Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2020, Blaðsíða 18

Autumn Activity Guide
Psych! There Is Nothing Called Autumn In Iceland!
Words: Valur Grettisson Photos: Jón Trausti Sigur!arson
Before we enter the pitless dark
and windy nightmare of winter,
we have...well, the pitless dark and
windy nightmare of pre-winter?
Anyways, here is your early autumn
activity guide.
Go pick berries
The weather might be getting cold-
er...well, shittier if you don’t want
to sugarcoat it, but it’s still time to
go out and pick something to turn
into jam. Icelandic nature is brim-
ming with black crow- and blueber-
ries. If you are timely enough, you
can go to Hei!mörk and pick a ton
of them. But the secret places are
in Hvalfjör!ur. Just turn right basi-
cally anywhere in the fjord. Then
just Google some jam recipes or just
call your mother for once. And don’t
skimp on the sugar.
Chase sheep
We mean that literally. You can take
your kid, or just go on your first
date, chasing some sheep in the
yearly sheep round-ups all over the
country. You can find ads about the
round-ups in the Icelandic papers,
or just Google it like the modern
person you are. But, keep in mind,
there is something called COVID-19
spreading around the world, so
there could always be some unex-
pected complications. The good
news is that the sheep haven’t con-
tracted the virus. Yet.
Visit "ingvellir
Here is a pro tip for travellers:
"ingvellir, a national park and
the site of Iceland’s oldest parlia-
ment, is never more beautiful
than in the autumn. The reason
is simple. The area is covered in
shrubbery that transforms into a
goddamn otherworldly colourful-
ness that can best be described as
a natural acid trip. Take a fishing
rod with you and try to catch one of
those colossal sea trout. But don’t
eat it if you're pregnant, it used to
have a notoriously high amount of
mercury in it some few years ago.
Hunt for Aurora Borealis
They are always there; you just
have to wait for a clear night. Fill a
thermos with coffee—take tea with
you if you want to be fancy about
it—and go back to Hvalfjör!ur…
you know, where you found those
delicious berries. There you’ll find
complete darkness. Find a nice
spot to park, drink your coffee
and enjoy the show. If you want to
be on the safe side, visit vedur.is
for surprisingly accurate aurora
forecasts. If you don’t see any, well,
I hope you enjoyed your tea, you
pompous bastard.
Art House cinema
Remember, when society had some-
thing called culture? Vaguely? Same
here. But there is no better way to
shake off that idiotic happy sum-
mer mood but to visit the cinema
and watch something so bleak that
it will leave you rattled for the rest
of the winter. And no, we’re not
talking about some overblown Hol-
lywood crap disguised as some-
thing remotely intelligent, but real
arthouse cinema with a depth that
mercilessly tests your patience for
the next four hours of the screen-
ing time. Of course, we recommend
Bíó Paradís, that will reopen this
month, hopefully, but also keep in
mind that the Reykjavík Interna-
tional Film Festival (RIFF) kicks off
at the end of September and you will
be able to watch all those arthouse
movies from the comfort of your
home. It’s forbidden to fall asleep,
though! You can read more about
RIFF on page 28.
BEST OF REYKJAVÍK
Best Pool
Vesturbæjarlaug
Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavík
Vesturbær is one of Reykjavik’s
most bustling areas, and prob-
ably the only locale where you
could bump into Prime Minister
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, renowned
artist Ragnar Kjartansson, and
member of Sigur rós in the same
day. Vesturbæjarlaug is smack
in the middle of the hubbub and
serves up a wonderful selection
of hot tubs chock full of chatter-
ing artists, students, and oth-
er107 locals. The pool is unique
in the sense that it offers up pret-
ty much anything you’d need—a
shiny outdoor pool, big hotpots,
a large steam room, and a par-
ticularly lovely outdoor changing
area, which you should take ad-
vantage of in the summer. And
remember, don’t hesitate to con-
verse about the state of things in
the hot water—Icelanders love
to debate politics, philosophise
about art, and make fun of, well,
everything.
RUNNERS UP
Laugardalslaug
Sundlaugavegur 30,
105 Reykjavík
Here we’ve got the biggest pool
of Reykjavík, which—get ready
for this—has the tallest slide in
the city. So if you’ve got kids, get
ready for a wild ride. For adults
though, the panel praised the hot
seawater tub, which is filled with
a hot mixture of salt and fresh
water. They described the feel-
ing as odd but fun. You’ll step out
smelling of salt. Yum.
Árbæjarlaug
Fylkisvegur 9, 110 Reykjavík
The main reason the panel chose
Árbæjarlaug was for its stunning
view of the city. It’s an impres-
sive view of the east of Reykja-
vík, showcasing a huge forest,
Elli!arárdalur, and below that
you have an extraordinary view
of the city’s skyline. Also—you
have to give it up for the pool’s
fun 90s architecture.
18The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07— 2020Best of Reykjavík
Some definite Capricorn energy from this one
Dear Brits living in Iceland, please join us at our
next #BritIce event on Thursday 17 September
at the Radisson Blu Saga Hotel in Reykjavík, from
5-7pm.
Join us for all the latest on the end of the Transition
Period and your rights in Iceland after 31 Decem-
ber 2020. There will be a Q&A as well.
Please RSVP - more information on the Embassy’s
Facebook page: @UKinIceland
Joy, Sustainability
& Honesty
Kaupvangur 17 - Egilsstadir
tel: +354-471-2450
Happy Hour
all days 15 - 19
Best selection of Icelandic
Beers in the East
Private rooms & dorms
Homemade cakes & soups,
vegan & friendly food