Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2014, Page 4

Most Awesome
Letter of the Issue!
Dear grapevine
I was reading the article 'Americans
Love Iceland' by Teresa Bergen (Issue
15/2014), and found myself incensed by
the account of american travel writers
ignoring the requirement to shower be-
fore entering the swimming pool. I've
also noticed, at the Laugardalslaug,
that metal barricades appear to have
been erected at some point in the last
few years, herding everyone in to the
communal showers, with unambigous
signs reminding us all of the need to
shower in the nude, along with precise
diagrams of how to wash in a number
of languages .
There is little doubt who these ini-
tiatives are aimed at. As a frequent
traveller to Iceland I don't have any
problem with showering naked, al-
though it took a while to adjust to it,
and it still feels a bit awkward. I always
make a point of following the rules
though.
I wonder if one solution to this issue
might be to construct premium chang-
ing rooms for tourists, with private
individual shower cubicles. You could
then pay extra to use the premium
changing rooms (say 1000 IKR per go),
if you want to shower in private. The
cost of the premium changing facil-
lities and the swimming (1000 IKR +
600 IKR) would hardly be prohibitive-
ly expensive for someone on holiday in
Iceland. If you don't want to pay extra,
you can just shower naked in the regu-
lar showers with everyone else. And if
you dont want to pay extra AND you
don't want to shower with everyone
else, then you can get lost.
Basically, I think that the impor-
tant principle here is that the rules
about hygiene in swimming pools are
always followed, and not that tourists
and icelanders are forced to shower na-
ked together.
Best wishes,
Neil Holdsworth
Hey Neil,
You know, your suggestion is all good, but
if we did that our pool attendants couldn’t
force people to wash their genitals with
soap. Google “Fóstbræður baðvörður” for
an example of one such abuse of power.
Hygienically yours,
The Grapevine
Say your piece, voice your
opinion, send your letters to:
letters@grapevine.is
Happy Thursday Reykjavik Grapevine
Team!
I hope this finds you well and super
excited for the weekend ahead! I am
going to heading up to the volcano
on a heli for a bridal photoshoot next
Thursday, October 9th. However, as
I am sure you are aware Norðurf lug
Heli will not allow me to land near the
volcano without a press pass. I was
wondering if your team would be able
to provide me with a press pass in re-
turn of my sharing the images I photo-
graph once I return?
Please let me know your thoughts!
Thanks for your time!
With a smile,
Ann Peters
Hey Ann,
We are super sorry to be the ones to tell
you, but unless you are a millionaire
willing to incur a hefty f ine, you aren’t
going to get to go anywhere near that
volcano while its still spewing poisonous
fumes, not even with a Grapevine press
pass.
Believe us, we tried.
Does it really rain all October?
-Marilyn Ferdinand
Yeah, sorry Marilyn, you can read more
about that on page 12.
The Grapevine
SOUR GRAPES AND STUFF

There's prize for all your MOST AWESOME
LETTERS. And it’s a scorcher!
No, really! It's a goddamn scorcher
is what it is! Whoever sends us THE MOST
AWESOME LETTER this issue will receive
A FRIGGIN GOURMET FEAST FOR TWO at
TAPAS BARINN. Did you hear that? Write
in and complain about something (in an
admirable way), win a gourmet feast at
one of Reykjavík's best? THIS IS THE
DEAL OF THE CENTURY IS WHAT IT IS!
What's in a 'lobster feast'? Well, one has
to assume that it has lobster-a-plenty. Is
there more? Probably, but still... Gourmet
feast? Wow! DON’T PANIC if your letter
wasn’t picked AWESOME LETTER.
There's always next month! Now, if
you're in the market for free goodies
next month, write us some sort of letter.
Give us your worst: letters@grapevine.is
MOST AWESOME LETTER
FREE ICELANDIC GOURMET
FEAST!

Winter schedule every Tuesday,
Thursday & Sunday at 11:00
– please see www.seatours.is
The bridge to Westfjords
seatours@seatours.is – Smiðjustíg 3 – Stykkishólmi – Snæfellsnes