Saturday, March 29, 2008
On the way to Edinburgh
Thurs March 27
Today we were ready to see Bunratty castle. Love the word. You Bunratty! We grabbed breakfast or something resembling it. We had some bread left and there was free nutella at the hostel. We drove to Bunratty, a short distance from the hostel and airport. It was too much to pay the entrance fee so we walked around the castle on the outside and took pictures. We dropped by the Waterford store. There was a deal to ship to the US for free if we bought over 150 euros of crystal. Tempting. Very tempting. James talked me out of it. So we bought some gifts for the kids instead. The shopkeeper trying to hire us as nurse and teacher encouraging us to move to Ireland. Oh yes, nurses get paid very well here.
We had our last Supermac before the airport- curry fries and veggie burger. The counter woman told us of her own travels to US. She said, “The US is very scary place. It is safe here in Ireland. “We left and returned the car. The car rental guy told us we will love Edinburgh. He had been there. We were hoping it would be nice. But how could anywhere be nicer than Ireland? Check in was easy and we had time for 2 shots Irish whisky. I was very happy getting on plane.
Edinburgh- Wow, what an amazing city! It is intense, beautiful, classical, very hip, full of beautiful people, cool cabs, castles everywhere, and buildings of stone along the water. We were overwhelmed by the beauty. I felt as if I were in a fairy tale. James and I needed our princess and prince attire. Damn, we left that at home. Our hostel was uphill small cobblestone road. It was really an apartment. We wandered Edinburgh and phoned the kids. Liam sounded tired. We saw signs for the world cross country championships this Sat and Sun. Discussed attending. We visited the Edinburgh castle and wandered along cobblestone streets. We went to Holyrood park to check out the x country course. Maybe we could run it? We hiked up a steep hill up to the top. What a beautiful view of city. We saw lots of runners practicing on various paths. We saw a team from Brasil while discussing where we wanted to run in tomorrow morning. We did run a bit on the x country course camera and water bottle in tow. It was only a mile but lots of fun. I hadn’t run since Dublin and yesterday we had a day off form any exercise other than walking. The steep hike was a great warm up for our short run. It was dark now so we walked back to town passing the Scottish parliament. This place was incredible-very modern artistic building with bamboo. I thought it was the museum of modern art. We had dinner at a gourmet vegan restaurant-candlelight dinner of stuffed pepper with aubergine and adzuki beans, pistachio patty with curry, vegan ice cream and tart. We were exhausted and went to bed as soon as we returned to the hostel. The plans to go hear music at the pub were changed.
Byron would love this city. I want to return. We will plan to return for the xcountry championships.
Today we were ready to see Bunratty castle. Love the word. You Bunratty! We grabbed breakfast or something resembling it. We had some bread left and there was free nutella at the hostel. We drove to Bunratty, a short distance from the hostel and airport. It was too much to pay the entrance fee so we walked around the castle on the outside and took pictures. We dropped by the Waterford store. There was a deal to ship to the US for free if we bought over 150 euros of crystal. Tempting. Very tempting. James talked me out of it. So we bought some gifts for the kids instead. The shopkeeper trying to hire us as nurse and teacher encouraging us to move to Ireland. Oh yes, nurses get paid very well here.
We had our last Supermac before the airport- curry fries and veggie burger. The counter woman told us of her own travels to US. She said, “The US is very scary place. It is safe here in Ireland. “We left and returned the car. The car rental guy told us we will love Edinburgh. He had been there. We were hoping it would be nice. But how could anywhere be nicer than Ireland? Check in was easy and we had time for 2 shots Irish whisky. I was very happy getting on plane.
Edinburgh- Wow, what an amazing city! It is intense, beautiful, classical, very hip, full of beautiful people, cool cabs, castles everywhere, and buildings of stone along the water. We were overwhelmed by the beauty. I felt as if I were in a fairy tale. James and I needed our princess and prince attire. Damn, we left that at home. Our hostel was uphill small cobblestone road. It was really an apartment. We wandered Edinburgh and phoned the kids. Liam sounded tired. We saw signs for the world cross country championships this Sat and Sun. Discussed attending. We visited the Edinburgh castle and wandered along cobblestone streets. We went to Holyrood park to check out the x country course. Maybe we could run it? We hiked up a steep hill up to the top. What a beautiful view of city. We saw lots of runners practicing on various paths. We saw a team from Brasil while discussing where we wanted to run in tomorrow morning. We did run a bit on the x country course camera and water bottle in tow. It was only a mile but lots of fun. I hadn’t run since Dublin and yesterday we had a day off form any exercise other than walking. The steep hike was a great warm up for our short run. It was dark now so we walked back to town passing the Scottish parliament. This place was incredible-very modern artistic building with bamboo. I thought it was the museum of modern art. We had dinner at a gourmet vegan restaurant-candlelight dinner of stuffed pepper with aubergine and adzuki beans, pistachio patty with curry, vegan ice cream and tart. We were exhausted and went to bed as soon as we returned to the hostel. The plans to go hear music at the pub were changed.
Byron would love this city. I want to return. We will plan to return for the xcountry championships.
The Christy Moore experience in Puckane
Wednesday March 26
Time to leave Inis Mor, the greatest place on Earth. We catch the ferry to Rossavaeal and bus to Galway. We are looking forward to spending time in Galway with plans to have a long run beside the water. We catch a bus to Shannon at 4 so we have 7 hours here. We drop by the ferry office/travel center to see if they have a left luggage. And who do we meet? Moira! She is the woman that sold us our ferry tickets when I went with the children. She had read my blog since then and remained in contact at times. She remembered me. How exciting. We left our bags there and went to the bus office to clarify our departure time. There is a bus in 15 minutes! We could make it and have more time in Shannon/Limerick. So we rush back to the ferry office and grab our bags. I wanted a picture with Moira but she was on the phone. I was happy to go but a little sad since the weather was perfect in Galway.
Picked up a rental car at Shannon airport. I thought james reserved the car so he would be the one driving. Nope, I guess I reserved it in my name. That means I am *gulp* driving on left side! I tell myself over and over that this will be nothing like Budapest. I can do this. I sit in thcar for a while before starting it. It’s a manual, oh dear. But the pedals are the same. I practice in the parking lot with many reminders from James to drive on the left. It’s not so bad. We head for the freeway. Awkward but fun. The roads are quite small. We check in to our hostel and talk with the manager. He tells of how the children attend summer school on the islands or on the peninsula to learn Irish and Irish dance. They take Irish in school but every child goes to a few weeks of immersion where they still speak it as a primary language. It is a rite of passage. They are about 14.
