Island Tag 9: hot vapors and fresh lava

The peninsula southwest of Reykjavik offers a lot of interesting geology: we start at the geothermal field Gunnuhver, where according to legend, the evil spirit of old Gunna was lured into a mud hole with a wool string and thus banished. It smokes and stinks a lot, for an authentic impression, the smell of hydrogen sulfide is more important than a video. The latter was made by Susanne, see there.

More or less by chance, we discover the little hike to the volcano Fagradalsfjall, which erupted last year. It's about 150 meters uphill until you reach the still steaming lava flow in some places. It looks like a dark gray glacier, walking on it feels very similar, it crunches slightly and there are cracks too - I walk around on it with enthusiasm. Particularly impressive is a crack about 5 cm wide from which warm, pungent steam rises, but this time no hydrogen sulfide. The lava is partly wild and jagged, and partly looks like cooled porridge, there are many different shades of red, gray, and green. And I always thought lava was black...

https://www.komoot.de/tour/823749908?ref=itd

The geothermal field Krysuvik spoils us once again with particularly intense smell of sulfur, bubbling mud holes, and pools from which hot gas rises, giving the impression of rain falling on it.

Our accommodation is located in a fjord north of Reykjavik, there is a hot tub in the garden that is so hot that we can't stay in it for too long, even though the view is fantastic. On the other hand, the water in the shower comes from the same hot spring, and you have to actively mix cold water, and it smells - fitting for today - intensely of sulfur.