If anyone has time and wants to see what i was up while in Ireland have a read. I'll post a chapter/day ever day or two.

enjoy.

-rich


Our Ireland Vacation.


Chapter One: The Journey

Let's see, where should we being? Well i guess it should be at the beginning. Friday i worked very hard at the job in Ross. Where we had just finished pouring the concrete in the forms and spent most of the day Friday removing these forms. The work was dirty and back breaking, but still just knowing that when the day was over i would be starting a two week vacation that would bring me back to Europe. My fellow coworkers were all happy for me and some even jealous. That i was going to escape their hell and relax.

We left early Saturday morning. Just before six o'clock. We headed to the Marin Airporter, with a quick stop over at Starbuck's coffee. Not our first choice of coffee, but the only option we were giving at that time.
The trip on the Airporter is always fun. You're being shuttled off to some new and exciting place with a group of strangers that are having the same experience as you. Most of the others on the bus were on their way to Hawaii for more summer in the sun and water sports. While we were going in the complete opposite direction. We were heading to the island of Ireland. A place that neither of us had ever been, but have always wanted to go.
The weather reports Christina's mother Jessica had been getting, were that it was about to start raining for the next two weeks and we couldn't be happier. California had just had it's longest and possibly hottest heat spell in recorded history. So we were ready for a break.

At the airport the American Airlines counter was packed with hundreds of people waiting in a line that stretched into another part of the building. We were the first to arrive, but only by a few minutes. Shortly after we had lugged our bags into line we spotted Gianni and Jessica getting out of the van shuttle that had picked them up from the house. Ah, city living, sure seems nice sometimes.
Once they joined us life was great. We were all together and would be for the next twenty four hours oh flight and layovers. Luckily the four of us get along like the best of friends, as well as Gianni being a great drinking partner. And yes i was going to be drinking. Anything a could get down my gullet.
I simply hate flying planes and if i could i would prefer to drive all the way to Ireland. But as we all know that is not possible. Especially not with the timeline i had, as well as the fact that my car doesn't do so well in water over eight to ten inches deep.
I'm not sure how i got the fear of flying, but i hate being in anything i'm not in control of and being 35.000 feet in the air just adds to it. The idea of terrorist on a plane doesn't bother me at all though. I've been looking for an excuse to kick someone's *** and if i was going to die anyhow why not try to kill that mother****er first.
So once we made it through bag check. We headed off towards our gate. Going through security was like nothing i had ever done before. They must have been showing off for someone today. We had to remove everything including our shows and put them into trays. But i guess this is suppose to make us all feel better. All i was thinking about was 'what was i going to be drinking.' While in line i notices a Asian chick sporting a tank top over a nice pair of *****. On her shirt there were a bunch of letters. Guess she didn't mind guys staring, so i did. Her shirt said "I may have a bad mouth, but i do great things with it." My jaw almost fell to the floor. Knowing i had to get my mind out of the gutter i was just shoved into to i pointed the shirt out to Christina and told her she would look nice in that shirt. She said "You wouldn't want me to wear that shirt. Would you?" Well, yah, why not. Then i gave her a smile. She just shook her head.
With an hour and a half before the plane was to be boarded we decided on having breakfast. Luckily for us the place was just across fro our gate and we could stay in there right up to the time of boarding.
Before ordering breakfast Christina and I hit the bar. I wanted to get in good with him face to face and not just order from the table. A good bar trick everyone should remember. I had worked as a bartender before and the good tippers always got better treatment. We ordered two Greyhounds (vodka and grapefruit juice) and slammed them down. I talked Jessica into getting a Bloody Mary and Gianni had a beer. The Bloody Mary was a great idea. Everyone at the table loved it and then i know what i would be drinking the rest of the morning. I left the table and went back to the bar to order another drink. The guy remembered me when i ordered a Kettle One Bloody Mary, extra spicy. And with another good tip i returned to the table. Well my plan was working. In comparison to jessie's mine was much stronger. Oh happy day.
We stayed there right up to the time we jumped on the plane. I had a greyhound and two bloody mary's in me and feeling great. Who the hell cares about flying on a plane. Only i had forgotten about one thing. I almost always get sick being on a plane. My aging body doesn't do so well in a confined space with a large group of people breathing recycled air. And i had just spent the past two hours killing my immune system. Well you can't have everything. Before i finished walking down the hall to board the plane i felt it happen. That ping in the back of the throat that says "you're going to get sick" and my high was gone. Well it was fun while it lasted.

