffee is decent
to excellent, but their forte is surely their
wonderful patio, where you can enjoy the
spring breeze in the sun, wrap yourself
in a blanket beneath an electric heater in
January and at all times: smoke. They boast
of quite the prolific menu, but I’d reconsider
the playlists to tell you the truth, too much
of Nickelback really hurts. SKK
Austurstræti 20

C is for Cookie
This cosy new café owned by Polish couple
Agnieszka and Stanislaw is the latest
addition to the Reykjavik café scene and
already looks set to become a favourite
with the locals. Ideal for an early lunch or
spending a lazy afternoon deciding which
of Agnieszka's delicious home baked
cakes you want to try next. I´d go with the
cheescake, it's pretty fabulous. EF
T"sgata 8
19
Kryddlegin Hjörtu
The restaurant Kryddlegin Hjörtu, "Spicy
hearts", specializes in healthy and rich
gourmet soups, homemade spelt bread and
an exclusive salad bar. They are located by
the seaside with a spectacular view of the
mountains to the north. They are located
in a newly built house at Skúlagata 17.
Designed with great taste and a lot of love.
Closed on Sundays.
Skúlagata 17
12 Kaffismi!ja Íslands
Old fashioned charm is the style of
Kaffismi!ja, in everything from the decor to
the coffee grinders. Off the beaten track, this
popular coffee shop is a great spot to sit and
read or have a chat with friends. The owners
Ingbjörg and Sonja take great pride in the
beans they use and the coffee is top notch.
You can buy fresh grounds too, in case you
just cant get enough. EF
Kárastíg 1
13
LAUGAVEGUR 56
101 REYKJAVÍK
WWW.NIKITACLOTHING.COM
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