Day 7 - Clonmacnoise & return to Dublin

We left Galway in the morning with a new driver, Paddy.  Nigel was required by EU rules to return to Dublin for his mandatory break :(  Instead of our roomy 29-seat bus we are now in a 8-passenger van (what Jeannie & Val call "the Black Moriah").  We are headed back to Dublin via Clonmacnoise, the home of the high crosses.
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Clonmacnoise is set back & is unseen from the road.  Once up the drive and out of the parking lot (car park in Ireland) the entire compound is seen and is most impressive.  There is an interpretive center with a film explaining the history of the site as well as 3 of the original high crosses (up to 1200 years old).  The crosses that are outside are replicas made from casts of the original -- that way, the originals are protected indoors and the replicas get to deal with the wind and rain.

Original high cross

Our tour guide Joy showed us how to read the crosses (a good thing since some of the markings are so weathered they are difficult to make out) while the rooks (a black bird similar to crows) made their disturbingly high-pitched calls to one another.  The compound is lovely, situated on the River Shannon with a view of marshes that flood seasonally.



View of River Shannon from Clonmacnoise

 Once back in Dublin, we visited Trinity College to see the Book of Kells.  Unfortunately cameras were not allowed inside the exhibit so I can't show you anything but the wall display outside the hall.  After the Book of Kells, we exited through an amazing library hall with ceilings that must have been 20 feet high, bookcases on 2 levels all the way up, filled with the smell of old leather and paper.  Down the middle were display cases showing significant books and documents of Irish history, including the Declaration that preceded the Easter Rising in 1916.  That one particulary affected me because I realized that every man who had signed his name to it had been executed at Killmainham Gaol afterwards.

We ended our day at dinner with our group -- our last meal together at which we all exchanged email addresses so we can share all the pictures we took of each other.

Tomorrow, back to the USA.

Day 6 - Galway

Day 6 brings us to Galway, the 3rd largest city in Ireland and a true college town (it is home to the University of Ireland - Galway).  We started our day with a cruise on Lough Corrib, the link between the Corrib lakes and the River Shannon.  After boarding the Corrib Princess we sailed past ruins of thatched-roof stone houses, Menlo Castle, and a site where spear heads from 1900 years ago were found.

Corrib Princess



Ruin of thatched roof stone house







 

Menlo Castle

After returning from our cruise we visited the area of Galway called the Claddagh (birthplace of the Claddagh ring).  Jusst above that area is The Quays, a pedestrian area full of shops, pubs, & nightclubs -- very busy on a Saturday night!  At the top of The Quays we found a weekend street market full of stalls selling fruits, vegetables, toys, cheese, crepes, clothing, and freshly made donuts.  Seriously, the gentleman would take the order and only then would he make the donuts.  Just a couple of minutes later you would have a fresh, hot donut in your hand (wrapped in a serviette - napkin) after being tossed in sugar & then sprinkled with your choice of cocoa or cinnamon.

Later in the evening, we returned to The Quays to see some of the nightlife.  The area was thronged with college students out for a night at the club -- lots of very short skirts & very high heels & mates sharing a laugh and a beer.  Because Rachel is under 18 (and all the pubs were carding) we headed back toward the hotel and found a hotel pub that was open to all ages.  There were 2 young musicians there practicing their music -- 2 guitars and a wonderful voice singing mainly music from the 60's.  We hung out and drank 7-up until almost midnight.

In the morning, heading out to Dublin via Clonmacnoise, home of the high crosses.



Day 4 - the Liam O'Connor show

I picked up an Irish cold on night 3 (felt it come on while watching the Celtic Whisper at the Danny Mann pub) & by Thursday I practically had no voice and a bit of a cotton-brain -- which explains why I totally forgot to blog about seeing Liam O'Connor's show that night.

Liam was the accordianist for "Lord of the Dance" and also is in the Guiness Book of World Records as the "fastest fingers in the world."  We got tickets to see him perform at another hotel in Killarney & it was sooooooo worth it!  He is an amazing musician (as was Seamus, his keyboard / sax / flute / bodhrain player) .  His children performed (sons on the bodhrain & daughter step-dancing) as well as his wife who has the most amazingly clear voice I have ever heard.  He was also accompanied by 3 step-dancers who clearly love what they do.

