NFL - Day 0 - "O Canada"

“Newfoundland and Labrador (NFL)”

6/30/17, “O Canada”

LaGuardia Airport, New York (LGA)

O Canada!  While it is not my home and native land, I have made more trips there over the years over the years than to anywhere else, and now begins the last one I will take before I turn 30.  This trip will bring me to my last Canadian Province, it will bring me to my final four World Heritage Sites in Canada, and in North America for that matter, as Hawaii is technically in Oceania.  This is the True North strong and free, and I have travelled it far and wide.  Once last trip remains, a loop around the isle of Newfoundland and a day in Labrador to see an old whaling site.  That’s it.  That’s all that stands between me and “Canada Complete,” between me and “North America Complete.”

Well, as my reader knows by now, any good summer trip must begin with a recounting of an epic dinner and movie Night -1 with the K-Man, and last night was no exception.  Something I like about the K-Man is that we both hold tradition to a high standard, that our evenings together even follow a type of stare decisis.  The fact that we did something a certain way last time or, even stronger, that we usually do it that way is considered an unassailable argument for doing it the same way this time.  If we are to break from tradition, we must specifically argue for the break from tradition in favor of doing something different.  It is in that way that a stare decisis exists.

Our default place to go is CPK, and, if we are not going to go there, one of us needs to make an argument in favor of another place.  We both like to eat, so the arguments are never unpleasant, but the argument must be made if we wish to break from tradition.  We met at the restaurant this time, as he was coming in from Boston (not Austin, as I had thought, as his text had actually said “Justin”).  When we got there, we were both hungry and thirsty.  We were ready to eat and drink.  I had stopped at Nat Sherman’s to get cigars before I met him at CPK, so we were all set for an epic evening.

Moscow Mules not pictured

More importantly, my cold was starting to become manageable, and I was ready for our evening.  My reader will now need to pay close attention to what we ordered.  He ordered a glass of hot water, a glass of cold water.  I ordered club soda, like always.  This was just to open our appetites.  We each got a Moscow Mule, for no other reason than we got it last time and liked it.  We also got a new sparkling alcoholic drink to share and try in consideration of making that our drink of choice next time.  My reader will note that this was six beverages for two people.

For food, he got a dinner-sized salad for an appetizer, and I got my usual crispy mac ’n cheese, like always.  We then each ordered a pizza.  He got the Sicilian, like he always does, and, like I always do, I went through the menu and made a decision at the moment, this time opting for a wild mushroom pizza with bacon.  It was a good choice.  A very good choice.  We also got bread with butter, “a lot of butter.”  It was an epic feast, and no food was left uneaten, nor drop of drink.  He even got another Moscow Mule to go.  We spent the meal talking about our trip to Russia next summer, but I won’t spoil the details of that.  After dinner, we went to pick up my laundry and then back to my place, where I lit up a cigar, a Kendall I think.

We then walked to the theatre and waited until it was time to go inside.  I had my cup from Tuesday, so I just got a refill on that, as we had no appetite left for snacks at the theatre.  The movie was called “The Beguiled,” and it was billed as a thriller.  It was anything but thrilling.  The acting was excellent, and somewhere deep inside there was a great movie trying to get out, but Sofia Coppola failed at the trip task of writing, directing, and producing.  I always believe that those three roles should be filled by three different people.  You need creative input from multiple parties to have a movie work right, and this failed on that level.  We came to the conclusion that if the movie had billed itself as a dark comedy, we would have enjoyed it a lot more, but we had certain preconceptions that ruined it for us, due it being billed as a thriller.

After the movie, we said our goodbyes, and I finished my cigar.  I fell asleep in my chair when I got home, and I woke up with a start around 1 AM.  I had to shower, dress my bed, pack my tobacco and clothes, and finalize my itinerary.  I got to bed at 3 AM and woke up around 8 AM.  I was in complete panic attack mode at the office, worried about delays and missing my connection, to the point where I could barely breathe at points.  I got done everything I needed to do, and I left at 2:45 PM.

There wasn’t much traffic on the way to the airport, and check-in and security went quickly.  There are minor delays, but I have two hours to make my connection at YYZ, and I am on standby for an earlier flight, too, so I should be fine.  What worries me, though, is if my YYZ-YYT flight is delayed, as it is scheduled to land at 1:30 AM, so any delays will mean an ungodly bedtime and short sleep for a day when I have over 12 hours of driving.

