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Breiðdalsvík (Broad Valley Bay) is a tiny village in the East Region in Iceland, just off the Ring Road, with the same name as the bay where it is located. The population in January 2022 was approximately 133 in the village and around 180 in the whole valley of Breiðdalur, including the inhabitants of the farms. Like many small communities in Iceland, Breiðdalsvík traces its origin to trading in the 19th and 20th centuries. Due to difficult transportation, challenging travel, especially in winter, and complex communication, trading companies often had an annex or warehouse in less populated areas. This was the starting point for Breiðdalsvík. Although situated by the shoreline, the village is not big in fishing and fish processing. Unlike many of the deep fjords in East Iceland, the bay is shallow and loaded with large rocks, skerries, and small islands. This made it difficult for bigger boats to navigate to the village and is likely one of the reasons why a harbor or a functional wharf didn't develop until the middle of the 20th century. It started with a house for trading Although the first house, a building for trading, was built at the end of the 19th century, the first dock was built in the first decade of the 20th century. It wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that the village made a harbor, probably initiated by politicians who wanted to strengthen the economic base of the small communities in the East Fjords. It was at a time when a new stern trawler was thrown into every small village around the shoreline. At that point, the community was ready to take advantage of the nearby fishing grounds. Then fishing and fish processing In the sixties and the seventies, Breiðdalsvík had reasonably good reason for optimism. The village had a reasonable premise to develop its economy based on fishing and fish processing, with a new trawler, a few fishing boats, and a small fish processing plant. The small village developed; new houses were built, service increased with a post office, bank branches, a coop society, a store, and various new services. Fishing and fish processing might have seemed promising at that point as the population grew to about 250 people in the nineties. However, around that time, the fishing quota probably stopped further development. Like so many small villages in Iceland that the trawlers gave hope, it did not survive the fishing quota law imposed by the Icelandic government at the end of the 20th century. In the late eighties and the nineties, the population declined, and the town lost most of its economic base. Breiðdalsvík is also surrounded by good farming land Parallel to the fishing industry, agriculture and services related to agriculture was always strong in Breiðdalsvík as one of the best farming lands in the East Fjords surrounding the village. The beautiful valley west of the village, framed by high mountains, is the broad valley that gives everything name and is the largest lowland area in the East Fjords. Therefore, it is worth giving this valley and the waterfalls Flögufoss and Beljandi time when traveling through the area. The landscape is impressive as this is the oldest part of Iceland and the mountains have a deep geological history. The tiny village is turning to tourism and service In recent years, Breiðdalsvík has been in defense economically, and more and more residents have moved over to tourism for their livelihood. It is symbolic that most of the buildings built for bank branches, the post office, and other services have now been taken over by tourist-related services. So if you visit Breiðdalsvík, you will find a restaurant, a small store, a variety of accommodation, a campsite, Breiðdalssetur, dedicated to the geology of the East Fjords and tour companies that can take you to exciting places in the valley and up to the highland. The village is part of the East Fjord's municipality, Fjarðarbyggð, and embraces many tiny villages along the southeast coastline. With the small population, the village struggles to offer minimum services to its inhabitants. Nevertheless, it has a primary school, a secondary school, a library, and excellent sports facilities, including a swimming pool. If you're planning to tour Iceland in a rental car, make sure to read this article about the type of car that would be best for your trip.

Many tourists visit Iceland to explore the nation’s rugged landscapes and photograph the country’s splendorous wildlife, while others prefer to spend their stay in Reykjavík, learning about the capital’s vast cultural history and dining at several of the city’s luxurious restaurants. In recent years, Iceland’s largest city has been garnering international acclaim for its diverse culinary selection, as well as its thriving night life and fascinating walking tours, which take travelers on a compelling journey through centuries of European history. Zeb and Catherine Jones, two Bostonians who work in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry, decided to take a second vacation to Iceland in order to celebrate Zeb’s birthday, explore Reykjavík more in-depth, and gain further insight into Iceland’s distinct culture and way of life. Walking Across the Capital Zeb and Catherine first visited Iceland back in 2012, and they couldn’t help but notice how much Reykjavík has changed since their initial trip. “It seems like they’ve done a lot of construction, especially as the tourism industry has grown,” Zeb remarks, scanning the foyer of Harpa Concert Hall. The adventures the couple had during their first stay in Iceland left such an impression on them that they decided to come back to celebrate Zeb’s birthday this year: “We’re staying for four nights and we actually leave tomorrow,” Zeb explains. “We’ve based most of our trip in Reykjavík, with only a couple tours outside the city. We took a walking tour of the city this morning, and we’re going to the Blue Lagoon tomorrow. That will be the fourth time we’ve been there!” For Catherine, the walking tour of Reykjavík was the highlight of their second journey, as she loved learning more about the city’s intriguing history and asking questions about Iceland’s government and culture. “There’s a rich heritage and culture here,” she reports. “We heard all the stories about the Vikings, the Danish, the British and even the Irish. I found it interesting and fascinating to learn about the parliament and how the government works.” Both Zeb and Catherine were also pleased to hear about Iceland’s achievements in equal rights for women. “Our tour guide talked a lot about the gender equality here,” Zeb reports. “I think they said 29 of 63 parliament members in Iceland are women, which is pretty impressive.” “The food here is amazing!” Catherine adds, when asked about some of the most memorable aspects of their stay. During their visit, the couple made a point of dining at Café Loki, a quaint restaurant near the towering church Hallgrímskirkja, which is famous for serving traditional Icelandic food—whether fair or foul. “We tried several different meat dishes, including smoked lamb (hangikjöt, a festive Icelandic meat dish usually consumed around Christmastime) and foal, which were delicious,” she recalls. Zeb adds, laughing: “We didn’t feel brave enough to try the fermented shark, though.” One of Iceland’s most infamous local dishes is hákarl, Greenlandic or sleeper shark that has been dried and fermented for several months. An acquired taste, hákarl is known for its sharp, pungent flavor and ammonia-rich odor. Trying it is not for the faint of heart (or stomach)! A Destination That Stands Out During both trips, Catherine and Zeb found Icelanders to be approachable and jovial people, and they appreciate how well they treat and accommodate tourists. “Icelanders have been extremely friendly to us, very welcoming and very helpful,” they explain. When asked if they would recommend Iceland to other vacationers, they did not hesitate to say yes. “Do it!” Catherine proclaims, with a smile. For Zeb, who grew up on a Christmas tree farm, and Catherine, who cites giving baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. a hug as one of her life’s most interesting moments, Iceland has become a beloved location that stands out amongst their expansive world travels: “We’ve been to a lot of places and this is definitely one of our favorite vacation destinations.”

In the district of Laugardalur, you will find one of the largest industrial and commercial areas in the city of Reykjavík. Developed at a time when Reykjavík was advancing as a small town and becoming a city while the population was increasing rapidly, Laugardalur became the breeding ground for all kinds of business and commercial solutions. A development that demanded better transportation, better areas for industry, a larger port, and better facilities for sports and recreational activity, among many other requirements that surfaced and demanded a solution. This was in the early forties, and most of the projects and buildings were built in the period up until the seventies and eighties. And even today, many parts of the area are still seeing new buildings serving new industries, like hotels and office buildings serving the rapidly growing travel industry. A key district for industry and commerce There are mainly four areas for industry and commerce in the Laugardalur district. Laugarnes, which probably still has some development potential, Sund, where all kinds of companies and the main port of Reykjavík are located, Borgartún, which many consider the center of our small and damaged, but slowly recovering financial companies, banks, and financial institutions and Skeifan which is mainly a commercial area. In Laugardalur district in Reykjavík is the heart of sports events in Iceland Laugardalur is the heart of Iceland’s sports and our participation in international sports like soccer, handball, and track and field. Here is where our small but sufficient Stadium is located. It is also one of the largest outdoor recreational areas in the city. The main camping ground in Reykjavík is conveniently located in Laugardalur beside our favorite outdoor swimming pool, Laugardalslaug. But Laugardalur also has a few residential neighborhoods. Although most of the houses are single-family houses or two to three-story houses with two to three apartments, there are also some of the largest and tallest residential buildings in Reykjavík in the district of Laugardalur. In all the residential neighborhoods, service for the residents has always been of high quality. There are good kindergarten, primary- and secondary schools as well as "state of the art" sports facilities.