We explore countryside near Limerick and end up in Ballina and Killaloe, a beautiful and quaint town. We grocery shop while raining and find cheap, vegan spaghetti o’s and baked beans. We walk about and find a café where we can sit and eat our cheap food. We assumed we could orfer some tea. Instead we eat lunch at the café- grilled veggie panini, beans and potatoes. The town is absolutely beautiful on the river Shannon characterized by cobblestone streets, churches and sun. We talk about bringing the children here too.
On the way to Nenagh we see many sheep with their lambs. We have seen this everywhere in Ireland. I loved seeing the lambs nursing and running. They are just so cute! Our trip to Nenagh is a quick stop taking photos of the castle turret. I have heard that the rook in chess sets is from this castle. Finally Puckane. A tiny village with cute cottages. We find Kennedy’s pub as mentioned in Christy Moore’s song about the Pogues.
He sings: I was halfway between Puckane and Nenagh. I was looking for the Shannon but ended up in a mushroom field near Corta Lacha. I stumbled into a fairy ring and Jeezuz I couldn’t get out. I saw an old man walking down the road and said to him, “give us a hand to get out of this fairy ring.” When he got me out I asked, “Where ya going?” He said, “I don’t know.” I said, “I’ll go there too.” He took me to Paddy Kennedy’s pub. Ah into the snug. He read me a few of his poems. They were wonderful…after a few drinks. So I took out my guitar and played a few songs and he put on the jukebox. I heard a think I never heard before. About a rainy day in Soho and a pair of brown eyes and the coffin ships sailing across the broad Atlantic fog. The sick bed of cucullum. Aya…And then the Fairytale of New York. “Merry Christmas.. I love you baby.” And it was Shane McGowan from County Tipperary right there in the snug and I kissed him on the lips and said “Shane I love you too.”
The pub was quiet with a bartender born in Puckane 70 yrs ago. She was a beautiful woman. There was family form Vancouver. We watched television, the news and flashback to 1988 giving us a great history of Ireland. I met a man from Illinois who was a long distance runner. He was with his twin brother and parents exploring family history. James talked with an Irish man during the flashback show on tv. He had 2 pints of Guinness and was quite happy. I had a pack of vegan chocolate biscuits. We left pub after a few hours. The bartender and Irish man wishes us the best of luck. “This is everything I had hoped for!” James exclaimed as we left the pub. We drove to hostel, ate dinner, the spaghetti o’s and met some older people from Australia. Earlier I had not been feeling very pretty. My hair was messy and my face felt dirty so I found a facial exfoliant and applied the mask.
Time to leave Inis Mor, the greatest place on Earth. We catch the ferry to Rossavaeal and bus to Galway. We are looking forward to spending time in Galway with plans to have a long run beside the water. We catch a bus to Shannon at 4 so we have 7 hours here. We drop by the ferry office/travel center to see if they have a left luggage. And who do we meet? Moira! She is the woman that sold us our ferry tickets when I went with the children. She had read my blog since then and remained in contact at times. She remembered me. How exciting. We left our bags there and went to the bus office to clarify our departure time. There is a bus in 15 minutes! We could make it and have more time in Shannon/Limerick. So we rush back to the ferry office and grab our bags. I wanted a picture with Moira but she was on the phone. I was happy to go but a little sad since the weather was perfect in Galway.
Picked up a rental car at Shannon airport. I thought james reserved the car so he would be the one driving. Nope, I guess I reserved it in my name. That means I am *gulp* driving on left side! I tell myself over and over that this will be nothing like Budapest. I can do this. I sit in thcar for a while before starting it. It’s a manual, oh dear. But the pedals are the same. I practice in the parking lot with many reminders from James to drive on the left. It’s not so bad. We head for the freeway. Awkward but fun. The roads are quite small. We check in to our hostel and talk with the manager. He tells of how the children attend summer school on the islands or on the peninsula to learn Irish and Irish dance. They take Irish in school but every child goes to a few weeks of immersion where they still speak it as a primary language. It is a rite of passage. They are about 14.
We explore countryside near Limerick and end up in Ballina and Killaloe, a beautiful and quaint town. We grocery shop while raining and find cheap, vegan spaghetti o’s and baked beans. We walk about and find a café where we can sit and eat our cheap food. We assumed we could orfer some tea. Instead we eat lunch at the café- grilled veggie panini, beans and potatoes. The town is absolutely beautiful on the river Shannon characterized by cobblestone streets, churches and sun. We talk about bringing the children here too.
On the way to Nenagh we see many sheep with their lambs. We have seen this everywhere in Ireland. I loved seeing the lambs nursing and running. They are just so cute! Our trip to Nenagh is a quick stop taking photos of the castle turret. I have heard that the rook in chess sets is from this castle. Finally Puckane. A tiny village with cute cottages. We find Kennedy’s pub as mentioned in Christy Moore’s song about the Pogues.
He sings: I was halfway between Puckane and Nenagh. I was looking for the Shannon but ended up in a mushroom field near Corta Lacha. I stumbled into a fairy ring and Jeezuz I couldn’t get out. I saw an old man walking down the road and said to him, “give us a hand to get out of this fairy ring.” When he got me out I asked, “Where ya going?” He said, “I don’t know.” I said, “I’ll go there too.” He took me to Paddy Kennedy’s pub. Ah into the snug. He read me a few of his poems. They were wonderful…after a few drinks. So I took out my guitar and played a few songs and he put on the jukebox. I heard a think I never heard before. About a rainy day in Soho and a pair of brown eyes and the coffin ships sailing across the broad Atlantic fog. The sick bed of cucullum. Aya…And then the Fairytale of New York. “Merry Christmas.. I love you baby.” And it was Shane McGowan from County Tipperary right there in the snug and I kissed him on the lips and said “Shane I love you too.”
The pub was quiet with a bartender born in Puckane 70 yrs ago. She was a beautiful woman. There was family form Vancouver. We watched television, the news and flashback to 1988 giving us a great history of Ireland. I met a man from Illinois who was a long distance runner. He was with his twin brother and parents exploring family history. James talked with an Irish man during the flashback show on tv. He had 2 pints of Guinness and was quite happy. I had a pack of vegan chocolate biscuits. We left pub after a few hours. The bartender and Irish man wishes us the best of luck. “This is everything I had hoped for!” James exclaimed as we left the pub. We drove to hostel, ate dinner, the spaghetti o’s and met some older people from Australia. Earlier I had not been feeling very pretty. My hair was messy and my face felt dirty so I found a facial exfoliant and applied the mask.
