Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Jeff and I had this morning free but needed to leave for the Helsinki airport around noon for our 3:05 pm flight back home. We decided to take it easy, and so after checking out of the GLO Art Hotel, left our bags at the desk, and set off on foot. We leisurely strolled back to the Odie library area enjoying many familiar sites but also viewing some new ones. At the library, we ordered coffee and pastries from the cafe and sat outside enjoying them, the pleasant weather, and the nice views. Eventually, we headed back to the hotel selecting a different route.
—— Strolling through Helsinki ——
Back at the GLO Art Hotel, we retrieved our luggage and I requested an Uber ride to the Helsinki Airport. Our driver, Mustafa, arrived promptly. We were suprised to learn that Uber cars in Helsinki are required to have a taxi sign on their roof. At the airport, after checking our bags and passing through security, we found a place to eat lunch and then did some final shopping before reporting to our gate. The flight from Helsinki to Reykjavik went smoothly, and we once again made it through EU passport control and boarded our next flight within the hour layover time.
—— Approaching Iceland ——
The flight to RDU was much longer but uneventful and I managed to sleep through some of it. At RDU, I breezed through security with my Global Entry card but Jeff caught up with me as I was waiting at the luggage carousel. Via texting, we co-ordinated with Jane for a smooth pick-up. It was great seeing Jane again. Jeff and I were hungry and it was after 8 pm, so we immediately headed to our favorite sushi restaurant for dinner. After arriving at home-sweet-home, we socialized for awhile before heading to bed.
Thursday, August 29, 2024
After breakfast this morning, Jeff and I drove separately to N.C. State University campus. We attended the Christmas Tree Genetics Program weekly meeting where a main topic was reporting on and discussing the recent conference in Denmark. It was nice seeing the team again and learning about their perspectives on the conference. After the meeting, there was a farewell lunch for Will who will be moving tomorrow to start his new extension specialist position in the NC mountains. Jeff departed for home after the luncheon. I stayed awhile longer to discuss a research project before driving home ready to digest all my recent travel experiences and become reacclimated to a sedentary lifestyle, at least for a couple of weeks.