All Things Iceland

Because Christmas is right around the corner, I decided to dedicate this episode to giving you ideas for Iceland-themed gifts you can get for yourself or a loved one this year. Below are all of the places I recommend getting a gift that was either made or designed in Iceland.

1.) The Handknitting Association of Iceland is where I get my Icelandic lopapeysas (sweaters). They are handmade in Iceland from 100% Icelandic wool. https://bit.ly/handknitted_iceland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjBepJiZm94&t=0s

2.) Shop at the All Things Iceland Merch shop for awesome Iceland themed goodies (https://shop.allthingsiceland.com/)

Get a 10% discount on your first purchase when you use the code Iceland10 at checkout.

3) Anna Rósa Skincare – https://www.annarosaskincare.com/

In  the video below, I talk about how the Bliss Healing Balm from Anna Rósa skincare has been a game changer for my skin during the winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh5Xp7w0QNc&t=197s 4.) Icelandic Food & Sweets  – On this site (https://bit.ly/nammi_christmas), you can find an assortment of foods that Icelanders eat during the Christmas season. I recommend ordering some and trying them out. 

5.) Infused Salts from Saltverk are sustainably harvested in Iceland. They have a lovely selection of flavors that are so fun to try. (https://saltverk.com/)

The Little Book of the Icelanders at Christmas by Alda Sigmundsdóttir – https://amzn.to/3dgzwGK

Independent People by Halldór Laxness – https://amzn.to/3EiyaXz

Icelandic Christmas Beers, which are so fun to taste during this time of year. https://bit.ly/christmas_beers_iceland

Reykjavík Distillery has some delicious liquers that I highly recommend trying, such as the Rhubarb and blueberry flavored ones. https://bit.ly/nammi_reyk_dist

Here is the episode about Icelandic beer history that I did with Óli the Brewmaster 

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Visiting Iceland for the first time is such an amazing adventure, but it also comes with some surprising experiences. In this podcast episode, I point out 12 things that shock first timer visitors to the country. While this will help to manage your expectations, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have some type of reaction to one or more of these things when you encounter them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2SzkaekT0w

Koma á óvart – surprise

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While there are certainly more than five trailblazing women in Iceland’s history, I thought it would be helpful to start off with these women first because they have made a significant impact on Iceland and the progression of the society for everyone. You might have heard of some of the  women I’m featuring but there are others that you have probably never learned about. 

Before I jump into speaking about each woman, I will first give a bit of history about Iceland regarding suffrage and the significant impact that Icelandic women’s organizations had in the country. These organizations were formed before women had the right to vote. After going over each of the phenomenal women’s backgrounds, I share a little timeline of significant moments in Icelandic history that are related to women rights and equal rights. 

Next is the random fact of the episode and I will end off with the Icelandic word of the day. I found a lot of information on the Women’s history Archives website. The Archives was founded in January of 1975 by Anna Sigurðardóttir, Else Mia Einarsdóttir and Svanlaug Baldursdóttir. Since 1996 it has been a special entity within the National Library of Iceland. There is so much information there and I will have links to the website in the show notes if you want to check it out.

I think it is important and super fascinating to share some history about Iceland and how the country being governed by Denmark played a significant role in the rights of women in the country. At the beginning of the 19th century Iceland did not have many people residing in the country. The ones that did live here were farmers, their wives and kids, people who worked as laborers and maids. There was not a middle class until later into the 20th century. That is significant because it is often thought that the middle class are the backbone of social movements. In fact from 1845, the right to vote for men in Iceland was limited to those of a certain age that paid taxes and had property.

That changed in 1903 but still that means that more than 50 years went by where only men with certain status in society had the right to vote. What is so interesting to me is that the Icelandic parliament discussed women’s suffrage more than once in the 19th century and most parliamentarians supported it. However, all bills that contained women’s suffrage were vetoed by Danish authorities. Those bills also proposed changes in the relationship between countries as well. I’m sure that had a lot to do with the bills being vetoed. I was surprised at how progressive parliament was back about this topic. And for those who are not aware, Iceland didn’t become a sovereign state until 1918 and declared independence in 1944.

Iceland’s first women’s organization was founded in the countryside in 1869. It’s focus was to foster more unity and cooperation among women in the region. They also collected money to buy a knitting machine that all members could use.