Last Day in Inis Mor
Tuesday March 25
We wake up to a beautiful sunny day on the island. Our plans are for breakfast and a bike ride around the island. We see the people at breakfast that were at dinner. It’s the Germans’ last days. Their bags are packed. The conversation is very funny as it gets more silly a false history of Inis Mor develops from dragons to carrier pigeons. There was one species of lizard in Ireland which developed into talking about dragons on the island. James asked how did the cars get to the island? well of course, there is a car factory on the other side of the island where cars are made of peat and stone. The drive trains are all made form the long whale bone. The three reasons for the rock walls were given by Dublin man who knew everything true and false. 1. animals 2. mark property 3. clear the fields of stones. All true. James and Dublin man spoke about using carrier pigeons for internet to carry messages in binary to other islands. Since last night I had been trying to figure out who Dublin man resembles. Maybe Kevin Spacey? So the German travelers say to Dublin man, “have people said you look like Robin Williams?” “Yees, yees all tuh time.” “So we can say that we spent time with Robin Williams on the island! “ Canadian woman who also assists Joel with the hostel says, “yes that will be the hostels claim to fame. I ate breakfast with him this morning.” He does look like him. Especially when he smiles.
James and get ready and bike to lighthouse. The ride was amazing. We made it only partially up the hill to the lighthouse. We parked our bikes and hiked the remainder. There was a path bordered with stone walls which reminded me of a labyrinth. On the hill we could see both sides of the island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea. We head to town and get a picnic lunch at Spar. Bread, hummus and ginger cookies. We proceeded to bike to southern tip of island seeing cows come home. We turn on a path and explore it riding uphill on rocks and grass. I felt like I was in an exterra race. What a feeling to rush up these hills! We stop and realize the path is no longer. We turn around and ride down the bumpy, slippery hills. Past a beach we park our bikes and see what is around the corner. We stop at the tip of the island and have a romantic picnic on the flat rocks seeing the waves crash against the rocks on the other island. We can see the other island, the houses and windmills.
The clouds are coming in so we decide to move along. James really wants to see the other side of the island. The surf is rising and we can’t walk further without getting wet. We turn around. The clouds are dark and we see rain in the distance at the lighthouse. We pass a fisherman who asks where we are from. James and he make jokes about swimming between our countries and we move along. “Ay, tis a very long way.” He gets on his bike and carries his fish on hooks, no fishing rod. James and I find our bikes and ride back in a short burst of rain. The rain made us move faster. We reluctantly return the bikes to the bike hire. We enjoyed having the bikes a lot. We dropped by the Aran sweater shop at my request. It happened to be pouring rain so it was a nice stop. Again like last time I was here, I went over and over in my head trying to justify as a vegan buying the beautiful wool handmade sweaters. We watched the video on how they were made. It was fairly humane. Nothing made in China, no sweatshops. Okay so if there were a pair of lined woolen gloves I was going for it. My hands were always freezing and none of our gloves worked. I saw a sweater I wanted to get someone as a gift but it was 175 euros and with the dollar doing so poorly that would translate into over $200. Again when it came down to it I just couldn’t buy the wool. I loved these sweaters. But there were no lined gloves and the sheep are still exploited. So we move on.
We hiked over to a pub that served a vegan pasta dinner. We arrived at 5:30 and they did not open until 6. It was cold and I wanted pasta so we waited in the restaurant and had drinks. The dinner was amazing-penne with roasted vegetables. After dinner we walked back to the hostel. On the way we called the kids. It is always good to hear their voices. They were happy to be with their friends. We officially checked out at the hostel. Joel offers breakfast tray since leaving early. Sad to leave. James and I reflected on our trip to the island. We grew very attached to it here. We would like to return again with the children.
We wake up to a beautiful sunny day on the island. Our plans are for breakfast and a bike ride around the island. We see the people at breakfast that were at dinner. It’s the Germans’ last days. Their bags are packed. The conversation is very funny as it gets more silly a false history of Inis Mor develops from dragons to carrier pigeons. There was one species of lizard in Ireland which developed into talking about dragons on the island. James asked how did the cars get to the island? well of course, there is a car factory on the other side of the island where cars are made of peat and stone. The drive trains are all made form the long whale bone. The three reasons for the rock walls were given by Dublin man who knew everything true and false. 1. animals 2. mark property 3. clear the fields of stones. All true. James and Dublin man spoke about using carrier pigeons for internet to carry messages in binary to other islands. Since last night I had been trying to figure out who Dublin man resembles. Maybe Kevin Spacey? So the German travelers say to Dublin man, “have people said you look like Robin Williams?” “Yees, yees all tuh time.” “So we can say that we spent time with Robin Williams on the island! “ Canadian woman who also assists Joel with the hostel says, “yes that will be the hostels claim to fame. I ate breakfast with him this morning.” He does look like him. Especially when he smiles.
James and get ready and bike to lighthouse. The ride was amazing. We made it only partially up the hill to the lighthouse. We parked our bikes and hiked the remainder. There was a path bordered with stone walls which reminded me of a labyrinth. On the hill we could see both sides of the island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea. We head to town and get a picnic lunch at Spar. Bread, hummus and ginger cookies. We proceeded to bike to southern tip of island seeing cows come home. We turn on a path and explore it riding uphill on rocks and grass. I felt like I was in an exterra race. What a feeling to rush up these hills! We stop and realize the path is no longer. We turn around and ride down the bumpy, slippery hills. Past a beach we park our bikes and see what is around the corner. We stop at the tip of the island and have a romantic picnic on the flat rocks seeing the waves crash against the rocks on the other island. We can see the other island, the houses and windmills.
The clouds are coming in so we decide to move along. James really wants to see the other side of the island. The surf is rising and we can’t walk further without getting wet. We turn around. The clouds are dark and we see rain in the distance at the lighthouse. We pass a fisherman who asks where we are from. James and he make jokes about swimming between our countries and we move along. “Ay, tis a very long way.” He gets on his bike and carries his fish on hooks, no fishing rod. James and I find our bikes and ride back in a short burst of rain. The rain made us move faster. We reluctantly return the bikes to the bike hire. We enjoyed having the bikes a lot. We dropped by the Aran sweater shop at my request. It happened to be pouring rain so it was a nice stop. Again like last time I was here, I went over and over in my head trying to justify as a vegan buying the beautiful wool handmade sweaters. We watched the video on how they were made. It was fairly humane. Nothing made in China, no sweatshops. Okay so if there were a pair of lined woolen gloves I was going for it. My hands were always freezing and none of our gloves worked. I saw a sweater I wanted to get someone as a gift but it was 175 euros and with the dollar doing so poorly that would translate into over $200. Again when it came down to it I just couldn’t buy the wool. I loved these sweaters. But there were no lined gloves and the sheep are still exploited. So we move on.