Professor Guðrún Gísladóttirrð’s has her roots in the most ferocious areas in Iceland, Skaftárhreppur and Mýrdalshreppur As a professor of Geography at the University of Iceland, Guðrún Gísladóttir is in a unique position to observe the impact the volatile Icelandic nature has on the inhabitants and the environment. Guðrún studied geography at the University of Iceland before commencing on post-graduate studies at the University of Stockholm where she completed her Ph.D. She is a project leader for NCoE NORDRESS, the Nordic Centre of Excellence studying the impacts of natural hazards on all the Nordic countries, from the local to the transboundary level. April 2014 the Swedish King awarded Guðrún the Gold Wahlberg Medal, on behalf of the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography, for her "breadth and depth of knowledge within land degradation and desertification, and for her work to establish broad geographic networks, environments and meeting places for researchers in geography." A powerful impact Guðrún has her roots firmly embedded in the two most geologically dangerous areas in Iceland, Skaftárhreppur, and Mýrdalshreppur, where she spent a part of her childhood. Although born and raised in Reykjavík, Guðrún's father was from Álftaver, an area of unusual (even for Iceland) natural phenomena, her mother was from Mýrdalur where the mighty volcano Katla resides underneath Mýrdalsjökull. Apart from regular visits, Guðrún would spend her summers with her father's family in Álftaver from the age of ten to fifteen. During those years, she got to know her grandfather and his story intimately. It would proof to be the deciding factor in Guðrún's choice of education and life's work. "Álftaver is a very small community today, with only eleven farms," says Guðrún. "It used to have a much larger population throughout the ages, even when I was growing up. To me, it is one of the most beautiful areas in Iceland. Even as a child I sensed the powerful impact of the people's cohabitation with nature, not least the cohabitation with such an extreme nature. Driving along Iceland's main road, you would never guess it is there. To the north, you'll see the Skaftártungur. The view to the north is breathtaking with majestic mountains, volcanos and glaciers, to the south there seems to be just a whole lot of nothing. Still, it has always been populated, albeit constantly changing ever since the first settlers arrived." The Rootless Cones "Shortly after the first settlers arrived, they had to escape the area due to an eruption of Mount Katla. It was an enormous eruption with the fissure vent spanning tens of kilometers. During this eruption, the extraordinary landscape of Álftaver was formed. The lava would flow to the south along Mýrdalssandur towards Álftaver, which was mainly a wetland. When the glowing lava covered the wetland the water would boil underneath resulting in the steam exploding through the lava forming the craters characteristic for Álftaver today. But, they are not volcanic craters, only pseudocraters that we refer to as rootless cones. When you drive along the beautiful black Mýrdalssandur and look to the south, they are easy to spot. The locals maintain those cones have saved lives across the centuries during glacier bursts from Katla. Katla is the most active volcano in Iceland, along with Hekla, Bárðarbunga, and Grímsvötn. Katla has erupted 21 times during historical time. It is a subglacial volcano, which means that when erupting it doesn't spurt lava but rather a tremendous volume of volcanic ash, as well as, glacier outburst floods." It is time "During those 21 eruptions, the majority of the bursts have flooded Mýrdalssandur. The eruption starts subglacial gradually melting the icecap. The first you'll know about what is happening is when you see the volcanic ash rising. The icecap will rise releasing the alarming volume of melted water to burst towards Mýrdalssandur and the ocean. And, it happens extremely fast. This has happened approximately every 50 years in historic times. The last Katla eruption was in 1918. An interval of nearly 100 years is a very long time, making the Icelanders quite wary of the mountain. And we are not only talking about water. The Katla glacier bursts are not characterized by water, but by mud and sediment and will bring forth rocks and gigantic icebergs the size of apartment blocks. That sediment and the ash give Mýrdalssandur the beautiful, black countenance." A narrow escape "My grandfather was a young man in Álftaver when Katla erupted in 1918. It was the season for rounding up the sheep for slaughtering. He was on Mýrdalssandur along with a group of local farmers rounding up the sheep for Áftaver scattered all over the sands, One of the ewes strayed from the herd. My grandfather's friend turned back to fetch it and as he turned he could see this great gray wall coming towards them. He immediately realized this was a glacier burst from Katla. He turned back to his group and quietly informed them: "Katla is coming." This stoicism is typical for the people living in this area. The simple sentence is quite loaded. It means: "We must whip the horses and get the hell out of here – NOW!" They could already see the huge floodwall approaching and had to abandon their sheep. They whipped the horses and decided to try to cross the river Skálm and find the surest way home where they could escape to the top of the root cones with their families. Upon reaching river Skálm, they realized the glacier burst was already flowing there as glacial bursts always run in several streams along the sands. Their only option was to run the horses towards the floodwall and take a sharp bend towards the Skálmbæjarhraun, to higher ground in an old solidified lava field. They were running for their lives. One of the horses was exhausted causing one of the riders to fall behind. He had some way to go as the rest of the horses clambered up the porous lava field. When he finally reached Skálmbæjarhraun, the burst immediately covered the horse's hoofmarks. They spent the night on the lava field with the glacier burst raging all around them. Not my sheep-heads "At the farms their families soon realized Katla was coming. My great grandmother had been cooking sheep-heads to feed the men rounding up the sheep upon their return. But, they had to evacuate the houses and run for their lives to the outhouses that were placed on higher grounds, surrounded by the rootless cones. Before leaving my great grandmother took her cooked sheep-heads and put them on the shelf above the kitchen door and said: "Kata will never get my sheep-heads." One of my grandfather's brothers was disabled and couldn't run as fast as the others to the rootless cones. One of his sisters was charged with getting him to an outhouse in the south part of the area. She later told me: "The darkness was so dense, I couldn't even see my hand when I lifted it to my eyes." While making their way towards the outhouses the raging glacier burst was the only thing they could hear. But, they reached the outhouse where they spent and survived the night. " Katla the housekeeper "Glacier bursts are extremely intense but quick to recede. In the morning, this particular glacier burst was over. The reason for the phrase "Katla is coming" in this area is because to the locals Katla is not just a volcano. It is an integral part of history. It mirrors a story from the time when there was a monastery at Þykkvibær. The monks had a housekeeper named Katla. She was said to have magical powers. She had a pair of magical trousers. When she put on those trousers, she could run with tremendous speed. But, no one else was allowed to wear them. There was also a farmhand, Barði, at the monastery. He was a bit of a deadbeat. Once, when Katla had to step out in late autumn, and Barði was supposed to fetch the cows, he kept postponing until it was almost too late. He decided to borrow Katla's trousers and gathered the cows in no time at all. When Katla returned, she realized Barði had worn her trousers. She became so infuriated that she drowned him in the barrel where the monastery's meat was being soured. When spring was approaching Katla realized Barði would soon surface in the barrel. She put on her magic trousers, runs to the top of Mýrdalsjökull and plunges into the Katla crater. So, every time the locals sense Katla's unease, they don't say Katla is going to erupt. No, they say: Katla is coming." Fate "In between disturbances the locals never, ever mention Katla. But, they are watching her. As a child, I remember my grandfather waking up each morning to stand by the window and cross himself. I think most of the locals did the same. Nowadays we have the technology to monitor Katla's every move. We have evacuation plans in hand and can put it in motion the minute we detect changes. But, then again, history is full of coincidences. When Katla erupted in 1918, the sheep-slaughtering season was in full motion in Vík. That very day the sheep from Skaftártunga should have been driven across Mýrdalssandur to the slaughterhouse. But, they slaughterhouse had run out of salt and had to postpone the sheep from Skaftártunga. If not for this hitch in the slaughterhouse operation, nearly all the farmers from Skaftártunga would have perished in the glacial burst at Mýrdalssandur that very day. These bursts happen so fast there is practically nowhere to run or hide. There is no sanctuary on those vast, beautiful black sands. This proximity to this merciless nature shapes the people living in the area, of course. Just imagine the people living in the area in the late 18th and beginning of the 19th, century. Katla erupted in 1755 accompanied her customary glacier bursts. Then in 1783 we had the Skaftáreldar eruption at Laki that killed a quarter of the nation. Then, in 1823, there was another Katla eruption with all its trimmings. The frequent natural disasters have shaped the inhabitants, generation after generation. The threat is always imminent in their minds. They have just learned to live with it."

