Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2016, Blaðsíða 56

I’m not going to l ie—when I
suggested to my editor that we
should w rite a travel article
about Kópavogur, I was joking.
Kópavogur, for non-Icelanders,
is a suburb of Reykavík—techni-
cally a separate municipality—
best known for Smáralind, the
largest mall in Iceland. While it
is a beautiful residential area,
it’s not necessarily a must-see
on TripAdvisor. When I asked
some Kóp-dwelling friends what
people do there, I was met with
b emu se d ex pression s —t hey
thought I was joking too.
Enginn Enska
But they did have some recom-
mendations. Café Catalina is
a local haunt that was recom-
mended by absolutely ever y-
one I talked to. Some urged me
to catch a classical concert at
Salurinn—a Kópavogur concert
hall—and finish with a beer at
Catalina, while others recom-
mended going during the week-
end, when it’s apparently pretty
rowdy.
I arrive around noon, and im-
mediately fall in love with the
café’s homey decor. There are
f lowers on every table, shiny
wood paneling, old-school wall-
paper—it’s quite kitschy. Off to
the side, hidden behind a false
wall, lies a classic bandstand
and dance floor. I promise my-
self I’l l djamm at Catalina as
soon as possible.
There’s a small dai ly food
menu—two entrées and a soup—
which I decide to sample. Here’s
why I’m urging future Kóp-visi-
tors to check this place out: the
food is unbelievable. The cau-
lif lower soup is the best soup
I’ve had in years, and the fish is
cooked to perfection. If you’re
looking for one of those “hidden”
culinary destinations, here it is.
Warning though: This is not a
tourist restaurant, so they don’t
have a menu in English. But I
guess if you’re the type of per-
son who wants a hidden culinary
destination, you’ll probably just
think this makes the café more
authentic. God bless.
Romance-vogur
Our next destination is the near-
by Gerðarsafn Kópavogur Art
Museum. The current exhibition
is called ‘Sculpture / Sculpture’
and features work by Sindri Lei-
fsson and Eva Ísleifsdóttir. In
the first room lie about twenty
circular pieces of wood attached
to metal rods. Sindri titled these
“Sculptures with Attitude Prob-
lems.” “Sindri is challenging the
idea that sculptures are some-
thing that is only in one place,”
says the museum attendant. “We
move the sculptures around ev-
ery day.” Sometimes they line up
the wood in a line, while other
days they make squares or dia-
monds or just random shapes.
Eva’s work in the next room fol-
lows a similar format: the mu-
seum workers move her sculp-
tures around constantly. It ’s a
cool concept, and I find the ex-
hibit aesthetically pleasing, but
who knows? The room will look
totally different when you visit.
Just a short walk up the hill
from the museum is Kópavog-
skirkja, or, as many call it, Ice-
land’s “McDonald’s church”—if
you look at the church from the
side you’l l see some familiar
arches. Local secret: There are
actually two other ugly church-
es in Kóp, both so hideous that
I’m thinking of writing a piece
called: “Who the fuck hired this
architect?”
But stroll down a paved path
from the museum and you’ll find
my favorite spot in Kópavogur—
a beautiful duck pond with a
little gazebo on it. It’s incredibly
romantic. If you ever find your-
self in the improbable position
of planning an impromptu date
in Kópavogur, here’s your secret.
So while Kóp might not be the
most traditional tourist destina-
tion, if you find yourself there,
there is plenty to do. Copaca-
bana, Kópacabana? What’s the
difference?
SHARE:
gpv.is/kop
DRIVE-THROUGH TOWN
A Day In The Kópacabana
No caipirinhas in Kópavogur, though
The volcano Katla,
located close to the
southern Ring Road,
has continued to
rumble intermit-
tently over the last
weeks. Over 200 earthquakes were
recorded on September 29th and
30th, resulting in the eruption
threat level being elevated to “yel-
low” status. The road to the popular
Sólheimajökull glacier was closed,
and people forbidden from walk-
ing on the glacier. However, the
earthquakes subsided, and the road
was since reopened. Katla erupts
roughly every 50 years, with the
last major eruption recorded over
98 years ago. Although earthquakes
happen often around the volcano,
it’s worth staying aware if you’re
travelling in the area.
The Icelandic Road & Coastal Au-
thority (IRCA) reports that traffic
on Iceland’s Ring Road has in-
creased by 17% in September 2016
compared to same time last year.
It’s the single biggest leap the IRCA
has ever recorded. They measure
traffic using cameras dotted around
the island, and their footage also
shows that East Iceland has seen the
biggest increase, with a startling
jump of 42%. The state of many of
Iceland’s roads—particularly con-
necting sections of unpaved dirt
track—is often dire, and the gov-
ernment is likely to come under
renewed criticism for their lack of
infrastructure investment given the
dramatic increase in tourist traffic.
A WowAir passenger flight was
struck by lightning mid-flight re-
cently. Icelander Halldór Guðmunds-
son managed to capture the exact
moment the bolt hit the plane in a
mobile phone video, and his dra-
matic footage quickly went viral. The
fact that the plane continued as if
nothing happened is reassuring…
we guess? In other weather news,
this autumn has already seen several
storm warnings, with the Icelandic
Met Office telling drivers to check the
wind conditions before setting out on
any particularly long or adventurous
journeys. Take a look at en.vedur.is
before you set out to see what’s up.
TRAVEL
NEWS
IN BRIEF
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 16 — 2016
56
Words HANNAH JANE COHEN
Photos ART BICNICK