Keflavik > Reykjavic, the long way [72mi, 2800ft gained]

After a slow morning organizing and re-packing my panniers, fixing my broken speedometer bracket (with leftover clear packing tape that I'd neglected to throw away at DIA) and trying in vain to track down my favorite pair of sunglasses which I'd accidentally left in the bathroom, I hit the road for Reykjavik. Instead of taking the direct route on the busy highway (this being Iceland, that's a relative term) I opted to head down along the southern shore of the peninsula and cut up north through the inlands.

leaving Keflavik behind until July 3rd

It was a bit surprising to see vast patches of brightly flowering purple Columbine flowers roadside... our Colorado State Flower! They would be a common sight along the coastal route today. I tend to assume they're an imported/invasive species, but they sure are pretty.

After a fairly short time I crossed the "Continental Trench" where the North American and European continents meet. This trench grows by about 2cm per year due to plate tectonics and it's a thermal/volcanic zone. Nearby is a geothermal power plant that acquires water from wells drilled 2-3km deep, where the water is almost 300'C.

"Bridge Across Continents" [Europe left, North America right]

Along the coast is mostly jagged volcanic rock, which has a strange mossy covering that seems to have died... or maybe it's always white? Either way it looks like a covering of snow.

After a coffee stop alongside Grundlavik Harbor, I trended inland into a decent head/crosswind and finally got to Rd 42 as the afternoon was getting late. No worries, though, as daylight is not a concern in these parts. The crosswind was now at my back and progress was quick until I reached my first "Malbec Endar" (Pavement Ends) of the ride, which required navigating washboard bumps and steep kickers around this large beautiful lake [you'll have to forgive the lack of proper names of towns and features, I have no clue unless I find it on a map- which is not at hand currently.]

The day took much longer than I'd hoped, but I finally rolled into the Reykjavik Campground at 10pm. It's essentially a big city park for tents (for ~$10/night) with geothermal water showers and a communal kitchen supplied with hotplates, cookware, dishes and boxes of freebie food left behind by other campers.

A unique experience is that it currently does not ever get dark here. The sun eventually sets but it stays light and feels like a perpetual dawn, chirping birds and all. This is not helping my jetlag! I took this photo at 2:30AM (no flash needed) then proceeded to read (no headlamp needed either) until I fell asleep at 3AM:

Reykjavik City Campground circa 2:30AM

Tomorrow it's off to check out the city and stay a 2nd night at the campground.