Faith and begora.....sure and we're here.....in the land of leprechans, fairies, Guiness, and great craic (that's the word for laughter and fun in Irish)...
It was a long journey; complicated by the fact that we were an hour late in departing, with a stop in Calgary to drop off and pick up passengers and fuel (go figure...a stop on a direct flight!!). The flight itself was okay if you overlook small issues such as tiny seats with NO leg room, a pilot who likely only had a learners permit based on his crazy landings, a cup of tea that cost $5 Cdn, a flight crew who didn't really look like they wanted to be there, and a plane that was full to the wings with passengers.
The time passed reasonably quickly though and Hannah managed to sing her way through about a thousand of the songs on John's ipod to help pass the time. She and John were seated beside a very nice woman who was returning home to Waterford from a holiday in Vancouver that she enjoyed so much she was left with a plan to return in the fall with her husband and to work.
Mom was also seated by a really nice fellow from Waterford who was returning home from a vacation in Vancouver that he enjoyed so much......sound familiar?? well....I'd say that Vancouver was a hit with all the Irish people who had been there on vacation that we bumped into and that our population is set for an increase in immigrants from Eire.
Rob also had a really nice woman as his seat partner and it was great to see him talking up a storm with her as they passed the time.
I was seated with a lovely couple who boarded the plane in Calgary en route to their home in Northern Ireland. They too had spent a month in Canada (this seems to be the preferred length of stay for the Irish visitors we met). Her sister has lived in Calgary for many years and so she and her husband visit as often as they can.
Due to our late departure and additional stop in Calgary, we didn't arrive in Dublin till about 12:30 so by the time we were through customs, in receipt of our luggage, and out the door to the area where Jenna was waiting....there were only minutes to spare for Rob and Jenna as they raced to catch their flight to Galway. We still don't know if they made it but we waited around for a short while and they never re-appeared so we're guressing that they did. John and Hannah headed for their shuttle to the hotel and mom and I took off in the direction of the rental car lot. It didn't take long before I was behind the wheel of a tiny little Nissan and driving on the wrong side of the road as we wheeled our way out of the lot and onto the thoroughfare with all the other crazy drivers. From that point onward...the adventure was thick and sticky. I use the words thick and sticky as they're the only ones I can think of to explain the fact that by the time I got out of the car a couple of hours later I felt as though I needed a good long shower! Mom's directions got us onto the right road as we headed out for Athlone....although there is a strange phenomonem in Ireland where they seem to interchange the highway numbers that begin with the letters M and N with one another at will. We arrived in Athlone on schedule but that was where the good directions and the good luck with the driving ended for us....we searched high and low, we asked several people for directions,we visited the Info Centre, and yet we were still without our accommodation. In the end, and with the help of a taxi driver, we were able to locate the Coosan Cottage Eco Guest House where we were greeted with a warm smile, a hot cup of (the most delicious) tea, and a cool breeze blowing over us as we lounged in the lounge while our host carried our bags to our room.
Prior to locating our helpful taxi driver.....we had given up our search and stopped in the hearth of Athlone for dinner (even though it was only about 8:00 a.m. in BC). We were dog tired and thought that a little sustenance might keep us afloat long enough to locate our beds. I had forgotten how expensive restaurant meals are over here but was reminded as soon as I opened the menu. We were in a small pub that had been recommended for it's good food ad great prices. Let me just say that my burger was 13.50 Euros (approx $22 Cdn) and that meal won't live long in my memory for anything other than the fact that it was expensive. But enough of that.....as I said before.....here I sit at our Guest House with nothing but compliments and enthusiasm for the adventure we're on.
Guess I'd better go for now....till next time,
Lorrie
p.s.
did I mention that my host made me a lovely long and deliciously sweet, Black Russian that I'm sipping on as I type this.
Hope this finds you all well....
L
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