We had a fantastic break visiting Reykjavik, Iceland (2 nights); Copenhagen, Denmark (5 nights); Various locations in Brittany (a week), France; and finally a very brief return to Galway, Ireland (2 nights). The really nice part was meeting up with my two sisters at different occasions in Copenhagen and in France. We also got to catch up with most of the French family as well as some good old friends in both Copenhagen and Galway!
Our airlines were Iceland Air for the outbound and Aer Lingus for the Inbound back to Boston. I would recommend both as inexpensive but high in level of service and satisfaction. We also flew Scandinavian airline's Blue One between Copenhagen and Paris. One hour between landing and taking the TGV should have been enough provided no flights are delayed - unfortunately our flight was delayed and we missed our connecting train. Our second mistake was having the tickets sent to us in Boston as although we had paid extra for the allowance to exchange them in the event of missing a train, their policy is that you may only return them to the station of origin (which doesn't exist if its mailed to you!). Big bummer, but other than this our travel was good and we were quite relaxed on our return.
Reykjavik, Iceland: I recommend the local swimming pools (€5 for entry) with their own hot spring sources and outdoor hot tubs. Walking around the city centre is refreshing as there are no major commercial retailers or coffee shops and you do feel that you have stepped out of the ordinary. Mountain views can be seen down most streets. Tours are pretty expensive and I think if we return, we will go for a week and rent a car to see the glaciers and all the rest. Their lamb is amazing and fish cooked to perfection (I don't much care for the sauces they drown things in though). We also particularly enjoyed their National Museum which happened to be free to the public as it was a cultural day (got to see people dressed up in traditional Icelandic outfits, heard a nordic-baltic choral festival, and saw fireworks in the night's sky!)
Copenhagen, Denmark: Free museums! I did visit Nyhavn, Christianhavn, and walked around most of the city centre. I was a bit disappointed by their main pedestrian walkway as it's full of high street shops and resembles any city in europe (except that all the prices are in Kronas). I did enjoy trying a real Danish in Denmark and discovering the hippy town of Christianhavn. I visited the museum and since I'm a bit limited in mobility (need frequent rests from standing) attended one tour and then bought myself a book on the history of the people of Copenhagen and gave my mind a feast. They have a fascinating history having one of the oldest monarchys in the world! Food wasn't much to write home about unless you're willing to pay a fortune.
France: This time around we returned to Locranon so I could buy my future child a stuffed Hippo! This started a trend of buying hippo themed little bootie rattles, a shampoo guard, and other randomness. We also visited Concarneau for the first time (a walled fortress city). Other than those excursions the trip was mainly to catch up with family. Was introduced to an awesome board game "Ticket to Ride" - we bought the French version but still need to get a set for our home in Boston.
Galway, Ireland: We arrived to Dublin and rented a car that took us just over 2 hours to get to Galway. It's only AFTER we leave the country that they extend the motorway all the way between the two cities! Now going to Galway is a breeze! We caught up with some of our friends, I'd like to say the important ones - but there were a few who were missing. I particularly enjoyed surprising some members of the choir. I so miss the good ol' days.