Iceland: The Land of Extremes

A brisk 5.5 hr flight whisks you from a concrete jungle with 8 million inhabitants to a different kind of island, sprinkled with volcanoes, fjords, glaciers and a mere 320,000 people.

The most striking thing on the drive from the airport to Reykjavik was the lack of anything.  That is not to say there is nothing to admire on the route. Contrary, the vistas are stunning and captivating. The landscape changes what seems like minute to minute. 

Iceland is a country of contrasts.  It is referred to as the land of Fire & Ice, as it showcases both extremes and everything in between. The scenery is unbelievably picturesque and it all changes in a flash before your eyes. You will navigate endless lava fields of dark jagged rock covered in soft green and yellow moss.  Rugged mountains erect out of vast fields and farm land.  The north boasts grey dusty plains, reminiscent of the moon's surface.

As we anticipated our trip, news was stirring about the Bárðarbunga volcano, located under one of Iceland's most extensive glaciers, Vatnajökull. A volcanic fissure appeared and threat of a full eruption, which could cause massive amounts of ice from the glacier to melt, was looming behind the excitement of our trip. Thankfully we did not experience a full blown eruption before, during or even after our trip. what Bardarbunga did offer us was some spectacular red glowing hues at the horizon while driving in the north. 

On our 8 hour drive from Rejkyavik to Akuyeri, we took a 2.5 hour detour just to see a rock.

Folklore and magic