Iceland review - 2015, Page 6

4 ICELAND REVIEW
The Polish Prince Polo has been the best-
selling chocolate bar in Iceland for more
than half a century. It all started in the mid-
1950s, when Iceland exported herring and wool
to Poland and they had no hard currency to pay
for the goods, so we got Prince Polo chocolate
bars instead.
For years to follow, it was the only imported
candy in Iceland. We too were short of hard
currency and wanted to protect the small
Icelandic candy industry. But that all changed in
1970, when Iceland joined EFTA (the European
Free Trade Association) and had to open up to
imports from Europe.
Despite the upheaval, Prince Polo survived, is
still a best-selling snack and almost as big a part
of our culture and diet as cod liver oil. In this issue
we give you a sneak taste of a brand-new extra
virgin cod liver oil, made in Bolungarvík, the West
Fjords.
Another Prins Póló, the successful band and
big winner at the Icelandic Music Awards, is
featured in two articles in this magazine: one
about the awards, and the other about their farming
life in Berufjörður, the East Fjords.
We also have an ‘exclusive interview’ with a
noble Viking, Geirmundur Heljarskinn, one of the
first immigrants to Iceland. And we look at the
immigration policies of today, examining the
lengthy process of applying for asylum in Iceland.
We wait for the sun, visit the deserted U.S.
military base in Keflavík, take some dance steps,
and tell you all about the 181-day-long Holuhraun
eruption.
We bring you the pictures of the year, and take
you on a trip around Iceland’s coastline, in pictures,
with almost no text.
If you want to explore the very long and ever-
changing coastline of Iceland, please remember to
take two princes with you: the Polish candy one for
extra energy on the long hike, and the other—the
ear candy one—for the happiest music coming
from Iceland right now. A different type of energy
rush altogether.
Páll Stefánsson
ps@icelandreview.com
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in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher. ISSN 0019-1094. Iceland Review (ISSN:0019-1094) is published
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EDITOR
Páll Stefánsson
DEPUTY & WEB EDITORS
Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir
Zoë Robert
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Erlingur Páll Ingvarsson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Alëx Elliott
Elliott Brandsma
Eiríkur Bergmann Einarsson
Larissa Kyzer
Mark Asch
Matthías Jochumsson
Mica Allan
Rachel Mercer
Sari Peltonen
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Annie Ling
Anton Benois
Áslaug Snorradóttir
Bragi Þór Jósefsson
Gígja D. Einarsdóttir
Heiða Helgadóttir
Jim Mahoney
Nastasya Tay & Yiannis Hadjiaslanis
Páll Kjartansson
Sigtryggur Ari Jóhannesson
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Freydís Kristjánsdóttir
K. Vogfjörð
COPY EDITOR
Alëx Elliott
PROOFREADER
Julie Ingham
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Páll Kjartansson
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ICELAND
REVIEW
ATLANTICA
FROM THE
EDITOR
COME AND MEET
THE ICELANDIC
HORSE
IN PERSON
HORSE THEATER - RESTAURANT
SHOP - VISIT THE STABLES
ONLY
30 MIN. FROM
REYKJAVIK
At Iceland’s only horse park, Fákasel, visitors can meet the unique
Icelandic horse, either at the stables or the daily horse theatre show.
Daily excursions available from hotels in Reykjavik, contact your
tour desk for further information.
Restaurant serves fresh Icelandic food and
is open daily from 10am to 10pm.
icelandichorsepark.com
P
H
O
TO
B
Y
P
Á
LL
K
JA
R
TA
N
S
S
O
N
.