Reykjavík Grapevine - jul 2021, Qupperneq 14

Andie Sophia Fontaine
I feel best when I’m not reminded that I live
next to the sea, aka the world’s toilet. So to
cheer myself up here in Reykjavík, I like to
walk up to Öskjuhlí!, the forested area that
surrounds Perlan, and just kinda wander
around. Going off the marked trails and into
the denser part of the woods is especially re-
laxing. Half an hour in this setting and I feel
a great deal better. If it happens to be rain-
ing out, though, then I like to go to Borgar-
bókasafni!, the library on Tryggvagata. Pick
up literally any book, or a stack of manga, then
head up to one of the top floors and sit by a
window in the “study area” to read in peace.
It’s quite lovely.
Valur Grettisson
As a family man and therefore no longer an
individual, but some kind of slave of enter-
tainment for my children, the best way to
spend the day is to get in the car and head
south over Hellishei!i. First we would visit
the wonderful old school swimming pool in
Hverager!i. It’s beautiful architecture and
the view over the town is nothing less than
sublime. Afterwards we would drive all the
way to the small petting zoo in Slakki, not
that far from Geysir and Gullfoss. There we
would pet some silly little kittens and visit
the feisty parrots. This would be followed by a
round of minigolf. On our way back, we would
head to Selfoss to visit Mathöll Su!urlands
and grab a bite at one of the many places you
can find there. If the kids are not already
asleep in the car before you get to Hverager!i,
we would take a left turn before we go up to
Hellishei!in, and drive Kambar back (the
south road to "orlákshöfn) and pretend that
we are on a another planet while navigating
the narrow pass back to Reykjavík.
Alina Maurer
Whenever I’m feeling down, I remind myself
that I’m probably just missing out on Vita-
min D, “the happy hormone.” The best thing
one can then do, is to rush to Nauthólsvík.
Reykjavík’s geothermal golden beach—with
just the right amount of imagination, you’ll
feel you’ve been transported to the Mediter-
ranean. Never forget sunscreen; sunburns
are surprisingly easy to obtain on this cold
rock. If the dopamine levels are not high
enough yet, I highly recommend going to
Elli!aárdalur and watching all the adorable,
wild bunnies roaming around, munching on
some treats. Speaking of treats: A good way
to end a day is at Ísbú! Vesturbæjar. Mix in
your favourite candy and you’ll be happy as a
clam again.
Hannah Jane
The best cure for a sad day is some confidence,
sun and a little bit of fight-or-flight induced
dopamine. I’d start my day at the aptly-named
Adrenalíngar!urinn with a group of friends
for some bonding. The little ropes course an
hour away from the city gets the blood pump-
ing with a series of climbs and jumps that
can’t help but induce smiles. Afterwards, it’s a
vegan mukbang at KFC whose vegan chicken
is, like… scarily real. Then, it’s a hop over to
Vínstúkan Tíu sopar for some natural wine,
which I’ve convinced myself is healthy since it
has “natural” right in its name. Voilá. (Then I
go home and binge-watch ‘True Blood’.)
Brittnee Kiner
If I ever start feeling down or homesick, a
full-on recovery day commences to fight back
the blues. There’s little that I love more than
being outdoors and moving my body, so seek-
ing out a good hike is my ultimate remedy
to any hint of sadness; a recent favorite of
mine is Glymur, followed by its leg numbing
river crossing halfway through the roundtrip
venture. Anyone with a hint of sanity would
grab food afterward—the core of any good
hiking trip. Once I’m hangry and hiked-out,
I fuel back up with Dragon Dim Sum and
their heavenly, plumptious dumplings filled
with flavours that will send you straight to
Valhalla. If dim sum isn’t enough to drag me
out of a rut, I love to toss in a climbing session
at Klifurhúsi!—a sure-fire way to pull any
active guy or gal from any depths of despair.
John Pearson
The birdlife around Reykjavík’s lakes and
ponds offers the world-weary a natural source
of therapy, free of charge. At Tjörnin—a.k.a.
“Honky Pond” due to its noisy avian resi-
dents—one can enjoy the company of greylag
geese, whooper swans, mallards and some-
times even eider ducks. Take some seeds
or sweetcorn niblets to feed them, but not
bread as that’s not good for them. The experi-
ence is sure to ground you and soothe your
soul (assuming you have one). Be careful of
those goose turds on the surrounding paths,
though. They can reach a considerable size—
greylag geese can get through one hell of a lot
of seeds and sweetcorn niblets—and slipping
on one might shatter that new-found peace
of yours.
14The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07— 2021
Woohoo!
Cheer Up, Dear
Live, Laugh & Love your way to a better day
with the Grapevine
Words: The Grapevine Photos: Art Bicnick
“It can’t rain all the time,” Eric Draven famously said. However, in a town with weather like
Reykjavík, it can definitely feel like it does. Listen—we all have bad days, so take a page out of
the Grapevine’s book and fight away those blues at our favourite local places.
Best of Reykjavík
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