Iceland inspiration for me and Led Zeppelin My first tryst with Iceland was with the band Led Zeppelin. Their association with the title “Hammer of the Gods” came after their tour of Iceland and performance in Reykjavik. In fact, Iceland was the inspiration for one my favorite Led Zepp songs – the Immigrant Song. Remember? The lyrics...
Christmas Book Flood If Christmas is around the corner, Icelandic publishing houses will release hundreds of new titles onto the Icelandic book market. This commences a unique tradition known as the jólabókaflóð, or the Christmas Book Flood. During this bustling and much-anticipated yearly event, bookstores across Iceland resemble miniature concert venues. Icelandic authors of all genres...
“Set-jetting” is about visiting the sets or locations where GoT was filmed.. It’s a modern iteration of the literary pilgrimage – remember how Stratford-upon-Avon for long thrived on the memory of its most famous dead resident, Shakespeare? Or the Lake District with its many literary greats like Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter?Iceland’s economy, from being on...
Beer and Iceland! The two words go together... almost!Icelanders are known for being rather quiet, that is until they’ve had a drink or two. Then suddenly they’re at their expressive, hearty, embracing Viking best! Beer is the drink of choice for most of them… But surprisingly, beer was actually illegal in Iceland, all the way up...
Icelandic horse Icelandic horse is the only horse breed from Iceland. And it is what they call a pure-breed. This is a land where very few living creatures existed. Leave alone the horse. How did they come here? The history of this horse and the tradition is an interesting one. History of the Icelandic Horse - Pure...
(Content and images by Amoghavarsha) Amoghavarsha is a photographer from Bangalore and he was a part of the Beyonder Group that travelled to Norway in January 2017 for chasing the Northern Lights or if I can say experiencing the Aurora Borealis phenomena. This was Amogh’s first experience of witnessing Northern lights and of course capturing it...
Skogafoss Waterfall Skogafoss waterfall is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, with a drop of 60 meters and a width of 25 meters. You can walk right up to it, but be prepared to be drenched! It is just overwhelming standing next to it. Steps lead up to an observation platform above the Skogafoss waterfall, some...
Oldest Parliament in the world? Its in Iceland. Did you know that? No? Icelanders adopted the parliamentary system of governance in 930 AD! Iceland is the country with the oldest parliament in the world! The History of the Parliament Iceland’s Viking settlers decided in 930 AD that Iceland was to be its own commonwealth. They chose Þingvellir as their...
Tomatoes of Iceland. Yes they do exist. Surprised? Understandable. For a country that is covered with ice and knows only 3 kinds of weather – cold, colder and coldest. You can be forgiven for assuming that much of the local produce is imported - especially the fruits and vegetables! However, this is a misconception. Farms of...
The world’s best lobster soup, rotten cod as a delicacy, succulent whale meat – tempted ? Iceland – home to the best seafood! A true legend and a trailblazer in Reykjavik harbour is the Sea Baron restaurant. Many years ago, a retired fisherman and Coast Guard chef, came up with the recipe for what has been called the...
