Logan International Airport

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This Airport is huge. All the signs are in English. There is a huge bus system... employee buses only, buses to parking areas, transit buses to the city, shuttle buses to hotels and more than any other, buses to rent-a-car agencies ...Hertz, Avis, National ... and Terminal A,B,C,D,E buses

But without a sign and without asking the route, progress to the next terminal seems a mystery ... who knew there was more than one terminal ... after inquiring the solution became clear ... know the letter of the terminal you seek and know that pillars outside the exit door at Arrivals bear A BLUE insignia denoting terminal buses

Once on the bus the info is made clear by a public announcing system. The driver of the bus also knows the answers. The Airport is a maze of concrete sidewalks, concrete overhead access roads, concrete buildings and very few signs that help isolate the actual place of being. I could have been in Chicago, which did not get the 2016 Olympics,boo hoo?... the security would have been greater than the worst Edgar Allan Poe nightmare.

Once at Terminal E the names and the counter numbers of respective airlines can be found on medium sized large display ... the challenge ... find the display! Good thing I also speak American! The lady at the food counter had never seen Canadian coins ...good thing I had American bills.

Must remind myself that this is only a short trip ... three months ...not a fourteen month absence like the last time.

It was a long wait at Sudbury airport ...my ploy to get on an earlier flight failed ...would have cost $150 ... only paid $100 plus my Visa points for the ticket. In Toronto it was a dash to the customs and multiple visits to the “Ladies”... according to the Jack Nicholson film about the list.... never pass a bathroom, have sex when you can get it and I forget number three but it is obviously not as important as the preceding two!

The little Jazz plane lands, refuels and takes off again with the next set of passengers. Free beverage and a cheesy bag of tiny corn stick ... no pun intended. Same on the flight to Boston. On the Icelandic flight one can BUY food.

Had to ask about getting to the next terminal ... not a sign about that anywhere. There is an information desk ... Lots of shops; lots of food; lots of Spanish.

At Logan Airport in Boston ate Chinese. The “Precision Cleaning” ladies are doing a good job here at Logan. More standing around chatting than cleaning but then tables can only be cleared if cluttered.

Have already had to remove my shoes twice ... good thing I asked the dentist for a pair of disposable booties ... In Boston the Doc Martins were even taken aside to double check ... must be the thick soles that give me height, that made them suspicious.

Thankfully once I went thru customs in Toronto I did not have to deal with the backpack. It is on its way to Oslo...I hope ~

On leaving,American Customs questioned the apple in my lunch; enforced the remove-the-shoes requirement; gave me the over all pat down; ... by a woman ... it is always a woman and so it should be unless I can choose the man who will be doing the honours... and x-rayed everything from scarf to jacket to laptop to USB stick.

Am weaning myself from coffee so that I will not spend a fortune on $4.08 coffees. 710Ml of water cost $3.00 in Toronto ...where's the saving???

Leaving behind the golden maples, the meandering rivers and the brown bogs was not hard to do. Apparently the countryside is much the same in Norway.

Watched the film Juno on the way to Reykjavik. Had the three seat to myself do was able to remove the 'support hose' and put up my feet. Slept from Reykjavik to Oslo.
If it is 13:44 in Ontario it is 19:44 in Oslo. Am ahead of the game here ... does that make me older? ... don't tell my laugh lines.

Sudbury to Toronto to Boston to Reykjavik to Oslo was a long haul. Was met by Gardermoen Staff in a yellow minibus, showered and slept and ate ( pork with sauerkraut and potatoes). Not gourmet. The logenberry sauce made it delicious. Coffee from a Nescafe dispenser costs 10NOK or $1.81CAD. The friendly soul at the Exchange Counter at the Oslo Gardermoen Airport said it was not uncommon to present a 500NOK bill. A sandwichat the airport costs 61NOK and my meal of meat and potatoes cost 149NOk. Warsogut(welcome) to big numbers, lots of dividing by 5.5,and eating a whole lot less!

Have already used Spyke to speak by phone and do a video call. LONG LIVE SPYKE. It was invented by a Scandinavian! Takk and Warsogut ... the beginning of my Norwegian.

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Photos

My Flight Off the Continent
Saw my pack convey into the hold in front of a snowboard. Imagine my distress when the snowboard appeared on the carousel but not my pack. What a beginning to three months of travel!