The focused and dedicated handball coach, Guðmundur Guðmundsson takes his teams to the podium – and will settle for nothing less. Iceland's favorite athlete is Guðmundur Guðmundsson, one of the most victorious handball coaches to come from our tiny island. Leading the Icelandic team to receive the silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008 and the bronze medal at the 2010 European Handball Championship in Austria, Guðmundur went on to become the head coach of the German Bundesliga club Rhein-Neckar Löwen until July 2014 when he signed a three-year contract to become the head coach of the Denmark's National Handball Team. In 2016 Guðmundur lead his Danish National Team to the gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The Icelandic nation was ecstatic and proud of their golden coach. The Danes were proud of their team but unfortunately failed to recognize the head coach's part in the victory. As a result, Guðmundur announced he would not be renewing his contract with the Danish team at the end of his three-year term in July. In spite of the smear campaign in part of the Danish media against Guðmundur, it neither made a dent in his sense of integrity nor his professionalism and dedication towards his team. He signed a contract, and he will honor that contract. Lesser men would have upped and walked away. Sharing objectives When Guðmundur is asked whether his decision will impact the players in his team during the preparation leading to the World Championship, he says he doesn't think so. "They respect my decision, and in fact, the players never get embroiled in conflicts of this nature. It had nothing to do with the team itself. We share the same objective: To win." Handball has been part of Gudmundur's life from an early age. He started playing with his home-team, Víkingur (Vikings), around the age of 7. For the next ten years, he played both handball and football. "I was totally into sports," he says, "and at that time we didn't have computers or television to distract us in Iceland. I got away with enjoying both handball and football until the age of 18 – when I decided to give up football and concentrate on handball. The reason I chose the handball was the new head coach hired to coach the Icelandic National Team, Bodan Kowalczyk. A game-changer I was intrigued by his approach to training. He was thoroughly professional and placed an extreme demand on the players. I was fascinated by his work, and I knew I just had to be a part of it. He changed everything with regards to training and training intensity. It was an amazing experience. He took handball to a completely different level in Iceland. He didn't just shape us as handballers, but also molded our characters and impacted our thought process. He always set himself sublime objectives and followed them through. He taught us extreme selflessness and discipline and his was a massively tough schooling." I am still benefitting from those years, even today, and am eternally grateful for the years I trained with him. He met a lot of criticism in Iceland at the time. He made extreme demands, and there were those who found it hard to take. It was a game-changer. The training was completely organized, as was the training approach and the tempo. It has been a guiding force in my life, though obviously there are a lot of things I do differently. Being a coach is a process. You are always learning something new, picking up ideas here and there along the way and processing everything into your approach." Throughout his years as a handball player Guðmundur played almost exclusively with his home-team, Víkingur, as well as playing with the Icelandic National Team for ten years, from 1980 to 1990 when he quit at the early age of 30. He admits to sometimes regretting leaving at such a young age. "The training with the National Team was incredibly intense, and we were playing much more international games than today. It put a massive strain on my family and my job. Even though I always got time off to play with the National Team, I was dependent on my employer's tolerance and mercy. There comes a time when you've just had enough." Hard work and discipline By the time Guðmundur quit playing handball, he was already working as a coach. He started coaching his first team in 1989, which means he has been amassing experience and know-how in the job for 27 years. When asked what swapping roles felt like, he says: "It was a bit strange and, I must say, quite tough. I was a bit green when it came to my new role. It is a widespread misconception that you can move straight from the role of a player to the role of a coach as if it is an automatic process. But, believe me, it is far from true. Those are such different roles. As a player, you are trained to do what you have been drilled to do. You are only responsible for yourself and your place in the team. As a coach you are responsible for the whole team and you are constantly dealing with human factors. To become a coach is a long and strenuous process. There are so many excellent players who have had the misconception that they could automatically move from being a player to become a coach, only to be rudely disillusioned. Of course, it is a great asset to have trained with an excellent coach and to have taken part in the Olympic games, but it is not enough to become a good coach. You just do not transfer effortlessly between the two roles. Becoming a good coach takes a long time, a lot of hard work – and immense discipline.” A constant learning process “Coaching is a constant learning process when taken seriously. I am always looking for ways to become a better coach; better and better by each and every year. I am always competing with myself, aiming to be better at resolving difficult and tricky situations. I read quite a lot and for some time I have been working on Awareness. It has helped me to exclude negative aspects; to enjoy what I have here and now. I must admit, it can be pretty hard to stay in this Awareness, and there are days when I forget myself and need to take time out to remind myself to focus on being appreciative. It totally relaxes me – which I find fascinating. It is what helped me stay calm during the 2016 Olympics. It is an immense pressure to stay focused at all times. And the more matches we won, the heavier the pressure." Guðmundur says he never thought about becoming a coach when he was a player. "When you are a player, you do not think that far ahead. You are just in the here and now, and being led by someone else. Someone has already decided where you are going next. You do not have to plan anything or think about the future. I quite enjoyed it and had no plans to become a coach – but here I am." A force to be reckoned with Guðmundur is educated as a systems analyst with a diploma in management and personnel administration and has a Masters degree in finance and international banking. While playing and coaching in Iceland, he was the Project Manager for Kaupthing Bank, responsible for implementing the bank's computer system and presiding over a large group of people. After the financial collapse in 2008, he left the bank job to dedicate himself to being a full-time coach. He had already led the Icelandic National team to the Olympic podium in Beijing where they received the silver. For the next four years, he coached the German team Rhein-Neckar Löwen. "The silver at the Olympics provided me with an opportunity to take giant steps as a coach and I made up my mind to become a force to be reckoned with in this field. In 2012 Rhein-Neckar Löwen won the EHF Cup which was an incredible achievement for my team." Which led to Gudmundur's being offered to take over the Danish National Team in 2014. When you are hard working and efficient in this environment, you will become better and better at your job. The demands placed on me are immense; the challenges ever greater. But, I like that because I have a vision: It is not enough to prepare yourself well; your preparations must be excellent at all times. It is very easy to be a popular coach, but it is hard to be an effective coach who achieves results. When you are an effective coach, you put immense pressure on everyone. Not just the players in the team, bot also on the doctors, the physical therapists, massage therapists, and all the assistants working for the team. And thus, you sacrifice your popularity. When I was hired as head coach for the Danish National Team, I was hired to get results. And that is precisely what I did at the Olympic games." At the crossroads When Guðmundur is asked what his driving force is, he doesn't hesitate: "Passion. It must be the driving force because coaching a highly successful team is hard work. During the Olympic Games in Rio last summer, I was working sixteen hours a day; working on strategies, studying the other teams, reading, motivating each player and the team. There is such a short distance between winning and losing. It only takes one goal. It only takes one player to be absent minded for a brief moment and not do what he is supposed to do, and it is GAME OVER." Guðmundur will be fulfilling his contract to coach the Danish National Team during the 2017 World Championship in the summer. When asked where he will be going next, the great handball coach says: "I am at a crossroads. There are various possibilities in the pipes today. The plan is to keep on coaching."