We hiked over to a pub that served a vegan pasta dinner. We arrived at 5:30 and they did not open until 6. It was cold and I wanted pasta so we waited in the restaurant and had drinks. The dinner was amazing-penne with roasted vegetables. After dinner we walked back to the hostel. On the way we called the kids. It is always good to hear their voices. They were happy to be with their friends. We officially checked out at the hostel. Joel offers breakfast tray since leaving early. Sad to leave. James and I reflected on our trip to the island. We grew very attached to it here. We would like to return again with the children.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Inis Mor!
Monday March 24
Ahhh… time to go to Inis Mor! We woke up, got ready and ate breakfast at the hostel. We made it to the bus with time to spare. I was so excited. The weather was only overcast. No downpours like last time. I am optimistic that the weather will cooperate on the island, though I did plan for the worst. On the drive out we saw some nice running paths in Galway. We both made plans to run there when we return when we have several hours in Galway.
We arrived to the ferry. I was REALLY missing the kids now. So many memories of this part of the trip. Dragging the wheeled suitcase full of books and snacks onto the ferry. The kids excited to go. Being thoroughly wet. I looked at James and was thrilled he and I were going. I have wanted to share this place with him since we left.
The water is choppy but there are clearings in the sky closer to the island. I am really hopeful for sun. We arrive and step off the boat. It’s warmer. I can almost remove one layer of sweater/sweatshirt. I had been wearing two sweaters, a sweatshirt and my raincoat and been cold. The weather should be nice. I see sun. Let’s rent bikes! It’s a beautiful and WARM walk to the hostel. We get to the hostel and leave our bags. It is the same as before. The same owner, Joel who reminds me so much of Belize on Angels in America. He remembers me when I tell him about the children. He remembered Liam well. “he loved to show me his car” and he remembered the little girl with the glasses and that I was on my own with them while James was in Eastern Europe. I was thrilled to be back. James and I rented a private room. It was beautiful with an amazing view. We were thrilled to have our own room after spending a few nights in 8-10 people rooms in separate beds.
We went down to town and rented bikes. I had no idea that the walk to the hostel was entirely uphill. I saw people walking their bikes and struggling uphill. But that certainly would not be us. We are triathletes. Ha! Humbling those hills were. We rode out to Dun Aengus. This place is near and dear to my heart. The children and I were amazed at this place and will always remember it. This is what I really wanted to share with James. It’s a 2000 year old fort at the cliffs. The cliffs are awe inspiring. I was so excited to be there. I immediately went for the edge of the cliff to look down at the ocean. It is steep and tall with no guard rails. It is an adrenaline rush just being there. I found a nice spot and sat with my legs dangling off the edge. What an incredible feeling. James approaches gingerly. “C’mon, look over more to get the full effect.” He’s cautious, afraid of dropping his glasses into the ocean. We move to the next part of the fort to another place on the cliff. This is great place to lay on my belly and just let my head hang down. I lay there for a long while almost meditating watching the ocean waves over the rocks. There is so much power here. So much life force. I am so small here. I am connected. I lost myself completely and came back to reality realizing James had gone elsewhere. He was sitting against a rock wall eating some of the picnic lunch. I hope he wasn’t sad. He was hungry, that’s it. He was fascinated by the ruins. I was the cliffs. This island is my favorite place on earth.
We see clouds moving in and decide to go back to the hostel. We take the longer but flat way along the coast to the hostel. This place is so beautiful full of stone walls, green hills and ocean. We ride in to the driveway of the hostel and the rain starts. Just in time. We lay down and nap. I wake up thrilled to be here. The rain has passed and the sky is pink. I go outside while J is still napping and take pictures. I am looking forward to Joel’s dinner. I want to find him to reserve a place. Last time Byron ate and I wasn’t expecting anything vegan. I checked in on him and almost everything was vegan and gourmet. So I asked to stay. It was divine. So I make the reservation. I forgot to remind him we were vegan but think it is fine. I meet some of the other people staying here. One man is from Dublin and very familiar with the island. He is a teacher of some sot in need of the internet. The hostel internet is down but somehow I get wifi on mine. I lend him my laptop and go up to wake James for dinner. There are 7 of us at dinner. J and I have our won table. The room is cozy and we are enjoying their conversation. We participate and have a fabulous time. The Dublin man teaches at university. There are three young German men traveling and a beautiful older Dutch woman who frequently visits the island. The food is not at all vegan and we are given a bowl of soup that looks like it has cream. Awkward. We eat it. The rest of the food was mostly vegan. Then dessert. Oh please please have those cooked pears like last time. It’s home made ice cream with Bailey’s. We eat it and it isn’t going down well. But I am happy to be having a great conversation with everyone. The Dublin man is playing music later. All of us invite ourselves to watch him play. He decided to meet us at Joe Watty’s pub later. Joe Watty’s is supposed to be the best pub in Inis Mor. Though one of the German men thought it smelled like the dentist’s office. Classical music was playing in the background and there was discussion on who the composer was turning into almost a bet. We wait and wait for the announcer and the man from Dublin knows that the playlist is in the local paper. he gets it and was close on his prediction.
James and I rest a bit upstairs and put our pictures into the computer. It’s time to head down to the pub. It’s dark and about 11:30pm. The pub is beautiful. Very clean and has the best aesthetic. The bartender has a great heavy accent. No one form the hostel is there but we are enjoying the pub the same. I have another Jameson. Love this stuff. James has a Guinness. I like it after a few drinks of Jameson. Dublin man arrives as we are leaving. We need ot call the children. We find a pay phone and talk with them. It was so great to hear their voices. We didn’t get to talk with Byron as he was at a friend’s. The kids were happy with their friends and didn’t want to talk long. We walk to the hostel and forgo going back to Joe Watty’s. It’s quiet in there and no music. We are exhausted.
Ahhh… time to go to Inis Mor! We woke up, got ready and ate breakfast at the hostel. We made it to the bus with time to spare. I was so excited. The weather was only overcast. No downpours like last time. I am optimistic that the weather will cooperate on the island, though I did plan for the worst. On the drive out we saw some nice running paths in Galway. We both made plans to run there when we return when we have several hours in Galway.
We arrived to the ferry. I was REALLY missing the kids now. So many memories of this part of the trip. Dragging the wheeled suitcase full of books and snacks onto the ferry. The kids excited to go. Being thoroughly wet. I looked at James and was thrilled he and I were going. I have wanted to share this place with him since we left.
