This was a typical day, and the blog entry is relatively brief. It was our first tranquil day together for the trip.

We finished the night at Chili’s, after 8, closer to 9 for dinner. Deborah and I were enjoying a date night after all the traveling and rushing we had in Iceland and back. Our dinner was typical industrial restaurant food, explaining in just a few plates why Americans are overweight and have high salt and sugar levels. I remember Chili’s food to be better and with more choices. And that there was actually chili at Chili’s. Still, it was nice to slow down a bit and enjoy a meal.

Before this, we went to the new Superman movie. It was bright but harsh and did not follow the easy Hollywood stories of yet another woman who needs rescuing and falls for the handsome prince, well, an alien or, as it was explained in the film, a metahuman. There was also a fascinating exploration of Journalism and how it works, as well as why it is essential. The villain was certainly too dark, and there is a moment that went too far. Still, it did show that the only alien or inhuman person in the story was Lex Luthor, an interesting way to frame him (as opposed to the mad but funny and corrupt version from Gene Hackman, which I often think about). I would recommend the movie.

Before this, Deborah worked on important work stuff that had come up, while I wrote, paid bills, and did laundry in Deborah’s excellent laundry machines. We just hung out and brought Panera Bread soup and sandwiches for lunch for us and Liam and Donovon, Deborah’s sons. I pet the dogs, but not as much as they wanted.

I rose early and had breakfast at the hotel. I wrote the blog in my room and came out later for breakfast, which was a bit picked over at that time, and the coffee was out. The kind staff brought out more coffee, and all was good in the world again. There was a banana this time, and that made up for any shortfalls.

I will take a slight detour into politics. I am seeing more attempts to grab headlines from the White House, and Trump seems to repeat tariff demands, threats to take over the Fed, and changing positions on Russia; he appears to be caught in a whirlwind that needs to control the headlines. While I cannot say anything nice about Trump, I have seen this before with other presidents: the glow of the election fades, and the grind of governing starts to take over. The campaign trail tricks, promises, and lies cannot make a government run. It is a challenging time for Trump and the White House. Again, we have seen this before as the president runs low on the political capital generated by winning an election.

The cuts, so random, are shutting down and reducing services in many ways. The state governments have relied on borrowed Federal money and centralized distribution of funds for most of the last seventy years. Deciding that the burdens of education, healthcare, weather forecasting, and emergency services are not part of the Federal government without the agreement of the states to cover these necessary functions of government seems mad to me. States will have to borrow money or raise taxes to cover these services, or forgo them. It will also take years to create these services at the local level. There will be chaos next year.

Sorry if I am dark today, but this is on my mind. It is beginning to look like a whirlwind in Washington.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

I learned that Deborah’s car’s name is Ziggy. I have tried to correct that below. And it is Jeanne, not Jean.

Wednesday was our first whole day back in the USA and Michigan. I was resting at the Holiday Inn Express, which was experiencing issues due to a broken elevator, meaning guests could not easily access the higher rooms, and the cleaning staff could not clean rooms. I heard the staff having to send guests away as they had no rooms available. All the first-floor rooms were taken.

I rose early and was soon dressed and writing the blog in the lobby, where the complimentary breakfast was served. Though it was industrial, it was not bad. I spent the morning writing, and Deborah arrived in her blue Mini Cooper (Ziggy) around 10. We headed to Lansing by the usual route of Detroit-Flint-Lansing, which is the fastest means, as there are no 70 mph highways that cross this triangle route.

We reached the Lansing Mall area a few minutes early. Deborah and I then walked through the Barnes & Noble and looked at board games. They often offer a hard-to-find or new game at a discount. Often, a hot board game will sell out at gaming stores, and I often find it at Barnes & Noble, sometimes with a special B&N version.

Next, we met with Leta at Panera Bread just after noon. I usually meet Leta when I am in the area for lunch at her faovrite Panera at the Lansing Mall not far from her house or pick her up at her house and drive her there. We had a nice chat and enjoyed lunch together.