The plane we were getting on was a (????) with an isle down the middle and three seats to either side. Much smaller than i had thought, but this was only the first of two that we would be taking today. This one had a stop over in Boston. I wanted to sit in the isle and the girls were okay with that. So Christina had the window, Jessie sat next to her then me. Gianni sat across the isle from me and he was seated next to two ladies. A seating arrangement i thought that would work out good until i was reminded within an hour that women use the bathroom a lot. It was only a five hour flight and with the two of them combined used the bathroom five times, maybe even six. Well after that, you can expect to know where i was seated when the plane landed. I was at the window. Which, with the ****ty way i was feeling was fine. By the end of the flight i had a full blown cold and my throat was killing me.


We were now in Boston and had a three hour stop over. What the ****. Three hours in an airport. Hell we could be more than half way to Ireland by the time the damn thing shows up. But i was keeping my cool. After all this was the first airport i as a child had ever been in. At the young age of ten my mother decided to move the family back west where her family lived to California. Massachusetts was where i grow up and had a wonderful childhood. I'd still love to spend more time here, but with time and money restrictions it's only happened once in the past twenty eight years. When Christina and i took a three week trip back east to travel most of the states. Including Massachusetts and Cape Cod.
Well time for the next bar and some food. The airport really didn't have much to offer. Plus we seemed to be confined to only the American Airlines portion of the airport. Damn. and i was hoping to see more of the place
After a short walk back and forth down the "L" shaped hallways we realized there were only two food options which happened to be joining restaurants. A Pizza Hut and an Irish pub wanna be. So we hit the pub. At least they had a good beer collection on tap. Christina had a Sam Adams while i had a Black & Tan. Dinner / lunch was okay. I had hot wings and a bowl of calm chowder. Damn, i should have just got the burger. For the most par you rarely get let down by a burger. I was hoping for better chowder with being in Boston, but hell i was in an airport after all.
I don't wish a three hour stop over on my worst enemy. Well okay maybe them. Oh brother was it hell. We tried to pass the time at the restaurant pub but it didn't help. Time just seemed to be standing still. At one point Gianni and Jessica were inside some shop looking at junk and Christina and I were sitting out in front on a bench holding hands watching the people walk past. Christina then spotted something across the hall at one of the tables belonging to Pizza Hut and on it was left a black bag. Having nothing to do and also the fact that nobody had been at that table for at least the ten minutes were sitting across from it we decided to take a closer look. Once over there it was clear that it was a camera bag. Plus with the Canon logo on the outside was a dead giveaway. I picked it up and opened it right up. Inside was a very nice digital Canon with a long zoom lens on it. Plus inside a side pocket there was another small, but still good quality pocket camera.
Most people with this thrown into their laps would give each other a "high five" and walk off. But stupid me, i was brought up better. Oh, i'll take that back. I wasn't brought up better. I just live a life of gilt and shame and hate bad karma. Personally i need all the good karma a person could use.
Anyways. I run into the restaurant and told the girl at the counter what i had found. She didn't know what to do with it, so she brings me to her manager. When i tell him the story of the found camera bag he says he can't take it. That i would have to go to the end of the hall and report it to some security people. So then i walk down there and ask a woman working there if they have a lost and found to put the bag into. She tells me that the office had just closed and they couldn't do anything about it. My best chance of doing something was to take it to the gate where i would be loading and they would give it to the airport people. So what the hell was going on. I was just trying to do the "good thing" and nobody was willing to help. It wasn't even helping me to be doing this. I was trying to help the person that owned the camera. i know if it had been mine, i sure would want it back. But now every flight out of Boston had left except for ours. So either the people already had left Boston and were on to their destination just now realizing they left the camera behind. Or they were in the area we were just about to head towards.
Gianni was telling me. "You gave it your best and was rejected three times. Now the camera was officially mine." and you know i was beginning to think the same way. God knows i needed a camera and i was holding two in a nice carry on. While we were discussing this fact Jessica, his wife, has left to go on a walk to the end of the hall and back. She's been on this super heath kick lately and had a hard time sitting still. Like the fat gene would find her if she didn't keep moving. Well just as Gianni and i came to the conclusion that the cameras were now my and security guard walks up to us and says "I understand you found something." in that total ******* tone. Well yes i found this holding up the bag.
Now this was the same guard i was sent to over a half an hour ago. The ones that said their lost and found was closed. The ones that wanted nothing to do with it. But this guys was a total "Jarhead" and wanted to be in control. My first thought was. "What the hell. How did these guys found out about this. Did they see something on a overhead video cam and read my lips." I had no idea. Suddenly Christina returns from the restroom and says that Jessica had told this guy on passing while walking down the hall. While i was handing my new camera over to this ******* all i could think about was that he'll be bringing home a nice gift for the family tonight. But this jerk won't stop. He starts lecturing me about how i shouldn't be picking up strange bags in an airport. How it could be a bomb or something. How he would have taking it and put it through x-rays and other test to see what was inside. **** you!!!! was the words i was screaming out from behind my eyes. But i didn't say anything. Instead when he walked off i put my head in my hands and cursed to myself.
I didn't need to say anything. Gianni was saying it all for me. "Now he'll bring it home and never tell anyone about this bag." Jessica soon returned to the table and all i could do was smile. After all she is my wife's mother and i love her dearly. She was just trying to do what she thought was right and what i would have wanted.

