Travel Buddies: Pete & Joan

Living the Dream, One Trip at a Time

Iceland’s SouthEastern Coast

Wow, another very lovely day.  We woke up kind of hungry (at least Pete and Joan did!) since we still had not managed to get to a food store before it closed to buy breakfast food!  So with nothing in the house to eat, we took off to start our travels to Iceland’s south coast.  


Our first stop was, get this, the Hellisheioarvirkjun Geothermal Power plant!  

A panoramic view of the Hellisheioarvirkjun Geothermal Power Plant in Iceland, with steam billowing from multiple smokestacks against a background of mountains and open land.

We could never pronounce or spell it, but it was a really interesting look into one of Iceland’s seven geothermal plants.  We now understand why the hot water in our lovely B&B smells like rotten eggs…. it comes right from the ground to the home!  That same water also drives the turbines to generate some of the electricity for the island.  

We did not have the right timing for a guided tour, but between the displays, movie, and sneaking in on another tour group…we got an idea of the importance of the geothermal industry in Iceland!  Good stop!

Pete could go no longer go without food so we found a bakery and stopped for some tasty donuts (while Jackie shopped for wine, crackers and cheese for our dinner!)

Replenished, we moved on to the Lava Centre where we learned new words like tephra (the rock fragments and particles ejected by the volcanic eruption.)  

Three people standing in a hallway with red lighting and wavy wall designs.

The interactive displays (we could actually feel the earth shake beneath us!) and media presentation pointed out the power and frequency of the eruptions this country deals with.  Really a state of the art exhibit….another good stop!

Next on the itinerary….. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall.  This waterfall has a cavelike walkway behind it to walk through….but being the wise people we are, we just walked to it to take pictures!  It was really wet and rocky ground and just did not look like senior citizen material!  

A couple standing in front of Seljalandsfoss Waterfall in Iceland, dressed in outdoor jackets and smiling with the cascading water in the background.

But, as the Rick Steve’s Book said, it was a “handsome” waterfall!  The water comes from a glacier that sits atop the nearby E15 volcano…the volcano that erupted in 2010, stopping air traffic all over Europe!

Sightings along the drive…….

A small white church with a red roof, situated on a grassy field, with green hills and rocky mountains in the background.
Ásólfsskálakirkja is a church located in Ásólfsskáli!
A bronze statue of a Viking warrior standing proudly with a sword, wearing chainmail and a cape, against a cloudy sky.
A statue of Leif Erikson, the Norse explorer from Iceland, best known as the first known European to set foot in North America, around the year 1000 AD—nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. He was the son of Erik the Red, the founder of the first Norse settlements in Greenland

We had a 2:30 lunch at a wonderful spot…the Gamla Fjosio (Old Cowshed!)  They specialized in beef that is raised on the property so hamburgers and steak sandwiches were the orders of the day, but some of us had fish!  

We made this our turn-around point to return to Reykjavík so enjoyed the views of rugged mountains, glaciers, and coastlines for the trip back.  We had lots of photo stops (like the fancy display of bras along the road!)

Two women crouching and taking photos in front of a display of bras hanging on a fence, with green hills in the background.

The only disappointment was that we could see the Westman Islands in the distance …but did not see any puffins on the cliffs!

Arriving back in Reykjavík, we made two final stops.  The iconic Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church, which can be seen from anywhere in town, has a 250 foot tower that allows great 360 views of the city.

View of Hallgrimskirkja Lutheran Church in Reykjavík, Iceland, with a foreground of colorful bushes and a cloudy sky.

Rick Steve’s says that well over half of Iceland’s population lives in view of this church! Pretty cool! 


And finally, the Harpa Concert Hall that sits along the Harbor. We could only visit the lobby, but viewing the honeycombed facade was fascinating. 

Harpa Concert Hall, a modern glass structure reflecting the surroundings, situated by the water in Reykjavík, Iceland.

By this time, the drizzle was starting so we took off to the comfort of our B&B, wine, cheese, crackers, and conversation!

Three people sitting around a coffee table in a cozy living room, smiling and toasting drinks. The room features a white couch with colorful cushions, a wooden bookshelf, and decor elements like a lamp and snacks on the table.