Atlantica - 01.02.2002, Qupperneq 25

ing our way up Laugavegur or starting at the top and going
down again. I’ve always opted for the latter, so from the
restaurant we weave our way up through the backstreets of
central Reykjavík, a quaint mixture of stately homes and
more raggedy corrugated-iron houses, where the city
bohemians reportedly live. This is the famous 101 Reykjavík,
the postal code made famous in the movie of the same
name. People still have twinkly lights in their windows left
over from Christmas and these charming streets are incredi-
bly quiet even though they’re right in the city centre.
BAR-HOPPING
We zigzag our way up to Klapparstígur and get back onto
Laugavegur and our first bar stop is Kaffi List, a cool concoc-
tion of white leather sofas, Latin music and interesting art-
work. Here we down a couple of hotshots to warm us up
from the walk and mingle with the smart crowd who range in
age from the late 20s to the late 40s. Our next stop is
Reykjavík’s most famous bar, Kaffibarinn, which according to
legend belongs to Blur singer Damon Albarn. Whether
Albarn still has anything to do with it or not, Kaffibarinn is
the constant home of Reykjavík’s cultural and wannabe cul-
tural elite. Actors, musicians, fashion designers and writers,
dressed down in furry hats and leather jackets, and sporting
odd details such as Asterix braids, nose rings, 80s shoulder
pads and Human League haircuts, are all regulars. Beer is
their usual tipple and we do as the locals and down a couple
of Viking beers. You try to strike up a conversation with the
couple on the next table and at first they look at you as if you
were an alien. Five minutes later they’re telling you how to
spend your weekend. A small hint – Icelanders tend to get
pretty drunk and tell you their life story on your first meeting.
Don’t be surprised if the next day the person either doesn’t
remember you or doesn’t want to remember you and walks
past you with a frosty expression. Our next destination is
Vegamót, a lively bar on two floors that often features live
music. We get caught up in the spirit of things and start danc-
ing with the stylish crowd until we need some fresh air. Five
minutes and a few cold breaths later we’re at Prikid, a small,
70s-looking bar full of TV presenters and young, hip types
dressed down in Diesel jeans and Gucci sunglasses even
though it’s 2:30 in the morning. A beer later and we decide to
change the atmosphere by going to Sirkus, a whacky bar
located in a shack off the main street. Here, the people are
even more creatively dressed than the ones you spotted at
Kaffibarinn, and everything is considered normal including
asymmetrical haircuts, medieval gauntlets and 80s junk you
wouldn’t be seen dead in. We dance, or try to in the limited
amount of space, and strike up conversation with the friendly
locals. Our search for bigger dancing space takes us more
downtown, to newcomer-club NASA, a cool-looking venue
complete with a large dance floor and a stage. The 80s
sounds, however cool they might be, drive us mad so we end
our evening at Thomsen, Reykjavík’s ultimate techno empire,
which often flies-in famous DJs from abroad, in spite of its
small size. Thomsen stays open until the early hours so that’s
where I bid you goodnight.
BLUE BLISS
Dawn arrives at the gentle hour of 11 o’clock, so I leave you to
sleep off the night’s excesses until then. And speaking of
excesses, I have the perfect solution to that headache. We
bundle into the car and drive out of the city towards the
famous Blue Lagoon. The sun sparkles off the pure white
REYKJAVÍK
Reykjavík is the perfect place to get active in winter. Snow abounds in Iceland from January until early
May, and this season is the perfect opportunity to visit the ski resorts that lie so close to the capital city.
The Bláfjöll ski resort is a popular choice, and offers a diverse selection of runs and stunning views on a
clear day. Less crowded alternatives are Skálafell, which lies between Reykjavík and Thingvellir National
Park, and the Hengill skiing area to the south. All areas are within a 30-minute drive of the city, with one-
day ski passes costing a surprisingly low ISK 800 (USD 8).
Cross-country skiers can go practically everywhere, with excellent runs in Bláfjöll and even in the city
parks, and then there’s always ice skating, either in the skating rink at Laugardalur or, more romantically,
on the city pond which is lit up in the winter months.
Those who prefer motor-driven activities can hire a snowcat and speed along the endless snowy planes
outside the city limits.
Information on skiing conditions, tel: (+354) 570-7711. Ski hire available at Útilíf, tel: (+354) 545-1500. For
snowcat hire contact Geysir, tel: (+354) 568-8888 or Icelandic Adventure for day trips on snowcats and
arctic trucks, tel: (+354) 577-5500, www.adventure.is
W
in
te
r S
po
rts
°
A T L A N T I C A 23
The Icelandic music scene is thriving.
020-026 ATL601 Reykjavík 14.12.2001 15:44 Page 23