On Wednesday, March 7, Mike and I got up around 08:00, finished packing, loaded up the Little Free Library with a good supply of books, had a quick bite, said good-bye to Bella, and headed to T&L's by noon. To fit all the luggage into our Prius, we each agreed upon one carry-on size bag to be checked and one smaller bag to actual carry-on. It was snug, but all fit.
It looked like a clear day as we departed, but we hit a snowy patch starting in Paw Paw. I was very happy it cleared up by the Indiana border. Downtown Chicago and around O'Hare was the usual traffic jam and our Garmin GPS constantly alerted us to "traffic congestion."
We opted to park at O'Hare Blue Sky Parking. We had a reservation for an outdoor spot (although we could have parked indoors for more $). This location was close to the airport, secure, and reasonably priced compared to most companies--about $14.50 per day with taxes and fees.It was a smooth operation to check-in, load our luggage into the van, and ride to Icelandair at the international terminal. Less than a half hour in all.
We arrived at the terminal at 14:00. The check-in counter did not open until 15:00, so we grabbed a snack at the Goddess Cafe. I had a cappuccino to perk up.
Check-in was a breeze. We were Saga class (business), so we used the short line. Didn't have to wait at all. Security was another story. It was at least 25 minutes in line. Had to take off belts and shoes, removed computers from carry-on, full body scan. For some reason Tom got the extended check. Hmmm, he doesn't appear suspicious to me. Maybe just the luck of the draw!
Stopped at duty free, but no Myers Rum to be had. Next stop the Air France first class lounge, another perk for our biz class tickets on Icelandair. Only two seats to be had, so Mike and Laur went across the hall to the bar and ordered beers. Tom and I grabbed the seats and a glass of red wine. I finally started to relax. After a mini-veggie sandwich and a small helping of very spicy tofu noodles, we joined M&L at our departure gate.
We had to wait a bit in the gate area, but it was fun people-watching. We were glad we were not with a formal tour group. There were many wandering around with identifier tags hanging from their necks. Later we would see packed busloads of these folks herded like cattle to see the sights. We were just four and that was perfect.
Upon boarding each person received a bottle of Icelandic glacier water. At our seat, flight attendants offered a glass of prosecco (Italian "champagne"). We also received a little cup of caramel corn! I swapped my too sweet caramel corn for Mike's glass of prosecco. Both happy to double-dip on our favorites.
A puffy pillow and blanket were on our seats. On each pillow and head rest was an embroidered saying to help us learn the Islandic language. We would see other samples of these little prose throughout our travels here. I thought it was a clever idea and tried to read everyone's pillows.
We each received very cool comfort kits with leather strap. They contained eye shades, ear plugs, three Blue Lagoon sample products, footies, and toothbrush and paste. Flight attendants also gave us high quality noise-cancelling headsets to use on the flight.
We left on time at 19:30, a smooth take off on the Boeing 757. Almost immediately outside our window were night skies with few city lights seen on the ground.
Our tickets were for Saga class, the name coming from the Sagas of Icelanders. This is the official title for family stories, genealogy, history, and legends that took place mostly in the 9th, 10th, and early 11th centuries. As Iceland was an uninhabited island before the 9th century, it was conflict-free for Scandinavian (Norse) settlers to claim much needed farmland. More info on settlement at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_of_Iceland.
Spoken "literature" focused on the struggle and conflict endured by early generations. In the 13th and 14th centuries, these stories were finally written as best remembered and remain today as the official history of Iceland. The recorders are mostly unknown, but Snorri (love that name!) Sturluson, a descendant of the saga's hero, may have written some.
To pass the time I wrote notes for this blog and watched the latest Wonder Women movie til the last 30 minutes. Although the movie tells the interesting back story of WW as a kid, it was mostly fighting and a bit silly. Not really my style, so I didn't finish. You could figure out the ending anyway.
Before dinner oshiboris (Japanese-style hot, damp cloths) were distributed to wipe our face and hands. That was a first class treat that we had not experienced in some time. They smelled and felt so good. It brought back memories of first class trips from years passed. On Northwest Airlines they used to add a touch of the German men's cologne 4711. Pure luxury!