Most women’s organizations at the time were focused on helping the sick and the poor. Iceland didn’t have a national healthcare system then and municipalities were barely providing any social help. By stepping in to help, these women organizations played a significant role in shaping the welfare state of the country. These organizations provided home care for the sick and created a healthcare center in Reykjavik.

Because women were only allowed to get the most elementary education from the established institutions at the time, Icelandic women decided to create their own private schools between 1874 and 1879.

Icelandic women gained the parliamentary vote in 1915, but the right was, however, blemished by the fact that only women over 40 years of age got the vote. Nowhere else in the world was women’s suffrage restricted in this particular way. Certain circumstances in Iceland contributed to this unique decision, and we shall take a closer look at them here. (In 1920 the franchise limits on women were lifted in accordance with the agreement in 1918 between Denmark and Iceland when the latter became a sovereign state).

Up until 1975, women that worked outside of the home earned less than 60% of what men earned.

In 1975, the United Nations announced that year would be International Women’s Year. A feminist group in Iceland called Redstockings, which I assume they were inspired or even in affiliation with Redstockings of the Women’s Liberation Movement that was founded in 1969 in NYC, had the idea of striking or ´taking a day off´ as a way to honor that year. They felt that taking a day off sounded more appealing to the masses and would result in more women participating. Plus, some women might be fired if they were to strike but they could request a day off.

The fateful day was October 24th, 1975. 90% of women in Iceland took the day off, or essentially went on strike  to “demonstrate the indispensable work of women for Iceland’s economy and society”.

Women that had jobs did not show up for work and those that were normally at home, did not do any housework or child rearing for the whole day. Men had to take their children to work as well as scramble to feed themselves and the kids. I’m sure most kids ate hotdogs that day.

The following year, Iceland’s parliament passed a law guaranteeing equal pay.

Kosingaréttur

Kosing – vote

Réttur – right

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Ragna Kjartansdóttir (Cell7) and Hildur Kristín Stefánsdóttir are the dynamic duo that makes up the band Red Riot in Iceland. During this interview, they share the ups and downs of being an artist (solo and in a band) in Iceland. In particular, they provide insight as females in the Icelandic music industry and some of the challenges they have faced just due to their gender.

Use my special link below to get a discounted rate of the live stream of the “Live from Reykjavík” concert happening on November 6th, 2021. This hybrid event has limited in-person seats and will be live-streamed from four iconic venues in Reykjavík. Amazing Icelandic artists like Ásgeir, Bríet, Aron Can, Daughters of Reykjavík, Red Riot, and more will perform.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xPoY_aXbhU

Red Riot’s Spotify playlist

Cell7’s Spotify Playlist

Hildur’s Spotify Playlist

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So many people around the world have fallen in love with Icelandic music because of the amazing artists from this tiny country in the North Atlantic ocean. Like many industries, the Icelandic music scene has had to pivot during tough times in order for artists to continue working/creating and for the industry itself to keep alive. To get a better insight into how the Icelandic music scene has adapted during this time, I hosted a panel of experts in the industry.

These amazing people include María Rut Reynisdóttir is the Head of Cultural Office for the City of Reykjavik and the Project Manager for Reykjavík Music City; Sigtryggur “Siggi” Baldursson is the Managing Director for Iceland Music, whose mission is to help tell the story of Icelandic music around the world, and he was the drummer in the band “The Sugarcubes”; Will Larnach Jones is the Managing Director and Head of Bookings for Iceland Airwaves, one of Iceland’s biggest music festivals.

Use my special link below to get a discounted rate of the live stream of the “Live from Reykjavík” concert happening on November 6th, 2021. This hybrid event has limited in-person seats and will be live-streamed from four iconic venues in Reykjavík. Amazing Icelandic artists like Ásgeir, Bríet, Aron Can, Daughters of Reykjavík, and more will perform.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA7bwomj45A&list=RDCMUCacXXvaNHJQhMYU7f77OrBA&start_radio=1

Siggi heads up a great time at Iceland Music, whose mission it is to help tell the story of Icelandic music around the world. Iceland Music is the music export office of Iceland. We facilitate the growth and development of the Icelandic music sector through building relationships between musicians and the various services that support their careers, such as festivals, PR and labels, and transnational promotion.

