Photo Credit: Carol Madigan    We copped the last two standby seats on what turned out to be Delta’s first Minneapolis to Reykjavik run in more than a year and a half, and we were boarded immediately as the gangway door closed shut behind us. I had my phone perched on the “reserve” button for […]

Photo Credit: Carol Madigan Minneapolis-Reykjavik 30 seats    When Carol informed me I was in charge of photocopying our travel documents, I knew it meant I wasn’t being allowed anywhere near the suitcases or packing. Trying to fit every clothing contingency for a trip to Iceland into two carry-ons requires the engineering skills of astronauts […]

   Annie Kisska chose to study German as a middle schooler, because it was very different from the Spanish she had been speaking, growing up at home with her mother and nanny.    “My mother had worked in South America for a number of years, and our nanny mostly spoke Spanish. I was looking for […]

Standby status: Santa Ana – Minneapolis 19 open seats Minneapolis- Reykjavik 32 open seats    Always Bring Coats. That’s what the title of today’s blog stands for. By design, Carol and I choose to travel in what the tourist industry calls the “shoulder” season – not off-peak, but as close as possible without getting ridiculous […]

May 17, 2021 Dear diary,    Reid said he was interested in learning more about Icelandic history. One of the contributors to an Iceland travel tips fb page suggested a book, Island on Fire, about Iceland’s volcanic past. I know the risk I’m taking. His children have told me something about his “phases,” when he […]

Photo credit: Lovisa Photo  Planned departure: 5/27/2021 Available seats: (LAX-JFK: 110)  (JFK-Reykjavik: 38)    To be successful, this standby trip can’t be approached with the usual lack of study and planning that I normally apply to my travels. In past trips to Europe, we’ve been able to adjust on the fly depending on seating availability […]

Photo Credit: Carol Madigan    Thermal underwear. Check. Wool socks. Check. Winter gloves. Check. Boots, heavy coats, sweaters, scarves and wool hats. Check, check, check, check and check. Getting ready for our first summer travel vacation in over a year. And no, we’re not so out of step with traveling again that we have our […]

   April 22, 2021    Dear diary,    So, Reid’s latest “adventure” appears to be Iceland. He says it’s the first country to open itself up to tourists who’ve been vaccinated. I get it, but I’m not sure whether he’s thought through some of the details. (In fact, in all my travels with Reid so […]

   One of the great things about travel with me is that you never have to regret missing something you should have seen. Since I prefer to travel without a plan, there’s nothing to miss. Back in the 70s, I traveled to Paris four times and never visited the Eiffel Tower. Never felt I missed […]

Photo Credit: Carol Madigan    I’d like to say that this kind of homage to the ridiculous can only be found in America. But the first one of these that I saw was in Liverpool, UK in 2019, and the only reason I saw that one was because Carol had seen this other one just […]