Fire and Iceland

May 12, 2020

Skogafoss Waterfall

When it came time for busy actress Alysia Reiner — star of such hit shows as Orange Is the New Black, Better Things, and The Deuce — to plan a family vacation last December, it was not one that included much rest. While many people choose a warm beach or tropical climate over the holidays, Alysia and her husband, fellow actor David Alan Basche, along with 11-year old daughter Livia, packed up for frigid but beautiful Iceland — in fact, it was her daughter’s idea!

Livia has always loved volcanoes. “Since she was tiny, she was slightly obsessed”, Alysia told Style of Sport. “I suggested Costa Rica, but she came up with Iceland”. Perhaps volcanoes are not what first come to mind when you think of Iceland — it’s more glaciers and the famous Blue Lagoon — but actually Iceland has some the most geothermal activity in the world. There are approximately 130 volcanoes, both active and inactive. Many of them are underneath the surface of the earth and underwater, which is how those incredible hot springs were formed.

Skaftafell 5 hour Glacier Hike with Iceland Rovers Tour Company

Known as the “Land of Ice and Fire”, Iceland is a natural wonderland where the freezing forces of arctic weather are in constant battle with the explosive heat of the earth. The result is a dramatic landscape of stark contrasts — fields of moss-coated lava, plains of black sand, explosive geysers, mountainous glaciers, and of course, those blue thermal hot springs. All of which make for a very adventurous vacation.

“The incredible thing about Iceland is you feel like you’re on another planet”, says Alysia. “It’s a very sporty vacation because there is so much walking and hiking. You can’t help but be active. You’re hiking on a glacier. You’re hiking in an ice cave. You’re hiking in a lava cave. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever done. You feel like a real mountaineer, and it’s all very doable. It’s not like you have to train.”

While we are not planning vacations right now with stay-at-home guidelines still in place, we could all use a little escape. Alysia is a friend of Style of Sport who we featured a couple years ago in W.O.W! Working Out With, and offered to share this virtual fire and ice tour of Iceland, organized by Iceland Rovers.