The water is choppy but there are clearings in the sky closer to the island. I am really hopeful for sun. We arrive and step off the boat. It’s warmer. I can almost remove one layer of sweater/sweatshirt. I had been wearing two sweaters, a sweatshirt and my raincoat and been cold. The weather should be nice. I see sun. Let’s rent bikes! It’s a beautiful and WARM walk to the hostel. We get to the hostel and leave our bags. It is the same as before. The same owner, Joel who reminds me so much of Belize on Angels in America. He remembers me when I tell him about the children. He remembered Liam well. “he loved to show me his car” and he remembered the little girl with the glasses and that I was on my own with them while James was in Eastern Europe. I was thrilled to be back. James and I rented a private room. It was beautiful with an amazing view. We were thrilled to have our own room after spending a few nights in 8-10 people rooms in separate beds.
We went down to town and rented bikes. I had no idea that the walk to the hostel was entirely uphill. I saw people walking their bikes and struggling uphill. But that certainly would not be us. We are triathletes. Ha! Humbling those hills were. We rode out to Dun Aengus. This place is near and dear to my heart. The children and I were amazed at this place and will always remember it. This is what I really wanted to share with James. It’s a 2000 year old fort at the cliffs. The cliffs are awe inspiring. I was so excited to be there. I immediately went for the edge of the cliff to look down at the ocean. It is steep and tall with no guard rails. It is an adrenaline rush just being there. I found a nice spot and sat with my legs dangling off the edge. What an incredible feeling. James approaches gingerly. “C’mon, look over more to get the full effect.” He’s cautious, afraid of dropping his glasses into the ocean. We move to the next part of the fort to another place on the cliff. This is great place to lay on my belly and just let my head hang down. I lay there for a long while almost meditating watching the ocean waves over the rocks. There is so much power here. So much life force. I am so small here. I am connected. I lost myself completely and came back to reality realizing James had gone elsewhere. He was sitting against a rock wall eating some of the picnic lunch. I hope he wasn’t sad. He was hungry, that’s it. He was fascinated by the ruins. I was the cliffs. This island is my favorite place on earth.
We see clouds moving in and decide to go back to the hostel. We take the longer but flat way along the coast to the hostel. This place is so beautiful full of stone walls, green hills and ocean. We ride in to the driveway of the hostel and the rain starts. Just in time. We lay down and nap. I wake up thrilled to be here. The rain has passed and the sky is pink. I go outside while J is still napping and take pictures. I am looking forward to Joel’s dinner. I want to find him to reserve a place. Last time Byron ate and I wasn’t expecting anything vegan. I checked in on him and almost everything was vegan and gourmet. So I asked to stay. It was divine. So I make the reservation. I forgot to remind him we were vegan but think it is fine. I meet some of the other people staying here. One man is from Dublin and very familiar with the island. He is a teacher of some sot in need of the internet. The hostel internet is down but somehow I get wifi on mine. I lend him my laptop and go up to wake James for dinner. There are 7 of us at dinner. J and I have our won table. The room is cozy and we are enjoying their conversation. We participate and have a fabulous time. The Dublin man teaches at university. There are three young German men traveling and a beautiful older Dutch woman who frequently visits the island. The food is not at all vegan and we are given a bowl of soup that looks like it has cream. Awkward. We eat it. The rest of the food was mostly vegan. Then dessert. Oh please please have those cooked pears like last time. It’s home made ice cream with Bailey’s. We eat it and it isn’t going down well. But I am happy to be having a great conversation with everyone. The Dublin man is playing music later. All of us invite ourselves to watch him play. He decided to meet us at Joe Watty’s pub later. Joe Watty’s is supposed to be the best pub in Inis Mor. Though one of the German men thought it smelled like the dentist’s office. Classical music was playing in the background and there was discussion on who the composer was turning into almost a bet. We wait and wait for the announcer and the man from Dublin knows that the playlist is in the local paper. he gets it and was close on his prediction.
James and I rest a bit upstairs and put our pictures into the computer. It’s time to head down to the pub. It’s dark and about 11:30pm. The pub is beautiful. Very clean and has the best aesthetic. The bartender has a great heavy accent. No one form the hostel is there but we are enjoying the pub the same. I have another Jameson. Love this stuff. James has a Guinness. I like it after a few drinks of Jameson. Dublin man arrives as we are leaving. We need ot call the children. We find a pay phone and talk with them. It was so great to hear their voices. We didn’t get to talk with Byron as he was at a friend’s. The kids were happy with their friends and didn’t want to talk long. We walk to the hostel and forgo going back to Joe Watty’s. It’s quiet in there and no music. We are exhausted.
Dublin to Galway
Sunday March 23
Woke up at 7 and went for a run. The sun was out, no wind but cold. Still warmer than Manchester. The city was quiet. We walked to the bus that would take us to Phoenix park. Hmmm not a lot of buses and O’Connelly st was blocked of. They were setting up a stage, gates and there were police. I asked one of the workers what was happening, “Eh, it’s te 1916 ayster ooprising. Ter’ll be a parade at 12.” Excellent. We will go. We decided that we wouldn’t find the bus to the park and ran along the Liffey River. We made it to Phoenix park and back, about 4-5 miles total. It was nice city run. Showered, checked out and stowed our backpacks at the hostel. On our way to church.the church was full. While I have mixed feelings about growing up Catholic, I still am fascinated by the ritual. Everytime I go to church I think I should expose the children. At times I want to get them at least baptized. The priest asked to pray for those suffering in the world in Palestine, Darfur and Iraq. That stole my heart. Maybe I will get the kids baptized. Maybe in New York I will send them to Cathecism.
After church we went to Glasnevin cemetery where many of the martyrs from the Easter Uprising are buried. There was a memorial to the hunger strikers that died in 1981 including Bobby Sands. We went back to town and made it to the tour. We wandered around looking like tourists. The guide found us! We went into the International Bar and waited a bit and had a drink. I had a shot of Jameson. James had 7 up. I realized I did not in fact have Jamieson last night. I must have had some other whisky. This was stronger. It hit me like Palinka but tasted better. So the guide is telling us the history of the uprising before we go for the walk. The whisky hits me hard. I have to work hard at my composure so I am not too silly. Finally we go for the walk. That helped me sober up fast. It was really interesting seeing the sites where the uprising took place. James and the guide talked a lot. We ended the tour at the gathering for the Easter rising celebration. Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein was speaking.
