Nipples, glaciers and pagans: a 2015 retrospective

Iceland Monitor feature articles and interviews in English on Icelandic …

Iceland Monitor feature articles and interviews in English on Icelandic culture, society, politics, economy, living, travel and nature. Photo: mbl.is

As the year draws to a close, Iceland Monitor takes a look back over 2015 and some of its most popular news stories for each month. Which is your favourite?

JANUARY – Iceland’s last McDonald’s burger still intact

McDonald's closed in Iceland in 2009. Six years later, the last burger still shows no signs of decomposition and is now exhibited at Bus Hostel in Skógarhlíð.

Photo: Kristinn

Photo: Kristinn

FEBRUARY – How to be a 101 hipster

A light-hearted guide at how to fit in with the 101 Reykjavik in-crowd and avoid sticking out like a sore thumb – or worse, a tourist – at any of the cool hangouts downtown.

Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson

Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson

MARCH – Pagans to conduct a solar eclipse ceremony at temple site

The Ásatrú Society in Iceland conducted a special pagan ceremony for the solar eclipse at the site of their new temple, the first to be built in Europe for a thousand years.

Photo: Golli / Kjartan Þorbjörnsson

Photo: Golli / Kjartan Þorbjörnsson

APRIL – A tidal wave of nipples sweeps Iceland

A look at #freethenipple day in Iceland, where women – including an MP – went braless or topless to show their support.

Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson

Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson

MAY – Uproar as artist dyes geyser pink

Artist Marco Evaristti poured five litres of red fruit dye into the active Strokkur geyser without permission, an act not appreciated artistically by enraged Icelanders.

Photo: mbl

Photo: mbl

JUNE – Kaupþing executives jailed

Six defendants were jailed in the Kaupþing market manipulation case, the biggest case of this type in Iceland’s history.

Photo: mbl

Photo: mbl

JULY – Viking-age hut found in Reykjavik

Archaeologists digging in central Reykjavik were looking for traces of a farm cottage built in 1799 – and found a Viking hut from some 900 years earlier.

Photo: Kristinn Ingvarsson

Photo: Kristinn Ingvarsson

AUGUST – Perfect Iceland hideaway for sale

A charming home for sale on the waterfront at beautiful Hvalfjörður. The building is by Alark architects and offers spectacular views.

Photo: mbl

Photo: mbl

SEPTEMBER – Iceland qualify for Euro 2016!

Football history made in Reykjavik as the Iceland men’s football team qualify for the UEFA European Championship for the very first time.

Photo: Golli / Kjartan Þorbjörnsson

Photo: Golli / Kjartan Þorbjörnsson

OCTOBER – VIDEO: See the Skaftá river flood

At its peak, flood water flows reached 3,000 m3/s, over double the previous record for a comparable river flood in Skaftá.

Photo: Þor­vald­ur Örn Krist­munds­son

Photo: Þor­vald­ur Örn Krist­munds­son

NOVEMBER – VIDEO: Iceberg breaking off from glacier

A video showing the moment when a black chunk of glacial ice breaks off from Svínafellsjökull glacier in South Iceland and rolls in the water.

Photo: Friðrik Tryggvason

Photo: Friðrik Tryggvason

DECEMBER – Worst weather in Iceland for 25 years

The headline probably speaks for itself!

Weather

Light snow

Today

-1 °C

Light rain

Later today

2 °C

Overcast

Tomorrow

3 °C

Warning: Yellow More