Fagradasfjall?

 I’ve scouted out the C route because it’s the least steep and shortest

of the climbs, but doesn’t give great views of the eruption in process.  This is the part that scares Oscar anyway, so shouldn’t be a problem.  He’s excited when it looks like just another hike like the ones we took in New Mexico and Arizona and gets into it when an emergency vehicle comes past us on the trail.  But when we get to the lava field, he is done.  He can see the black lava, you can see the smoke coming off of it

and he knows that there is red magma under the black part.  Now, he thinks that any wrong move on the trail is going to send him sliding to his death in hot lava.  It’s like his favorite game to play jumping between rugs and things has come to life and is coming after him.  So, we get some pics of the lava field and head back down again.  It’s a great climb and even though we don’t have spectacular photos of

magma shooting up from the earth, we still climbed an erupting volcano.  I don’t think that I would want to be any closer than we got anyway.  What’s to say it doesn’t get more active when we’re up there?  Don’t want that.  We’re a little windburned and I forgot sunscreen on us before doing this, but it’s so overcast that it’s easy to forget.

We get to see more emergency vehicles going up the mountain and a search and rescue helicopter goes over along with the tourist helicopters for those who want to see it, but not climb it.  Did you know that all of Iceland's search and rescue teams are volunteers?  That's crazy with as many ways as tourists get in trouble in this country.

If you're wondering about the beautiful water pictures, it's an overlook of the north Atlantic where beautiful pools that of course trolls use to bathe in are situated.  Every few kilometers, there is another place to stop and see something.  We're getting a pretty good idea of how full the ring road is going to be of stops.  And how every natural scene has a back story that relates to the sagas or hidden people in Iceland.

    We head back to Reykjavik after determining that the fire museum that Oscar saw on the way is closed for COVID and then having a fight about not going to a botanical garden when it’s cold and windy. We do parts of the Reykjavik walk that is in the guidebook, but parking in these tiny places is a nightmare and we’re no where near the church that is the only thing that John wants to see.  We head back to the hotel and park again and notice that the tire looks a little flat, we've had multiple caution and warning lights and decide we’ll call Europcar in the morning.