Dinner was great. Mike had the fish option which turned out to be salmon (both sashimi-style and cooked) and roasted potatoes. I had the veg option of veggie balls covered in pesto, and lentils. We each got a salad (Mike's was a scallop salad), a fabulous warm mini-baguette, and dessert. I sipped a wonderful glass (or two) of coté de rhone wine. We were both happy and full with more than enough to eat.
Time flew by on the 5 hour and 52 minute flight. It was bumpy off and on, but not scary bumpy. Nearing Iceland, we saw few city lights, but the moon was quite bright at only ⅝ visible and there were three very bright stars guiding the way.
We landed smoothly in Keflavik International Airport just outside of Reykjavik, Iceland. Arrival was on time at 06:35 on March 8 (the next morning because we lost time and a day). It was still dark.
We had to wait a bit in the gate area, but it was fun people-watching. We were glad we were not with a formal tour group. There were many wandering around with identifier tags hanging from their necks. Later we would see packed busloads of these folks herded like cattle to see the sights. We were just four and that was perfect.
Upon boarding each person received a bottle of Icelandic glacier water. At our seat, flight attendants offered a glass of prosecco (Italian "champagne"). We also received a little cup of caramel corn! I swapped my too sweet caramel corn for Mike's glass of prosecco. Both happy to double-dip on our favorites.
A puffy pillow and blanket were on our seats. On each pillow and head rest was an embroidered saying to help us learn the Islandic language. We would see other samples of these little prose throughout our travels here. I thought it was a clever idea and tried to read everyone's pillows.
We each received very cool comfort kits with leather strap. They contained eye shades, ear plugs, three Blue Lagoon sample products, footies, and toothbrush and paste. Flight attendants also gave us high quality noise-cancelling headsets to use on the flight.We left on time at 19:30, a smooth take off on the Boeing 757. Almost immediately outside our window were night skies with few city lights seen on the ground.
Our tickets were for Saga class, the name coming from the Sagas of Icelanders. This is the official title for family stories, genealogy, history, and legends that took place mostly in the 9th, 10th, and early 11th centuries. As Iceland was an uninhabited island before the 9th century, it was conflict-free for Scandinavian (Norse) settlers to claim much needed farmland. More info on settlement at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_of_Iceland.
Spoken "literature" focused on the struggle and conflict endured by early generations. In the 13th and 14th centuries, these stories were finally written as best remembered and remain today as the official history of Iceland. The recorders are mostly unknown, but Snorri (love that name!) Sturluson, a descendant of the saga's hero, may have written some.
To pass the time I wrote notes for this blog and watched the latest Wonder Women movie til the last 30 minutes. Although the movie tells the interesting back story of WW as a kid, it was mostly fighting and a bit silly. Not really my style, so I didn't finish. You could figure out the ending anyway.
Before dinner oshiboris (Japanese-style hot, damp cloths) were distributed to wipe our face and hands. That was a first class treat that we had not experienced in some time. They smelled and felt so good. It brought back memories of first class trips from years passed. On Northwest Airlines they used to add a touch of the German men's cologne 4711. Pure luxury!
Dinner was great. Mike had the fish option which turned out to be salmon (both sashimi-style and cooked) and roasted potatoes. I had the veg option of veggie balls covered in pesto, and lentils. We each got a salad (Mike's was a scallop salad), a fabulous warm mini-baguette, and dessert. I sipped a wonderful glass (or two) of coté de rhone wine. We were both happy and full with more than enough to eat.
Time flew by on the 5 hour and 52 minute flight. It was bumpy off and on, but not scary bumpy. Nearing Iceland, we saw few city lights, but the moon was quite bright at only ⅝ visible and there were three very bright stars guiding the way.
We landed smoothly in Keflavik International Airport just outside of Reykjavik, Iceland. Arrival was on time at 06:35 on March 8 (the next morning because we lost time and a day). It was still dark.
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