A (Bad) Taste of Iceland in Toronto (10-16. March) with Mr E @ Canada

A TASTE OF ICELAND in Toronto, March 10th - 16th
Celebrating first ever Non-Stop flights between Toronto and Reykjavík on Icelandair with Worlds Class Cuisine, Music and Culture

Aside from being one of the most beautiful places on earth, Iceland boasts an impressive cultural reservoir of famous musicians and filmmakers, and a reputation for world-class cuisine that rivals any city in the world. Torontonians get the chance to experience A Taste of Iceland from March 10th – 16th to celebrate the launch of the first ever non-stop flights between Toronto and Reykjavík beginning May 2nd on Icelandair.
A Taste of Iceland is a weeklong cultural program hosted by Iceland Naturally, with a variety of events including free live concerts, film screenings and collaborations with Toronto chefs.

To mark the exciting launch of the festival, a very special performance by Rockstar: Supernova finalist and Iceland native Magni will take place at the Esplanade Bier Markt! A fan favourite on the 2006 reality show, and a chart-topper in Iceland, Magni will perform with his band on Monday, March 10th and Wednesday, March 12th (Bier Markt, 58 The Esplanade, Monday 7pm and Wednesday 9pm, Free).
World renowned Icelandic chef Hákon Örvarsson, former executive chef at top Reykjavík restaurant VOX and a Bronze Medal Winner of the Bocuse d’Or World Cuisine Contest, will collaborate with Drake Hotel’s Anthony Rose and the Bier Markt’s Michael Cipollo to create two unique tasting menus of 5-star Icelandic cuisine.
One of Iceland’s favourite master chefs, Örvarsson’s Luxembourg restaurant Lea Linster won a Michelin star in 2002. Chef Örvarsson now resides in Orlando where he is preparing for the opening of his own restaurant.
Other musical guests in Toronto include Ghostigital and Ólafur Arnalds.
Ólafur Arnalds, who is only 20 years old, is already a celebrated Icelandic indie rock musician whose music has been described as “beautiful in the same way [that] Antarctica is.” Ólafur and his eponymous band combine instrumentals and strings with an indie rock vibe to create a classic Icelandic sound (March 12th & 13th, Drake Lounge, Free.)
Ghostigital is the musical collaboration of Einar Örn, co-founder of the Sugarcubes, and Curver, an Icelandic producer and multi-instrumentalist. Their music can be described as electronica mixed with spoken word and experimental musings (March 12th & 13th, Drake Underground, Free.)
In collaboration with the New York-based curatorial team Package Deals, a handful of feature films will be screened in Toronto during the festival. The film Children (Börn), by well-known Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason, is a compelling look at a group of dysfunctional people in Reykjavík. Shot in beautifully stylized black and white, which complements the film's dark atmosphere, the story’s unexpected twists and turns lead to a provocative denouement. The film was awarded the Best Screenplay award at the 2006 Edda Awards, Iceland’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, in 2006. This screening marks the Toronto premiere of Children (Börn).
The new acclaimed film Heima will also be screening as part of the Taste of Iceland festival. Directed by Ottawa native Dean DeBlois, Heima—which translates as both “at home” and “homeland”—chronicles a series of free concerts that Sigur Rós, Iceland's biggest musical export after Björk, played in their native Iceland in the summer of 2006. The film provides unique insights into one of the world's most fascinating and inscrutable bands, captured live while exploring their natural habitat—the mysterious, otherworldly landscape of Iceland—like never before.
Both films will screen at the Cumberland Theatre on Bloor St. Children will air at 6:30pm and Heima at 8:15pm, both on Thursday, March 13th.
Currently in its sixth year, A Taste of Iceland has enjoyed great success in many major cities including Ottawa, Edmonton, Victoria, Seattle, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C. and more. Upcoming host cities include Calgary in April and Boston in July.

Fun Facts about Iceland:

Land: Iceland is an island of almost 40,000 square miles, equal in size to Newfoundland. Iceland is home to 10,000 waterfalls, 800 hot springs and 24 hours of daylight in the summer. Iceland is Canada’s closest European neighbour. With a flight time from Toronto of less than five hours, it’s finally easy to put Iceland on your travel wish list.
Hotspots: Bask in the relaxing waters of the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s most unique and popular mineral, geothermal outdoor spa. Retrace the footsteps of the Vikings at Thingvellir, the world’s oldest parliament. Enjoy shopping at the hippest and trendiest shops in Reykjavík and tantalize your taste buds with some of the most purely natural food imaginatively served to delight the most discerning of diners.
Energy: Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic and geothermal activity. 30 volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries and natural hot water supplies much of the population with cheap, pollution-free heating. Pure, Natural, Unspoiled. The way life should be!
People: Of a population numbering 300,000, more than half lives in the Greater Reykjavík Area. The native language is Icelandic but most Icelanders speak fluent English.
Source:
www.icelandnaturally.com/news.php?extend.79
For Jen Goes Digital : Have fun - Heyrðu... Reyndu allavegana að skemmta þér, okei?