Next, Deborah, in Ziggy, crossed Lansing to Haslett, and we had a nice meeting with Mom Wild for about an hour. We talked about a trip and just hung out for a while. Hello’s always come with goodbyes, and there were tears. We will see Mom Wild again on Friday (and Leta too).

Next, Jeanne, a high school classmate of mine and Deborah’s best friend, invited us to join them for dinner at the Watershed across from Lake Lansing Park. We had a few minutes and headed to East Lansing, parked, and soon were enjoying the smell of baked old books in the non-Air Conditioned Curious Books Store. I found some reprints and later paperbacks of pulp classics, such as Doc Savage. I also got another copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s works in a new hardback version. There was a cheap copy of a World War II story critical of the loss of the USS Langley (the USA’s first Aircraft Carrier). Deborah found a cheap guitar book.

The store owner did not remember me, but I told him I visited every six months, and he suggested I come more often. He was happy to sell me over $100 worth of books, which included shipping the ones for me to Oregon. We were hot and sticky and book scented by the time I was done buying and getting shipping info done. We got back into the Ziggy and headed to Haslett.

There, we met Jeanne and Randy and had a lovely dinner. It was strange to see, as Deborah pointed out, that drinks cost under $10. That was not what we saw in Anaheim or Iceland! They make their own smoked and specialized meats there at the Watershed; I had a terrific Reuben sandwich. It was nice to catch up and enjoy drinks and food.

Deborah was tired, and I helped drive Ziggy back to the Detroit Area. The jet lag sneaks up on you. It was fast, and the engine roared if you pressed the gas. I was used to electric cars now, but it was fun to drive.

We arrived without issue, and I was soon back at the hotel. Deborah, now feeling better, drove home.

Thanks for reading!

I lay down to rest rather than really going to bed. I would only sleep for a few hours on Monday-Tuesday night/morning. I woke before my alarm, as usual, before 2:45, and then, with the alarm going off (after I had nodded off for a few minutes). I then made coffee with the machine in the room for Deborah and me. I bring her a cup, a little ritual we have, and then I make one for myself. The room machine made espresso-like coffee, which I served in small cups provided with the machine.

(Saying goodbye to the hotel)

It was slow going as we were careful to assemble everything into our bags, carry-ons, and dress in layers. We identified that we had our passports within easy reach, and my gym bag was maxed out and heavy. Deborah was using a backpack and hoisted her items on her back.

The sun did not really set, we are too north for that, and we were in the bright light of a long-running morning. It looked like it was going to be a lovely, sunny day in Iceland. The morning was terrific, even at 4.

(A candid shot of me looking at the time on the way to the airport)

We collected everything back together for travel, rolled out bags, and checked out of our excellent hotel. They had a packed breakfast ready for us. We walked the two blocks to Bus Stop 1 and waited. There we ate some of the sandwiches and waited. There was a woman who was also waiting for the Flybus and told us they are often a few minutes late. A bus arrived, and soon we were at the BSI bus center, where we changed to the airport shuttle, another bus. By 5:50, we were at the international airport. It was packed with people. We found that Delta was not open yet (we were within the three hours of our flight); it was hard not to be frustrated.

Deborah and I got our bags checked and then headed to security. A cheerful agent stamped our passports. Both of us received special attention from the first checks. We found the gate, and it was not ready for us. We took a seat in a food area, got Americanos, and relaxed as we waited for the gate to be prepared. We watched the display of flights to see the status change.

(A mural just as you enter the gate area in the airport)

While there was a line at the gate when we saw the time came for us to move to the gate (though I never saw ‘Go To Gate’ status), we found a nearby seat and did not join the long line until the boarding started. We encountered additional security checks after entering the gate, and we were briefly separated from each other. Ugh! Finally, Deborah and I got on one more bus (the third one for the morning) to our plane. We walked up a set of stairs with our remaining bags (my gym bag and Deborah’s backpack) to get to the plane. Finally, we found our seats.

The last person to board, a gentleman, took the window seat. We had hoped it would remain empty. I had the middle and Deborah had the aisle seat. The gentleman, whose name I never learned, later told us that he resided in California but was originally from Iceland, where he had gone for his mother’s funeral. He had planes to catch in Detroit, and we last saw him walking towards the customs area.

