In April and May 2010 Iceland was in the grip of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption.

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The international consequence was, as some may remember, a lot of grounded international flights. In Iceland the disgusting ash from the eruption seemed to permeate everything. Fortunately for us living here (but unfortunately for flight travelers) the prevailing winds seemed to blow most of the ash away from the main population centers. Still, there were some bad days here in Reykjavik where staying outside a lot didn´t really seem a good idea.

The sky went dark in the daytime in Reykjavik
The sky went dark in the daytime in Reykjavik

The situtaion in the south was dire. Livestock suffered and farms and houses near to the eruption were engulfed. I had the opportunity to join my workmates on a Red Cross sponsored trip to clean the ash from farmsteads near to the eruption. My spot was the farm of Thorvaldseyri which is in itself a pretty remarkable place. The farmer there is a true pioneer in acriculture and if you visit the place you can visit a memorial house dedicated to the eruption. The work was hard but it felt good to do something for the people on the farm who were living in the shadow of the monstrous ash cloud with their livelihood under threat.

The apocalyptic ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption
The apocalyptic ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokull eruption

 

 

 

The sun was like a pale spot in the darkened sky
The sun was like a pale spot in the darkened sky
Driving through the ash cloud.
Driving through the ash cloud.
Cleaning the ash from Eyjafjallajokull eruption with brooms and shovels
We used shovels and brooms to clean the ash from the garden at Thorvaldseyri.
Cleaning the ash was hot work
Cleaning the ash was hot work
Getting the ash off was difficult but it was the least we could do.
Getting the ash off was difficult but it was the least we could do.
The amount of ash was incredible
The amount of ash was incredible
We piled up countless mounds of ash
We piled up countless mounds of ash

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mad Max meets Grey´s Anatomy.
Mad Max meets Grey´s Anatomy.

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