A stopover in Reykjavik

 When I was booking my flight to England, a flight on Icelandic Air popped up. The Business Class fare was about half the price of either British Airways or Air Canada and you could arrange for a stopover in Reykjavik. Since I had never been to Iceland and my friends Chuck Brook and Michael Audain both had good things to say about it I decided to book the flight.

Onboard I discovered that business class on Icelandic Air is different then other airlines in that it doesn't offer a pod with a flatbed. However, since the flight was broken up into two stages, I wasn’t too concerned.

Before leaving London, I booked a hotel in the centre of town. Since I was going to be arriving late at night and leaving early in the morning, I decided to stay at a Radisson Blu where I've had good experiences in the past. I also confirm the times for a hop on hop off bus tour since I knew that would be the best way to get an overview of the city.

So this is what I was expecting....

When I told people I was going to Iceland they all said I must try and visit the Blue Lagoon. On my way to London, we stopped off for an hour and from the air, and in the airport, the city seemed quite attractive.  I was very much looking forward to my stopover on the way home.

This is what I found when I arrived. To make things worse, the bus did not take me to the hotel as I had assumed. It took me to a bus depot and then I had to wait for another bus to take me to the hotel. I arrived at 2:30 am.

However, things did not go quite as I had hoped. Two days before I arrived Reykjavik the city experienced the worst snowstorm in its history during the month of October. The airport had been closed down and so had much of the city.

So instead of arriving in the delightful, colourful place featured in online photos, everything was covered in snow.

Before leaving the hotel, I asked the front counter staff whether the tour bus was running, and they confirmed it was. While they could book a ticket, I could also get one on board. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how bad the weather was until I left the hotel. It was sleeting outside, but fortunately I had a small umbrella I had picked up in Boots before leaving England.

That’s when a gust of wind came along and literally pulled me and my umbrella across the icy pavement knocking me over. Soon blood was pouring from my thumb onto the snow and I realized that this wasn't quite working out the way I had hoped.

I found the stop where my tour bus was supposed to pick me up only to learn that it had been cancelled for the day. A few more gusts of wind and I decided it was best to get back to the airport. I took this photo of sites I would miss including the penis museum and eventually got back to the airport. Fortunately, the bus driver had a first aid kit and other passengers were eager to offer bandages for my bloody thumb.

The Radisson Blue looked about as inviting as I could expect under the circumstances.

The room had a nice Scandinavian vibe and I liked the mural in the shower.

There was a decent Nespresso machine with a neat little tray below.

The view as I left the hotel...

Everyone told me I had to see the Opera House, and I did.

Eventually I found a bus to take me back to the airport. While blood was pouring out of my thumb, fortunately many passengers were pleased to offer me bandages.

I guess this is what I should have expected...

The Icelandic Air business lounge in Reykjavik is significantly nicer than the lounge they use in Vancouver. There I found a variety of local gins, smoked meats, cheeses, salads, and my favorite…. herring.

I had about 5 hours before my flight departed and it turned into a wonderful afternoon.

While I'm not sure if I'll ever return to Iceland, at least now if someone asks me if I have ever been to Iceland, I can say yes.

Day trips to Milton Keynes New Town and Winchester - England's ancient Capital City

My father was born in Bristol UK along with three brothers. Meyer, George, and David. Meyer was the oldest and a mysterious character who was rumoured to be a spy. At the age of 65 he started to study Mandarin. He never married and didn't have children. His brother George, had a career with a shelving company called Dexion. He had two children Lynne and Jackie with whom my sister and I have maintained regular contact. His third brother David also had two children, Norman and Marylou. While I was quite close to my cousin Norman when I lived in England for a year in 1968/9, over the years we have had only limited contact. However, on this trip I was determined to meet up with all of my cousins and fortunately this worked out. 

Now that's a nice piece of haddock.

I'm not sure why Marylou looks so much younger than me since we're about the same age!

Marylou and her husband Godfrey

Norman and Marylou live in North London, Marylou is in Stanmore and since like many Londoners, she no longer enjoys going into the city and having to deal with protesters, she invited Norman and me for a Friday night dinner of fish and chips. We had a delightful evening getting caught up on the family news, including the Shirley's 90th birthday celebration. 

For many years uncle Dave and Norman ran Geller Business Equipment in London's West End where they sold cash registers and other business equipment. When England decided to implement decimalization, they had many good years!

Lynne lives in Milton Keynes and she invited me to join her for lunch and a tour around the town. Milton Keynes is famous as a place the English love to hate. A planned new town, it was built after the war and is very different from most traditional English towns and cities that have developed over time. I didn't think it was as bad as my wife and others warned me about. I came across this video which tells the story of Milton Keynes very well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se1VnZxWv8M

YouTube: Why everyone hates Milton Keynes and why they might be wrong.

New terraced housing in Milton Keynes

My cousin Lynne, who at one time was told she looked like me!

England has come a long way from the days when your choice was a pint of bitter or mild.

The train station in Milton Keynes is quite different from most other UK train stations. 

Jackie lives in the New Forest and she suggested that we meet up in Winchester, in between where she lives and London. She made a reservation for lunch at the Wykeham Arms since she thought I would be interested in seeing the original flush toilet designed by Thomas Crapper, and she was right.

While I was familiar with Winchester Cathedral thanks to the 1960s song, I wasn't aware of the city's significance as the ancient capital of England. We spent a delightful day having a very long lunch and walking around the historic city. 

Winchester's main commercial street is a lovely pedestrian street.

I went inside since it claimed to be the oldest pub in England. However I subsequently learned many places claimed to be the oldest pub in England. Since this one only dated back to 1002 it was relatively new, compared to a few others!

Yes, this is the cathedral

The worlds first speed bumps?

The Wykeham Arms - exactly what one expects in a charming old English pub.

Of course I had the Wyk pie!

Winchester City Hall

While it may sound silly or trite, Winchester reminded me of what England used to be. A lovely, clean place with beautiful historic buildings, very little graffiti or garbage - a place where it was delightful to walk. In many respects, the exact opposite of Milton Keynes which is a very nice, but car-oriented place. But I still enjoyed visiting both, and especially spending time with my cousins.