Journey to the Centre of the Earth

In our civilised society we rarely give thought to the mysteries of the forces within our planet but in Iceland these forces invade the imagination as they struggle to break through to the surface by means of volcanoes and geysers. One can easily imagine that the barrier between the earth’s surface and natural elements beneath, is at its flimsiest in Iceland and it is thus scarcely surprising that Jules Verne in his classic novel was inspired to choose the volcanic crater of Snaefellsjokull in Iceland as the entrance to the centre of the Earth. Following cryptic clues, the eccentric Professor Lidenbrock, his reluctant nephew and their phlegmatic Icelandic guide make their way from Reykjavik to Snaefellsjokull. We follow their path but stop short of entering the crater and penetrating the earth’s surface! Journeying to the centre of the earth is of course impossible but sceptics should note that one book in the Jules Verne’s ‘Voyages Extraordinaires’ series had the title ‘From the Earth to the Moon’!

As it becomes clear that the true fascination of Iceland lies in its dramatic and thought-provoking natural phenomenon the arrangement moves north along the west coast to the small fishing community of Ólafsvík on the Snaefellsnes peninsula.