Time was running out so we grabbed some food from Supermac, a fast food chain with veggie burgers and curry fries. We got our backpacks and went to the train station for Galway. The train was old but comfortable. I caught up on my journal, napped and enjoyed the scenery. We arrived in Galway. I was happy that I remembered my way around. We stayed at the same hostel the children and I did a year and a half ago. The restaurant we ate at then was changed to a fancy club. Otherwise everything was similar. I was missing the kid snow as this had been such a big part of our trip together. I wished they were here with us now.
We toured the rest of Galway. Before, we had only remained in the square. There is so much more. Cute shops and pubs much like Grafton St in Dublin. People were having a great time. We dropped by the ticket office to collect our ferry tickets and had a nice conversation with a local about US politics. We were hungry and looking for dinner. We found a restaurant in our Lonely Planet book only to find that tonight’s menu was nowhere near vegan. We continued to walk. There was always Supermac but that would be a last resort. We found a kebab/wrap place and went for it. It was yummy and filling. Behind us a young man was passed out on his table with his tray next to him. At the end of dinner I checked to see if he was okay. He woke up and went back to sleep. There were a lot of drunken college students around and I am sure he was. James and I planned to get a drink but were both very tired. We went back to the hostel and went to bed.
Woke up at 7 and went for a run. The sun was out, no wind but cold. Still warmer than Manchester. The city was quiet. We walked to the bus that would take us to Phoenix park. Hmmm not a lot of buses and O’Connelly st was blocked of. They were setting up a stage, gates and there were police. I asked one of the workers what was happening, “Eh, it’s te 1916 ayster ooprising. Ter’ll be a parade at 12.” Excellent. We will go. We decided that we wouldn’t find the bus to the park and ran along the Liffey River. We made it to Phoenix park and back, about 4-5 miles total. It was nice city run. Showered, checked out and stowed our backpacks at the hostel. On our way to church.the church was full. While I have mixed feelings about growing up Catholic, I still am fascinated by the ritual. Everytime I go to church I think I should expose the children. At times I want to get them at least baptized. The priest asked to pray for those suffering in the world in Palestine, Darfur and Iraq. That stole my heart. Maybe I will get the kids baptized. Maybe in New York I will send them to Cathecism.
After church we went to Glasnevin cemetery where many of the martyrs from the Easter Uprising are buried. There was a memorial to the hunger strikers that died in 1981 including Bobby Sands. We went back to town and made it to the tour. We wandered around looking like tourists. The guide found us! We went into the International Bar and waited a bit and had a drink. I had a shot of Jameson. James had 7 up. I realized I did not in fact have Jamieson last night. I must have had some other whisky. This was stronger. It hit me like Palinka but tasted better. So the guide is telling us the history of the uprising before we go for the walk. The whisky hits me hard. I have to work hard at my composure so I am not too silly. Finally we go for the walk. That helped me sober up fast. It was really interesting seeing the sites where the uprising took place. James and the guide talked a lot. We ended the tour at the gathering for the Easter rising celebration. Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein was speaking.
Time was running out so we grabbed some food from Supermac, a fast food chain with veggie burgers and curry fries. We got our backpacks and went to the train station for Galway. The train was old but comfortable. I caught up on my journal, napped and enjoyed the scenery. We arrived in Galway. I was happy that I remembered my way around. We stayed at the same hostel the children and I did a year and a half ago. The restaurant we ate at then was changed to a fancy club. Otherwise everything was similar. I was missing the kid snow as this had been such a big part of our trip together. I wished they were here with us now.
We toured the rest of Galway. Before, we had only remained in the square. There is so much more. Cute shops and pubs much like Grafton St in Dublin. People were having a great time. We dropped by the ticket office to collect our ferry tickets and had a nice conversation with a local about US politics. We were hungry and looking for dinner. We found a restaurant in our Lonely Planet book only to find that tonight’s menu was nowhere near vegan. We continued to walk. There was always Supermac but that would be a last resort. We found a kebab/wrap place and went for it. It was yummy and filling. Behind us a young man was passed out on his table with his tray next to him. At the end of dinner I checked to see if he was okay. He woke up and went back to sleep. There were a lot of drunken college students around and I am sure he was. James and I planned to get a drink but were both very tired. We went back to the hostel and went to bed.
Dublin arrival
Saturday Mar 22
We woke up early, or what seemed early after some drinks and going to bed at 3am! We ate breakfast and Csaba took us to the train station. We joked about meeting again in South Africa or somewhere else in the world. The train took us to Holyhead in Wales for a boat to Dublin. Our first boat was cancelled due to weather so we took the larger ship 2 hours later. The train ride was beautiful. I would have liked to have spent some time in Wales. Maybe next time. The boat took about 3.5hours. We arrived at dinnertime, found the bus easily and went to Dublin.
Our hostel was easy to find and quite nice. We settled in and went to dinner. We wandered around the Temple Bar area with every intention to try a Guinness and Jamieson. We picked a restaurant from the Lonely Planet book and found it. It was too expensive, questionably vegan and through our wanderings we found one we liked more so we went to that one instead. I loved the energy at this place. It was crowded but cozy. We ordered a bean soup and chips (fries). We decided to find O’Donoghue’s pub. We found it and it was very crowded. I have been to very few bars or pubs in my life, try 2 or 3, so I wasn’t sure how we did this. Ordered a pint of Guinness and a shot of whisky and found some stools to sit on. Like a kid, I was excited to tell the bartender, “I’ll have a pint of Guinness!” We had the opportunity to listen to live Irish music. I drank the whisky and liked it. I tried the Guinness…not so much. I am not much into beer. Later I tried more and eventually decided I could drink it. It wasn’t bad. Preferred the whisky though. We went back to the hostel to get some sleep. I planned our day for Sunday. We didn’t have much time but lots to see. James wanted to go on the 1916 Easter Rising walking tour, see the graves of the martyrs. I wanted to do the same, go for a run and go to Catholic mass. I made a schedule that looks workable. I like this city a lot. It is fun but mellow. It is easy to get around on foot.
We woke up early, or what seemed early after some drinks and going to bed at 3am! We ate breakfast and Csaba took us to the train station. We joked about meeting again in South Africa or somewhere else in the world. The train took us to Holyhead in Wales for a boat to Dublin. Our first boat was cancelled due to weather so we took the larger ship 2 hours later. The train ride was beautiful. I would have liked to have spent some time in Wales. Maybe next time. The boat took about 3.5hours. We arrived at dinnertime, found the bus easily and went to Dublin.
