Volcano

From the back of the card:

A recent eruption from Kilauea Volcano's Pu'u O'o Vent within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Bright red lava flows swiftly past the hardened black rock formed by previous lava flows.  Photos Lee Allen Thomas.

This card was sent to me in May 2008 but I'm posting it today because the recent eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland have left the northern and western parts of Europe grounded.  All airspace over the UK will be closed until Saturday at least.  France has just closed all of its airspace.  Approximately 17,000 flights have been cancelled throughout Europe.

While the airlines are suffering, alternative modes of transport are experiencing a boom.  The cross-channel ferries and Eurostar are almost fully booked and traffic is reaching levels normally seen during the summer holidays.

It's a major problem for many people, no doubt, but we should remember people in Iceland who are far more severely affected, many having to leave their homes because of flooding from a river which has swollen with ice and mud.  There are fears that the nearby Katla volcano will also erupt.

This is a post for Postcard Friday, which is hosted at The Best Hearts are Crunchy.