We all headed over to the gate where we would wait the remaining thirty minutes or so before they started boarding the plane. Christina and Jessie were looking around for power outlets to plug the computers and i-pod's into for recharging. While i sat a watched the people. I love watching people. It's one of my favorite pastimes.
Well the two girls were happy and Gianni was on his laptop because Christina had informed him that the airport was giving out an internet signal. I was looking around and thinking about how the beer and dinner did nothing for me. I still felt like **** and was dreading another five and a half more hours of flight time. I just zoned out, staring off at some chicks large breast across the room to take my mind off of it.
One of the cool things at this airport was that in their waiting area they had rocking chairs you could kick back in while waiting. It was a nice little touch. Most places only give you those crappy plastic seats that are so small and close to each other that you have no choice but to talk to some total stranger. Simply because you're sharing the same space and smelling each others body odor. And if that wasn't bad enough, then the seats are back to back with another row. So you can just forget about leaning back. It's not just that the airlines want you to be uncomfortable on the plain, but they want you to be training for how uncomfortable you're going to be once you get to the even worse seats on board.
Also i was looking around the room and counting the children/babies that would be boarding with us. On the last flight there was three babies and at one time or another one of those brats were screaming their heads off. Luckily for us we brought the earplugs and they did a fine job muffling out most of the racket. Luckily i didn't see too many. There were several kids ranging from the ages of five - ten, but i hoped that they would be well behaved.
We loaded the plain around 9:30 pm Boston time making it 6:30 back in the Bay Area. So officially we had already we had already been away from home for more than twelve hours and we were still in the states.
The plane was exactly the same as the last. The only difference was that we were sitting three rows ahead of where we were before. Perhaps they just refueled the one we were on and pushed it up to the terminal. This time Christina and I were in one row (me being next to the window) and Jessica and Gianni were behind us in another row. Was there some kind of mess up? How on earth did we get stuck on two different rows? Whatever. On this stretch of the trip i was hoping to get a little more sleep than on the first plane.
I took something that was going to help me sleep and within a half an hour it began to work. I was drifting off to sleep with earplugs in place. I don't even know how well Christina slept. I just know that i awoke with only forty minutes of the trip left to travel. Oh happy day. The only bad thing was that by now i was full on sick and wasn't looking forward to speaking and or swallowing out of the pain in my throat.
I've flown to Europe with Christina twice before on our way to Italy to visit Jessica when she was living there years ago. The second time we travelled there we had a stopover in Amsterdam there and back. While on the way. The plane flew over the country of ireland and all i could think about was how beautiful it looked from 20,000 feet. Now we were flying over it again with the intent on landing. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. All i wanted to do was get out of this plane to see and explore Ireland. But things ended up not working so smoothly.



