Friday, August 18, 2017

Tuesday/Wednesday, August 8-9: Getting There




I started my trip Tuesday, going as far as Boston, then spent the night there.  My flight to Reykjavik was at 2:30 PM the next day.  I got to the airport early to make full use of the Air France Business Class Lounge, which IcelandAir business passengers may use as well.  Good food, open bar AND all the French periodicals I can read!



It was a beautiful flight, as expected.   I started to get tears in my eyes as soon as I saw the Icelandic language in the in-flight magazine and heard it spoken by the crew.  It’s not as beautiful as French or Italian but it’s so close to Old English that I've heard that Icelanders can read “Beowulf” in the original Old English and understand it.  After seeing both I'm not sure.  Here's the Lord's Prayer in Icelandic, starting with the paragraph beginning with the letter F.


   
 Here is a version in Old English.
 
I found that the seat next to me was empty- that’s where Ron would have been, of course- in the Aisle seat to accommodate his long legs.  I was glad it was empty- it made me pause occasionally and give thanks for all the wonderful trips he and I had together.  It felt right to be returning with his ashes, so part of him would be there forever.




For dinner I selected Reindeer Sausage, game pâté, hunter’s sausage and “white mould cheese”, accompanied by a hearty French wine.  Hey, how often do I get to eat reindeer?

As I thought, they sold Vodaphone “starter kits” on board. It was the best $27 I ever spent and unbelievably easy to take out my USA-based SIM card, put it away in a safe place, and put in a new one.  Suddenly I had a phone that worked in Iceland, as well as an Icelandic phone number for incoming calls.  It saved the day more than once on the trip.



I’d booked a shuttle from the airport to a hotel near the apartment where I stayed.  It was a 5-minute walk from there but those last 5 minutes were a challenge.  I relied on my phone because the map I’d printed at home was too faint to read in the dark.  Thank heaven the SIM card worked- for awhile.  I took a wrong turn (how was I to know which way to go to turn “North”?) and couldn’t refresh the directions, but was able to backtrack.  Fortunately, Iceland has a very low crime rate and I felt perfectly safe.  At that point it was 1 AM.   I was VERY relieved when Hafdis, the owner of the flat, showed up as I was trying to figure to where the key was hidden.  She was a warm, gracious lady who obviously loves plants and artwork; the apartment was beautiful and sun-filled.  This was my first Airbnb rental and it will not be my last.  Hafdis and I gave each other mutually glowing reviews after the trip.

Between the time zone change and my own excitement, I didn’t get to sleep till after 3 AM, but it was a happy sleep.

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