I just wrote an article for The Guardian about the the latest volcanic activities here in Iceland. How the carnival time of the Disney volcanoes of the last three years has turned into something a bit more serious.
In July 2023, I followed a parade of people to what felt like a carnival on the Reykjanes peninsula, where three eruptions have taken place in the past three years. On the hill overlooking the volcano there was a photoshoot for a skin product, on the other side someone was making a music video and next to them two Chinese women were posing in evening gowns. Another couple had set up a table with a white cloth and were enjoying a romantic dinner. The air was buzzing with drones and helicopters and a leading tourist operator hoped the eruption would last into the autumn so he could offer volcanic northern lights tours … click here for the full article!
Not to get me wrong that we should not have embraced this short moment of small and rather safe eruptions. It is wonderful that we could for once enjoy a volcanic eruption – it was a gift – I went about 15 times to see the eruptions, the greatest spectacle on earth. Here are some photos. For those that are superstitious and think human hubris can trigger volcanoes – I saw a few silly things so it was probably not the pole dancer that angered the gods.