Beauty, Drama, and Destruction

 

 A dormant volcano  near Reykjavik, Iceland, has recently come back to life after nearly 800 years. What happened ? Has Climate Change  awakened it? No casualties so far, but evacuations of people  from the surrounding areas.

(On the web, there are lots of stunning pictures of lava flow  from that volcano  and people gathering to watch it).

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In my younger days I visited mount Vesuvius in Italy. Still an active volcano; it could erupt any day. I got to the edge of the crater; smoke was coming out of it. The location is fascinating : overlooking Naples and the ruins of the  destroyed cities Pompeii and Herculanes (which I visited separately).

                                                         on top of the Vesuvius

                                                   Bay of Naples in the background

They say the soil under and around the volcano is very fertile and makes the residents in the densely populated area, rich. That's why they are reluctant to leave despite  the danger of being caught in an eruption of lava. 

The activities of the volcano are closely monitored by the experts at the 'Observatorio Vesuvio', and yet it could suddenly and unexpectedly erupt and cause loss of lives and damage to property.

                                                          red ,volcanic soil

                              the edge of  the crater ; smoke coming out

                                                    me and friend on the edge

                                                        lava flow in Iceland (Youtube)

Yes, as mentioned in the title,  volcano eruptions definitely offer beauty, drama and destruction.

Analog Pictures - part 2

 

Update on covid-19: easing of lockdown restrictions starting with this week , encouraging news on vaccines. However, the overall atmosphere is one of great anxiety caused by reopening of schools, economic collapses, and the fact that though doctors know much more now about the virus, they're still in the dark about some main issues.

And now to the topic of this post.

I like to re-read my posts on favorite places I've been to in my younger days; it uplifts my mood.

During the current lockdown, though, my target was to try and improve/restore  pre-digital photos in my possession. Thanks to the right tip from Jeanie (the Marmelade Gypsy blog) on my first part , I've managed to do some of that.

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To this day, one of my favorite places I've been to, is the Vesuvium volcano in Italy. What an excitement  to be on the edge of the crater of an active volcano! It could erupt any day. The smoke coming out of the crater is a fascinating sight! 

 

on the edge of the Vesuvio crater

Speaking of volcanoes, Edinburgh castle in Scotland was formed as a result of a volcano erupting several hundred million years previously. The castle (over 900 years old) had been both a royal residence and a military base.

 

                           At Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

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Greece has many 'dramatic' places such as Delphi (town and archeological site - house of the famous Oracle), and the amphitheater at Epidaurus.

The theater at Epidaurus is still in use today

amphitheater at Epidaurus

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                                     Mt. Parnassus domineering the area of Delphi 

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Jerusalem is known for its two outstanding religious sites: The Wailing Wall and the Al Aqsa Mosque (with the golden dome).

In those days, I didn't have a prayer book with me, but I did place a  note  in the cracks of the wall.

                               At the Wailing Wall; left a note in  cracks of the wall

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On the top of snowy Yungfrau mountain (Swiss Alps) which is considered the highest peak in Europe, one feels on the top of the entire world, not only the top of Europe.

on Yungfrau ('virgin' in german) viewing the snow

Well, that's it for now. Hoping there won't be a  third lockdown.

Days of September

I've had a rather hectic September, partly because of our jewish High Holidays. I'm not a religious person, not in the organized sense, but I do observe certain basic customs such as fasting on The Day of Atonement, remembering the departed ones, reading relevant passages in the Book of Prayers. There are things to do before and during the Holidays, and then when it's over, all I want is - to go on... a holiday.

Well, this time I chose to go to Mizpe Ramon, a tiny town in the Negev desert. A complete change of scenery and atmosphere: hot and dry weather (not humid as in my home-region) with cool mornings and evenings; dominant yellow colors, and..the blessed silence of the desert around.

This small town is located on the rim of what is considered the biggest crater in the world, "Machtesh Ramon" (40 kilometers long , 9 kilometers across at its widest point). The crater is characterized by unique geological phenomena, and it attracts visitors from all over the world.

While on a cliff overlooking this marvel of Nature, I couldn't help thinking of how difficult it must be raising kids in Mizpe Ramon, keeping an eye so that they don't run in the wrong direction, to the edge of that huge hole. There seems to be lots of children here (probably, the relative isolation from the big cities contributes to a high percentage of natality).

There's another unique attraction in the area - a Farm of llamas and alpacas- friendly animals originally from the Andes mountains in South America. Both adults and children enjoy hand- feeding them, but greatly dislike their habit of ....spitting (It is believed, by the way, that their spitting stuff contains something that makes hair grow, so that is a matter of real interest to bald people).

More on the crater and the farm in my next posts.

So beautiful, So destructive

Been there! on the Vesuvium top

Enjoying the views

It is responsible for the destruction in the past of towns and villages, and it is an all time threat to its surroundings.

Its activity is closely watched and supervised by many expert factors.
Emergency plans are constantly evaluated and re-evaluated by the proper authorities.
On-going efforts are being made to reduce as much as possible population in the area so that evacuation, in case of emergency, can be carried out in a very short time. (Yet people in this area named "the red zone", continue to live in a 'que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be' style).

The Bay of Naples in the background

A bit scary on the edge of the summit

VESUVIO ( in italian) - Vesuvius (in latin), mountain Vesuvium, the volcano overlooking the superb landscape of the Bay of Naples in the south of Italy. This is one of those places that haunts one's memory forever, both because of its beauty and of its potential danger. Just to think of it that I was actually on top of an active volcano and peered into its crater ! Wow!

Il Cratero - The Crater

Emission of hot vapors/fumes from the crater

I read somewhere that an italian writer described the wine produced from the grapes cultivated on the fertile soil of the Vesuvium slopes, as having the properties of the volcano's eruption: " the color of infernal fire, the taste of lava and ash that burried the cities of Ercolano and Pompeii.."

Red ,volcanic soil

And, I heard about a cosmetician telling a young female client that" her acne eruption was of Vesuvium proportion". How about that?!