Stories from the Natlantic

Since early 2020, the inhabitants of the small town of Grindavík have lived with tens of thousands of earthquakes. It began with the rising of the mountain Þorbjörn just north of town, leading to fears of possible eruptions. The situation then got better and the quakes got fewer. A year later, the pace, magnitude and closeness of earthquakes shook the town into a state of worry and sleeplessness, along with fears of a nearby eruption. But faced with two bad options, an volcanic eruption began to sound pretty good for some.

On a local bench, host Svavar Jónatansson finds a venue for collecting stories and experiences. Through the randomness of encounters we hear stories of Norwegian heritage, ice cream and plant nursery, "what the fuck" moments of a hiker and the perfect moment on a sunny afternoon.

The name used centuries ago by scholars far in the south, referring to the Arctic Ocean and the top of the world. In this episode we join an expedition in 2012, organised by the University Centre of Svalbard (UNIS) with the goal of reaching into the arctic sea ice in the north. 

Sparked by the sight of an 8 year old kid pouring milk into a gold fish pond, I began asking people for their own memories of childhood deviance. We go between rhubarb stealing, knocking friends unconscious and the various bad behaviours that in some cases, pile up from childhood. 

In this episode we explore a few aspects of our hearts, with the advice of a world renowned doctor from the Mayo Clinic, experiences of sufferers, and the approach of a Dutch nurse.

With no material at hand and a heavy work schedule I set out to make a show on the spot, by a gas station in the south of Iceland. The aim was to only do a rough episode that only included voice over recordings made on the spot and save on the extra work. The content came through asking random people questions about what had been on the top of my mind during the last days. The time I planned on investing grew, at the cost of delivery, explaining the week long delay to get this episode up. I chose to invest in quality, which I hope will meet the expectations of my dear investors (of time), namely you. 

On a hike up to Glymur, a 198 meter tall waterfall in the Botnsdalur valley, conversations flow almost as freely as the water crashing down to the bottom of the canyon. By Icelands tallest waterfall we talk to Europes strongest man, dive into podcasts, discuss Los Angeles water conservation, and much more before we return.

We visit an art exhibition held in a private home in downtown Reykjavík, and later talk with a few of the curators behind the 3 hour event. Before we end the episode, we dive into various periods of Iceland´s art history, with the help of Goddur.

We go on set of a music video for the London artist collective Kerai. Through a day in a post apocalyptic location, we witness Kitty Von Sometime at work, and hear of her other project of passion.

The idea to cut my own hair grows in complexity as the hairstyle brings up questions of symbolism, however far it might be from my own ideology. We get Russian and English perspectives before turning our attention to the newly arrived migratory birds, some having come a long way, to put it conservatively.

Questions for you, dear listener. Answers to be given by you, to yourself, for yourself. 25 minutes of questions and no answers, from the Natlantic.

Icelander Halldór Guðbjörnsson has been a shoe maker, a professions mainly consisting of repairs, for half a century. We gain insights into his career, the profession, and the hobbies outside of work.

We meet Katelyn Jarvis, founder of the non profit Peacestamps, on her early morning arrival in Iceland, with no place to volunteer. So instead we hear her story, including goals, passion and aspiration for world peace.

We join Icelander Björn Ragnarsson on a personal journey down the Camino de Santiago through his memories and reasons behind his choice. Confronted with darkness, the search for light led him to the pilgrimage which starts in France and ends in Santiago in Spain. Along the way was the process of self discovery, shedding the past and overcoming personal stuff. Known as the Road of Jacob in Icelandic, it is an international attraction with a reach well beyond its christian origin as a pilgrimage. 

We meet Jean Philippe Boussut on his bicycle at the edge of Reykjavík, in middle of winter. His journey becomes clear as he tells us the story of how a small town sports teacher got on a bike, and pedalled out into a world of adventures. His project L´Odyslande combines his love for biking and exploring the world through less populated regions. Having biked from Belgium to the most northern part of Norway, he set his sights to Iceland. We encounter him on his second trip to Iceland, as part of his 600km journey. 

hear the story of Grampa Dave, through the people who knew him and keep his memory alive. From building self sustainable houses in Canada, to paragliding over the Icelandic and South African terrain, Grampa Dave made an impression wherever he went. 

We head east, along the south coast, to the small town of Vík, where a young Parisian found a place to call home.

We encounter stormy month in Iceland and talk to foreigners of their own stormy weather at home. From land to sea, we hear from the Gvendur, a captain

Oversleeping, awoken by a friend, heading out for a hike, conversing around a holy mountain, conducting an orchestra of ice, and finally, the story of a man who set out on foot a 103 years ago, facing the dangers of Iceland´s highlands, armed with love.

We meet Leann McIsaac on a midsummer night, joining her on a musical journey into her past.