REYKJAVIK--AIRPORT--HOME

We had a good nights sleep. The suitcases were on the van, and we could now relax and learn more about beautiful Reykjavik. The first thing we noticed is that there is no pollution. Iceland has the cleanest and safest water in the world. Their energy source is geothermal, so homes are heated by electricity, and the air is fresh and clean—unless there is a volcanic irruption. I guess that could mess things up a bit. We drove past a warm, outdoor community geothermal swimming pool, and then crossed the Elidaa River, one of the world’s cleanest rivers filled with salmon. None of the salmon were swimming around plastic bags or bumping into beer cans.

We then drove up to a charming house situated on well tended grounds. Our guide said, “ This is our President’s house. We aren’t allowed on the property, but the fellow sitting in that car, at the front entrance, is the President’s security guard and driver. Many of us know the President.” With a relatively small population in Iceland, I am guessing that perhaps more than a few folks are also related to him. Iceland has a Parliamentary Government, and 1946 Iceland became a member of the United Nations. In 1949 it became a charter member of NATO.

It was now time for a stop at the Saga Museum where we learned about the people who settled in Iceland and legends of the past. We also viewed a program featuring erupting volcanos.  Continuing our van journey we drove past several beautiful churches, The National Hospital, The Government House and the Parliament Building. Then we drove past the campus of the University of Iceland, The National Art Museum and the Opera House.

Lunch Time!  We were dropped off at The Viking World Museum to enjoy a repast of delicious Icelandic meat stew served with crusty homemade bread and homemade butter. Eating at tables situated under the hanging, huge replica of a Viking Ship was definitely a new experience.  I hoped that the ship was well anchored and wouldn’t drop on my head before I finished my lunch. Josh went to the second level and boarded the ship, while Barbara and I viewed the Viking exhibit.

It was now time to be dropped off at the airport and say, “Bless” (Goodbye) to Iceland.
Our flight back to the United States was happily uneventful, and Josh and Barbara accompanied me as I was wheeled through U.S. Customs. The Customs Officer asked Josh, “Did you purchase liquor when you were abroad?” Josh said that he had a bottle in his suitcase (the allowed amount).  Then the Customs Officer looked down at me sitting in the wheelchair and asked me the same question.  “No.” I replied.  “I drank it on the plane.”

I spent one day at Josh and Barbara’s home in Fairfax,VA, and the next day was driven to Dulles Airport to begin my journey back to Tucson, AZ —with a transfer in Dallas, Texas.The first leg of the trip went well.  I tipped my wheelchair driver ahead of time and he blessed me all the way to my gate.  When we landed in Dallas, I ordered another wheelchair.  It was an extremely long distance to my gate, so we had to take a train from my arrival gate to the departure gate. On the train I chatted with my driver who was originally from Ethiopia. There was a young man standing near us. As the train stopped to let passengers off, the young man handed me a $20.00 bill as he exited.  For the first time in my life, I was totally speechless.

When we arrived at the gate, we were informed that the flight to Tucson was delayed, because they only had a 3 flight attendant crew, and were waiting for 2 more to arrive on other flights. They were hoping that 2 would volunteer to go with us, or the plane would be cancelled. One hour later, a passenger took out her violin and began to entertain us. Another hour later, the 2 volunteer flight attendants arrived to be greeted with a standing ovation. Shortly, we ascended and then landed in Tucson. My driver was waiting for me. I was home!

All in all, after a two year Covid delay, I was so happy that we finally had been able to take our long anticipated trip to Iceland. After so much planning, and so many delays, and so much worry, it was a joyful eleven days for me to spend the time with Josh and Barbara. We laughed a lot! We ate a-lot!  We learned a-lot!  And, it was definitely a lot of fun.

Esther Blumenfeld