The plane that will take me YYZ-YYT is flying LGA-YYZ as AC 723.  I am on AC 721, and I am on standby for AC 719.  Those are three consecutive LGA-YYZ flights, each leaving about every hour, so any delays will compound.  That is, if my flight, AC 721 is delayed, then AC 723 will likely be delayed, which will likely lead to a delay on my YYZ-YYT leg.  Okay, anyway, so after I checked in, I went to my gate where I sat down and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close.

Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario (YYZ)

This is not the first time I have spent the night here at Pearson, but I hope it will be the last, though I am sure I will spend nights at other airports in the future, it will not be this one again.  What brought me here, what hellish ordeal did the past eight hours entail?  Those are the questions this entry will answer.  A lot went wrong, but plenty went right.  Enough want wrong that Day 0 is shot to hell, Day 1 will be torture, and Day 2 will be rough, but it could be worse.  Day 1 will be salvageable, and Day 2 will be close to normal.

After I closed at LGA, I panicked and worried and checked flight times, of all the flights I mentioned.  I did not get on AC 719, but I knew that AC 723 would be close to an hour after AC 721 regardless, so I would have about an hour to make my connection, which would be plenty if I wasn’t held up at the border, always a concern when entering Canada.  I went to get a pretzel dog from Auntie Ann’s, and, when I got back, our inbound plane was pulling up, ahead of schedule.

We boarded as soon as they cleaned the aircraft, and I was comfortably in my seat, my phone charging, ready to go.  That’s when the captain said we wouldn’t take off for another 40 minutes or so.  NOOOOOO!!!!!!  The only solace I took was that if we had to taxi for 40 minutes, so, too, would AC 723, which meant my connection would not be any more difficult.  After about 30 minutes, during which I napped, they made another announcement.  Due to storms, no planes were taking off from LGA.  It would be close to another hour.  This meant Day 1 would be entirely shot to hell, as I would only get a few hours of sporadic sleep over the next 36 hours.  I would also have to pick up my car after doing my stuff in St. John’s, or else spend the night at YYT waiting to pick up my rental.  Things were looking bad.

Soon enough, I felt the familiar thrust of a plane taking off, much sooner than I expected, and I slept through most of the short flight.  When we neared Pearson, we seemed to be in a holding pattern, but at a very low altitude.  That was odd.  We landed at 9:30 PM, and I immediately checked my phone.  To my shock, my YYZ-YYT flight was being delayed until 11:15 PM.  That gave me almost two hours to make my connections.  No problem, right?  Wrong.

If you are flying US-CAN-CAN, which I am doing by flying LGA-YYZ-YYT, there is a special quick connect, but you see an agent instead of a kiosk.  Well, whatever black mark on my record that didn’t transfer to the kiosk system was still on that system.  The agent told me he couldn’t process me on the quick connect, and I am quite sure he made that the black mark would have transferred to the quick connect.  I mentally kicked myself.  I should have just gone to the kiosk and not bothered with the quick connect.  When my receipt printed from the kiosk, it had an X on it, and I knew my chances of making my flight were now slim to none.

I went through the familiar process of being directed to immigration, and when I got in and saw the huge line, I realized it was much closer to none than slim.  However, the line moved quickly, but I got to the agent at 10:55 PM, for an 11:15 PM flight.  I didn’t see how it was possible to make the flight.  He asked me when my connection was, and I told him.

I saw from the look on his face that he wanted me to make that connection.  He asked me all the usual questions, and I answered them to his satisfaction.  He then explained, the first person to explain this to me, that there was an “enforcement action” on my record, due to how I was turned around at the border back in 2013, so I would always be subject to a secondary.  He also explained that the kiosk systems had been slow to update.  He let me go around 11 PM, no baggage check, and I thought I had a slim chance now of making my flight.

I ran and raced and got sent to the front of the line at security.  I ran to my gate.  They had just closed the doors.  I missed it by five minutes.  I begged and pleaded, but to no avail.  The plane was still at the gate, but I couldn’t board.  Fuck.  I then went to customer service and had to wait on line for an hour, but they fixed it for me.  They put me on a 6:45 AM flight to YYT, in business class.  He also told me where best to take a nap and gave me some meal vouchers.

