The Talls´ Icelandic Saga: Part 1 - beginning and end were the same

(or how to kill time in the airport)

(or another way in which men and women are different)

Well, to put a positive spin on it, it was a way of bookending our trip (we were delayed flying to and home from Iceland). And in Gatwick we had a nice relaxing lunch. And in Keflavik, we organized our trip photos (and I bought a beautiful Icelandic wool scarf). And, all of the “in-between” time we had in Iceland was lovely.

photo op - I did not make this :)

We moved into Gatwick airport on Monday morning and arrived to Keflavik that night. I could have been to Canada in that amount of time! Here´s how the day played out:
My first thoughts: Oh no! Tall Guy will not be happy!

• Tall Guy’s first thoughts: Oh no! The vacation is ruined!

My second thoughts: I am an experienced traveller; these things happen. Time to check in and move on.

• Tall Guy’s second thoughts: I’ll have to find the complaints desk; according to the passenger’s bill of rights we should have been notified of the delay by a text message or a phone call!

My check-in: Avert a heart attack when my bag, overweight by half a kilo, gets labelled and checked, no questions asked, no fees to be paid. Set off metal detector. Remove hiking boots (metal rivets) and try again. Get pat down by a guard. Watch someone go through my carry-on. Have a minor freak-out when I can’t find my passport. Find it (in my pocket). Get stopped again to have my passport checked for explosives. Feel relaxed at last after arriving to the departures lounge.

• Tall Guy’s check-in: Talk the check-in guy’s ear off. Learn why the flight was delayed (a broken engine). Ask where to claim meal tickets. Go to the info desk. Ask questions and discover the plane will actually be delayed much longer than posted; the back-up plane will be late due to weather. Wheedle out the estimated departure time. Check bag without a borderline heart attack. Go through security without any problems, despite a metal belt buckle. Find the flight information desk in the departures lounge. Confirm all information heard previously re: the flight.

tall girl on the rocks

My hours: Check out all of the shops. Even the boring ones. Get a makeover at a makeup counter. Try out perfume. Try out food samples. Search for a magazine and another book (since the ones I’ve packed are “for the plane”). People-watch while having a free coffee. Go back to the makeup counter and get a new look. Check the flight board every hour for updates. Hunt down Tall Guy to report on the updates. Walk around. And around and around. Try out some moves from Yoga Journal.

• Tall Guy’s hours: Find a seat near an electrical outlet. Plug in laptop. Catch up on TV.

Men.

a memory frozen in time

Iceland Trip Tip: Pack a few good books to read, especially if flying within Iceland. Weather and volcanic activity mean a good chance of a delay! I took "Last Rituals", a mystery set in Reykjavik by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurðardóttir .