Monday Ice: Macadamia Monster Mash

Jónsi from Sigur Rós in the outdoor kitchen with Alex.  My mouth is watering!

Jónsi & Alex Recipe Show - Macadamia Monster Mash from Jónsi & Alex on Vimeo.

If you want more raw food recipes, music or art, check out their website .

Monday Ice: Mystery Film Experiment

Sigur Rós invited film makers and video directors to create an original video for one of the tracks from their new album Valtari.  The project has been called the Mystery Film Experiment.  There is a peoples choice prize and the public can view and vote for films here, however voting closes on the 18th September so no time to waste.  

This video by Ruslan Fedotow gratified my senses and is so aesthetically sensuous and pleasurable, If this one is not for you there are many more to choose from.

Sigur Rós - Dauðalogn from Ruslan Fedotow on Vimeo.

Monday Ice: From the sublime to the ridiculous!

In case you maybe having withdrawal symptoms and need a Sigur Rós hit...here is a lovely clip featuring the Perlan special-needs theatre group acting out a simple but beautiful play about the elements to their music.

 

And now for the ridiculous...Top Gear on Eyjafjallajökull!

Monday Ice: The Icelandic Horse

For the next few weeks I will highlight a few of the animals that seem to have a great impact on the culture and traditions of Iceland.  To start off we will take a peek at the Icelandic horse...they have quite a unique look compared to other horse breeds, small in stature but I think large in heart.

Icelanders are very pragmatic when it comes to food and food sources, as a nation that needs to import much of its foods they have learned through need to make the most of what they have.  Most animals in and around Iceland are consumed and the horse is no different, it is a significant part of the Icelandic diet.  I tried it several times on my last trip, previously discussed here and it is one of my favourite meats.  Very tender and lean and readily available at the local co-op/supermarket.  However the Icelandic horse has a much greater hold on the hearts of Icelanders than just a food source.

Outside of Reykjavik there are horses everywhere, they really are a part of the landscape and most people still ride although now mainly for leisure and competitions but horses are still used on farms to round up the sheep.

It differs from other horse breeds as it is capable of 5 gaits.  The tölt is a smooth four beat gait where at least one foot is on the ground. It is a joy to watch and apparently to ride as it is smooth enough to drink a beer while riding! Plus for the more experienced the faster tölt or 5th gait can crack a flying pace. Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return, this keeps the breed pure and disease free.

This video demonstrates the various gaits and to up the degree of difficulty they are trotting on ice!

There are many popular horse riding tours for tourists in Iceland and it seems like a great way to see the country up close.

I have promised myself when I return I will learn how to ride, these horses look like the gentle type that would suit me!  This little 5 year old learning dressage makes it look so easy!

Now for the finale and closing credits of the fabulous Sigur Rós Heima series which concluded its tour in the capital Reykjavik.

Monday Ice: Environmental lessons.

Since returning to Perth many people have asked me about heating in Iceland...I think they maybe a little concerned that I could freeze my tail off when I move there.  I have tried to explain that geothermal energy is used to heat homes around the country...but the videos below do a much better job than I!

This is a pic of a geothermal pool that was at Reykir where we partied for Ross and Olga's wedding in July last year.  These pools are scattered around the country and many people have them in their backyard.

 You can see by this pic of a friend of Ross's...just how hot the water was!

With the disastrous BP oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico...surely it is time to put mega money into more environmental research such as that which is being undertaken in Iceland. The first informative documentary explains the geothermal energy used in Iceland and the second by ABC Australia delves more into Icelandic research into a hydrogen economy.  There is also a link in this one to Australia, as 3 of the Eco buses developed were sent to Perth in Western Australia back in 2004 as part of a two year trial.

We are coming near to the end of Sigur Rós and the fabulous Heima series...only one more to go next week.

Monday Ice: Do you believe in fairies?

Belief in elves, trolls and hidden people is very much a tradition still respected in Iceland.  You will have to follow the link to view this funny little doco produced by ABC Australia on the 'hidden people of Iceland.'

This one 'Elf Watching' is an amusing promotion of a new business venture by Hafdis Huld she encourages us to "experience the adventure of a lifetime, go elf watching in Iceland and if you find a small one you can even take it home"

Sigur Rós and Heima part 8

Monday Ice: Rock Down Memory Lane

Well today I thought we would take a little trip down memory lane for all you Icelandic rockers who were in Reykjavik in the mid 60's-70's.
First video is of Led Zeppelin's visit to Reykjavik in 1970.

 

 The second video is an Icelandic newsreel of the Kinks who visited in 1965, you will have to follow the link to view this one....maybe you are one of the screaming fans!

And of course we will finish on a quieter note with the more meditative music of Sigur Rós and Heima part 7.

Monday Ice and Big Congrats to Sigga!

UPDATE: I would like to update yesterdays post to let you know that The Best Party (Besti Flokkurinn) has indeed won the municipal elections with 6 seats in Reykjavik and comedian Jón Gnarr is most likely to take up office as mayor. I think this is amazing...hopefully they will take the role seriously and make sure they do have the right/good people around them to make it work....this just wouldn't happen anywhere else in the world....Iceland you are simply the best!

Before I get on with Monday Ice I would like to congratulate Sigga who has been such a help to me and fed me at least 42 different meals on my last trip. Sigga has won a ticket to the Premiere of Iceland: Future of Hope and dinner with the director Henry Bateman....lucky girl! You may remember this was a film I, Sigga and many others supported via the kickstarter website...once released I should get a dvd of it in the mail...hooray!

Ok I thought it was about time I posted a video or two of what Iceland does best and that of course is the landscape. So here are a couple of amateur videos by tourists of the amazing Iceland!
These videos were taken the same time I was in Iceland in the summer of 2009 but for me it was all about the wedding!

The first is of a young Norwegian family of five who spent their summer holidays travelling around Iceland...with 3 young children in tow they packed a lot into their trip and if I do half the stuff they did when I return I will be happy!

The next video is by a young couple in July 2009 who came because they watched the Sigur Rós video Heima and thought they had to see the place for themselves.

And now for more wonderful scenery and part 6 of Sigur Rós's Heima!

Monday Ice: Music...Food for the Soul!

I have difficulty making a decision on what to put up on Monday Ice as there is quite a lot to choose from...plenty is boring so I will refrain from showing those unless I get really desperate and have posted everything that is good with only boring left.

Iceland has been in the news so much lately but not so long ago it was a place that the everyday person had heard very little of. Besides the financial crash of 2008 and the volcano Eyjafjallajökull putting Iceland on the world map there is one other person who has brought Iceland to the attention of many and her name is Björk. I have found a few lovely interviews and will post more further down the track. She is a very interesting young woman and in this interview on a German talk back show with Harald Schmidt some of that Icelandic sense of humour that I love shines through...enjoy!

Today we are halfway through the Sigur Rós Heima series with part 5 and I must say I have enjoyed re watching this lovely documentary. Just over the 5 min mark look out for the amazing musical instrument made from Icelandic rock.

Monday Ice: Food, Glorious Food!

Well as many of you will have seen in previous posts...I struggled to eat some of the traditional Icelandic food particularly the stinky fish, rotten shark and blood pudding.  A little warning here if you are vegetarian this is probably not the post for you...especially the Gordon Ramsey videos.
There are quite a few videos on Youtube of people trying the fermented shark, I have just picked a couple,  this first video explains the process of preparing the shark and the associated traditional Þorrablót.

This next video is of Ian Wright sampling the fermented shark...his reaction closely imitates mine...I had a lot of trouble swallowing it and keeping it down.

Probably my favourite new food that I tried when in Iceland was Horse/Foal...it was tasty, lean and very tender.  I could not bring myself to try whale for the obvious reasons and I did not have the chance to try Puffin and not sure that I would be able to as they look so cute.

Puffins on the Island Drangey...pic taken by my son Jesse last year in Iceland.

This video part 1 and 2 are of Gordon Ramsey hunting and cooking Puffin in Iceland and of course  as it is Ramsey there is a language warning.

My son Ross last year on Drangey Island choosing not to hunt Puffin but having fun chasing and catching a different type of animal species.

To recover from Ramsey settle down and enjoy the magic of Sigur Rós and Heima part 4.

Monday Ice: Laughter is the best medicine!

Sometimes I forget to laugh and when that happens I tend to dream about laughing...what I don't do enough in my waking life then at least I do it in my dreams!  I love the Icelandic sense of humour, it can be quite irreverent and Icelanders in general seem not to take themselves too seriously.  In Iceland the whole nation stops for an hour on New Years Eve and watch Áramótaskaupið a special sketch comedy show about the year in review...I think it is good therapy to have a good laugh at ourselves on occasion.  So take a leaf out of the Icelandic book and start your day with a laugh.

The first one is by Sigrun Huld, this young lady is very funny in an awkward sort of a way as she welcomes you to Iceland. If she tickles your fancy check out the others in this little series. 

Welcome to my world! 

The next video is a group of 3 Icelandic comedians at a Will Smith press conference in London ...this is hilarious.

Even Sigur Rós display a sense of humour when one of them forget the lyrics at a show in France.

We will finish off with the 3rd instalment of Sigur Rós and Heima, no lyrics forgotten here.

Monday Ice: A Tribute to Sauðárkrókur.

Here is a video tribute to a fabulous little town in the North West of Iceland...Sauðárkrókur and the place where I hope to eventually call home. 

This first little amateur video is of my favourite viewpoint over the town, from the graveyard where I often walked with my pal Freyja...most of you have seen plenty of my pics of it here and here and here.

The second video is a Christmas special that I am sorry to have missed in Dec last year when the Christmas Tree lights were turned on.  The ice sculpturing demonstration looks as if it was just outside the front of the restaurant 'Olafshus' next door to Kristin's house (the little white and red one) where I stayed.

This next one is a short little video on Atlantic Leather a fish tanning company in Sauðárkrókur.  Check out their website

and now for part 2 of the Sigur Rós documentary...enjoy!

Monday Ice Video Connections!

Ok, so I have just now realised that you can schedule posts to be released in advanced, so I have decided to have a regular video post each Monday.

To get my fix I do trawl YouTube for footage on Iceland and have bookmarked quite a few, so not wanting to overload you all at once I will share one or two clips regularly on Mondays. I am not quite sure how this will pan out or how strictly about Iceland they will be...but the rule is that there will be some sort of connection to Iceland even if it is by 6 degrees of separation.

I thought I would start with a little history lesson. This is a quaint 1926 silent travel clip on the capital Reykjavik when the population was 21,000 plus a police force of 3.

I am also going to include weekly episodes of a documentary called Heima (meaning 'At Home') which is about the acclaimed Icelandic band Sigur Rós, (I love their music) who toured Iceland in the summer of 2006 providing free concerts around the country. I am including these because there are some absolutely stunning images of the landscape which is hauntingly enhanced by the music, plus it is a great documentary. My daughter in-law Olga introduced me to this band and subsequent documentary when it was shown briefly on Pitchfork.