You will either love it or hate it. Most love it. Whichever it is, the Icelandic Highland never cease to fascinate both locals and their visitors. The island is only habitable along the coastlines as the Highland cover most of the country. And, it is a dangerous place. The Highland is where the forces of nature are at their most extreme. You get volcanic activity, raging glacial rivers, glacial runs, killer weather. It is a volcanic desert of grey, black or brown earth, lava and volcanic ashes. But, now and then you stumble upon mind-numbingly beautiful oasis-like areas, like Herðubreiðarlindir and Askja. Childhood fondness You can only cross the Highland during the Icelandic summer as their gravel roads are closed during the rest of the year. Still, that doesn't stop the true Highland fanatics of whom there are quite a few in Iceland. One of them is Þórhallur Másson, a builder living in Akureyri. To him, there is no such thing as "off limits" when it comes to the Highland. Þórhallur fell in love with the Highland when he was a child, and his parents took him camping there every summer. At the tender age of sixteen he joined the Akureyri Rescue Services where he had to train in even appalling conditions during wintertime. Today, he knows the Highland intricately and travels there all year round. When asked what fascinates him so much he is quick to reply: "The vastness." The rock desert Þórhallur goes on to elaborate: "Some people only see sand and scree, but they are not looking properly. The Highland are such an extensive area and constantly changing. There is something about this rock desert. You can be driving along admiring the mountain shapes and hues stretching afar, when you are suddenly upon a Dell with wonderful flora, like alpine fireweed. And, I find the Highland coarseness quite beautiful. The Highland are a volcanic area, and you will also find most of the glaciers there. The glaciers don't stay the same. Some of the glaciers are in retreat, others have disappeared altogether. The landscape is constantly changing. It changes from summer to fall, from fall to winter, from winter to spring. It even keeps changing throughout the day. It changes by light and shadows. It never stays the same, and it is impossible to get bored with it. I go to Askja at least ten times a year. The landscape around Lake Askja and south of Dyngjufjöll where the lava flowed has changed dramatically due to the eruption and the flowing lava last year." Tricky situations To most this would sound like hazardous journeys. And it is dangerous, even to the experienced experience Highland man. "Of course, we get into tricky situations now and then," says Þórhallur. "It is not unusual to return home twenty-four hours later than planned. And, of course, I have had misfortunes. My car had jumped into a river when a snow-bank broke beneath it. The car was in a really bad shape. I have often found myself in tricky situations, but this was the only time my heart missed a beat." Þórhallur travels the Icelandic Highland throughout the year. When asked which he prefers, summer or winter, he is thoughtful for a moment before replying: "I can't say. All seasons have possessed different quality of charm. Still, the winter may be my favorite. There is no dust, no midges, and fewer people. But, then again, you can be caught in a snowstorm. I also like the autumn. The air is cooler than in summer; the vastness is veiled in snow, and the air is much clearer than during summer." Favorite areas Þórhallur drives his own Highland Jeep, a Landrover Defender with 44-inch tyres. But, what is accommodation like in the Highland? During winter, we sleep in lodges and during summers in tents. Well, we sometimes opt for the tent as well in winter. It depends on with whom I am travelling. I spread a reindeer skin on the tent floor and then we have excellent mattresses and sleeping bags. The coldest night I have spent in a tent was -15°. The summers are different and every year I take my family to the Highland. It is the highlight of each summer. Last summer we spent 22 nights in a tent, and we loved it." Þórhallur has quite a number of favorite areas in the Highland. "I always love Ódáðahraun. Hveragil in wintertime is unique. That's where I always take my "spring-bath." After parking my car, I hike for about ten minutes along a warm river until I reach a waterfall. There, in a natural pool where I bathe and shave off my winter beard. You can't bathe there during the summer because the pool will be too hot. So, every year, on the first Icelandic summer's day, my friends and I go there for this annual ritual to welcome the summer. Other favorites are Þórsmörk, which is a favorite with most Icelanders, and Lónsöræfi, which very few get to visit but most would like to. It is where I hunt for reindeers every year." Hiking and Jeep tours But, being a true Highland fanatic, Þórhallur doesn't just drive around. He also loves hiking. "Some people only like jeep tours, others like hiking. I love both," he says. "I keep myself in top form to be able to enjoy the Highland as I prefer. Anyone who is interested can take to the Highland in their preferred way. It is simply a question of finding out what you want to get out of it. And, it is never too late to start. If your interest is piqued, you will find your approach. The only thing you must constantly keep in mind is to be very careful. No matter how experienced you are. No matter how benign the area you are travelling through looks, not all is as it seems up there. And, turning back when faced with doubtful situations is the proper thing to do. Be sensible."

East-Iceland is a bit of an enigma even to the Icelanders. None of the major Sagas, with all their important locations, memorable fights, and dramas, are set in this part of the country. They have Hrafnkels Saga Freysgoða, of course – but it is considered a minor Saga. Which is one the reason there is little emphasis on the beautiful eastern fjords in the school system. There are roads leading to the East fjords, but somehow no roads leading away from there – except back home. Until the last two or three decades there didn't seem to be a reason to go there. The East-fjords didn't offer an escape from the Island until the Norrøna started sailing to Seyðisfjörður. You see, the notion of leaving; escaping the confines of an island is quite central to the Icelandic character. The Southwest has an International Airport and some harbors, lots of escape routes. Ignored by the Icelanders The East-fjords have been inhabited since the earliest settlement of Iceland – but too remote, too isolated to even be considered attached to the country. For centuries, the whole area seems to have been ignored by the rest. Meanwhile the inhabitants went about their daily life, enjoying the fabulous nature in their part of the country, creating myths and folklore, raising great writers, painters, and musicians, taking care of their wonderful communities and each other. There have always been villages and hamlets scattered along the east coast, connected by precipitous mountain roads leaving them even isolated from each other during harsh winters. A prosperous village Born in Reykjavík and raised in Breiðdalsvík, a tiny hamlet south of Fáskrúðsfjörður, Steinn Jónasson has always lived in East Iceland. As a young man, he moved to Fáskrúðsfjörður to learn the trade of auto mechanic. There he met his wife and settled for life. "I liked Fáskrúðsfjörður from the very start," says Steinn "Of course it was an isolated community at the time, but that was of no consequence to me as I came from an even smaller community. It didn't feel isolated mainly because the social life was very rich and the economy was booming. We had three fish factories, so there was plenty of work for everyone. We had a drama society, a cinema, a sports hall, a choir, and various other societies. There were frequent get-togethers to celebrate all kinds of moments and to enjoy each other's company. It didn't feel like a community of 700-750 people. It felt much larger. They were good times." The Aluminum Plant changed everything Fáskrúsfjörður is still a prosperous village with capelin fishing and processing factories; there is enough work for everyone. When asked if the village has changed since he moved there, Steinn says indeed it has. "Everything changed when we got the tunnel to Reyðarfjörður. It offered new and different job opportunities with the arrival of the Alcoa aluminum plant. A lot of people in Fáskrúðsfjörður work in Reyðarfjörður and vice versa. Steinn and his wife both work in Reyðarfjörður. Steinn is the Fire Prevention Inspector for Fjarðarbyggð that covers the area from Mjóifjörður to Stöðvarfjörður. He is one of three Fire Service chiefs with the fire station headquarters located at Reyðarfjörður because of the aluminum plant. "The plant brought immense changes to our community. We now have much more diverse jobs to choose from and to attract young families to the area. As a result, we have had some utility companies moving into the area, and we now have the second largest harbor in Iceland. The two communities now practically function as one." The small community is good for children When asked why he joined the Fire Service, Steinn says it was at the Fáskrúðsfjörður Fire Chief's insistence. "He wanted his team to be comprised of craftsmen. I was training as an auto mechanic, and he simply informed me that I was to become a member of the fire service team. In the smaller communities, the fire service is often the craftsman's sideline." Steinn as four children and says that raising children in a small community in Iceland to be a privilege. With a changing community with more diverse job possibilities, the young are not too eager to move away as they used to be. "In such a small community you never worry about your children. There is always someone keeping an eye on them. Still, they are free to play wherever they like. There is no heavy traffic, and everything is very relaxed. You'll also find that children growing up in small communities tend to find ways to entertain themselves instead of waiting for someone else to entertain them. In Fáskrúðsfjöðrur, they have a well-equipped Sports Hall and a swimming pool, and they run a leisure center." The French Connection Fáskrúðsfjörður has an interesting history and a strong link with France. It is a beautiful fjord adorned with the wonderful island, Skrúður. Their pride is the Sandfell laccolith mountain where nothing grows but the gravel is as fine as silk. There are not many of those in Iceland. An ongoing process is the renovation of the old French Hospital and the French houses. The houses were built during the time (from 1830 until the beginning of the Great War) when hundreds of French fishermen would migrate from France to their operating base in Fáskrúðsfjörður from March through September every year. "Our sister town in France, Gravelines, holds two celebrations each year to commemorate the fishermen," says Steinn. "The former is at the end of February, beginning of March at the time when the fishermen would be leaving for Iceland. The latter is in September when the fishermen would be returning home. In Fáskrúðsfjörður, we celebrate The French Days in July each year to commemorate the French fishermen's stay in Iceland. We have a museum commemorating the French fishermen and their interaction with the locals and just outside the village is a French cemetery with 49 graves. They all have crucifixes and have been very well maintained. The names of the French fishermen buried there are carved into a rock in the middle of the cemetery." Pristine and unique The population, along with Icelandic Heritage Institution and the Municipality of Fjarðarbyggð, of has not only renovated the old French houses but made an effort to renovate all old houses they can get their hands on. As a result, the village is exceptionally beautiful. It is a joy to have a stroll through the village and visit the local café, Café Sumarína and the Kolfreyja gallery (both located in old renovated houses). You can also take long walks along the pristine beach or go angling down by the harbor. And of course, there are hiking trails all over the mountains and hills, from one fjord to the next. It is like going back in time. And the best part: Fáskrúðsfjörður enjoys mild weather on the whole. Winds, gales, and storms are indeed very rare.

The concept of distance most certainly has a different meaning in different cultures. A four to five-hour drive in Central Europe or the U.S., let alone China, may not be considered a distance worth mentioning. But, in Iceland it is almost insurmountable. That is to say, if you live in the Reykjavík area. The Icelanders have a somewhat warped sense of distance. More than half the nation lives on the southwest corner and everywhere else is too remote. Those who live outside the Southwest have long realized that anywhere in Iceland is short-distance. The Academic Scene There used to be only one University in Iceland, so academics had little choice as to where to live. If you wanted to live in Iceland, Reykjavík it was. In Akureyri and West Iceland, further universities have been established during the last decades. The University of Iceland has also established seven research centers across the country. Amongst them is the University of Iceland's Research Centre (UIRC) in Hornafjörður with the main goal of increasing knowledge about the local nature, culture, and community. Nine years ago one of Iceland's most prominent literature academics, Soffía Auður Birgisdóttir, moved to Hornafjörður when her husband became head of the UIRC there. Soffía, who had been a teacher and a researcher at the University of Iceland for some years, became a full-time researcher. She recently completed and submitted her, Dr. Phil. Thesis and published a book on the writings of Þórbergur Þórðarson, one of Iceland's best-loved writers. Þórbergur was born and raised at Hali in Suðursveit where the cultural center, Þórbergssetur, is based, in the district of Hornafjörður. No Remoteness or Isolation anymore When asked what prompted two prominent academics to move to this "remote" area in Iceland Soffía says Höfn is by no means remote. True; it doesn't have any neighboring villages and towns, but it has everything her family needs, a good music school for the children, as well as various opportunities to practice sports, such as soccer and basketball. And with all the modern technology, there is no question of remoteness or isolation anymore. "We moved to Höfn because we were offered job positions here but mainly because we were open to moving away from Reykjavík," says Soffía, adding: "Moving here was much easier than we expected. Very early on we took action towards integrating into the community. I joined the female choir, and my husband joined the male choir, as we have always been members of choirs. Thereby, we instantly got to know half the population. We have never felt isolated here nor found it difficult to get to know the locals; quite the opposite.” Lively Social Life “The Research Center where we both work is a small establishment, housed in Nýheimar Knowledge Center along with a number of other establishments, amongst them the secondary school our youngest son is attending and our daughter graduated from last spring. It is, therefore, a large workplace and the canteen is very lively when various generations merge there at lunchtime. What struck me when I moved here was the level of caring in the community. People stick together and make sure no one becomes isolated. Though I would like to see more varied extracurricular activities for the teenagers and young adults, the social life for the middle-aged and elderly is quite rich. We have various concerts, festivals, and feasts throughout the year and each autumn the local drama club stages a play along with the youngsters from the secondary school." Captivating Nature Unlike other parts of the country, this area has very little snow during winter. It hardly stays on the ground for more than a few days. Of course, we get our share of winter storms but they hardly prevent us from doing what we want to do and drive where we want to go. The snow has never been a problem here. The only thing that has caused us temporary isolation is eruptions with fumes too dense to drive or fly anywhere. When we moved to Höfn, we were immediately captivated by the nature surrounding us. We have a fantastic view of the Vatnajökull glacier. We bought a house here and are now in the process of expanding it to get an even greater view of the glacier, as we are here to stay. Iceland's best-preserved secret is what a privilege it is to live in the smaller communities around the island. Hiking and Photography We have enjoyed the diverse nature around the Vatnajökull glacier thoroughly. My husband is a photographer, and after we had moved here, he took on the task of regularly photographing Jökulsárlón throughout the year and later published them in a book called Jökulsárlón, all year round. At the time, there were no tourists visiting the lagoon during the winter. Nowadays, though, it is always crowded, every single day of the year. Tourism is the biggest change we have seen since moving to the area." When asked if she has any favorite destinations in the area, Soffía is quick to reply: "Yes, the area around Hoffellsjökull eystri and the beach at Horn. Though, the whole area is exceptionally beautiful. You can stop your car anywhere and decide to go for a hike, and you will always discover something precious." Changes The greatest changes to Höfn, since Soffía moved there has been due to the increase in tourism. "We have witnessed great prosperity in Höfn in the nine years since moving here," she says. "We have now four restaurants to choose from when we want to go out for dinner, and two of them are truly among the best restaurants in the country. The area around the harbor has been redeveloped, and many of the old houses in the village have undergone renovation. There is no shortage of work here. In fact, we need more people but have a problem providing them with suitable housing. The only downside of increased tourism is that people tend to rent their houses out to tourists instead of the workforce. The Municipality is faced with the luxurious problem of having to build houses to attract a bigger workforce to live here. This situation has developed over a very short period and is a by no means a regional problem here. Still, I think people with young families should seriously consider moving out of Reykjavík where the cost of living has become nearly impossible," says Soffía, who only faces one question at this point in her life: What to select for her next research project.

