The land of ice and fire - part I

About earthquakes and eruptions

Our honeymoon brought us to a "not that typical newlywed destination." It had always been our dream to visit Iceland to check out its raw and wild natural beauty. It may have been a once-in-a-lifetime occasion as we directly experienced a volcanic eruption upon our arrival. It was well worth the visit in spite of having to withstand the harsh and icy blowing wind.

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"An eruption has started in the area and is being evaluated by scientists for risks. Please do not approach the volcano. Beware of the old lava as well as the poisonous gas." This is the first message we received after arrival. We were calmly bathing in a hot spring called Blue Lagoon, suspecting nothing of this happening. As I was leaving and getting dressed, I checked my phone and read this note from the government. I was strongly considering not telling Betti as she would freak out, which she did, but in the end, luckily, we decided to go for this awesome hike. Unforgettable. A very warm welcome in an Icelandic way.

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The Reykjanes Peninsula in the west of Iceland

From west to east: Airport Keflavík I Blue Lagoon hot spring I Grindavík coastal town I

Fagradalsfjall volcano in the Meradalir valley I Reykjavík capital town

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Some solidified lava from last year's eruption, which we weren't supposed to walk on- as I got to know the day after from the hotel receptionist- because it is fragile and you could easily fall into a crack. Nevertheless it was a great caption with some rare textures.

The volcano is called Fagradalsfjall and lies in the valley of Meradalir on the Reykjanes Peninsula, close to the airport and the Blue Lagoon hot spring. It was it's second eruption in two years, we were passing by the solidified lava from last year as we hiked the mountain. I was infected with covid after the wedding, so I was quite struggling getting there.

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What we also loved in Iceland, is the possibility to be out really late in the summer, exploring spontaneously the barren environment in a long sunset vibe.

This was our first excursion into the raw icelandic landscapes on winding gravel roads with our rented car. This is a coastline of Reykjanes next to the small town of Grindavik. These images were taken after 10:30 p.m.