By Pepper Parr
September 26th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Hamilton announces a 49 year agreement with TradePort International Corporation to further develop and expand John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.
What does that mean to the average John Doe who wants cheap, efficient air travel from Hamilton?
Alan Harrington found out when he flew from Hamilton to Iceland – then on to Paris – then back to Iceland and then home to Hamilton – ALL for $620.00 in airfare.
Harrington: I placed a poppy on my uncle’s grave.
I wanted to get to places on my To-Do List. One was to “Walk in The Steps of the Soldiers” at Normandy. My uncle was one of those soldiers on D-day, and I was able to visit the Juno Beach Centre; see the bunkers, huge cannons, Hell’s Corner (furthest Canadian troops went on D-day) and Canada House (first building liberated). I also saw a Sherman Tank that had been fished out of the beach; it’s on display with Canadian Regiment Insignias.
While in Paris I took a side trip to Normandy and placed a poppy at the grave of a 21-year-old Burlington soldier: Herbert G. Reynolds – who died during the battle and is buried at the cemetery there, along with over 2,000 other Canucks. His name is also on the Burlington Cenotaph at City Hall
Coming back through Paris I enjoyed the Louvre, l ’Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and the Underground Catacombs where they keep a million human skulls, and finished with a glass of wine at the restaurant on the street.
Returning home, I opted for a 48 hour stop-over in a “different world”.
Harrington: The Golden Falls was perhaps the biggest part of my tour.
I landed in Keflavik and rode the shuttle bus to my Airbnb in Reykjavik downtown. Next morning, the Golden Circle Blue Lagoon tour bus driver picked us up. Took a head count – gave us instructions (must wear seat belt) and we were off. We saw a rugged landscape, with random chunks of rock sitting in the exact spot they landed after being blasted out of a volcano a thousand years ago.
We saw the eastern part of the North American tectonic plates. Scuba divers can go in a pond where the plates meet. We walked along the bottom of an earthquake valley. Climbed over to the Golden Falls. Saw a glacier in the distance. Fed Iceland’s own breed of horses. Did you know – you can’t bring a horse into Iceland. And if you take one of their horses out of the country to a show, it can never come home again.
The tour was about 12 hours long through the west side of the island along a road that’s all paved clean and modern. You can see a volcano on the horizon that is ready to erupt at “any time”. It’s overdue in fact.
A Geyser named “Stokker “on the tour erupts every eight minutes which we watched. Geyser is an Icelandic word adopted by the world.
Stood inside an ancient volcano with a green blue lake at the bottom.
Harrington: Volcanoes are very active in Iceland. This road was undergoing repairs as the result of a lava flow a month earlier
Our tour guide told us stories of Iceland’s brave history from Viking days. The legends of Thor, and myths of tiny trolls running through the forest. The tour winds up at the Blue Lagoon – a natural spa of steaming hot water where we relaxed for two hours. Visitors can put on a special delightful face cream (a bit like toothpaste) to luxuriate in.
The volcano had spilled hot lava all across the road the month before made a detour necessary.
Overall it was terrific experience with the basic air fare just $620.00 Yes there were add ons – I chose a window seat and that is extra.
The announcement that the airport in Hamilton was going to be managed by the same group for the next 49 years sounded great – I just wanted to be sure that I would be able to continue to get the great deals.
Nothing like fulfilling your bucket list dreams at bargain prices. We were fortunate to do this just before Covid hit. Our theme song they played at our son’s wedding as we came in the reception was I’ve been everywhere man. Everywhere on our list that is. Could never have done it without bargain price cruises and Anne’s small mobility scooter that took her up to the Wailing Wall, Australia and New Zealand. and so many places locked firm in good memoriesl. Well done Hamilton Airport for making travel dreams come true.^