Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.07.2013, Blaðsíða 18

18The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 9 — 2013
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Experience the freshness of our Icelandic-Italian cuisine, or have a drink at our
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ICELANDIC PRODUCE
ITALIAN TRADITIONS.
Brynja
Geysir
A Hardware Store Holds
Its Own On Fleece Street
As you walk up Laugavegur, weaving through all-weather clad tourists as they
meander past souvenir shops, artsy cafés and hip boutiques, a hardware store is
probably the last thing you would expect to encounter. However, Brynja, a Reyk-
javík institution, holds its own in the thoroughfare amongst these crowd pleasers.
Institution
Best Place to
Treat Yo Self
The distinctive red building is impossible
to miss with its crisp paint job and sign that
spells out “Brynja.” The store’s owner, Bryn-
jólfur H. Björnsson, whose name is derived
from the same word, told us that the store’s
name invokes Viking armour.
Open since 1919, Brynja is most likely the
oldest hardware store in Iceland that is still
open for business—and a busy one at that,
crowded with both locals and a steady stream
of tourists.
For locals, bath equipment, keys and locks
are the most popular sales at Brynja, but
tourists perusing the store gravitate towards
“vintage” items like modest aluminium water
pitchers and basins, enamelled and painted
with flowers or ogle the “exotic” knives hand-
crafted by local artisan, Palli Kristjánsson
from such materials as whale tooth and rein-
deer antler.
For tourists, coat hooks with Viking faces,
shelf paper in primary colours, varnish cans
with antique labels, a classic shower head,
boxes of individual screws, washers and nails,
wicker rug beaters, skeins of twine and rough
wool work gloves are all examples of Iceland’s
charming character, yet unlike novelty souve-
nirs, each of these items has their own distinct
purpose for locals.
When I asked Brynjólfur whether Brynja
had any plans to sell puffin stuffed-animals
in the future, he said, “No. We don’t want to
be a tourist shop. There are already plenty of
them.” The only item, Brynjólfur keeps in stock
specifically for tourists are electrical adaptors.
However, tourists would find reasons to visit
his shop even if Brynja didn’t stock them.
Brynjólfur suspects American tourists, in
particular, find the shop fascinating because
most of them are used to buying their tools
from large warehouses in strip malls. Yet,
small hardware stores like Brynja are becom-
ing just as rare in Iceland.
Although the recent decision to close
Laugavegur to auto-traffic has been largely well
received, Brynjólfur laments that local custom-
ers can no longer load heavy equipment or sup-
plies into their vehicles from the store.
As city planning favours tourist accom-
modations and attractions, closing down
bars and cafes to make way for hotels, for in-
stance, some local institutions like Brynja will
just have to work harder to serve the needs of
locals while welcoming tourists from all over
the world. Adrienne Blaine
Even from the outside, Geysir is a barrel full
of eye-candy for the window shopper with
a sweet tooth for clean Nordic fashion and
indulgently soft fur accessories. Though
it sits a mere block up from Lundinn on
Skólavorðustígur, Geysir feels a long ways
away in terms of quality and aesthetics from
its tourist trapping counterpart with no bloat-
ed display of stuffed puffins or offensively
cheap plastic Iceland flags in sight.
The interior is equally pleasing, designed
by the same creative mind behind other aes-
thetically applaudable Reykjavík establish-
ments like KEX Hostel and Snaps Restaurant.
Its large windows let in the summer light,
punctuated by colourful blankets made of
pure Icelandic wool. A moose stands in the
corner draped with scarves and mittens that
can make even the most warm-blooded wish
it were winter. A wooden staircase lined with
shining Hunter brand boots leads shoppers
into its depths, where a basement of beautiful
bags, beanies, blouses and more await.
It may have begun with an emphasis on
sending the tasteful tourist home with their
new staple article of Icelandic wool, but Gey-
sir has broadened its focus. Since a minor re-
working of their concept in 2010, Geysir now
aims to send, well, everybody home with their
new staple article of Icelandic wool. During
the summer months the shop is brimming
with happy foreign Skólavorðustígur shop-
pers, and during the off-season, especially
around Christmas time, it’s locals. This must
be the mark of a well-rounded shop.
The fine designs and hip interior go down
easier than a cool spoonful of skyr, but the
price tags can give a jolt similar to finding a
lump of dark hair in that skyr. But the prices
are worth it, Silja Elvarsdóttir assures us from
behind the counter, as they reflect the durabil-
ity of the items. "It's timeless," she says, "think
of it as an investment. You pay now for some-
thing that you will use over and over again for
many years to come." So we say: suck it up
and treat yo self.
Never again should a zipper burst trying to
fit the smashed beak of a stuffed puffin into a
suitcase. Parker Yamasaki
Best Of Reykjavík
Best Of Reykjavík
Magnús Andersen
Nanna Dís