Liam O'Connor (center) with step-dancers



 And, not least of all, apparently the team from County Cork won the All Ireland cup & were there to share the evening.  Clearly, Liam is a Cork supporter and had the team up on the stage to do a bit of singing & dancing with him.


Team from County Cork with Liam O'Connr

All-Ireland Cup

**Pictures posted finally**

Day 5 continued - Bunratty Castle

So, after being wind-blown at the Cliffs we headed into Limerick for the night -- learned it is nicknamed "Stab City" due to its crime rate so we were glad to only be staying 1 night.  Hotel was not in the greatest part of town, but it had comfortable beds and a great bathroom so we could make due. 

We had about an hour in the hotel & then we were off to our Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle.  The original wooden castle was built in the 12th century by the Normans & burned down twice.  Finally in the 15th century, it was replaced with a stone castle & it was this one that was restored about 50 years ago. 

Entering Bunratty Castle

We arrived after dark to find the castle lit up -- what a sight!  We entered the castle across a short draw bridge & were greeted by Derrick, our Butler for the night.  We were ushered upstairs into a receiving room decorated with 15th century tapestries and hand-carved furniture.  We were offered the Bite of Friendship (bread chunk dipped in salt) to ward off any ghosts in the castle who may want to ruin our evening and a glass of honey meade.  We were entertained by a harpist & violinist & later by minstrel song.   And then finally we were ushered to the dining hall.

Harp & Violin in Receptinon Hall

We sat at long bench tables fitted out with crockery, wooden plates, and a knife (our only utensil).  Jugs of white & red wine sat on the table along with a jug of water & a jug of fresh orange juice.  Our first course was a curried vegetable soup (which I liked even though I don't like curry) followed by the best ribs I have ever eaten!  Next came a half capon & vegetables (carrot, parsnip, & broccoli -- they seem to  be the standard trio here).  Dessert was rastid, a fruit dessert. 

Our table at the banquet

During dinner we listened to wonderful music performed by the same minstrels as in the reception room, one of whom studied at Julliard and another of which performed at the Met in New York (they also doubled as our waitstaff). 

Minstrel singers (violinist studied at Julliard, baritone at far right performed at the NY Met)

We learned one of the honored guests in the hall had been "dallying with the ladies" & the Lord of the dinner had him thrown into the dungeon.  He was released as an act of mercy & was required to perform for the audience.  He chose a song "of deep philosophical meaning" & launched into "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Said singing his way out of the dungeon

It was a wonderful evening!  Nobody wanted the evening to end.  It was easy to imagine that it was really the 15th century -- if only we had been wearing the appropriate costumes :)

Day 5 - Cliffs of Moher & the Burren

Today we left Killarney & headed to Limerick. On the way, we stopped at one of the most famous places in Ireland - the Cliffs of Moher. We expected breath-taking views but the wind was almost as spectacular! It's amazing how the wind blows here...I guess it must be because it has nothing to stop it on its way across the Atlantic until it hits this fair island, but boy does it hit when it gets here!



Tiffany & Rachel fight the wind at the Cliffs of Moher

But the view...it was amazing!!!  The pictures you see can't do it justice at all.  The sheer height of them, the surf pounding away under them, and the wind trying to fling you around cannot be conveyed in a photo (but I'll add one anyway).

Cliffs of Moher

On the opposite cliffs is the O'Brien Tower which is only 175 years old this year.  We climbed its very narrow spiral stairs to the top & got an even better view (and more wind -- check out the hair in the picture!).

Lisa, Rachel & Tiffany at O'Brien's Tower

After we left the Cliffs, we came almost immediately to the Burren.  It is a limestone escarpment thrust up from the sea floor aeons ago and is a dramatic change from the lush green scenery we have become accustomed to here.   The stone is weathered from wind & rain and is almost like a jigsaw puzzle with gaps that allow seeds to root and make green spots in between.

Boundary to the Burren - lush green in foreground, rocky Burren in background

The Burren

Next up...a Medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle!!!

