The southwest coast

Breakfast at the Hotel Keflavik really impressed us with its wide selection of foods including the typical cereals and eggs, but also including fruit and vegetables, Skyr (Icelandic yogurt which is used in many recipes), several types of meats, and even desserts. The coffee was even strong enough for our Starbucks-tempered tastebuds. :-)

After we checked out, we drove around Keflavik a little bit, then headed down the western coast of the Reykyanes peninsula. We stopped at one trailhead we'd read about in our guide book that leads to bird cliffs, but it was a LONG walk along a sandy trail through lava, and we turned back after about 20 minutes (and less than halfway). Still, the lava outcrops were intriguing.

Near the southwestern tip of the peninsula there's an inland lighthouse on a hill near one of many geothermal power stations in the country. We were able to walk up near the edge of a cliff here to see all the terns and gulls nesting on the cliffs, as well as distant views of Eldey Island where the last great auk was killed. There's a statue memorializing the auks near these cliffs.

We visited the (free) "Bridge Across the Continents" which connects the Eurasian tectonic plate to the North American plate here where they're only a few feet apart. Later in our trip we'll visit Thingvellir where the rift is miles across. We also walked around some fumaroles within sight of the power station. Arctic terns know where the warm spots are!

Continuing east along the southern coast we stopped in the fishing village of Grindavik and had coffee and dessert at a coffeehouse along the harbor. After our break it was time to head to Reykjavik where we'd stay for the next several days. We stopped at a park with bubbling mudpots along the way -- you could smell them before you could see them!

Icelandic Fish and Chips along the harbor was our favorite Reykjavik restaurant and we returned a couple more times following our first meal this night. You order at the cash register and then find a table, where your food is brought out to you when it has been prepared. After eating we walked around the harbor and took photos of the exterior of Harpa, a relatively new performing arts center/concert hall, which stands out due to its unique design.