Above: The ever-changing Icelandic landscape near Keflavik.
We've all cried at least once today. Feelings of sadness that this journey we've been anticipating and planning for so long is almost over, and such gratitude for the gift of this incredible summer we've shared together are spilling out of our eyes. Dinner at Heathrow before boarding our flight to Keflavik, Iceland. Meg is so blue, she orders only toast, jam and tea.
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TRAINER TRAVEL TIP | Do "Stopover" in Iceland
Iceland Air offers free "stopovers" up to 7 days to/from Europe. If we had to do it again, we would have happily extended our Iceland layover longer! And, at the time we purchased our open-jaw tickets, Iceland Air offered the best deal by far traveling home to Seattle from London. That's what we call a win-win! |
Keflavik, IcelandWhere we laid our heads (if only for 6 hours!)| Bed & Breakfast Keflavik Airport
How long we stayed|17 hours The Verdict: Big Mistake! Though expensive, we were bummed that we only had a few short hours to explore this fascinating land. If we had it to do over, we would have stayed longer; at least 2 nights, possibly 3. |
HIGHLIGHT OF ICELAND
4x4 ATV Tour over the lava fields and by the sea. Cold, yes. But such rugged beauty! Wish we had more time to explore this landscape, people and culture.
4x4 ATV Tour over the lava fields and by the sea. Cold, yes. But such rugged beauty! Wish we had more time to explore this landscape, people and culture.
THE VERY LAST DAY!
"Flight out of London delayed, we arrived at Keflavik Airport Bed & Breakfast, via shuttle, just shy of 1AM. The room is basic, but will do nicely. We all slept for a few hours in our bunk-type beds. Enough to get by on for a morning in Iceland, and one last excursion before taking the final leg of our journey home."
- Trainer Travel Journal
"Flight out of London delayed, we arrived at Keflavik Airport Bed & Breakfast, via shuttle, just shy of 1AM. The room is basic, but will do nicely. We all slept for a few hours in our bunk-type beds. Enough to get by on for a morning in Iceland, and one last excursion before taking the final leg of our journey home."
- Trainer Travel Journal
"This has been the most incredible summer ever, and every time I begin to reflect on ALL that we have done, and seen, and tasted, and learned and experienced together, I tear up with feelings of awe, gratitude . . . overwhelming gratitude, joy and immense humility. It is too much to capture it all in one word or feeling. And when I think of the sheer cost - and the truth that it's all only been possible because of the amazing gift of this grant - that it has all been so far beyond anything we could have ever hoped or dreamed of on our own resources, I think I begin to understand in some small measure the reality of GRACE. The sheer, unreachableness of it, and yet, the absolute thrill of receiving it!
It's impossible to pick a "best" or a "favorite". Our greatest gift will be to ponder all that we've done this summer and treasure it together for a very long time. The learnings, the beauty, the shared stories, the knowledge and the self-knowledge . . . letting it all slowly soak in, percolate down and change us."
Closing lines of the Trainer Travel Journal,
penned by Kristi in the Keflavik International Airport awaiting our return flight to Seattle.
Post Script: Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door 2015 Tour Reunion
Edmonds, Washington
Thank you for taking this journey with us! Mille Grazie, Merci Beacoup, Ta!.
The pleasure has been all ours,
Neil, Kristi, Meg and Micah
The pleasure has been all ours,
Neil, Kristi, Meg and Micah