Day 4 - The Ring of Kerry

Today was a feast for the eyes as we drove around the Ring of Kerry -- a loop around the southern tip of Ireland & the Killarney National Park.  Our first treat for the eyes was the McGillicuddy Reeks (mountains) and the River  Caragh which flows beneath them.  It was such a magnificent view -- peeks of sun through the clouds, mountains covered in heather, cold water rushing below...just amazing!

Sun peeking through the clouds in County Kerry

Lisa & Rachel at the River Caragh

 The water in the rivers here is cold & a dark green/gold color due to all the tannins in it.   We've seen many waterfalls along the way today.  According to our driver/tour guide Nigel, it's not due to springs from underground, but rather due to the impermeability of the mountains -- any water that falls onto them ends up falling off again :)

This is truly the Land of Rainbows!  We've seen 3 -- 1 full one in County Tipperary (I was the 1st to find it!), and 2 broken ones in County Kerry.   The weather is much like home -- cloudy, sunny, rainy, clear -- just wait a few minutes if you don't like it!  The temps have been very mild, though, so even when it rains it's not cold.

Panoramic view of the River Caragh

Our lunch break was in Sneem and we ate at the Riverside Cafe -- beautiful waterfall beside it!

River through Sneem -- Riverside Cafe is on the right bank

 Then we were off to Killarney National Park & Muckross House.   The park is 27,000 acres of which the 1st 15,000 were donated by the last owners of Muckross House and it became the 1st National Park in Ireland. It is breathtakingly beautiful!

View of Muckross Lake in Killarney National Park

  In the evening, we hit the Danny Mann pub for some live entertainment by the2-man band Celtic Whisper.  It was lots of fun and gave us our first taste of Irish nightlife.

Celtic Whisper at the Danny Mann pub

Tomorrow, it's off to Limerick!

Day 3 - Blarney Castle

We headed out of Dublin at 9am & headed south for Blarney.  The city proper has about 1.1 million people and thus has a morning rush hour like everyone else...except for the fact that much of it is on narrow 2 lane roads & shared with cyclists who have to ride in the same lane as the cars.  It wasn't bad though (but I will tell you I am glad I wasn't driving!). 

An hour and a half outside of Dublin we stopped in Cashel for a break.  Cute little town world renowned for its bleu cheese - couldn't find a cheese shop, though :( 

Cashel Main Street

We headed south again and stopped at the Blarney Woollen Mill & we had lunch in the pub there - ordered our 1st pint of Guiness, too . 

Interior of the pub at Blarney Woollen Mill

After lunch, we headed off to the castle.  It is a ruin but all 4 walls are still standing, just no floors in the middle or roof on top.  First we stopped at the entrance to the dungeon & Rachel crawled further than one else.  We then climbed up about 100 stairs (mostly spiral) to the top -- luckily they put ropes and pipe hand rails in so it wasn't too hard.  At the top there is a glorious view of the surrounding countryside!  I was the only one of us 3 to kiss the Blarney Stone -- haven't noticed a difference yet (no jokes out there!)

Blarney Castle as seen from the lower field

We checked into our hotel in Killarney (means "church of the sloth") & had problems with our internet connection so I had to wait to update this blog.  Still having issues getting kicked off so I will add the photos when I can.

***photos added finally!!!

Internet glitches delay blog update for Day #3

Sorry for the delayed updates to the blog.  The web access at Killarney Court Hotel is spotty - even though it is supposed to be a wi-fi hotspot :(  I have lots of pictures and stories to share so stay tuned...

Day 2 - Dublin

2 long flights and 11 hours later we are in Dublin!  At first we were nervous because we didn't see our names at the pick-up area at the airport.  A lovely gentleman called the travel agency for us and let me talk to the agent.  Not long after, our driver, Phil, was there & we found out we were also picking up a lovely lady named Valerie who is 80+ years old and has been living in Johannesburgh, South Africa since 1952 -- she was taking a side trip from her mother's 103rd birthday in Essex, UK!  It was a lovely ride in to Dublin with all of us talking and laughing together.