Iceland Music also administers a number of export grants to Icelandic musicians which help them perform internationally. He is also a kind, warm and funny man! And in a former life he was the drummer for The Sugarcubes, who were the first Icelandic band to make big waves overseas, and as such played a huge part in the music / tourism conversation around Iceland, and with the label Bad Taste (Smekkleysa)

María Rut studied Creative Project and Process Management at the KaosPilot school in Denmark and started her career in Iceland as the Executive Assistant to Magnus Scheving, creator and CEO of the LazyTown children’s TV series. María first got involved in the music industry when she joined the social music platform Gogoyoko.com back in 2008 as Head of Charity (and later COO) and took on the management of Iceland’s biggest reggae band, hjálmar. She was the Program Manager of Iceland Airwaves in 2010, the Manager of the You Are In Control conference on creative industries in the digital age in 2011 and the General Manager of the Icelandic Music Awards 2012 – 2015.

María has taught Project Management at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts and sat on the board of Gogoyoko.com and Music Express travel fund. María has been the manager of internationally acclaimed artist Ásgeir from the start of his career in spring 2012 as well as managing dj. flugvél og geimskip. María became the Project Manager for the Music City of Reykjavík where her responsibilities will be to ensure and support a thriving music community in the city through various activities and projects. She is now the Head of Cultural Office for the City of Reykjavik.

Will Larnach-Jones has worked in music for 20 years – wearing many hats throughout that time – manager, publicist, agent, A&R, music programmer, marketing ‘guru’ and erstwhile (rubbish) DJ. Along the way, he’s worked with many bands from every corner of the world. Originally from Australia, he now lives in London and he works as managing director and head of bookings for Iceland Airwaves – having had a connection with the county for almost 20 years.

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Icelandic ghost stories have been told over the centuries and there is one in particular that I am sharing in this episode. “Deacon of Dark River” or Djákninn á Myrká is a spooky story that involves love, Christmas and the undead. Over the last couple of years, Halloween has become more popular in Iceland, even though there is another holiday (Öskudagur), where kids dress up and sing for candy. However, that holiday happens on Ash Wednesday and not much happens during this time of the year, so it makes sense that Icelanders are gravitating towards celebrating Halloween.

“Trolls in the Knolls: 35 Icelandic Folk & Fairy Tales ” is the book I referenced in the episode. It has some fun stories that are a mix of bizarre, fascinating and a little scary.

Gleðilega Hrekkjavöku – Happy Halloween

Don’t miss out on announcements of special content for those planning a trip to Iceland.

Some of you might be aware that one of my goals for the podcast is to travel around Iceland more to interview different people in each region. In July, I set up the All Things Iceland community on Patreon. It’s a membership platform that was founded in 2013. It allows for creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you in exchange for a monthly subscription.

Each month I am doing Ask Me Anything videos, Live Chats, and Folklore Friday each week. Sometimes I do updates about my life in Iceland. I do not share this content on any other channel. The support from my patrons on the All Things Iceland community on Patreon will help to evolve All Things Iceland. There are several membership tiers to choose from and each tier has a variety of benefits.

If you would like to join the community, go to patreon.com/allthingsiceland. I look forward to having you join.

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og Gleðilega Hrekkjavöku!

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and Happy Halloween!

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Immigrant life in Iceland has surprisingly been a smooth transition for me. I think part of that has to do with the fact that there are certain things in the country that have made living here easy. Of course it is important to mention that what I point out in this episode are based on my own experience and will vary from person to person. In this podcast episode, I go over 5 specific things that come to mind when I think about what has made immigrant life in Iceland easier as I continue to learn and adjust to the country.

Thank you to Taxes for Expats for sponsoring this podcast episode. I’m incredibly grateful for this awesome tax service because they make my life a million times easier when it comes time to file in the US.

Their online platform is intuitive, and you get matched up with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) that thoroughly works on your taxes to make sure you are fully compliant regarding filing your taxes. Every year, it is a headache for me to get it done but not anymore because I know I can rely on Taxes for Expats to handle the paperwork for me.

I often get asked by people from around the world how they can move to Iceland. It varies for everyone, but I recommend checking out this video to get an idea of what visas are available to you and much more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJZdsXsFus

One of the funny things to me is that I have totally taken on the habit of Icelanders where they bring an empty suitcase with them when they go on vacation. It is often so expensive to buy clothes and certain products here, that it can be less expensive to buy a plane ticket and bulk shop for things out of the country.

