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ICELAND REVIEW 3
CONTENTS 201048.01
4 FROM THE EDITOR
6 CONTRIBUTORS
8 WATCH THIS SPACE
The small village of Hofsós is the home of the Icelandic Emigration Center. Recently a new outdoor swimming pool was opened there with a splendid view over Skagafjördur fjord.
10 VIEWS OF ICELAND
Quarterly news from your favorite island nation. Compiled by Eygló Svala Arnardóttir.
14 IN REYKJAVÍK
Meringue cakes to make you happy, laughing hats, living art and flying bicycles.
18 THE ERUPTION IN FIMMVÖRDUHÁLS
Volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson writes about the spectacular volcanic eruption between the glaciers at Fimmvörduháls—amazing photographs by Páll Stefánsson.
40 NIGHT VISION
The Fimmvörduháls ridge between Skógar and Thórsmörk has been a popular hiking trail for decades. Evan Spring hiked it during the summer solstice in 2009. His footsteps have now been covered by glowing lava and volcanic craters.
48 LIVING THE DREAM
Snowboarder Halldór Helgason performed gargantuan jumps at the Winter X-Games in the US—and took the gold medal. Ásta Andrésdóttir interviewed the daredevil.
50 JÓNSI ON THE GO
Sigur Rós front man Jónsi has just released his first solo album go and is now on world tour promoting it. He sat down with Sari Peltonen and talked about himself, Sigur Rós and being different.
56 INVADED BY INNOVATION
The site of the former US Base on Midnesheidi is being transformed into a center of innovation and research. Lowana Veal reports.
64 LUMPSUCKER SPRING
Hidden between the high and beautiful mountains of the East Fjords is the tiny village of Borgarfjördur eystri. Bjarni Brynjólfsson and Páll Stefánsson took to the sea on a fishing boat netting for lumpsuckers.
72 THE UNPROMISING BALLERINA
Award winning ballerina Erna Ómarsdóttir has been a magnet for attention for her wild dance shows. Sari Peltonen met Ómarsdóttir and learned that screaming is her hobby.
76 STRUGGLES OF AN OLD-TIMER
Director Fridrik Thór Fridriksson has once again made a movie about old people. In Mamma GóGó his late Alzheimer's ridden mother is the subject. Alda Kravec interviewed the director.
80 LAST PAGE
Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
4 ICELAND REVIEW
Sometimes Mother Earth is extremely kind to us—even when she opens her womb, erupting lava and ash straight from the mantle. The volcanic eruption
which started at Fimmvörduháls mountain ridge around midnight 20 March and continues at the time of writing has made it ice-crystal clear to us that life here is not only about money, debt, betrayal and sloppy politics. It has made the nation forget all that—at least for a while.
Thankfully, this soul-saving eruption is rather small and it is happening in one of Iceland’s most spectacular places, between the glaciers on the ridge just above Thórsmörk. It is what we call a perfect tourist eruption. The weather has played a big part too, with clear skies and good night vision making this grand show of the earth accessible to thousands of visitors who have f locked to sightseeing points and even trekked for twelve solid hours through rough terrain to experience it. The Fimm-vörduháls eruption has created unique lava falls which have not been witnessed before. Flowing lava falls from the highland ridge down to the narrow canyons of Thórsmörk and creates plumes of steam and explosions. Geologists and earth scientists are already having a field day and will investigate the lava and the new earth the eruption creates.
An eruption however is a natural disaster of the most dangerous kind. Although small, this eruption could last for months or years. When a new fissure was created some spectators were in serious danger of being consumed by the earth. It should be stressed once more that people should never venture too close to the lava or the craters.
The eruption has not caused any damage to manmade structures but if enough lava continues to f low down to the lowlands of Thórsmörk, one of Iceland’s natural wonders, it will alter the environment in a big way and push the river Krossá to the north. There is also a debate about whether this eruption will trigger a larger eruption in the more dangerous and powerful volcano Katla. Scientists are watching the development closely as an eruption in Katla always brings about a serious and abrupt glacial burst releasing millions of tons of water and mammoth icebergs which can erase roads, bridges and whatever else is in the way.
