Hell & heaven / Árbæjarkirkja í Holtum

The Lutheran country church at Árbær in S-Iceland dates from 1887. A church has stood at Árbær since Catholic times, by then it was dedicated to Mary and John the Babtist. In the background is the snow-covered Mt. Hekla (1491 m high), Iceland's best known volcano and one of the most active, having erupted more than 20 times since the settlement of Iceland, the last one being in 2000. Hekla was in medieval times believed to be the entrance to hell, while the church was of course the gateway to heaven. Hence the title - but to me this scene was pure heaven, with the smell of new-mown hay to add.