day two / chapter two to be posted soon.

 

Welcome back Rich,

My wife and I will be heading to Ireland next Sat. for bout 2 weeks! Not looking forward to the airport insanity! Not sure where in Ireland we're going as I let her plan where she wants to go, so for me it'll be a complete suprise.

~gus

p.s. nice cliff hanger!

 

well gus no mater where you go you'll probably have a good time.
we were in the south. between Cork and Kilkenny, near a town called Clonmel. beautiful area.

hope you post some stuff about your trip. Then we can share notes

-rich

 

welcome back Rich. bring me any whiskey man?? huh huh?!

 

thanks,

but no i didn't bring any liquids back. with that whole crack down at the airports

-rich

 

Nice trip. My fiance and I are planning on going for our honeymoon. I've already been, back in '93 for a family reunion. We spent most of our time around Donegal where some of my family still live.

 

it's hard not to have a good time there. all the irish i met were so nice and friendly. i must have waved to over 500 people. most of ehich waved first by the way.

-rich

 

OK, so lets hear chapter 2 now...

 

ok silke since you asked. i was gong to wait another day, but .....here you go.




Chapter Two: New Discoveries in the Old World

Each time i'm on a plane and it touches down on the ground i want to cheer and clap my hands together. Both of the times we travelled to and from italy we were on the airline with half the passengers being Italian. They have a tradition that when the pilot makes a great or even a good landing they would clap their hands to show their appreciation for a job well done. The better and smoother the landing the louder the clapping. I like this idea. After all this complete stranger has flown us half way around the world and not killed us. He's done his job and finished it in style. But on all the other planes i've flown on, no other culture has picked up this trait. And it shows. Because the softest landings i've ever experienced were on the Italian ones. Maybe it makes the pilot try a little harder to do a good job knowing that he's being judged.
This was clearly 'not' an Italian flight. When the plane hit the runway it did it one wheel at a time and as the second one hit you could tell he had forced it down. This made the plane jump back up into the air slightly sideways. I could do nothing but start to laugh knowing that if i was on an Italian filled plane they would not of clapped so loudly or at all. Then the wheels toughed ground again and it felt as though he must of been running out of runway, because the jets came on so fast to try and slow us down. Was i the only one on the plane noticing this happening. Everybody else seemed to be siting in their seats happily as i was imagining total chaos happening in the cockpit. Christina disagrees with me on the landing, but she wasn't looking at the window as the plane went to the side.

