Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2020, Side 37

Island Life
Hot news from the cold Icelandic countryside
Words: Andie Sophia Fontaine
Numerous residents of Sey"isfjör"ur complained that
they were woken up at midnight or later by SMS mes-
sages warning about
the coronavirus,
sometimes receiving
five such messages
at a time. These
texts were
intended for
tourists ar-
riving on the
Norræna
ferry, but
were sent
by area; not
by individual
phone number.
A man broke his leg in
Grundafjör"ur when
he attempted to
paraglide from
atop Kirkjufell
mountain and
required
rescue. A
helicopter
was de-
ployed and he
was transported
to hospital
without
incident.
Over the past few weeks, numerous reports have come in of seabirds
dripping with oil coming ashore in the Westman Islands and along
Iceland’s south-central coast. The source of the oil is unknown, but
authorities are investigating.
37The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 03— 2020
Best Of South Iceland
A selection of winners from our Best Of Iceland travel ma!azine
Best Accommodation:
Skálakot, Hvolsvöllur
Ideally located in the heart of South
Iceland, Skálakot is our favourite
from a considerable crop of recent-
ly-opened hotels. It’s a new build-
ing, but you’d never know from the
comfortable country manor vibe;
every detail of the rooms is perfect,
from the tasteful patterned wallpa-
per to the modernist kettles, slender
coffee makers, cloud-like beds and
deep bathtubs. The in-house res-
taurant is also excellent. “It’s like
an Icelandic version of the Twin
Peaks Great Northern Lodge,” said
the panel.
Best Meal:
Slippurinn, Westman
Islands
The undisputed heavyweight of
South Iceland restaurants is the
exquisite family-run Slippurinn
eatery. Located on the wild and pic-
turesque Westman Islands, it alone
is worth the trip. Head chef Gísli
Matthías Au!unsson is a famed
New Nordic innovator whose team
lovingly harvests wild ingredients,
and works with local farmers and
suppliers—you can be certain that
everything on your plate has been
thoroughly considered. The result?
A stunningly fresh and vibrant taste
of Iceland that you’ll never forget.
Best Museum/Gallery:
Lava Centre,
Hvolsvöllur
There’s a huge range of museums in
South Iceland, from old-time folky
town museums, to exciting technol-
ogy museums. The Lava Centre is
one of the latter, boasting engaging
interactive displays and ingenious
visualisations of Iceland’s volatile
geography. “The museum displays
exciting and interactive scientific
information from knowledgeable
Icelandic volcanologists,“ said the
panel. A memorable highlight is a
huge model of the glowing tectonic
rift below the country, which really
puts things in perspective.