I found some great lounge chairs where I will soon nap.  All in all, this whole ordeal will probably only cost me about two or three hours by the end of the day tomorrow, but it was an aggravating way to start the trip, just like last year.  I then sat down by the lounge chair, where I proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish and get some sleep.

Maine 2017 - Day 2 - Woods and Waters

6/25/17, “Woods and Waters”

En route, I-95 S, Rhode Island

And so our trip winds to a close.  It has been another excellent adventure for Stu and Steve, our sixth one now.  Like always, it entailed a visit to a state’s “most iconic restaurant,” which was achieved by our visit to Haven Bros Diner here in Providence, Rhode Island, one that has long eluded me due to its late opening (and closing) hours.

The main event of today was visiting the newest National Monument in the region, Katahdin Woods and Waters NM, which really exemplified inland Maine, what people think of when they think of camping or summer camp: the woods and the waters.  Our time, there, however, was probably more appropriate to the song, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” Stu playing the role of Allan Sherman’s son Robert.  This was really the only thing I wanted to do during the trip, other than this dinner at Haven Bros.  What mattered for me was that I was back in Maine, that I had my blueberry pancakes, and that I got to see the woods and waters.

After I closed last night, I went inside to publish.  Once I finished publishing, a woman who was clearly drunk came up to me and asked me if she would get in trouble if she went in the pool.  “Not with me,” I quipped, proud of the quick-witted nature of the remark.  She then asked if I thought she would get “kicked out” if she did.  I asked her if she meant kicked out of the pool or of the hotel.  She meant of the hotel.  I told her I did not think she would.

She then asked if I would join her.  I asked her why, wondering if what she had in mind would be unpublishable, and she said that, if she got in trouble, she wanted someone else to share the punishment.  I was ready to go up to my room and get to sleep, so I was shocked to hear the words, “All right,” come out of my mouth.  She then said she was joking, and we both went up to our rooms.

Stu and I woke up around 7:30 AM, and we took far too long getting ready.  Around 8 AM, we headed down to breakfast, but the spread was so disappointing that I took a hard pass, other than coffee.  There was no meat, not even cheese or eggs.  I found a highly-rated place right next to the VC, by the name of Appalachian Trail Cafe, so we drove there.  It was 9 AM, which put us already behind schedule, as we were supposed to be at the VC when they opened at 9 AM.  They had a house specialty, which consisted of chopped up tater tots, shredded cheese, eggs, and toast.  We each got one of those, and I also got two blueberry pancakes with local maple syrup and coffee.  It was every bit as good as it sounds.

It was 10 AM by the time we got to the VC.  They didn’t have the unigrid yet, but they did have a different brochure and a stamp.  They also gave us all the information we needed, though it wasn’t what we wanted to here.  We would have to drive about forty-five minutes on a paved road, then another forty-five minutes on unpaved roads with no cell signal.  When we got there, we could walk about a mile to a stream and another mile back.  It was as adventurous as it sounds.

When we got to the unpaved roads, we had to rely on the physical map they gave us and the limited amount of posted signs.  It was not easy.  At one point, we started to hear a rattling, followed by a loud thud.  We put it out of mind until we reached the parking lot, at which point we examined the car and saw that nothing was loose, so we got on the trail.

I lit up a Trinidad, and we walked to the stream, where we took our ceremonial picture, and I was able to announce, again, “Maine Complete.”  It was not, “New England Complete,” as it turned out that I am actually missing an NHP in Rhode Island, which I only recently discovered I had been conflating with a different unit.  The NHP was created in 2014, and I did not realize it was separate from the larger site from which it had been carved.  We continued on the trail until we got to the lean-to, and then we turned around, being eaten alive by bugs, though my cigar worked as a repellant.

We got back to our car and continued back to the paved road, which we greeted with much cheer.  From there, it was a straight shot to Canobie Lake Park, the second amusement park Stu wanted to see in as many days.  I fell asleep on the ride, which was over four hours, and I wanted lunch after I woke up, though we were both kinda full from breakfast.  In the end, we probably should not have stopped, but that is not the point.  This was what led to our biggest fight of the trip.

Stu was concerned because we were behind schedule, and we would not get to the park until 6 PM.  It closed at 10 PM, so he did not think four hours would be enough time to do all the rides.  My reader will bear in mind that Katahdin was literally the only activity we did all trip that I wanted to do.  We had made a deal that I would not smoke in the car, like I had done all day yesterday, if he would not complain and badger me, like he had done all day yesterday.  It was a fair deal, and we had both been honoring it.  Until now.  The moment I said I wanted to get off the road for lunch, he started complaining.  We went to a Dairy Queen that was about five minutes off the road, and that was five minutes too far, not to mention the time the food would take.  Well, this was when things got bad.

En route, I-95 S, Connecticut

We have now entered into Connecticut, which necessitates a change in the dateline.  I do not need to get into much detail, but the long story short is, the first DQ didn’t have chicken fingers, so we had to go to a second one further down the road, the right direction, but just a slower road.  Stu was not happy about this detour, to say the least.  We got to the second DQ, in Kennebunk, where it all began, and they just had ice cream, no cooked food.

If I knew this in advance, I would have skipped the DQ altogether and waited until we got to the amusement park, but, since we were here, I got a large Blizzard.  This was a big mistake, and I paid the price for it later.  Our deal no longer in effect, I lit up a Prensado, which brought us to Canobie.  The entire detour only added twenty minutes.  It was around 6:45 PM when we got there due to some traffic en route.  It would be tight to do the three coasters, get a snack, and do the water rides before they closed at 10 PM.

We started with the highest thrill ride, their newest ride called Untamed.  It started with a vertical climb followed by a few inverted loops.  It was scary af.  The next ride was the wooden coaster, and as we were waiting in line, it started to rain.  Badly.  It let up by the time we went on the ride, and the rain actually cleared the park out.  We never had to wait on line again, so the rest of the park went quickly.

We went to the last coaster and then got a heavy snack, chicken fingers (finally) and fries for me, just fries for Stu.  After that, it was the two water rides, followed by the dark ride.  We then played two rounds of Skee Ball before heading to the gift shop and leaving.  I lit up a Bull & Bear for the ride, which brought us to Providence, after a brief gas scare.

We found the iconic food cart that goes by the name “Haven Bros. Diner” and is considered the “most iconic restaurant” in Rhode Island.  We went into the cart, and we each got a “murder” burger with a fried eggs and a shake, along with bacon cheese fries to share.

We went outside to the plastic tables and ate our dinner there.  It was exceptional, and I understood how they managed to stay in business with their little cart for almost 130 years now.  After dinner, we went to 7-Eleven, and I got a soda there for the road.  We went back to the car, and, I lit up Camacho.  As soon as we were on I-95, I proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, along with closing out this trip.  Next stop: Newfoundland and Labrador to at last say “North America Complete.”

Maine 2017 - Day 1 - Lobster and Blueberries

6/24/17, “Lobster and Blueberries”

Millinocket, Maine

What is about Maine that brings me back, year after year, every summer?  Is it the lobster and blueberries?  Is it the rocky shores and open bays?  Is it the woods and waters?  Well, I can get the same lobster rolls and blueberry pies around the corner from my office.  I just spent a week on the islands of fire and ice seeing rocky shores and open bays far grander than the ones in this state.  Woods and waters are to be found wherever I go on my travels.  Why Maine, then?  Why is Maine my favorite state east of the Mississippi and one of my top ten favorite states in the country?  Surely it has to be more than just lobster and blueberries, right?

The simple truth is, it’s not.  It’s about the memories of all the trips I have ever taken to Maine.  It’s about lobster bakes as a teenager and about lobster omelets and blueberry pancakes in my twenties.  It’s about watching the first sunrise of the summer from the easternmost point in the continental US one year and watching it the next year from atop the mountain that sees the first sunrise of the summer, just as much as it’s about lobster rolls.  It’s about seeing the rocky cliffs when I finally made it to Acadia National Park, just as much as it’s about blueberry ice cream.  It’s about memories old and new, just as it’s about the part Maine played in my developing my love affair with The North.  But all of it, it all comes back to lobster and blueberries.

After I closed last night, I fell asleep almost as soon as I published, and we woke up around 8 AM.  Breakfast was standard Hampton Inn fare: waffles, eggs, potatoes, and sausage, along with their too-small cups of coffee.  It was good as always, and I very much do enjoy the flavor combination of a fluffy waffle and a piece of sausage.  It was to be a heavy day of eating, as Stu was insistent on trying every food item he found listed as being a specialty of Maine. 

We headed to the amusement park, Funtown Splashtown USA, and were a little concerned that it had started to rain, but it stopped by the time we got there.  We arrived right as they opened, and it was practically empty.  It must have been a combination of it being a small park, early Saturday morning, and the weather, but we never had to wait on line, so it went quickly.  We first went on the wooden roller coaster called Excalibur, which was Camelot-themed.  That as the highest thrill ride, so Stu wanted to do it first.  It was rather thrilling, and we then went to the swinging ship called Sea Dragon, which was Viking-themed.  It was more thrilling than I expected, as it swung back and forth ascending to a 90-degree angle by the end.  After that was the log flume, which was of no interest.

We then got an early light snack, as Stu wanted to try Red Snapper hot dogs, which they had at the park.  We each got one, along with a fries to share.  After that, we went to this light show inside a tent, for which we were placed on swinging seats.  That was rather boring.

Then came the tower called Dragon Descent, which was Chinese-themed, and I found it curious that they had Camelot, Viking, and Chinese-themed, but I guess it made sense, since it is considered a “theme park.”  That was pretty scary, as it went up to the height of a skyscraper before dropping us and bringing us up and down a few more times.  It was as we were ascending that I asked Stu my signature line, “Do you have faith in the structural engineers who designed this ride and the inspectors who inspected it?”  He did.  We survived.  From there, it was the water park, but I had no interest in getting wet, so I had an LFD in the smoking area while Stu went on the water rides.  After he was done, we drove to Cape Elizabeth for lobster rolls.

We went to Two Lights and walked out on the rocky cliffs.  Stu found no interest in it, and he intimated that he had a fear of heights.  I hope my reader catches the irony.  We then went to the Lobster Shack, which is Maine’s “most iconic restaurant” according to the Thrillist list.  I had never seen the line so long, but it moved fast.  We ordered a lot, as we wanted to try everything.

What I am about to list is what we got for the pair of us to split, not what we each ate.  We got clam chowder, the clam boat (fried clams, fries, and slaw), two lobster rolls, and a blueberry pie for later.  It was epic, and I think the fried clams were my favorite part.  I will not tell my reader how much lunch for the two of us, but it will easily be the most expensive meal we have all trip, though any meal at a nice restaurant would have cost a lot more.

After lunch, I lit up a La Jugada, and we drove to Portland, stopping first at the Portland Observatory, which is a “maritime signal tower” and not a lighthouse.  In fact, it is the surviving such structure.  From there, we headed to Portland Paddle to do some kayaking.

We were both so drained at this point, and I was still traumatized from Kentucky five years ago, that we just wanted to get a feel for it, so we paddled out for about twenty minutes before turning around.  Due to the current, what took twenty minutes outbound only took five minutes inbound.  After staying dry on the water, I got soaked by a wave as I was getting ready to get out of the kayak.  After we dried off a bit, we drove towards Millinocket, but first we ate our blueberry pie, and I lit up a Barba.

We stopped at Bangor to have dinner at an iconic sandwich chain called Amato’s.  We had actually driven past the original in Portland, but we were not hungry then.  Mr. Amato was the inventor of the Italian sandwich, so that’s we got, along with chips and drinks.  For dessert, we had the official state treat: a whoopie pie.

I lit up an E.P. Carrillo, and we arrived at our hotel in Millinocket right at nautical twilight, which had ended by the time we got settled in.  We checked in and went up to our room.  I got resituated and headed down and across the street to the gas station to get a local beer, a Shipyard Summer Ale.  I then went to the bench at the hotel, where I sat down, lit up my trusty Ardor, and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish and, shockingly, get a full night’s sleep.

Maine 2017 - Day 0 - A Summer to Remember

“Maine 2017”

6/23/17, “A Summer to Remember”

Kennebunk, Maine

Summer has Officially begun.  Once again, I find myself in Maine to begin the summer.  Whether it be Lubec (2013), Mars Hill (2014), Augusta (2015), Ogunquit (2016), or Kennebunk (2017), it is the second half of the dateline that unites it all, my first trip of the summer, beginning the summer where summer begins, here in Maine.  The list of trips I have planned is nowhere near as expansive as previous summers, but it will definitely be a summer to remember.

With no more school to worry about, and a light summer of travel, it will be a summer of freedom, to do the things in the city I have always found myself too busy to do, to go the places with friends I have wanted to go but never found the time, to never have to worry about being too busy to do anything for that matter.  It will be a summer to watch movies in the park, to visit the islands other than Manhattan, to smoke and drink on rooftops.  It will be a summer to enjoy all the city and suburbs have to offer.

Of course there will be travel, too, and this trip follows up on two excellent trips since Memorial Day, the first to Queen Charlotte, one of the most relaxing places I have ever been, and the second to the islands of fire and ice, which ranked as an all-time top five trip, Greenland easily earning the title of the most beautiful place in the world to me.  Next weekend will be an extra special trip for me, the trip where I will finally have accomplished my goal of visiting every World Heritage Site in North America, along with every Canadian province.  After that, a weekend in San Francisco.  Then, various road trips to Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

That certainly seems like a summer to remember as described already, but how it will end is what makes it truly epic.  After all of that, comes the big trip, the one I have been planning for five years, ever since I began this quest: a 16-day trip to Hawaii and the South Pacific.  There this quest will come to an end, at which point I will be greeted by my best friend, with whom I will celebrate my 30^th Birthday.  Five years have all led to this.  It is sure to be a summer to remember.

Okay, so, as for Day 0, well, as is my tradition, I will actually start with Night -1.  It was another pizza and movie night with the K-Man, but with one minor variation.  With no good movies to see in theatres, we opted to watch one at my place instead.  We first met my coworker at Urbanspace for a drink before heading to our usual spot, CPK.  There, we once more got appetizers and our usual pizzas, along with a pair of Moscow Mules.

I ate way too much, and we went back to my place to smoke cigars (LFD Andalusian Bull) and aquavit that I brought back from Iceland as we watched “Gentleman’s Agreement.”  It was epic on every level, and the movie was excellent.  I had to get up early, as I needed to get to the office at 7 AM so that I could leave at 4 PM.

I had a Danish pastry (again, not a Danish) for breakfast, having developed an addiction for such things ever since my Trip of Ice and Fire.  It was a slow day at work, and the office was almost empty, but I got done what I needed to do.

Lunch was my traditional pre-departure lunch from Hop Won, boneless spareribs and sweet and sour chicken, along with an egg roll, fried rice, and a seltzer.  After lunch, knowing that no one was in the office who might complain if I came back smelling, I had a Romeo y Julieta.

I left the office at 4 PM and took the train up to North White Plains where I got the car before driving to my parents’ house to meet Stu, whom my parents had just met for the first time.  A light snack was ready for us, though the quantity of it that I consumed turned it into my dinner.  It consisted of various breads, meats, cheeses, and jam.  I got a coffee for the road, and we were off at 6 PM.

As soon as we got on the highway, I lit up a Davidoff Yamasa Toro.  The traffic was familiar, the passenger unfamiliar.  Finding the familiar within the unfamiliar, and experiencing the unfamiliar within the familiar, remember.  We wound up taking a slightly different route than I had taken on previous drives, but none of it mattered, as we wound up at I-95 N in New Hampshire before we reached the familiar bridge into Maine.  We had stopped on the way at a Wendy’s in Connecticut so that Stu could get dinner, but a handful of his fries and a scoop of his Frosty was sufficient to supplement the “light” snack I had had earlier.  I got a coffee for myself.

After Stu was done with his meal, I lit up a Prensado, and we listened to Howard Stern.  That brought us into Maine, where I soon saw the very familiar sign that welcomed us to Maine.  We took some ceremonial pictures and then drove the relatively short distance to our hotel, a brand new Hampton Inn in Kennebunk.  We settled into our room, and then I went back down with my pipe and a beer.  They weren’t set up yet, but they gave me the royal treatment, finding me a can opener to use to open my beer and bringing a chair out for me to sit in the smoking area.  I headed out there, where I sat down, lit up an Ardor, and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close so that I can publish and get to sleep, as we have a packed day tomorrow.

A Trip of Ice and Fire - Day 9 - The Return Journey

6/18/17, “The Return Journey”

Keflavik International Airport, Iceland (KEF)

With my Trip of Ice and Fire drawing to a close, it is now time for one of my favorite parts of any trip: the triumphant airport entry.  I will be on my way back to New York in about an hour, but first I have a little bit of time to reflect on this epic trip.  It should be obvious to my reader by now how much I have loved these islands of fire and ice.  Nothing else in my travels comes close to the island of ice, though the island of fire holds up quite well.  The fjorded coasts of The North and their rocky crags will always be the epitome of natural beauty to me.  I look forward very much to my next trip to Scandinavia and an eventual visit to Svalbard.

I have predicted that this trip would land a spot in the top five, subject to a successful final stage for The Return Journey.  Well, the past two days have been more headache than I expected, so let us see if it still merits that spot.  This has been a great trip, but I have taken a lot of great trips, so calling a trip a top five ever is a tall order.  I suppose that it is ironic that this trip will compete with first trip to Scandinavia for a spot in the top five.  This is, as I call it, the final reckoning.

As is my tradition, I will treat The Return Journey in its entirety after I land in New York.  As it stands now, the top five is as follows: Rio 2016, National Parks of the American West, Eurotrip, Alaska, and then a two-way tie for fifth between “Because It’s There” and my first trip to Norway and England.  This cannot compete in any meaningful way with Rio 2016, or even NPotAW, since I was in love with The West before I was in love with The North.  While I would call the Ilulissat Icefjord more awesome than the Grand Canyon, that trip was special and cannot easily be displaced, a restriction I may revisit in three months.

As for Eurotrip, an 18-day adventure that included Denmark and was filled with wonderful natural and cultural sites, yes, that beats this trip.  Alaska, this trip definitely gives Alaska a run for its money.  It is a very similar landscape, and the epicness of it was on a similar scale.  I had similar natural and cultural experiences in Greenland and Alaska, and, while Greenland gets a slight edge, the epicness of the 18-day adventure with my best friend easily overrides that edge.

Okay, so that means this Trip of Ice and Fire won’t crack the top four, but what about the other two trips.  “Because It’s There” was epic.  It truly was a great trip, but I do not think the cultural and natural experiences of Nepal can compete with those of Greenland, and my time in Iceland easily beats my time in England and in Qatar from that trip.  Even hanging out with Raymond was not enough to tip the hat, so this definitely beats “Because It’s There.”

What about my first trip to Norway and England.  Well, that’s interesting.  The fjords, the waffles, bread with cheeses and jams and meats, the fish, that’s how I remember Norway.  This trip was the same, and part of the reason this trip was so good was because it reminded me of all of those good memories, and that’s why this trip must win.

When I first went to Norway, everything was new, and I loved it because I had never experienced anything outside of North America before, had never enjoyed native food in a foreign country before.  Now, I have travelled the world, seen the landscapes and cultures of 72 countries and eaten their local food, and this trip brings it all back to mornings in Kristiansund.

That is why this trip must win, because after I having seen it all, I know how thoroughly my love is given to The North.  This trip is so good because it reminded me of all that, and 68 countries later, I now know just how special of a place The North is, how wonderful those breakfasts were, and how beautiful those fjords were.  For those reasons, this ranks at the number five trip of all time.  On that note, I will close, as we are about to board.

En route, NYC Taxi 9T80

And so this trip comes to an end, a successful trip on every level, and I have come to realize that I shortchanged Iceland a bit, as it was so overshadowed by Greenland.  In Iceland, more than anywhere else perhaps, the old ways survive.  Iceland is one of the most modern countries in Europe, but I argue that they are modern because they hold to the old ways.  My fellow “Game of Thrones” fans will see this parallel, as I am about to refer to the old (Norse) gods and the new (Christian) gods.  Iceland was the last Scandinavian country to accept the new gods, and it shows.

Their culture is least influenced by Christianity, as opposed to Denmark or Norway.  That allowed them to develop their culture independently and build upon the old ways without becoming beholden to the stymied or even backwards development of continental Europe that occurred at various time periods after the Renaissance.  Icelandic is the closest to Old Norse of the Scandinavian languages, and the people there look most like I imagine the Vikings did.

The women of Iceland are even more beautiful than I saw in Denmark or Sweden, their hair more silver than blonde, undarkened by European stock the way Denmark would have had a strong German influence.  I have now visited every independent Nordic country, and these islands of fire and ice hold my heart the dearest.  I will go back to Fennoscandia, and I will explore the northern parts of that peninsula far more thoroughly, but, until then, my love is given to the islands of fire and ice, and the wonder of the island of fire cannot be downplayed.

After I closed last night, I headed to my room and set up a little smoking area for myself.  The balcony was too small to sit outside, but I opened the door to the balcony, moved the chair into the doorway, put a table next to the chair with a coffee cup as an ashtray, my water bottle, and my lighter and cutter, and put a towel in front of the door to the hallway.  I then lit up a Man O’ War, published my entry, and posted my few photos.  My pickup for the airport was at 7 AM, and breakfast began at 6:30 AM, so that meant I needed to be packed and dressed right by 6:30 AM.

I set my alarm for 6:07 AM, which meant I needed to be in bed at 1:30 AM if I wanted to get three full REM cycles, allowing for 7 minutes to fall asleep.  I was in bed exactly on time, but I couldn’t fall asleep.  What if the weather affects my flight?  What if my alarm doesn’t go off?  What if the shuttle bus isn’t there?  When I hadn’t fallen asleep by 1:40 AM, I accepted that I would only be getting two full REM cycles, so I set my alarm for 6 AM and a backup alarm for 6:30 AM, which would mean skipping breakfast.  I fell asleep a little after 2 AM, woke up again after my first REM cycle, went back to sleep, and woke up at 6 AM after a second REM cycle.  It was enough, and I was glad that I didn’t have to drive to the airport.

I got dressed and packed and went down to breakfast with my suit and suitcase.  I got there right at 6:30 AM, proud of my perfect timing, to see a very a familiar spread.  Breads, meats, cheeses, and jams, just like every morning this trip.  I took a few pieces of bread, some various meats, a few slices of cheese, and blueberry jam.  Once again, and saddened me that it was for the last time, I was brought back to mornings in Kristiansund.  I also had coffee, of course, then, after I finished my plate, I got a bowl of blueberry skyr and another cup of coffee.  I calculated that I would need to leave my table at 6:57 AM to be outside by 7 AM.

At 6:57 AM, I headed out, getting to the pickup point exactly at 7 AM, where the shuttle was waiting for me.  I was the first pickup, and it made a few stops before going to the bus terminal to transfer us to the big bus to the airport.  I had planned to sleep on the big bus, as it was almost an hour, and, I leaned the seat back and put on my eye mask as soon as were underway…only to hear music blaring in my ear.  Why the driver thought it was a good idea to play music on a 7 AM airport transfer, I have no idea, but I was annoyed.  I did manage to get a little sleep, and we were soon at the airport.  I refilled my lighter and ditched my can of butane, still probably 90% full, only having used it twice.

There was a long line to check in, but it moved quickly.  Security was quick and efficient, too, and I got some good resealable bags to collect future toiletries.  I got some cigars and local alcohol, including, to my surprise, beer, at duty-free before going to border control.  My gate was right next to the smoking area, and I had 30 minutes before we were due to board, actually 20, but I knew that I could take 30.

The smoking area was basically a shed on the tarmac, and it was cold but protected from the wind and rain.  There was exactly one seat, and I sat there, where I lit up a Romeo y Julieta I had gotten at duty-free and proceeded to write the first entry above.  After I finished, I put my cigar in the tube and headed to the gate.  It was still not boarding, so I got two containers of skyr, which would serve as lunch for my mother and I, assuming I was able to bring it across the border.  The famous London apple came to mind.

It was a while before we started boarding, and we were a little late to take-off, but I had an empty middle seat next to me, and I was at the window, so I was happy.  I also had Wi-Fi, so that made me even happier.  I got a REM cycle or two en route and then started using the Wi-Fi to look at future trips to Svalbard and the Faroe Islands.  There is so much of The North left for me to see and so many years left for me to see it.  I looked at one trip to Svalbard and the North Pole, other trip to Denmark to see their three new World Heritage Sites, to which I could attach Faroe Islands and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as a 9-day trip.

I then saw the familiar site of the Manhattan skyline from above, but it seemed like we were in a bit of holding pattern, as we went back over Long Island again.  We were a little late, but I wasn’t in any rush, I knew I would be home soon enough.  We landed shortly, and then I went to baggage claim, where my bag came out very quickly.

I cleared border control with no problem and headed to the taxi line.  I felt like I was in Florida.  Summer had come.  After the cool weather back at home before I left and the cool weather on the islands of fire and ice, it was nice to feel some warm weather.  No one else was waiting, so I got in a taxi right away and told him to take me to my parents’ house in Scarsdale so that I could head there to celebrate Fathers’ Day.

Once we were underway, I opened the window and asked him if I could smoke.  He said I could, so I lit up my cigar from earlier and proceeded to write this entry, which I will close, along with closing out the trip, which has been epic on every level.  Next stop: Maine with Stu for my annual first weekend of summer trip.