Unnar Geir was born and raised in Egilsstaðir, Unnar then moved to the capital area for vocal studies. Later he headed to London to study acting and directing. Earlier this year he returned to his hometown after seventeen years away to head the area's Cultural Centre. It was a challenging move for a challenging job. When asked how it felt to return to the small town after years of cosmopolitan life, Unnar says it was quite nice. "I found there were still so many familiar faces in this milieu. Still, the town had changed so much, and for the better.” Childhood mischief “Egilsstaðir was a village until 1987 when it received municipal rights. When I was growing up, it had this village atmosphere. It was an era of prosperity; there was an influx of young people, raising young children. My street was Reynivellir in a brand new neighbourhood, and it was awash with children. We enjoyed life, playing outdoors, throughout summer and winter. Our street was one of the first in the village to be asphalted thus making it perfect for bicycling. Of course, children from outside our street also wanted to bike there – but we would have none of it. And, we defended our street staunchly with rocks. Outside children were literally stoned. Their only option was to befriend someone from our street who then became responsible for them. Egilsstaðir was different from other towns and villages, as it had no harbor or seafaring. But, we had the airport. My friends and I would climb the airport fences, which was absolutely prohibited, of course. We would crouch down and spy on the passengers. We would record who was leaving and who was arriving and who was suspicious. The most suspect ones were men with briefcases.” The “Lions” in the Woods “We also had the Egilsstaðir woods. At that time, the local farmers kept their bulls there. The woods were not open to the public. We would venture into the woods in search of the bulls, which was also prohibited, of course. But, to us this was a jungle, and the Bulls were lions. We were utterly terrified, and whenever we heard a twig crack, we would run for our lives. Still, we would go there again and again – just for the thrill. It was always the question of whether we would get away before the bulls caught up with us. The woods were our area for thrills and excitement. Afterwards, we would go to the river Eyvindará for a splash. We also had a favorite spot there for fishing. Years later we learned it was the precise spot where the sewage entered the river. No one remembered to tell us and obviously it didn't bother us. There wasn't much tourism at the time. But, the Norræna ferry had started arriving in Seyðisfjörður. And, every time the ferry came in my friends and I would stand by the road and wave to the tourists. We took it upon ourselves to welcome all of them, on behalf of our community.” A transient place “Egilsstaðir rested on farming and services to the area, but it is changing. I am still observing the community as a guest, and it seems to be searching for a new identity. It has a kind of teenage atmosphere. We are not bound by the rules and traditions of the old community and, therefore, a bit infirm. The atmosphere is a bit peculiar. Egilsstaðir feels like a transient place. A lot of people move here only to stay awhile, and it affects the community. Not necessarily in a negative manner. It is essential to import new trends and ideas but at the same time stability is somewhat lacking." Today, Unnar says Egilsstaðir has a lot to offer. "We have very good schools and access to education is excellent. All services and amenities are a short distance. We have quite a variety of shops, and the restaurant business is booming. We have the airport for the east coast region next doors. Thus, we are just 50 minutes away from the centre of Reykjavík. There is exquisite nature all around us and we enjoy the privilege of a relaxing atmosphere. Everything is short distance Egilsstaðir is a prosperous place. Distance learning at university stage is being developed, and I find I enjoy all the services I need here. And, most important to me, the cultural life is very rich. The Icelandic Art College is running an art form faculty here. We have a robust drama company and quite a number of choirs. We are now preparing for Icelandic and international dance companies to stay with us for a while. They will be using our facilities for rehearsals and performances. And, at Seyðisfjörður, our neighboring town, you will find The Visual Arts Centre, which has been a player on the international culture scene for quite a number of years. If this had been the reality here in Egilsstaðir when I was young, I very much doubt I would have left. At that time, we only had sports. If you didn't do sport, there was nothing for you to do. In mere seventeen years, the community has become much more diverse and open. Still, there are great opportunities for further expansion. One of my aims as the director of the Cultural Centre is to establish a basis for artists to settle here. I aim to make it possible for artists to live off their chosen art form in our region."

The Icelanders have always found Keflavík a bit odd and the inhabitants different from the other islanders. There might be some truth in it though a very few can pinpoint exactly what makes them different. It used to be a town with a vague identity and hardly anyone’s family was originally from Keflavík. The town started as a fishing hamlet that grew to be a trading centre. As it had favorable port conditions and the distance to good fishing grounds was relatively short people from the rest of the country started moving there in search of work. As a result, Keflavík became a potpourri of Icelanders who had their extended families scattered around the rest of the island. During the Second World War the American Navy built a Naval Station at the town’s threshold and stayed until 2006. Keflavík saw a fresh influx of people searching for jobs and settling in the area. The Americans brought the modern world with them in the form of television and a radio station broadcasting contemporary music 24/7. This absolutely modern media was only available to the inhabitants of the Reykjanes Peninsula, setting them still further apart from the rest of the islanders. They had a window to the rest of the world. Keflalvík was “a Room with a View.” Surrounded by natural wonders In this atmosphere of ceaseless transition Ólafur Jón Arnbjörnsson was growing up. He later left to study in Reykjavík, then Demark and later in the US. Now a teacher, Ólafur moved back to Iceland to be assistant headmaster of a secondary college in Sauðárkrókur in North Iceland and later took up the position of headmaster in his hometown, Keflavík. Ólafur has very fond memories of growing up in Keflavík. “It was great,” he says, “it is quite funny but I don’t have any conscious memories of my life before the age of twelve, but it doesn’t take much to trigger older memories. It happens when I brows through photos from that period or, I enter a house which has a certain smell of old people’s powder or perfume. Old smells, sounds and pictures have been my way of recalling my life until the age of twelve. The things I remember most is travelling around the Reykjanes Peninsula with my parents. They much admired the peninsula’s geology and we would go on daytrips to appreciate the natural wonders surrounding us. I still find the Reykjanes Peninsula to be one of the most beautiful parts of Iceland. The Age of Music At the time I wasn’t aware of Keflavík being different from anywhere else. I never wondered about the window we had to the world through the American TV and radio. I am sure I assumed it was accessible to everyone else in Iceland. Anyway, throughout those decades provincial pundits kept closing them down and reopening them in a perpetual frustration over the impact it might have on our amorphous souls. During my teenage years we had a relatively open-minded authorities; the dangerous American influence stayed open. And, I loved being a teenager in Keflavík. Due to our proximity with a radio station broadcasting all the latest musical trends in Europe and America we were aware of the Beatles very early on. We liked what we heard and Keflavík became consumed in some sort of a musical craze. There were pop bands all over the place. Everyone and their uncle were forming a band, rehearsing in every garage, shed and stockroom they could get their hands on. No one was plagued by an inferiority complex when it came to music; there were no barriers and you didn’t have to have a clue how to play an instrument. I didn’t know how to play an instrument but I played with several bands. Well, we never actually played anywhere, but we rehearsed like mad. Big changes Indeed, the musical life in Keflavík was so rich we always had live bands at school dances. Then there were the local dancing halls. I was small for my age at that time and born late in the year making it difficult for me to gain access to the dancing halls. I had to wait much longer then my friends who were more mature, or born earlier in the year. How I envied them. Still, these were great times.” Changes are an integral part of Keflavík. When the American Navy left in 2006 there were many who predicted a speedy decline, even death, to the communities on the Reykjanes Peninsula. To add to the unemployment problems were changes in the fishing industry. The fishing grounds had shifted further away and technology had advanced, permanently altering life in fishing towns across the country. This process had already started in 1995 when Ólafur returned to Keflavík, after more than two decades away. Keflavík had changed, and it kept changing, but in they way many had predicted.” Communal ups and downs “Of course I could see the changes when I came back,” says Ólafur, “but, then again, my outlook had also changed. The town was going through a transition period, once again. When I started working there as a headmaster, 500 students were attending the school. When I resigned three years ago, the number had increased to 1.200. Keflavík, and the neighboring communities are the fastest growing area in Iceland outside the Reykjavik metro. It is a lot more diverse and offers much more opportunities. It really is a melting pot with changes happening very fast. All cycles are larger and faster in this area