Our hostel was easy to find and quite nice. We settled in and went to dinner. We wandered around the Temple Bar area with every intention to try a Guinness and Jamieson. We picked a restaurant from the Lonely Planet book and found it. It was too expensive, questionably vegan and through our wanderings we found one we liked more so we went to that one instead. I loved the energy at this place. It was crowded but cozy. We ordered a bean soup and chips (fries). We decided to find O’Donoghue’s pub. We found it and it was very crowded. I have been to very few bars or pubs in my life, try 2 or 3, so I wasn’t sure how we did this. Ordered a pint of Guinness and a shot of whisky and found some stools to sit on. Like a kid, I was excited to tell the bartender, “I’ll have a pint of Guinness!” We had the opportunity to listen to live Irish music. I drank the whisky and liked it. I tried the Guinness…not so much. I am not much into beer. Later I tried more and eventually decided I could drink it. It wasn’t bad. Preferred the whisky though. We went back to the hostel to get some sleep. I planned our day for Sunday. We didn’t have much time but lots to see. James wanted to go on the 1916 Easter Rising walking tour, see the graves of the martyrs. I wanted to do the same, go for a run and go to Catholic mass. I made a schedule that looks workable. I like this city a lot. It is fun but mellow. It is easy to get around on foot.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Wed 19 March
Arrived in London at 8:30 am. The sun is out, something I never expected. I made plans for the day. We would see Csaba later instead of earlier. We would take a run in the park first, see some of London at eat lunch at my favorite vegan restaurant 222. James and I had planned on meeting at baggage claim and if that did not work at the British Airways ticket sales and if that did not work at the Underground station. He was scheduled to arrive 20 mins earlier than I. I arrived and immigration was smooth and short. I arrived to baggage claim to get my bag. It appeared that his baggage carousel had already stopped. He must have left baggage claim. So I went to the BA ticket sales. No James. Damn, where was our back up back up option? Oh yeah, the Underground station. No James. I waited, waited, waited going up and down the escalator to arrivals, tickets and underground. No James. The final plan was email. I found an email computer and no mail. I sent him mails asking where he was telling him where I was. Our cell phones did not work there. I chatted with Csaba for a bit finalizing plans for our arrival there. Again I waited and waited. 2.5 hours had passed and I went from frustration to worry. What if immigration had sent him back? For what reason I don’t know. What if he got hurt and was rushed off to a hospital? I heard that people could be paged at the information desk so I went for it. The woman asked what time he was to arrive and checked on her computer. She said his baggage carousel closed 20 min ago and he was probably in customs. Still she paged him. 2 minutes later here he is. His plane landed on time but waited on the ground for over 1.5 hours! He then waited in a very long immigration line. He just got out. I was thrilled he was safe and here.
We were exhausted. It was lunchtime now. The run is not happening. We stowed our luggage at the train station. Wandered London feeling drowsy. We saw Wesminster Abbey and Downing St. We ate at 222 and as always I was pleased. I love their vegan crepe with ice cream and chocolate and vanilla syrup. Absolutely divine. We made it to our train to Manchester. We were looking forward to sleeping at Csaba’s.
Arrived in Manchester after dark. It was a neat city. Reminded me of Oslo, Norway with a combination of modern and classic and the atmosphere of a college town. Csaba lived off the Curry Mile. A long street of nothing but Indian and Middle Eastern shops and restaurants. The street had a lovely aroma of curry. We took to bus to the stop and realized we didn’t know where Csaba lived. We called his house and no answer. Oh well, let’s just stop at a restaurant, get warm and have an Indian snack. We will try again. James ran out to call again and spoke with Eva and was disconnected. We ate our food and I spot Csaba walking by. James ran after him and brought him back. He took us to his house. We were close. It was so wonderful to see all of them. Most exciting was Ezster. She spoke perfect English and wanted to talk with me. It was sweet.
Thurs 20 March
James and I woke up past noon! Yikes! We grabbed a handful of granola and went for a run in Platt Field Park near Csaba’s house. It was cool and rainy but nice to move after a long day on various modes of transit. We explored the park. There was a lovely Shakespeare garden where I ran a few figure eights looking forward to what else I might find. I came across a pond full of Canadian geese and ducks. Making my way over pavement, dirt paths and gardens I estimated that I ran about 3 miles. I went for another loop hoping for a 10K. I did it. It was wonderful. By the end though, as I frequently get a bit silly, I ran past a duck. I wondered if it would in fact start running along side me. Then I realized, rather sadly that it would not. Ducks are already in shape and incorporate fitness into their everyday lives. They don’t need to do the silly things we humans do. I snapped out of it with a laugh realizing how funny my stream of consciousness was. I was nearing the end of my run thrilled that I got to explore this beautiful park. We spent the rest of the day with Csaba, Eva and Eszter. Csaba’s friend from South Africa, another Unitarian minister visited for palinka, snacks and conversation. It was fascinating hearing about congregational growth in South Africa.
Fri 21 March
Today we went to the city center in Manchester. The buildings are beautiful, a combination of modern and classical. We saw the Ryland library which is home of the original Odyssey. Lunch was on the Curry Mile at Csaba and Eva’s favorite restaurant with large portions of Channa Masala. We bought ingredients to make a vegan chocolate cake and were home by 2:00 in time for tea. Eszter loved playing with my swim goggles.
We went for a shorter run at the Platt Field Park, about a 5K. We returned, showered and spent time with Csaba’s friend from school. He was a ministry student from Birmingham. James knew him from his blog. It was fun.
This was our last night here. We stayed up very late with Csaba and Eva drinking well. It was fun to drink palinka again with Csaba. We had some meaningful discussion on motivating people to make change and dealing with change ourselves. The conversation moved to raising children and realizing how special friends we were.
NYC trip
Sunday 16 March
We tearfully left the children at 4 am for our flight. We said good bye and gave kisses to a sleepy Luna and Liam. I wondered why we were doing this exactly? Was it premature to leave the kids so young? Everything so far had fallen into place. Their cousins and auntie were there. They were excited. James and I had not travelled alone together since Luna was born. It would be good for us. I had been playing with feelings of guilt for a week now. As we drove further south to the airport it felt right. We hopped on the plane to New York easily, arrived 5 hours later and waited for our luggage. We made it to the Manhattan apartment meeting our kind hosts. A friend’s mother let us stay at their place while they were away. The apartment was directly across from Central Park -- what I wanted to see in NYC.
We met James brother, Ken to go to a Pogues and Billy Bragg show. That was so much fun. We danced, or at least for me, tried to dance. Afterwards we stopped for food in Times Square. Got some knish. After while we looked outside and thought it was sunrise. It was light outside. It was light from all of the lights of Times Square. Ken was ready to go. He was going to stay at Penn Station for a few hours until his train back to DC. I was worried about him. I came to NYC with a lot of fear from television. He assured me he would be fine. J and I returned to the apartment and slept well.
