Coming to Helsinki airport we found a most agreeable 82F summer-afternoon we would have complained about it being too hot without the trip to the "hottest place on earth"...
Jet-lag starts to take it's toll but I'm afraid there will be lengthy descriptions of our trip here soon.
I'll just say this to begin the thing...
It was by far the best holiday I've ever had (and the most expensive
), thanks especially to the wonderful 'Downers who on their part made it like that! We met a host of really nice people with whom it was without exception very easy to come together and whose company, planning, advice, lodging, families... were just awesome!
Thanks to everyone! It was great to meet you all (someone will probably come up with exact numbers which I think will near thirty).
Also I learned to appreciate the vastness of the country called the USA - geographically, culturally, ideologically... and what comes to the portions one gets to eat in a restaurant.
On top of the Barrow Downs seemingly being the number one dating-site on the internet... (*whoa!*) it is great to see how also love of Tolkien's work gathers such wonderful people together and makes it possible to go to the other end of the world just to meet them and have such a good time. I do really recommend mixing your travelling to meeting fellow 'Downers!