Valerie, Tiffany, Lisa, & Rachel being picked up at Dublin Airport

 We got to the hotel before we could check in so we took a hop on/off bus tour of Dublin and then stopped to get fish & chips for lunch at a place called Beshoff on O'Connell Street.  We had been told on our tour that they did not repair the facades of buildings that were hit by bullets in the Civil War back in the early 1920's -- we could see 3 in the window surround at the restaurant.





Beshoff in Dublin



Cod & Chips



2 of 3 bullet holes at Beshoff

We drove through "Guiness-land" -- the area of Dublin where the Guiness factory is.  The Guiness family owns the whole area & have their own church and even their own power plant (just in case there is a power outage in Dublin -- the Guiness must be brewed!) 



Guiness tanks over the River Liffey



Guiness power plant

There is a lot of history in Dublin and we only got a small taste of it today. We will be ending our tour of Ireland in Dublin next week so I'm sure there will be more.





Day 1 - leaving SeaTac :)

Sitting at SeaTac Airport waiting for our plane. Got stopped at security because my camera charger looked like a taser on the xray machine :( The TSA agent was really nice and rescanned my electronics and then made sure I hadn't lost anything in the minor unpacking that we did. The biggest hassel was actually getting everything off/out & put into the bins at the security line. I felt like I was holding up the whole line -- and I was prepared! I guess I just don't fly enough to have an efficient routine.

Here's a couple pictures to get this blog really started -- these are just inside the security checkpoint. I'll add more later but for now I just want to make sure I can make good on my promise to have pictures for everyone :)

2 more sleeps and then off we go!

Just 2 more sleeps and then we get on a plane and fly off on our adventure!  Started packing today and thought it was too easy -- I was right...totally forgot my pajamas & swimsuit (for swimming in the pools not the ocean!).   I'm going to review my suitcase tomorrow and make sure it's packed correctly :)

Tomorrow I get to call the airline and find out if we can reserve the bulkhead seats if we check in online 24 hours early or if we actually have to do that at the airport.  If we can reserve them online, we have to be at the airport 2 hours before takeoff -- if not, we need to be there about 4 hours early.  I'm hoping for the former :)  We also have last-minute tasks to do tomorrow like load the software onto the laptop so we can download pictures from the cameras and shop for snacks to take with us on the plane.

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.  Can't wait for Monday morning!

Last-minute details & shopping

Went shopping with Tiffany - got a laptop (planned - using it right now!) and new suitcase & camera (not planned but both were good deals & will make the trip more enjoyable!).   The most fun unplanned purchases were hats!  Lovely, 1930's era hats! We wore them out on Friday and got tons of compliments :)

Now all we have left are the details...wardrobe to take, banks to call so they don't cancel our cards, prescriptions to get hard-copies of, etc.  Tiffany is loaning me an iPod & is loading my CDs onto it this weekend so I will have music for the plane.

I can't believe how close we are to leaving.  I knew this last month was going to fly but I'm still surprised at how quickly it's gone and how much I still feel I have to do until we leave.  Rachel seems pretty calm (she says she's excited & I believe her - she just doesn't seem as frantic as I feel - lucky her!).  I saw a plane fly overhead this week and thought, "In two weeks, I'll be up there!"  Yikes!

The hardest part of all of this has been trying to coordinate my personal life and work life & actually get things done.  There has been soooooo much to do on both fronts - it's been a struggle; I hope I have managed to do a respectable job on both.

This week I plan to pick out my travel wardrobe, wear it to make sure I'll be comfortable and will be able to mix-n-match the maximum number of outfits with a minimum number of items.  Next week, I'll wash & pack them all so I am not up until midnight the last night doing laundry and wondering if I remembered to pack enough socks.  I must be mellowing with age, though...I have heard myself say (more than once), "If I forget something, I'm sure I can find it there."  I guess I am finally learning to loosen up a bit :)

Tiff & I had a discussion yesterday about our philosophy on this trip.  I am greatly interested in having a rudimentary grasp on Irish history before I go.  I'd like to be able to put what we see into context and I want to be able to strike up and carry on conversations with the Irish we meet on something more substantive that the weather or who has the more interesting accent.  That's why I am reading "Irish History for Dummies" - I'm up to the 1650s and it has been enlightening, such as the fact that Ulster - N. Ireland - was historically anti-England (and regularly kicked the English's butt in battle) until the end of the Elizabethan age when they started to support the Crown.  I want to see the areas in Dublin that were key in the civil war in the 1910s-20s.  Tiffany is trying NOT to do much research prior because she has a very strong internal idea/feeling about Ireland already and wants to be surprised by what she finds.  I want to be surprised, too, but I really want context.  It was an interesting conversation.