Monday 17 March
We woke up to a sunny day in New York. James scheduled his appointment at the church where he will be interning for Tuesday. We went for a lovely run in Central Park around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir. As we ran to the other side, we heard the St Patrick’s Day parade. Bagpipes, singing, marching. I smiled the entire way loving running near people of all levels. It was peaceful, beautiful and fun. I ran 4 times around totaling a 10K. We came back, showered and visited the city. After walking around we hopped on the train to the suburbs. James wanted to see what the housing looked like along the way. Returned to the city and ate dinner at a beautiful vegan restaurant.
Tuesday 18 March
Today was our last day in NYC. We visited the church and met the ministers. We ate at Veggie Castle where we got Jamaican food. It was wonderful. The city where J will intern was beautiful. The church campus was overwhelming and scenic. I was amazed at how much resources this church had. I felt underdressed and reminded of how Californian and informal we are. I loved Manhattan and had moved closer to deciding to go to NY with James next year. But after realizing our lives would not take place in Manhattan and would in fact be in the suburbs. Worse we would live nowhere near the church as it was extremely unaffordable. I worried that the children would be in bad schools. We certainly would not be able to afford the private school that they attend now in NY. What if L and L did not fit in? How would that affect them for the rest of their lives? They have a good life at home, a good school and all of their friends. I did not want to live in a small, dumpy house. If we go I want life to be as easy as possible. I know I can get a job easily. I welcome adventure and the children can adapt. Best of all we were only a few hours form James’s brother and his family. Even still, at this point I was beginning to write off going with James. There is no way we could match the life we have at home. Later at dinner J received a call from the church. They had a lead on a rental house in a nearby town. The rent was within our estimated range, it was big enough and best of all in an area with good schools. We’ll see. They will be emailing us the info.
We left NYC on separate flights. Again everything was smooth. James left 30 mins before me. I took that time to phone the children. Everyone was well and had just spoken with James. I slept about 2 hours on the plane. I could not get comfortable even after a glass of wine. I watched the movie Control about Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Interesting. I love stories about real people’s lives. I dozed off and woke up near London.
We tearfully left the children at 4 am for our flight. We said good bye and gave kisses to a sleepy Luna and Liam. I wondered why we were doing this exactly? Was it premature to leave the kids so young? Everything so far had fallen into place. Their cousins and auntie were there. They were excited. James and I had not travelled alone together since Luna was born. It would be good for us. I had been playing with feelings of guilt for a week now. As we drove further south to the airport it felt right. We hopped on the plane to New York easily, arrived 5 hours later and waited for our luggage. We made it to the Manhattan apartment meeting our kind hosts. A friend’s mother let us stay at their place while they were away. The apartment was directly across from Central Park -- what I wanted to see in NYC.
We met James brother, Ken to go to a Pogues and Billy Bragg show. That was so much fun. We danced, or at least for me, tried to dance. Afterwards we stopped for food in Times Square. Got some knish. After while we looked outside and thought it was sunrise. It was light outside. It was light from all of the lights of Times Square. Ken was ready to go. He was going to stay at Penn Station for a few hours until his train back to DC. I was worried about him. I came to NYC with a lot of fear from television. He assured me he would be fine. J and I returned to the apartment and slept well.
Monday 17 March
We woke up to a sunny day in New York. James scheduled his appointment at the church where he will be interning for Tuesday. We went for a lovely run in Central Park around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir. As we ran to the other side, we heard the St Patrick’s Day parade. Bagpipes, singing, marching. I smiled the entire way loving running near people of all levels. It was peaceful, beautiful and fun. I ran 4 times around totaling a 10K. We came back, showered and visited the city. After walking around we hopped on the train to the suburbs. James wanted to see what the housing looked like along the way. Returned to the city and ate dinner at a beautiful vegan restaurant.
Tuesday 18 March
Today was our last day in NYC. We visited the church and met the ministers. We ate at Veggie Castle where we got Jamaican food. It was wonderful. The city where J will intern was beautiful. The church campus was overwhelming and scenic. I was amazed at how much resources this church had. I felt underdressed and reminded of how Californian and informal we are. I loved Manhattan and had moved closer to deciding to go to NY with James next year. But after realizing our lives would not take place in Manhattan and would in fact be in the suburbs. Worse we would live nowhere near the church as it was extremely unaffordable. I worried that the children would be in bad schools. We certainly would not be able to afford the private school that they attend now in NY. What if L and L did not fit in? How would that affect them for the rest of their lives? They have a good life at home, a good school and all of their friends. I did not want to live in a small, dumpy house. If we go I want life to be as easy as possible. I know I can get a job easily. I welcome adventure and the children can adapt. Best of all we were only a few hours form James’s brother and his family. Even still, at this point I was beginning to write off going with James. There is no way we could match the life we have at home. Later at dinner J received a call from the church. They had a lead on a rental house in a nearby town. The rent was within our estimated range, it was big enough and best of all in an area with good schools. We’ll see. They will be emailing us the info.
We left NYC on separate flights. Again everything was smooth. James left 30 mins before me. I took that time to phone the children. Everyone was well and had just spoken with James. I slept about 2 hours on the plane. I could not get comfortable even after a glass of wine. I watched the movie Control about Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Interesting. I love stories about real people’s lives. I dozed off and woke up near London.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Back to the Travel blog!!!
J and I are leaving for two weeks to NYC and Europe alone...yep...ALONE. Still hasn't really sunk in on that part. Maybe once we are on the plane wondering where the kids have gone. I am feeling a little sad though second guessing our decision. At the same time the kids will be well loved by their grown up cousins and Auntie. They have already attached themselves to them today.
J and I will be landing in NYC tomorrow evening and going to The Pogues and Billy Bragg concert. From there we will spend 2 nights and off to England to see Csaba and his family again for a few days. Ireland...James will finally get to see it. Then Scotland which I managed to miss on the last trip to Europe.
I hope to make this a combo travel and training journal. I am praying the weather is sane and cooperative to allow us to run in every city/town we visit.
J and I will be landing in NYC tomorrow evening and going to The Pogues and Billy Bragg concert. From there we will spend 2 nights and off to England to see Csaba and his family again for a few days. Ireland...James will finally get to see it. Then Scotland which I managed to miss on the last trip to Europe.
I hope to make this a combo travel and training journal. I am praying the weather is sane and cooperative to allow us to run in every city/town we visit.
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