then the rest of the country, resulting in lesser stability. This applies to both nature and economics. This is a very young area with the comparatively the largest age group between 18-25. Five years ago, unemployment for this age group was tremendous. Today, there is a shortage due to projects developing and being launched in the area, mainly in connection with increased tourism, as well as, new and changed opportunities in the fishing industry.” Realizing the potential Three years ago, Ólafur resigned as headmaster of the secondary school in Keflavík to launch a brand new project, The Icelandic College of Fisheries. The College was founded in Grindavík, to the south of the peninsula. “When I came back to Keflavík, I realized a big portion of the local teenagers would not go on to secondary school for a further education. As I have always been passionate about matters concerning education I set out to identify the problem. The primary question was: Why would young people rather settle for a life working in fishing factories than attain more education? After analyzing the communities and possibilities around the peninsula I had to ask myself: Why aren’t we educating young people in the field of their choice? We are not all cut out to become academics at the age of 16. We all have different talents. We all seek different lifestyles. And, as a community, we need this diversity. I started discussing the matter with municipality authorities in communities across the peninsula, as well as, comities responsible for further education and last but not least – the fishing industry and the unions. Everyone was interested. So, we launched the school. For the first year we had a handful of students and I was the only staff member, doing everything from teaching, to maintenance and cleaning. Today we have 70 students in Grindavik and seven permanent staff members and growing. There are satellite projects now in the West-fjords and in the North-West and more on the way – and run recruit programs for some of the bigger companies in Icelandic fish processing. “ Offering an alternative “What we offer is an alternative to sixteen-year-old kids who want to work and live in the area; kids who don’t want to know more about subjects they are already fed up with and have no ambition of pursuing further. Why not offer them a two-year education in the profession of their choice? Why not offer the technical know-how they need? We offer a variety of courses for seamen, net makers as well as workers in fish processing factories and fish farming to certify them for the profession they have chosen. The fishing industry has always been important for this area and will continue to be so. There is no reason to forget all about the industry that has maintained this nation throughout the ages, just because we have new job opportunities coming into the area. We simply have to adjust, embrace diversity and do better than ever before.”

Three years ago, Jenný Lára graduated as an actress and director from the Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Every year quite a number of young Icelanders complete their education in dramatic arts abroad, most often in London. Some choose to stay, some to return home. Jenny Lára chose to return to Iceland immediately after graduating. Back home to an extremely competitive market. Back home, to reap the rewards of her education and harness her creative spirit. But, what was it like returning home? "It was very nice, but at the same time, quite hard. Returning to all this lovely nature and my thinly populated country after all the hustle and bustle of London was great. But, it was hard. I was educated abroad for a highly visible profession. Nobody in Iceland knew who I was. I had to start building a reputation from the scratch. But, being an actor or a play director isn't easy anywhere. I reckoned it would be easier for me in Iceland than in the UK. Firstly, my roots are here; secondly, Icelandic is my mother tongue." My work has to matter to me Jenny Lara has wasted no time since returning to Iceland. She has been quite prolific, writing, acting, constantly directing for three years. She has worked with methods hitherto unknown in Iceland and in places not too obvious for staging a play. Her ways are quite unconventional, as she still hasn't found time to venture into the big conventional theatres. Why? "When I returned home I found I wasn't ready. I needed time to experiment and grow; to develop my creative voice. Establishing oneself is quite complicated anywhere in the world. The big theatres have their repertoire. Their directors can't choose which plays to direct, that is, not until they are very experienced and established. They also have a set group of actors and a director can't always choose his/her actors. I am still not ready to do just anything. I want my work to matter to me – creatively. I relish the freedom to experiment. When you are young it is important to challenge yourself, try out new methods, new venues, new ideas. I simply don't want to tread other people's path." Your standpoint seems to be that of the director. What about acting? The beloved northeast Iceland "It is a similar situation. If you are an actor working at the constitutional theatres, you have to do as you are told. You neither choose the roles you are cast in, nor the productions. Whatever your dream role, it is not yours. Not by a long shot. Maybe never. When you are working independently, you are not forced into roles where you have no chance of demonstrating your versatility as an actor. And the greatest freedom of all for the theatrical outsider is not being confined to Reykjavík. The whole country is your playground. I spent part of my youth in the northeast and my ties to that area are very strong. I wanted to bring something back to this wonderful area. Not just anything. Not a traditional piece with a traditional text. I wanted to introduce diversity and the vast possibilities the theatre has to offer. It has been a wonderful experience." A brand new experience Jenný Lára's first production in the northeast was Elska (Loving), which Jenný says is a play based on the Verbatim method. "I interviewed people living in the area about their relationships and what constituted love in their minds. From this material, I wrote the play. It was a study on the concept of love. It had six characters and in order to switch from one character to another I had shoes. Each character had his pair of shoes. I performed Elska in all the communities but one in the Þingeyjarsýsla county. After the performance, I invited questions and discussions on the topic of love. Every performance was great fun and a brand new experience for the audience and me. I also performed Elska at the Act Alone Theatre Festival in Suðureyri and in Reykjavík." The next piece Jenný Lára wrote and produced was on the Hidden People of the Northeast area. "I was asked by Mývatnsstofa (The Mývatn Cultural Centre) to write a piece from the local Elf-tales and then perform the play in English during summer 2014. It was a magnificent experience as the play was staged in Dimmuborgir, the greatest lava formation area in Iceland – and just by the beautiful Lake Mývatn. I also relished being able to bring those stories to our visitors, as I have always loved the Icelandic Elf-tales." Her very own Theatre Company Jenný Lára's third production in Iceland's Northeast was the "Culture Bus." Along with artists from England and Norway, she travelled in a bus from Kópasker to Raufarhöfn, performing their play en route. The topic was the old, Icelandic tradition of domestic work migration. The questions being asked were: Why do those who stay, stay? And why do those who leave, leave? The Culture Bus was quite a success, but alas, had limited capacity for audience. Ever since, the group is being asked when they will be back. As a director, she has staged two amateur productions, one in her beloved northeast part of Iceland, one in Reykjavík. But, Jenný Lára has not only been working in the northeast. She founded her own theatre group, Artik, where she directed the Icelandic play, The Equal and played the role of Sophie in Blink by Phil Porter. She also had a small role in Rams, the film nominated by Iceland for the Oscars. Jenny Lára has further worked as a producer for numberless theatre groups and is the founder of Uppsprettan (The Source), which is quite a novelty in Iceland. Innovation "Uppsprettan is for promoting writers, actors, directors and other professionals educated in theatre genres. We ask writers to submit a short play they want performed a few weeks before a set date. We select three selection committees that choose one play, each. Then we advertise for directors and actors who want to take part. They get the script 24 hours before the performance. At six o'clock on a set day, they start rehearsing and at nine o'clock, performances of the three chosen plays commence. During rehearsals, the audience is free to roam the theatre, read the scripts and observe the groups rehearsing. It is great fun and wonderful experience for the artists taking part. They also get a chance to meet and bond with other artists, instead of wasting away alone in their corner. This method is a very demanding for all the artists taking part. The time pressure exposes both your strengths and weaknesses, thus providing a great opportunity for you to work on your skills." Busy times, Well, what next? "Apart from managing Uppsprettan (The Source) twice this winter, I am off to London in November and December to act in "The Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot," by Tennessee Williams. In the New Year, I'll return to the north, to direct Thorbjorn Egner's children's play about the animals in the Swedish Hakkebakke forest in Húsavík. Then, back to Reykjavík to rehearse a play I am writing along with a colleague of mine. It is a play we base on the Verbatim Method on the consequences of DUI and will premiere in April. And then I am working on developing Elska further as it has gathered interest in quite a number of places." Iceland sounds like the ideal place for you. "I believe you can do anything in Iceland if you really set your mind to it. But, it is not enough to be a creative artist. You also have to be creative in how to realize your dreams. You know, it is quite possible to be creative in Excel.