Many people have left the country and had the experience of going through customs. In the United States, they practically reach up inside you with a rubber glove. In the other countries i've been to they just way you by. The Irish customs agent took my passport and barely gave it a glance. Looked up at me with a damn i need a cigarette expression saying "How long are you going to be here?" I said two weeks and that was it. He slid back my passport and sent me through. There were no guards standing by. No dogs sniffing bags. Nothing like that.
We all regrouped and walked into the main Shannon airport. I'd never heard of Shannon and couldn't believe that a place this small could have an international airport. But we were told that because of where we were headed, this was the best place to land. Inside wasn't very large. Still we were here. First things first. Find a restroom. Which the Irish simply call "toilets".
I found one shortly and walked inside. In the years growing up i had always had problems using a restrooms in public. Maybe because i grew up without a father that ever took me inside one. Maybe it has something to do with being afraid of germs. Or maybe it's just because i'm crazy. But over a year ago i spent some time working retail at a store who's only bathroom was a public one. It took some time and i got over my fears or whatever. So feeling like the cool ****ing guy i am, i walked in with my head up high. But i had never been in an Irish toilet before and there against the wall was where the guys stood and peed. It was one big porcelain wall with a trough along the ground. Any expectations i had about going to the bathroom were gone. I was traumatized by one very similar as a child.
Back out in the airport i was with Christina as we were renting the car. No problem. we've done this a bunch of times. I did make a request that if i was going to Ireland, that i would have to have a manual transmission. It's the only way i drive. I ****ing hate automatics. Talk about killing any joy of driving. the car is doing it all for you. The travel agents and Jessica tried to talk us out of it, but Christina and I wouldn't have any of it. Next to us Gianni was renting his car. But there was a problem. He was getting in a fight with the sweet girl behind the counter because he couldn't believe why he should have to pay for a higher insurance rate to protect the car. His logic was that if something was to happen to the car while he wasn't even in it why the hell should he have to pay for it. On one side i can agree with his logic. But i also understand that these people are running a business and how are they going to know whether or not it was the drivers fault. The whole thing got totally blown out of proportion and i just wanted to get out of there. I hate it when people make a scene in public. Maybe it's just that i have "public" issues.
Christina and I got our keys and looked at out watches. It was 8:30 in the morning Ireland time. Making it 12:30 am back home. It took us 18.5 hours from our front door to get to the outside of the airport in Shannon. We told Jessie that we wanted to get our rental car. Because we had another three hours to wait before Gianni's daughter Marta, son-in-law Mauritizo, and their son Matia fly in from Milan Italy. We couldn't take anymore sitting around. I had to get out of this place.

You've seen it in movies and on television, cars driving on the other side of the street. But when you walk out into a world where everyone is driving like that, it really puts you back. It just looks so wrong. The hardest thing is trying to remember which way to look first before crossing the street.
We loaded the shuttle bus that was to drive us to where lot. The driver was very nice. he asked everyone if they had ever driven on the left side of the street before. Me trying to be cool didn't react. I knew i was ready for anything. After all i consider myself a very good driver and adapt to situations quickly. Most of the people on the bus said they hadn't and he began to give out the tips.

1.) remember, the driver always sits towards the middle of the road. If you're driving next to the shoulder you're on the wrong side.

2.) in the round-about's the car to your right always has the right-of-way.

3.) take your time at an intersection if you're confused. the hell with the car behind you.

All of these tips were great information for the foreigners. Including myself. Although, i would be doing my own thing very shortly.
We got to the spot and went over to the car. A Mitsubishi Colt. It was dark blue with fifteen inch wheels and sporting four doors and a hatchback. A cute little car. Something light and nimble. But not too fast to get me in trouble. I walked over to the car and put the key in. It wasn't until the door was wide open did i realize i was standing on the passenger side of the car. Oh boy this was going to be fun. Christina started to laugh and i don't blame her. Up until that moment i thought i was so bad ***.
Christina never really reacts. maybe she just expects my to be good right away. But to my credit i thing i was. Once out on the roads i was zipping around like i had lived there for years. Blowing threw the round-about's and hugging the corners.
We had the idea that we would drive ahead to Limerick to found the proper way to get out of this area and on our way. So from the Shannon airport it was (north east) on N19 and then (south east) along N18. With just these two "national primary roads" we reached Limerick in about twenty minutes. Finding our next turn onto N24 was a breeze too. So we turned around and headed back to the airport to sit around and wait.
I really was hoping to have burned up more time but we didn't. Once back at the airport we still had over two hours to wait. Christina went back inside to find Gianni and Jessica to fill them in on all our finding etc. While i stayed out in the car driving around getting all the practice in that i could. I love to drive and i was really beginning to like this car. It was under powered and didn't corner for ****, but the torque was nice and it had spunk.