So even though we currently marvel over the stunning sight of the glowing lava fizzing like champagne on fire
out of the row of craters, the implications could be very serious indeed.
Now people are speculating about a name for the new volcano. The proposed names have all had some connec-tion to the economic crisis; Hrunafell (Crash Mountain) and Kreppufell (Mount Depression) are two very good ones I’ve heard mentioned. Personally I favor Crash Mountain as the lava descends from a cliff and crashes some 150 to 200 meters below, and also because Hrunafell is an anagram for Hraunfell, ‘lava mountain’ in Icelandic.
There has been no lack of all kinds of stunts in relation to the eruption. The chefs at Hotel Holt probably have the winner, transporting some guests up to the ridge by chopper, laying out a table on a red carpet and cooking a champagne dinner for them using the boiling hot lava as an oven.
Many have used the opportunity to see the eruption up close in a helicopter or small plane. Tourist services in the area are euphoric. It’s been their best March and April in history. A hamburger joint in the vicinity reported 24,000 percent increase in sales.
If you decide to come and experience it f irst hand, make sure you are properly equipped and clothed. The Icelandic highlands can be seriously tricky at this time of year and no one should venture out alone except very experienced mountaineers. But there are plenty of opportunities to see it up close with proper guides or licensed tour operators.
In this issue we bring you stunning photographs of the eruption by Páll Stefánsson, our photographer, who has been up there many times since it started, and an article by the renowned volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson. We hope you enjoy it but of course this can never match the unique experience of hearing and seeing for yourself the earth play at full force. A natural disaster of this magnitude reminds us that our planet is very much alive and we are all very small in comparison.
.
Bjarni Brynjólfsson
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (WORLDWIDE) USD 39.50 or equivalent in other currencies. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Submissions should be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and an international money order to cover postage, if return is required. No articles in this magazine may be reproduced elsewhere in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher. ISSN 0019-1094. Iceland Review (ISSN:0019-1094) is published quarterly by Heimur hf. in Iceland and distributed in the USA by SPP 75 Aberdeen Road Emigsville PA 17318-0437. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Iceland Review P.O. BOX 437 Emigsville PA 17318-0437.
Publisher Benedikt JóhannessonHead OfficeHeimur hf.Borgartún 23, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland
Tel: (+354) 512 7575 Fax: (+354) 561 8646 [email protected] in Iceland by Ísafoldarprentsmidja
48.01 2010
FROM THE EDITOR
A SOUL-SAVING ERUPTION
EDITORBjarni Brynjólfsson
DEPUTY EDITOR & PICTURE EDITORPáll Stefánsson
DESIGN Erlingur Páll Ingvarsson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSAlda KravecÁsta AndrésdóttirEygló Svala ArnarsdóttirEvan SpringHaraldur SigurdssonLowana VealMica AllanSari Peltonen
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSBaldur KristjánssonÖrvar Thorgeirsson
WEB EDITOREygló Svala Arnarsdóttir
COPY EDITORJane Appleton
PRODUCTIONErlingur Páll Ingvarsson
COLOR PRODUCTIONPáll Kjartansson
ADVERTISING SALESInga Halldórsdóttir
COVERPáll StefánssonHelicopter silhouetted against spewing
lava at Fimmvörduháls
ICELAND REVIEW 9
WATCH THIS SPACE
18 ICELAND REVIEW
PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
HOT
ICELAND REVIEW 21
MOUNTAINS
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28 ICELAND REVIEW
NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPPER
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ICELAND REVIEW 29
36 ICELAND REVIEW
ICE
Thousands of tourists have experienced the eruption first hand.
“I just love to do it. I love to play instruments.
Like four guys playing together and creating
music and songs, it is so beautiful, like magic.
It is one of my favorite things to do.”
80 ICELAND REVIEW
THE LAST PAGEPHOTO BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON
