Just before my Iceland Air flight took off on what was supposed to be a non-stop flight from Seattle to Reykjavik, the pilot announced (sounding very annoyed) that we would be making an unscheduled stop in Minneapolis to refuel before crossing the Atlantic. Thus, half a plane-load of people, including me, landed in Reykjavik having missed our connecting flights. After getting rebooked on a flight from Reykjavik to Munich (WTF?) that left at 1:45am the next day, and then connecting from there to Helsinki, my original destination, I found myself in a hotel near the airport with some of the other delayed passengers, where we were given breakfast, but where we would NOT be staying (the infinitely patient woman at the front desk informed us that they didn't actually have rooms for us - but to enjoy the breakfast and lunch which would be provided for us a few hours later, after which we would be transferred to a hotel where I and a few others who had midnight-1am flights could rest before being transferred back to the airport). We waited at that first hotel for 4 hours before groggy and limp, we were transferred to the hotel where we could actually shower and sleep for a good 8 hours before heading back to the airport, where I had another 3 hour wait before boarding my flight - to Munich. Then, after a short layover there, I was finally on my way to Helsinki, a day and a half late. Brenda was waiting for me with snacks and a place to nap before we headed out for our sauna appointments at a very cool waterfront sauna facility, which seemed to be the happening place to be on a Sunday evening. There were three sauna rooms of different temps, each seemingly being portals to hell. We lasted approximately 5 minutes in each room, relaxing between sweat-fests in a lovely lounge area overlooking the sea. Shopping. lunch, walking around the waterfront the next day, and the day after that it was time for me to leave and head to Norway. Despite the hassle of getting there, Helsinki was cool and I'd love to return someday.
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| Post-sauna, if you're brave. Or crazy. |