Once the plane left Iceland, Deborah and I watched the same movie, trying to keep our separate entertainment systems, built into the seats before us, in sync. We first watched Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic about Freddie Mercury, and loved it (I had seen it in theaters once before). We had more than 5 and a half hours to travel. We received a complimentary small snack on the flight and later enjoyed some coffee. I had the cheese board (which was quite nice and a lot of cheese), and Deborah had the turkey sandwich, which was also good. We then watched The Taste of Things, a poignant film with endless cooking scenes, all in French. I had seen it once before. Deborah enjoyed it (there were tears), and when it was done, there were only about forty minutes left to the trip. We soon repacked the few items we had taken out (Deborah was enjoying the book she had gotten in Iceland, Miss Iceland).

No more frustration with security checks, but the walk from the plane was long in plain hallways that had signage, the only thing that said you were headed the right way. My gym bag was heavy, and Deborah commented that I was a bit winded when the long corridors finally ended. A few pictures were taken with a friendly agent, grabbed our bags, and we were out of customs.

After a miscue on our location and a backed-up queue for pickup, we were picked up by Donovan, Deborah’s son. I napped in the backseat while Deborah chatted with her son. I did wake up to fill in a few details when asked.

We arrived at Deborah’s house and realized how tired we were. Deborah shared her gifts for her sons, and I petted the dogs, who were happy to see me and ecstatic to have Deborah return. Next, Deborah and I headed to Kruse and Muer for lunch. I had Michigan Pasta with chicken in a light white sauce, featuring walnuts and dried cherries, and fresh green beans. Deborah had a salad with a chicken breast. It was excellent. We were both tempted by a walleye dish, but we decided to stick to chicken, something simple, since we were so tired.

Deborah and I collected my belongings and some clothing we had washed for me on my second day of the visit (Dear Reader, you may recall that I came to Michigan two days before the flight to Reykjavik). It was a short drive to the Holiday Inn Express, and soon I was checked in. Deborah and I agreed to connect later (but later we decided to skip dinner and sleep more). I was on the first floor because the elevator was out of order, and they offered an accessible room (what was left on the first floor). I welcome extra handholds in the bathroom!

I unpacked and cleaned up. I tried to read after a relaxing shower and soon woke up hours later.

I dressed and spoke with Leta, and then my sister, Linda, and Mom, Wild. Deborah and I will travel to Lansing on Wednesday to see Leta (at noon for lunch) and then Mom Wild in the early afternoon (2ish). I then wrote this blog. That takes me to now.

Thanks for reading!

Back to Oregon on Saturday.

We travel early on Tuesday and arrive in the USA in the morning. We did not have to rise early on Monday; we slept in and lollygagged until around 9:00, cleaned up and dressed, located breakfast, and consumed a familiar repast. We later went out to Reykjavik in the early afternoon. We stopped by a pharmacy and then located the famous hot dog stand, only to find another long line again, but this time we waited.

Deborah had a Clinton while I had everything (Bill Clinton had one with just mustard — he was on a diet — and that is the name for just mustard). The dogs were good. We ate them standing with diet drinks.

Next, we wandered up the hill again. Stopping by a few shops as we went. Mokka Kaffi was renowned for its writers and had been in operation since 1958. Computer use is banned there. We had, yes, more baked goods, snacks, and coffee. Here is the secured website.

It was warm and sunny, with the high sixties, which felt sweaty to us now. We continued walking up to the Lutheran Hallgrimskirkja. Today, we purchased tickets to the tower and soon found ourselves looking out the barred, open-air windows.

We stayed long enough to hear the near-deafening sound of 3 in the afternoon.

(Plays for 30 secs before sound. You can advance to half way).

We also liked the look behind the clock face.

Next, we tried the local sculpture garden near the church. Deborah researched many of the Norse myths related to the sculptures.

Next, we wandered some new streets in Old Town and then returned to Odin’s for a beer. We relaxed there for a bit and then walked down the hill (one last time for the trip) and continued shopping.

