First stop: Iceland
/A year after David died, Mike was due for a sabbatical, and the two of us set out for Europe. Mike had some research interests in Spain. We both wanted to visit friends and family in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and also work on our French and Spanish language skills. The best priced ticket over was on an Icelandic airline, so a stop in Reykjavik was an easy choice.
Here were are at Hallgrimskirkja and lighting the first of many candles while remembering Dave.
Lighting candles for those who have passed is a tradition that both Mike and I saw, and sometimes participated in, growing up. Each of our catholic churches had a candle stand with brightly coloured glass where people (mostly old, in our child’s minds) would drop a dime, then a quarter, and light a candle in memory of someone they cared about. Although neither of us practice this faith, we absorbed the custom throughout our travels. This trip was one part academic break, one part travellers’ journey, and one part healing journey.
Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik
Fitting that this candelabra is globe-shaped. We were also entertained by the elderly organist who arrived while we were there to practice hymns outside of service times. We though David would have had a smile to have witnessed it.