Keflavik Airport Iceland 26 Sept 2024

Wow! I slept in til 543 am. Yes my alarms went off - yes I decided just a few more minutes! Ten minutes to get ready, I look a fright! Getting off the elevator for the hotel breakfast room I realize I don't have my passport - maybe I packed it. Into the breakfast room, madly rummaging through my backpack, pulling everything out, stuffing if back, on to the same routine with the suitcase, no luck. Send Jeff to the room to check, utter despair!! My heart is racing I am sick to my stomach, repeat rummaging exercise. Eureka Jeff is back passport and neck pouch in hand - wow, money, credit cards, ID, all could have been left behind! Instead of a big breakfast I stuffed a tiny sweet bun and small bread roll in my purse.

As it turned out we had lots of time at the airport, security didn't take long, we enjoyed a leisurely cup of six dollar coffee and then relaxed for an hour by our gate.
We are flying Easy Jet to Manchester where we have two hours to self transfer for a quick (Easy Jet) flight to Belfast. We have more leg room on this economy flight than on West Jet. Our under seat personal item can be bigger. There are no free drinks but food and drinks can be purchased with a credit card. This was a relaxing short flight.
Our troubles were in Manchester. We had to go through customs which had a huge lineup. This took about 25 minutes, and then go through security. The line was long and extremely slow. It seemed to take each person five minutes to get their bins through. I asked for a shorter line as we could miss our flight. With four people ahead of me then I got through in 25 minutes. Jeff was right behind me in line. I rushed to our gate which was quite a long distance. Since the website said the gate would close at 1350 I thought we had a slight chance of making it on time. It was another 25 minutes before Jeff joined me. I was in utter despair! Miraculously we boarded the plane.
Jeff's tablet had been an issue. Since he had it in both YYC and KEF we don't understand why it was a problem in Manchester. This process was extremely stressful!! I learned two things - never change planes with less than 3.5 hours to spare and never fly out of Manchester. Our one hour flight was just fine.
We arrived in Belfast in pouring rain. There was a brisk wind and even though it is warmer here than in Iceland it seems colder. We catch a bus to Grand Central Station and then walk fifteen minutes to Belfast International Youth Hostel where we have a private room
At 530 we are sitting in Belfast oldest family run pub. Then we wait for 35 minutes for service. When the waiter finally came he said "Do you mind if I sit down?'. A strange day. We were starving! I had a half pint of Guinness and potato and leek soup. Jeff had fish and chips.

We were so lucky with the weather in Iceland! Here in Belfast, although rainy, there are times it's pouring and then clear and then pouring. Very changeable.
Our room has a bunk bed and the toilet is across the hall - a plain little room. I get the lower bunk and use the windowsill as a nightstand. The bed is quite hard. When Jeff lumbers up to the top bunk and lays down I am afraid he could fall through. He never does and we survive three nights. There is free coffee in the lobby.