Travel documents have arrived!!!

Just received our travel documents via email today!  We are not travelling to Dublin through London via British Air  -- we are flying US Airways through Philadelphia.  Our flight is actually leaving at 11:15am rather than 6:30pm, but that means we land in Dublin at 8:50am and have the entire 1st day to do what we want!  Now I am glad I bought the Dublin travel guide -- I have a list of places there that I'd like to see and it looks like I'll get a chance to do just that!

We don't have seat assignments yet.  I had asked Camille at the Chamber to request window seats for us (sequential if possible) & emailed her again today to see if they can accommodate the request.  I hope so.  The other part of the itinerary that we'll need to plan for appropriately is that on the US legs of our journey, we will have to pay if we want to eat on the plane :(  At least the transatlantic portion has meals & snacks.

Tiffany & I are getting together in the next week or so to do our last-minute pre-trip shopping.  I'm getting sooooo excited!!! 

5 weeks and counting...

Rachel got her new passport in the mail last week (yay!) so we can officially leave the country!  I found my electricity current converter and plug adapters so we can use the electricity in Ireland without blowing anything up.  Now, I am on a quest to buy a laptop to take along.  If I don't, I'll be the only one in the hotel room at night without a way to update my blog without begging to use Rachel's or Tiffany's :)

Anyway, I need to start with the packing plan -- I have a coat, but I'm thinking I need new walking shoes (buy early and break in!!!) and pants.  I was thinking of just wearing skirts because they'd be easier, but who knows what the wind will be like?  Hate to pull a "Marilyn Monroe" in the Connemara or something.

I went to Half Price Books last week and bought Ireland For Dummies after about a 2-hour review of nearly every Ireland travel guide book in the place.  It has history and current culture and some good tips...not as many pretty pictures and no fold-out maps...but since I am not planning the itinerary on this trip, I am forgoing the "gotta see this" list and just trying to absorb as much about the country as possible before we leave.  Pronouncing the Irish language is still elusive for me...gotta work on that!

I'm scared of how fast September is going to go.  I just know that tomorrow I'll wake up and look at the calendar and find it's actually October 1st instead of September 1st!!! 

Rick Steves' help

Went to Edmonds yesterday to hear Pat O'Connell (one of the Rick Steves tour guides) do a presentation on Ireland.  He clearly loves his job.  Got some fascinating history on common phrases ("by Hook or by Crook" - 2 towns- was how Cromwell was planning to invade Ireland; "hillbillies" were the Irish immigrants who settled in the Appalachians - they were loyal to King William, or King Billy as they called him), but mostly enjoyed his info and pictures.  I have several pages of notes (no big surprise there!).  We talked to him afterwards, especially about the pubs.  He said there should be no problem with Rachel being allowed to stay in the pubs after 9pm - only a few are very strict with the age requirement and mostly only if the minor is drinking.  He said many have signs suggesting that children under 12 leave by 8pm.  So, it looks like she will get to see & hear the local music as long as she isn't drinking the Guiness.  Yay!

Had a dream last night that it was 2 days before the trip and I still needed to pack.  I must be getting more excited than I thought.

2 months and counting...

Okay, so the trip has been paid off for Rachel & me, we have applied for her new passport (can I just say I love the lady at the Federal Way City Hall who handles passport applications? She rocks!), and are now less than 2 months from getting on the plane and flying across the Atlantic! We are officially committed. I'm starting to get excited!!!

I bought 2 travel journals for us to use -- they have space for notes, pictures, postcards, do-dads. This time I want to make sure I document my trip. I hate that I didn't do it previously (except on my initial trip to France in 1985 - I did keep a journal for the first 4 weeks). I know I've lost a lot of cool tid-bits by not journalling, so this time I'm going to do it right :) Rachel & I are going to go up to Edmonds on 8/14 to Rick Steves' talk on Ireland to see what the "must sees" and "must dos" are. I hope we will have enough free time on the trip to do at least some of the things we'll learn about.

