After breakfast, three of us (Ed, Gloria, and Syl) went for a horseback ride on Icelandic horses. First, we had to get properly fitted ... saddled up ... and then we were on our way!

We walked the horses out of the barn and along the road, and then interspersed walking and trotting -- though not, I learned, "tolting," a smooth gait unique to icelandic horses, which apparently takes years for both horse and rider to learn. After we got off the road, we headed to the beach!

After our horseback ride, we saddled up the van and spent the rest of the day driving around the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Thanks to lots of good advice, we,were very efficient in our travels, knowing just the right place to stop for walks, history, and most importantly, good food!

We started by crossing over the pass leading to the north side of the peninsula. It had turned overcast, with patches of fog swirling across the road, adding to the desolate but beautiful atmosphere. Moss and tiny flowers covered the volcanic rocks.

We dropped down the other side, sorely in need of pastries, and found a wonderful cafe in the tiny town of Sif. We enjoyed delicious mochas and lattes (Iceland has very good coffee) and a variety of sweets to sustain us for the next part of our journey.

Further around the coast, near the Hellissandur, we stopped at a small maritime museum with old boats, old traditional turf houses, statutes, and lots of artifacts.

A bit further down the road, we negotiated a gravel road in search of a black sand beach. We ran out of road before we reached the beach, but we stopped to explore because it was such an otherwordly environment. Clearly there was a relatively recent lava flow here -- there were craggy outcroppings of lava rocks as well as very lightweight airy black and reddish rocks that appeared to have been catapaulted here from the erupting volcano. A thin veneer of moss and a few small flowers filled in the gaps in the rocks, but the setting was fairly barren.

Our collection of rocks ... yes, they really do float.

We finally did make it to the beach at Dritvik and found a very nicely maintained boardwalk, and then trail leading down to the beach. You can see the volcano Snæfellsjökull in the background.

Gloria, Ned, and Ed on the trail leading down to the beach. Here you can really see the edge of the lava flow.

Plants really struggle to gain a foothold. Sometimes they appear to be sprouting out of bare rock.

Can you just imagine the lava erupting out of this mountain and flowing towards the sea?

We stopped for dinner in the tiny coastal town of Arnastapi, and to work off our meal, we set out along the coastal trail that runs between Arnastapi and the town to the west, Hellnar. The trail runs along the top edge of cliffs, filled with birds, that drop jaggedly into the sea.

Our coastal walk was the perfect end to the day. By this point, we had circled the western end of the peninsula, and were almost back to the farm. We had one more stop on the peninsula, but we saved it for the morning, as we headed back to Reykjavik -- the picturesque church at Buðir.

We're leaving Iceland tomorrow on an early flight, so we took the time to stop near Hveragerði to tour the geothermal power plant that supplies electricity and hot water to much of Reykjavik. Boreholes drilled into the earth collect unbelievably hot water and steam (temps as high as 300 degrees C). This is used to turn turbines to produce electricity, and the hot water itself is funneled to the city in big pipes that stretch across the landscape.

From our hotel in Keflavik, near the airport, we look back on our trip in Iceland ... We all agree that we have been captivated by the unique history of the country and the people, the incredibly diverse and beautiful landscape, and the friendly communities.

Now, on to the Czech Republic for two weeks, and then I'll return to Iceland to backpack the Laugavegur trail. Stay tuned!