Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2019, Side 4

What Are Icelanders
Talking About?
WAB is here. Pride is here.
Jim Ratcliffe, too
Words: Sam O’Donnell Photo: Art Bicnick
When it comes to land
ownership, one would
expect, at the very least, there
would be some provision requiring
the purchaser to reside in the coun-
try in which the land is purchased.
This has proven not to be the case
in Iceland, where billionaire Jim
Ratcliffe has bought up massive
amounts of land in the interest
of conserving Atlantic Salmon.
Apparently, with enough money
and some semblance of noble
motive, anyone can purchase land
here.
As a whole, it’s become an issue
that foreigners are buying up entire
farms and allowing the land to fall
into disuse. The good news though,
is that the Minister of Transport
and Local Government, Sigurður
Ingi Jóhannsson, has been work-
ing to reinstate restrictions on who
can and cannot purchase land in
Iceland. The bad news is that these
provisions have been in the works
since September 2018 and nothing
has happened. Hopefully some-
thing passes soon, before somebody
buys more land and allows it to turn
to shambles.
Sparkles included
It’s that time of year again; Reyk-
javík Pride is in full swing. The
two-week-long string of events is
the perfect way to celebrate your
beautiful queerness (or support
the beautiful queerness of others)
in whatever way your heart desires.
Whether you go to a drag show, the
parade, the gala, or all of the above,
it is an experience not to be missed.
Note, there’s no need to worry about
toting around the tots: The parade
is family-friendly and open to all
ages. Check out the Grapevine’s
Guide to Pride online for more info.
Bow down
Budget airline WOW Air went
under earlier this year, much to
the devastation of many króna-
pinching Icelanders. The question
on everyone’s lips has since been:
Where can we meagre peasants
purchase tickets on a budget so
we, too, may go on holiday? The
new airline, WAB is the answer.
They are in the financial stages of
the venture, and have bought a 300
square metre office in Garðabær.
WAB has already begun hiring new
employees, and they hope to have
the company running full blast by
the fall, with planes flying to 14
locations in North America and
Europe. Fingers crossed.
4The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 14— 2019First
Published by Fröken
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ILLUSTRATIONS
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INTERNS
Josie Gaitens
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Sam O'Donnell
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CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
a rawlings
Alexander Jean de
Fontenay
Felix Robertson
Freyja Dinesen
Grayson del Faro
Greig Robertson
Lóa Hlín
Hjálmtýsdóttir
Ragnar Egilsson
Rex Beckett
Shruthi Basappa
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Art Bicnick
Dominika Milek
Javier Agustin Rojas
Philipp Poppek
Vilhelm
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NEWS
CARTOON
Pride's here! It's queer! Get into it.
THE HOME
OF ICELANDIC
SEAFOOD
AND LAMB
APOTEK Kitchen+Bar is a casual-smart
restaurant located in one of Reykjavíks
most historical buildings.
We specialize in fresh seafood
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prepared with a modern twist.
APOTEK KITCHEN+BAR Austurstræti 16 101 Reykjavík apotek.is