The organizer in me is starting to kick in, too. I want to start making packing lists, make sure I have the current converter and outlet adapter, restock my "emergency kit" that I always carry in my suitcase (most of the meds have expired), and start figuring out what clothes to pack and what I'll need to get.

I've also been spending time online reading the Irish Independent newspaper so that I can get up to speed on current events, culture, and especially language. Even though it's written in English, so many words are either Irish or unfamiliar English terms that I need to have a translation tab open when I read. I'm making progress, though. I at least am recognizing oireachtas as the legislature, dail as the equivalent of the house of representatives, and the seanad as the senate -- I can even pronounce them (I think). I also learned that mna is the Irish word for "woman" -- I'm pretty sure that will be very handy to know :)

Last minute notes

Went to pay for the trip today and the Chamber was closed :*( I called Camille and left her a message so I guess we'll try again tomorrow.

The Chamber has spoken with the tour company and has us rolled into another tour group so we will officially be with people we don't know. Yay for us! Automatically we will get to know other people :)

Did a bit of "research" today by reading some of the Independent newspaper online -- really need to learn some Irish words and pronunciations. Glad I knew the Dail was a representative body in their legislature, but there were definitely other terms I better learn before we go. I didn't see one article or one letter to the editor that I didn't have to translate something in.

Not a problem...I love doing "research!"

Last informational meeting

Went to the last informational meeting 2 weeks ago. We are still the only ones signed up to go on the trip, so the Chamber is working with the tour company to see if they will have to "roll" us into another tour group on the same trip. That would mean we'd have to hang out with people who are from somewhere other than here...oh, how terrible (spoken with much sarcasm!). That would actually be a cool reason to get to know other international travellers :)

Final payment is due this week. Looks like it may just be Rachel, Tiffany, & me. Erica doesn't want to go if Brandon can't go (he hasn't been able to raise the money yet). She's going to call the Chamber tomorrow to see if the "drop-dead date" for payment really is set in stone. If it is, she's not going. I'm kinda bummed because I'd envisioned this trip as another family trip, but she will be 18 in just a few days and I'll have to let her make her own mind up about this. We had a good long talk about it yesterday and it sounds like she's thought it through.

I have the Notarized forms from the girls' dad to get their new passports (won't need Erica's after all, though). Wish I had pushed to get them sooner...passport fees went up last week by about $40! And the Euro is going up again as well...was at $1.29 yesterday. I should have bought some a couple weeks ago when it was at $1.19. Anyway, need to get new passport photos for the girls and make an appointment at City Hall to turn in the applications.

After this week, the hard part is done (paying for the trip). Then comes the fun part...the pre-trip research, packing, checking the camera to make sure it's working properly and has enough disk space, etc. I've been watching movies about Ireland (or at least set in Ireland) and am watching/listening to a documentary on PBS about the genesis of modern Irish music. Now all I need to do is commit to a guide book...there's too many of them! It would be easier if we weren't going on a pre-planned trip but I'd still like to know the options available in the towns we'll be in, just in case we have enough time to do our own thing.

My only real concern is that it will take me the better part of a week to really understand the accent as spoken...and then we'll be leaving! I've got to find other ways to hear the language before I go. I want to be able to pronounce things properly, at least (for instance, just found out on the music documentary that the city Donegal is pronounced "donny-gul" not "don-u-gul" like I'd been pronouncing it). I don't want to sound like an idiot!

4 months and counting...

Went to the informational meeting on the Ireland Trip on 5/28 and was the only one there besides Tom & Camille from the Chamber of Commerce. We are still the only ones signed up for the trip so (so far) we have the bus to ourselves! Tom is estimating that we might have about 10-12 people at the final count. We'll see. Final payment is due at the end of July...we'll know for sure then.

Got answers about how long we would be on the bus each day and how long we would be at each venue. It looks like it should be a leisurely trip :) Camille gave me copies of email exchanges between herself and the tour company and I shared those with Tiffany since she couldn't make it to the meeting.