Innflytjandi – immigrant

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega.

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

2021 has been such an interesting year for me and I was just as shocked as anyone that I was able to interview the President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson. I talk about how the opportunity to interview Guðni during the podcast episode because it is quite unusual. The President was very kind to answer all of my questions, including the questions that the members of the All Things Iceland Patreon submitted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTJo-K3_PV8&t=1s

Some of you might be aware that one of my goals for the podcast is to travel around Iceland more to interview different people in each region. In July 2020, I set up the All Things Iceland community on Patreon. It’s a membership platform that was founded in 2013. It allows or creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you in exchange for a monthly subscription.

Each month I am doing Ask Me Anything videos, Live Chats, and Folklore Friday each week. Sometimes I do updates about my life in Iceland. I do not share this content on any other channel. The support from my patrons on the All Things Iceland community on Patreon will help to evolve All Things Iceland. There are several membership tiers to choose from and each tier has a variety of benefits.

If you would like to join the community, go to patreon.com/allthingsiceland. I look forward to having you join.

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega.

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

During this sit down with Sæþór Randalsson about the recent election in Iceland and his involvement with socialism in Iceland was quite insightful. More than a year ago, I interviewed Sæþór about his move from the United States many years ago and you check it out here.

The beginning of this episode focuses on Sæþór sharing about how the Icelandic Parliament is set up. After all the ballots from the election are counted, coalitions of the parties that have seats in Parliament are formed. Well, the goal is that coalitions are formed but that can sometimes take more than one go for that to happen.

After that breakdown, Sæþór talks about Socialism and why he is running for a Parliamentary position with the Socialis party. Many people who are not familiar with how Iceland is governed often assume that there is socialism is widely practised in Icelandic society instead understanding there is a mix of socialism and capitalism here.

Some of you might be aware that one of my goals for the podcast is to travel around Iceland more to interview different people in each region. In July, I set up the All Things Iceland community on Patreon. It’s a membership platform that was founded in 2013. It allows for creators like me to provide exclusive content to listeners like you in exchange for a monthly subscription.

Each month I am doing Ask Me Anything videos, Live Chats, and Folklore Friday each week. Sometimes I do updates about my life in Iceland. I do not share this content on any other channel. The support from my patrons on the All Things Iceland community on Patreon will help to evolve All Things Iceland. There are several membership tiers to choose from and each tier has a variety of benefits.

If you would like to join the community, go to patreon.com/allthingsiceland. I look forward to having you join.

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega.

Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!

Iceland’s Blue Lagoon was established in the 1990s, but it’s a much different experience now than its humble beginnings. Over the decades the Blue Lagoon went from being a bathing facility whose water run off from a nearby power plant soothed the skin of patients with psoriasis to being one of the most well known spas in the world. When travelers to Iceland are planning their trips, I often get asked if the Blue Lagoon is worth visiting. I totally understand that some “must see” places can be overhyped, so I dedicated this short podcast episode to giving you my opinion on if it is worth it to visit this famous spa.

During the episode I go over the different passes available, the cost of each pass (comfort and premium) and what they include. I also include my experience with the in-water massage that is available as an add-on to any pass that you buy, if you decide to visit. I do not include an opinion about the Blue Lagoon’s Retreat Spa, a newer and much more expensive option than the other passes, because I’ve not experienced it. When I do try out the Retreat Spa, I will definitely share my thoughts in a separate episode.

I think the most important things for anyone to keep in mind when making decisions about activities in Iceland are their budget and what kind of experiences they feel are worth splurging on. For many, visiting the Blue Lagoon is an essential part of experiencing Iceland and I think that is a fair view point.

I hope this podcast episode has helped to give you some insight on whether the Blue Lagoon is worth it for you when you visit the country. If you have already visited this spa in Iceland, I’d love to hear what your experience was like in the comments.

Don’t miss out on announcements of special content for those planning a trip to Iceland.

Before the most recent renovations at the Blue Lagoon, you used to be able to hand scoop your own silica masks from buckets placed in areas around the lagoon. With the new upgrades, you get your mask from an attendant, plus other available masks based on your skin’s sensitivities. The nice thing about having an attendant give you the mask is that you know no one else has been putting their hands in it.

Bláa lónið – Blue Lagoon

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega.

Thank you for kindly for listening and reading, and see you soon!