Time was standing still. I still hadn't gone to the bathroom and i still felt like crap. I drove around to the loading area and parked. Went inside and ran straight to the toilets. This time nobody was in there and my bladder was not going to wait anymore. Oh the sweet release.
I found Christina quickly and got the scoop. She left with me after handing off one of our little two way radios to Jessica so we could keep in touch from outside.
At 11:30 everyone was together and on their way to the rental car place. We told Jessie that we would meet them all over there. First Gianni and Jessica made it to their car. It was the same as ours. Then we did a little run around the block so Gianni could adjust to the new car and the idea of driving on the other side of the road. He seemed to be doing fine. Then we ran over to were (MM&M) were at their airport car rental place. It was hugs and kisses all around. No matter how many times i do it, I never get use to it. This whole kissing on both cheeks when greeting someone. Some places it's only one cheek, others it's both. What side do you start on etc... I greeted Marta just fine. She's a girl and i let her take control. But when it came time to do the same two cheek kissing greet with her husband Mauritzio i blew it. I turned one way and he shifted, then i re-adjusted and we came about an inch of planting the first one on each others mouths. With a group of guys standing behind us no less. I made a joke and we both laughed it off. Oh brother.

I'm not going to get into the whole driving story with the three cars trying to stay together. Just thinking about it hurts my stomach. Let me just say, that after this drive we agreed to have maps and meet at every future destination.
The other thing that happened was that i was told on the radio that people were starting to get hungry. I guess the three M's didn't eat much before leaving Italy and nothing was served on the flight. Which is normal. From Rome to Amsterdam when i flew years ago they gave us NOTHING. Cheap bastards. Plus Gianni, this guy can eat whenever. Put a plate in front of him and he'll go to town.
I said fine. We'll stop in Limerick on the way through. But then i'm told that they thought it would be more fun to have a "real" Irish lunch in a pub somewhere in the country side. Not in one of the big cities. Fine i said. We'll go to Pallas Green. It was along the way and should be easy to find something.
Minutes outside of Limerick and i'm kicking myself for not making the group stop. Everything starts to fall apart. Within minutes even. The cars can't stay together, the kid needs to go to the bathroom, everyone is getting angry at each other etc... One of the parking lots we pulled into to regroup, it took us five minutes just to get back out. Now i'm being yelled at that we're not stopping for food. That we'll just continue to drive until we get to where we're staying. Which is over an hour away. The kid pees on the side of the road and Marta puts a diaper on him just in case of an accident.
Christina and i are in our car and are shaking our heads. How did this happen. These are the stupid little things that families separate for. And it was starting to happen right in front of us.
We decided 'not' to listen to the last request and stop in the small town we planned on before. There were three places to choose from. First place was a pub and that was it. It had a pool table, but looked like a pit and wasn't serving food. Even if it did, i wouldn't have wanted to eat it. It looked more like a place where Irish punks when to drink and fight while watching soccer matches.
The second place looked really nice from the outside. Kind of like an old inn/pub place you read about. But once we were inside we discovered that they too did not serve food. The two working in the place said the other building on the corner was the only place in town to get a bite to eat.
So back across the street we went. Marta almost walks out into traffic forgetting to look the other way. Gianni yells at the top of his lungs while grabbing her and a huge truck roars past. Man i need a drink.
The third place was nice. Dark stained wood everywhere. Little nooks and cranny's where tables sat tucked away. Long benches along a few of the walls tying the tables together mixed with chairs. This place had history. You could tell from the walls and the old wooden doorways that this building had been here for generations.
The food was good. My first real Irish meal. I ordered a sirloin steak medium rare and a Guinness. The steak came with potatoes, cabbage and carrots. Christina got the lamb and the too came with cabbage and carrots, but instead of potatoes they served stuffing.
Boy, did i feel like a cool guy. The group was now calm and happy. Turns out all they really needed was some down time before a long drive and some food.
The place was being run by a bunch of cute young chicks wearing black from head to toe. They were all nice, but not too attentive. I think our group freaked them out a little. No one knew what to order, several of our group didn't speak english and there was a child that wouldn't sit still. He had to be brought to the bathroom every five to ten minutes and continually ran around slamming into walls and the cigarette machine.
As we were about to leave i spotted the head mistress of the pub. She too wore nothing but black, but a little heavy on the makeup. Years ago she probably looked much like the other girls working there. But for some reason never left. Now she's running the place.