I have paperwork started for the girls' new passports, waiting on the notarized authorization from their dad to take them out of the country before we can actually get them processed. Checking the Euro daily -- it's down below $1.20! Not sure how greedy I should be about the exchange rate...I'll probably buy at least $100-$200 soon just in case.

4 months and counting and I'm sure it will go fast!

Reservation paid - we're on our way!

So today is the day...off to the Chamber of Commerce with Tiffany to pay the reservation fee for 4 of us! Once that's done, we're committed and can't turn back :)

Still wondering why it is that I cannot simply renew the girls' passports? For minors, the rule is they must be treated as NEW passport applications. They have special rules for 16-17 year-olds but it still involves submitting all the same paperwork again. They are already on file! All they need are new photos (which Rachel is really looking forward to!). Anyway, can't fight the State Department on this so I have saved the forms to fill out and will get those started once the reservation fee is paid.

Got a response on my questions about time spent on the bus...Indus Travel says that their tour guides are used to tourists who want to explore and so they leave plenty of time to wander :) We should only expect to spend time on the bus in transit between locations. Yay! I'm feeling more relaxed already!

Also talked to Camille from the Chamber and found out that having a triple-room will actually save us $75 each! That so rocks!!! I expected them to charge MORE for some reason. I love pleasant surprises :)

I have also noticed that the Euro is declining in value (down to $1.25 today) - I am sure it is because of the financial crisis in Greece. Whatever the reason, though, I keep hoping it will continue to drop so we can get the best bang for our buck when we go. I am keeping an eye on it...if it starts to rebound, I may buy some now to extend our tourist dollars while I can.

Just noticed I've been wearing green the past 2 days...guess I've been subconsciously preparing for today :)

Early Research

Okay, since I started this blog, I have done a ton of research:

• need to get all new passports for the girls (can't renew if their original passports were issued under age 17) - lots of paperwork to do & need to schedule a time that their dad can be available to apply with us in person
• weather in the 3 areas we will be in is amazingly like home (temps within a few degrees of the weather here, rain predicted for the same days). I have Dublin, Limerick, and Galway set on my weather updates :)
• pubs open to minors until 9pm
• drinking age is 18 (one daughter will be happy)
• Google Earth is my friend (took a virtual tour of Dublin around our hotel)
• Ireland is tiny...somehow expected it to be bigger but apparently it is the size of West Virginia.

I have emailed the Chamber to see how much of the trip is expected to be viewing the countryside from the bus window and how much we will actually be allowed out at sites and locations to explore and meet people. Still waiting for their reply on that and my initial question about how much triple-rooms will cost.
Haven't sent in the deposits yet...waiting for the above answers, hoping they will come before the early-bird registration date of 5/15.
More info as I get it...stay tuned :)

1st Post -- Getting Started

Well, it looks like our next vacation will be to the Emerald Isle! Thanks to the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce, I have another opportunity to take my girls on a vacation to Europe and we are all so excited!!! We are still in the "prep" stage -- haven't even paid the reservation yet -- but the trip is already a fait acompli. Erica and I started researching the hotels we'll be staying at...even the planes we'll be flying on and the seating charts for both (747-400 for the trans-atlantic leg and an Airbus 320(?) for the London-Dublin leg). Rachel has already begun planning what she wants to see.

But...what made this blog happen is that I opened my big mouth! My friend Tiffany was recently promoted to Executive Director of an Assisted Living community in Puyallup and is planning on coming to Ireland, too. I suggested she do a blog so her residents can follow her on her trip (great idea, I thought). It then hit me that I am also an ED at an AL...I should do a blog for my residents, too! So here it is...the beginning.

I will warn you now...I've never blogged before so I don't know the protocol, but the truth is -- I don't care. I neglected to journal anything on the trip I took with the girls in 2005 to London & Paris (really should have -- we were in London for the Tube bombings) and didn't do anything more than write captions for the pix I took in China in 2008. What I miss now are the little details that made the trips so meaningful, so my plan is to try to preserve them here. And the bonus is that friends, family, residents, and staff will get to see them as well.

Wish me luck on keeping this interesting. I promise to try :)