I recently celebrated my birthday weekend in Iceland - my fourth trip in the past nine years :) For every visit, I had planned a new adventure and this time it was inside the depths of a 4000 year old dormant volcano #thrihnukagigur - https://insidethevolcano.com/the-tour/.
I was an aspiring Earth Scientist in my first year at college but my fascination for volcanoes began as a child - I would (and still do!) get lost for hours in National Geographic magazines looking at incredible photographs of volcanoes from around the world or immerse myself without batting an eyelid watching a television documentary on volcanoes. While I decided to pursue a career in social policy and public health post college, my absolute love and fascination for volcanoes remains just as wild and pure!
It was a relatively easy 6km round trip hike and inside the magma crater itself the colors and organic formations of the various minerals (sulphur, iron, basalt) were simply spectacular! Yes, the tour was a little pricey and I'd say worth it if, like me, you're planning to do this once in your life.
Walking around #Reykjavik is always fun. I find Scandinavia in general and particularly, Iceland, different from the rest of Europe. I can't really define what it is exactly, but perhaps it has a lot to do with the largely homogenous populations, extreme climate, minimalistic aesthetics and a distinct color palette of mostly grey, black and white. That said, Reykjavik is still a pretty eclectic Scandinavian city with diverse food/dining options, cool museums, unique street art and quaint boutique stores. I have three recommendations from this trip:
Food: I enjoyed my meals at #cafe loki and #ostabudin- fresh, local food with good vegan and gluten-free options!
Local Arts: I bought a very cool handmade radish paper bowl from #kirsuberjatred - they have an interesting collection of local, upcycled artisan arts, crafts, jewelry and home decor items.
Museum: The National Museum of Iceland was established in the 1800s and has many curated displays describing the unique history of Iceland.
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