Back on the road the caravan was going well. Gianni not being comfortable driving in Ireland yet kept dropping back, but Mauritzio and i would slow down to let him catch up.
I'm not sure what it looks like up north, but all the stories i've heard about how beautiful the south of Ireland is was not an exaggeration. Driving through Tipperary was my first experience going through a larger town. Wow, i wanted to do nothing more than pull over and walk around looking at the shops and side streets. But we were on a mission and that was to get to our destination near Ballypatrick. In a small town called Kilcash. There we would be staying with a long good friend of Jessica's named Katinka and her husband Steve.
They were old hippie friends that Jessie had known from her time in the community. A group of people in search for higher understanding of their spirituality.
The rest of the trip went by painlessly. We found our way off the main road of N76 and onto the local roads. Once we got threw Ballypatrick we made a wrong turn. If Christina and i were by ourselves we would have back tracked and looked harder. But having the group with us, Jessie thought it better to call Katinka and have her come find us. We were parked out in front of Kilcash castle. A historic castle from back in the day that was now in ruins.
Minutes later Katinka came to our rescue and showed us the rest of the way. To my credit, the directions we had we very minimal and gave little to work with.
Christina may have known and maybe i did at one time, but when we arrived i (re) discovered that we wouldn't be staying with the rest of the group at Katinka's house. We would instead be staying at the neighbors guess house. Her name was Mia and she like Katinka and Steve was an artist. A wonderfully nice lady that was happy to have us staying at her place.
The small house was very clean and comfortable. The only funky thing was that the shower was on the wall of the bathroom with no tub to stop the water from getting everywhere. But the floor was set up for this and there was a large drain near the faucet.
Christina and i came to the conclusion that from leaving our house to getting to our final destination it took nearly twenty four hours. And to think in less than two weeks we get to do it all over again.

After we had a little time to unwind we changed and headed down to where everyone else was. There Katinka was cooking an amazing Indian dinner with rice and shrimp. It was the best thing i had eaten since we left the Bay Area. Not knocking the Irish lunch i had just had. But this food was more up my alley. I could feel myself getting well already. The spices were attacking my sore throat and cleaning my nasal passages.
Their home was wonderful. I would love to live in a place like this. The walls were all painted in earthy yellows, reds and oranges. It really had a "home" feeling to it. That every room and wall was put together with much thought on the location of things and the colors that would match.
We all spent the night drinking and talking till it had gotten very late. They were both very good hosts and it made us all feel welcome. The only problem i could see the whole night was that Matia, while he was still awake was once again out of control. After all he's a three year old growing boy with more energy than he and his parents know what to do with. Gianni was losing his cool just trying to restrain the child from breaking anything. I could understand. The house has many things in it that they had collected while traveling the world and items with lots of personal value. But that time had passed and we adults had a terrific time introducing ourselves to one another.



enjoy.

-rich

 

pic's!!!

 

i don't have a host for pics or even know how to, but i'll put up links to places i went.

Here's Kilcash Castle link with pictures
http://www.tipp.ie/townsandvillages/...ry/kilcash.htm

-rich

 

Great write-up, Rich... I have to vicariously live through other people these days because I'm still restricted from traveling out of the country.

BTW, the clapping at the end of a flight is a common European habit, I think... at least the Germans do it, too.

 

yeah, the Germans do it, but i dont have to tell you that

we were clapping both times i flew into Munich. man, i need to go back. i miss it after living out there ( and Wiesbaden ) for a year

 

Photobucket.com. this site works great, ive been using it for the last year. pics of any size will work too.

 

Ireland was a beautiful country. The roads are pretty terrible and the signage is not that helpful... thank goodness for GPS.

I drove some 600 miles in about 8 days. We followed the itinerary of a big tour company. We did some of the stuff they do and did our own stuff too.