The Icelandic farmer’s son who became an Internationally renowned Conceptual Artist His compositions are lyrical, poetic and ethereal; they are touching the untouchable like the light and the wind through philosophical ponderings; they are a perfect picture of things that don't exist. Through his compositions, Hreinn Friðfinnsson explores the everyday human experience and transcends the mundane materials from which they are made to evoke strong emotions in the viewer. His works have been exhibited all over the world. Observing the Invisible As a young boy, Friðfinnsson had a front seat position to observe the wonders that later would become the basis for his art. Raised on a farm in the beautiful and historic Dalir in West-Iceland with nothing much happening, his seemingly mundane life was transformed every day by the display created by lights and shadows, wind and rain, completely and continuously metamorphosing both the arable land and diverse nature surrounding him – as well as, affecting the farmers' philosophical outlook. Anything meaningful was created by invisible sources. At the age of fifteen Friðfinnsson left his beloved homestead to study at the Arts and Crafts School in Reykjavík – and later to London, Paris and Rome to develop his very personal voice to touch us with his stories of invisible wonders. During this period, he frequently returned home for observation and work, until 1971 when he settled in Amsterdam. One would think being raised on a farm wouldn't provide much leisure for gazing at nature and its forces, but as luck would have it, Hreinn was the youngest of the three Friðfinnsson brothers – by far. "For as long as I remember, I had this obsession," says Hreinn. "I was constantly drawing and consuming anything related to art. In our rural area, we didn't get much in the form of art exhibitions, but I read everything I could get my hands on about the art scene in Reykjavík and elsewhere, primarily through newspapers. I studied the pictures attached to the articles very intently. They made quite an impact on me. And, upon understanding my interest, relatives and friends gradually started bringing me catalogs from art exhibitions in Reykjavík.” Moulding and shaping “I soon realized it was possible to make a living as an artist. Still, I didn't know where I was headed. I loved everything. When you are young you don't discriminate, you merely absorb. When I was a teenager and fully realizing what I wanted to do with my life modernism was the popular art form in Iceland. And all due respect to our pioneers, like Kjarval, who were imperative in shaping my path. But abstract art and the modern poetry – what we in Iceland used to call "the atomic poetry" – held the greatest impacts. I still remember as a child, when one of our guests at the farm brought me a catalog from Þorvaldur Skúlason's exhibition. It was the first time I had laid my eyes on the works of our geometric painters, and I was fascinated." In spite of the modern and geometric paintings shaping and molding the young farmer's son, the painting was not to become his art form. "Studying at an arts and crafts school is not all about drawing and painting," says Hreinn. "It is not least about the people you meet, the friends you make. Friends, who are like-minded, and share similar interests. It is about sharing opinions and widening your horizon pretty fast. In Reykjavík, the bookshops had books on arts and culture, which was an excellent supplement. They enabled me to study what was brewing in the modern art scene abroad, as well as, earlier art forms." The notorious SÚM In 1965 Hreinn was one of the founders of SÚM, the most influential art movement in Iceland to date. They were a group of artists determined to widen the Icelandic cultural horizon. Which, in itself, was no mean feat as the general public, led on by art critics, would only consider oil and watercolor paintings, figurative sculptures and possibly graphic art as "real" art. Of course, the SÚM exhibitions generated quite an uproar. They received a lot of negative reviews; other artists were condescending, and the public was incensed. But, bear in mind, this was the sixties and Iceland was still Europe's backwater. The reaction was due to prejudice and ignorance of tides and currents that had been developing abroad for some years. In a way, the SÚM group can be seen as criticizing the prevalent order and rebelling against the prescriptivism dominating the arts and culture scene. They would break away from the preconceived framework assigned to arts and culture. They sought inspiration from abroad; from the Fluxus movement, Arte Provera with ideology reaching as far back as the Dada movement and Marcel Duchamp. It is evident; the SÚM ideology was based on art nouveau avant-garde ideas from Europe and the US. Foreign influence "The SÚM group was entirely different from anything the Icelanders had seen before. We, ourselves, regarded it as a significant avant-garde art, but in reality, it was a bit of a mixture, a sort of impression of what was going on abroad and we had had the opportunity to observe," says Hreinn. "I seriously doubt you could have detected any Icelandic characteristics. Foreign influence was quite evident. We had pop-art and Duchamp, you could spot ready-made, and even much earlier influences which had made a great impact, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future." Of course, SÚM had a manifesto, but alas, it was neither here nor there with its ambiguous, and often contradictory, articles. The original members dispersed all over Europe, new members joined, some were expelled, some quit, some persisted and the nation was furious, deeming most of the SÚM artists mad, and at times requesting the government to discontinue grants to those artists who couldn't paint a decent painting. It was a great time to observe the discourse between the artists and their nation. Settling in Amsterdam Hreinn moved on to London where he met his wife who was a ballet dancer. When she got a position in Limos in France, the couple moved there and Hreinn continued to develop his art. Then, in 1971 his wife was offered a position with various companies, amongst them the Dutch National Ballet, which she deemed the most feasible. They moved to Holland where they both have lived to this day though they split up in 1980. In spite of living in Amsterdam his entire career, Hreinn has been an active force in the Icelandic art scene. "For the longest time, I came back to Iceland at least once or twice a year. Every spring I felt this need for the Icelandic nature, the light, the people. My extended family lives here and the majority of my friends. Most of my colleagues in the art world were living her. Iceland was the central point for SÚM even though we started producing exhibitions abroad in 1971 and 1972." Hreinn says he also needed Iceland for inspiration. "There is no doubt the Icelandic nature has always impacted my work. I used to paint the landscape from a very early age with whatever material there was on hand. The scene developed and changed until it was merely implied in my work. It takes more than a mere glance to see it. But, then again, I never think about Icelandic connections in my work so I couldn't tell you where and how to find them. Others have spotted the links and written about them.” Connecting past and present “My photographic works are an exception. After moving to Amsterdam, I used Icelandic motives. My first one-man exhibition was in Amsterdam in 1972 where I exhibited anecdotal pieces on enchanted patches in Iceland. It was comprised of photographs and the stories attached to those patches. All the material was obtained in Iceland, from nature and the folklore. I still use this material now and then. I have used ideas from the works of our writers, especially Halldór Laxness, and Þórbergur Þórðarson, as motives. Their ideas are as fresh today as they were in 1970. I can always take a walk back to the past to collect material, bring it to our present times and turn it into a piece that is entirely different from the original one. When I succeed it is more in tune with our age even though the roots are old, or ancient." When asked if he has ever considered moving back to Iceland, the answer is no. "I made my home in Amsterdam. A lot of my exhibitions have been there, as well as, in France, German and Belgium. I'm perfectly placed for exhibition staging in Europe. In later years, I have been too busy to visit Iceland as frequently as in my earlier years. I would have liked to come more often – and for longer stays than a mere few days," says this poet amongst artists who is the recipient of both the Ars Fennica Award and the Carnegie Art Award.