We decided to repeat dinner at the harbor as it was excellent and cheaper than the area near the hill or our hotel. The Old Harbor House is an order-at-the-bar place with fantastic food, a view of the small harbor, and while not cheap, it was not stupidly expensive.

On the way to dinner, I saw that the underground Punk Rock Museum was still open. We climbed down into a disused toilet that was now a tribute to Iceland’s version of Punk Rock and many of the bands. Each former stall is decorated with the history of Icelandic Punk Rock bands (with an English translation). Headphones were hung from the ceiling to listen to the Punk Rock music of Iceland, and jackets were available for a photo opportunity. I bought some postcards (and some of you, Dear Readers, will receive them). The proprietor had a mohawk and wore a punk rock-aligned dress, although he was now gray and wore glasses. He was happy to explain things and was friendly.

We liked Iceland enough to consider another trip (return for the northern lights, we were told). We enjoyed the people, our hotel was fabulous, the climate was pleasant (even the rain), and we believe in the social justice Iceland has adopted. It is expensive, but well worth it.

Deborah checked, and our return was slightly confused, but we now have a bus pickup as planned. It is very early. We returned to our room, packed, and tried to sleep for the few hours before our return adventure began at Bus Stop 1 in Reykjavik. I wrote a few more postcards and mailed them.

Thanks for reading!

Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, Room 323.

 

Sunday

Ugh, starting too early to make our 7:30 pickup time, we rose at 6 and soon got dressed in many layers (but I forgot to put on my boots, and Deborah forgot her iPods for long bus rides), swallowed a quick hotel breakfast, and then waited not too long at Bus Stop 1. We were taken to the Bus Hostel and then sorted onto a large bus for the 15-hour tour. It was often two hours between breaks. My colon (shortened by 25cm from cancer treatment) was not kind to me, but no serious accidents happened.

The first stop was a waterfall (their names now all run together). There was a long walk to an overlook, but our guide warned us that the stairs were slippery and the view was not great — we skipped the steps. The steps also, I read, are the start of the trek into the glaciers and not a particularly safe one (there were dire warnings on being adequately prepared and not to do this in winter).

The place was busy, and the view was better from a distance as there was no access to the falls itself, just the area downriver or from the trek lookout.

We spent hours looking out the windows on the bus, with me saying ‘sheep’ when I saw sheep, which was often. Deborah joined in after a while, and we added horses and rocks occasionally. There a lots of sheep and many horses with some cows here and there.

 

We stopped at a massive glacier and a bridge that had been destroyed, meant to withstand the sudden gush of water when an ice lake collapses.

Yes, don’t take the SUV for a test run in Iceland. It is not OK. Your total coverage does not cover that.

The boat crew had a piece of ice for us to take pictures with.

Hours later, after buying sandwiches at the Vik Quick-mark like store for lunch, we arrived at the Iceberg Lagoon, and it was spectacular. Our driver had arranged for a tour in a truck/boat (for an extra cost), we call them Duck Tours, that was slightly delayed, but we got off soon enough. Deborah and I, getting warm from the sun, took off our coats, and that made us a bit cold. The cold rain made that worse. I retrieved the coats and we were better.

The ice was everywhere, and though the glacier looks close, it is ten km away.

We thought this was most telling. It is more like a list of all the things tourists have done wrong.

We returned, after another two-hour drive back over the same places (“Sheep! Horse!”). Vik, it was again, and this time we tried to use the sit-down place, but we waited fifteen minutes for our soup. We did not finish our fries, and my soup was not warm (I suspect it had been waiting for most of the time, too). We were rushed.

The next waterfalls had stairs that led behind the falls, but this led to a rock fall filled with questionable footing. We decided not to forgo that experience. The falls are as large as the others, and they created their own blasting wind, soaking us. It was great!

We then napped some on the bus and watched the animals (“Sheep!” “Cow!” “Horse”). We passed by the American School Bus Cafe but did not stop. We looked it up and wished we had a chance to see it. It is an American school Bus that got shipped here. Crazy! See the link Deborah found.

We returned around 11 to our hotel, and soon we were asleep. Monday has no plans or buses.

Thanks for reading.