Our past five days in a nutshell:
1. Killarney - Went on a hike. Saw a lovely waterfall. Went to a farm (while I slept in the car). Had dinner with super fun Irish Music and Dance. Nicole and I volunteered for some Irish line dancing.
 |
| Jaunting Car. Zane loved these. |
 |
| The National Park near Killarney was quite pretty. |
 |
| A bit of great Irish music |
 |
| The hosts at the B&B. Parents of a Dome workmate. Absolutely wonderful people bringing joy to this world. |
 |
| The host, Bridget, kept saying that her kids looked just like ours at that age. Yep, that's true. This is them then (they are all in their 20s & 30s now). Note, for all you Domites - That is Niall O'Connell on the left. |
2. Cliffs of Moher - Very Cliffy
3. Galway - Wandered the city. Visited the Front Door (bar that my buddy Grindle worked at for a short while), Visited Athenry (town that a workmate of mine grew up). Zane woke with a horrible migraine making for a rough car ride to Dublin. Poor guy.
 |
| Having a pint at The Front Door |
 |
| I have this theory...Anytime you add festooning across a street, it always makes it lovely. |
4. Dublin - Guinness Experience (worth it). Book of Kells (meh). Lunched at Brazen Head (oldest pub in Ireland).
 |
| Library at Trinity College was pretty sweet (part of Book of Kells tour) |
In my humble opinion, to truly appreciate Ireland, one must leave behind the kids and simply let the day pass in to the night at whatever pace life takes you. With three kids in tow, calling it a day at 6pm does not allow for the day to mature, so to speak. So perhaps Nicole and I shall return to the Emerald Island some day.... By extension, the entire trip has required some compromises (not that we would change things), and we'll certain make it back to some other choice spots (London & Amsterdam come to mind) for some more elderly adventures.
Ireland, in a Nutshell - How doing laundry can be stressful
We're off to Africa tomorrow! In preparation, we had a mountain of laundry to do. Simple, right? Just go to a Laundromat, throw your things in multiple washers, wait a short bit, consolidate in one dryer, and after a reasonable 90 minutes, you're out the door. One tiny problem with this plan, Ireland has no laundromats. Literally none. It's a mystery really, because they barely have washers/dryers in their own homes. And when you line dry in a country that rains all day, you begin to wonder. The nearest thing to a Laundromat, as it turns out, are self service washers and dryers at select gas stations. But when these are the only machines in a 3 mile radius, it becomes a bottleneck. Compounding the problem is when someone loads their wash, then goes for a joy ride (after also having topped off their petrol), leaving you to wonder if, and when, they shall return. So there you sit, in a gas station parking lot staring at someone else's dirty laundry.
Fortunately, after about an hour of staring at these unattended machines, the Guardian Angel of Gas Station Laundry named Merriam took pity on us and provided sage advice on how to navigate this curious ritual. She even used her special laundry euros to start our load, while I ran down the street to the only functional ATM within a 3 mile radius (owing to the fact that the ATM in the gas station was not issuing money, and the washing machine wouldn't accept our credit card).
 |
| Two Washers, One Dryer to serve perhaps 5,000 people. You do the math. |
So, here is your million dollar ticket to success... open a franchise of laundromats throughout Ireland. The demand is enormous.
An Interview with the Long Boys
My buddy Grindle suggested that I interview the boys as they are sorely under-represented in this blog. Here goes:
What has been your favorite meal so far?
Bryce (B): Ice cream wherever we are
Zane (Z). Onion rings at the Burger King
[For the record, we have been to exactly one Burger King, and two McDonalds on this entire trip. So don't get all judgmental....]
Of all the places you have been, if you had to live there, where would it be?
B. I would live in one of those fishing huts, because I could fish everyday.
Z. I wouldn't choose any. I would want something that is sunny and has just a little bit of rain.
What is the coolest thing you have learned so far?
B. The Vasa sunk 300 years ago
Z. How to fish in the ocean.
What do you miss most from home?
B. Hilo (our dog)
Z. It's hard... Pretty much everything. I miss being with my friends.
What miss least from home?
B. My room. Because we basically don't do so so much in there.
Z. Nothing. I like everything about home.
The most boring place you have visited?
B. It's mostly the churches
Z. I don't really have a most boring. Anywhere without WiFi.
The most awesome place or thing you did?
B. The boat ride with Eirik in lofoten
Z. I don't remember basically a lot.
Where do you definitely want to come back?
B. Zip World!
Z. Zip World!
Most interesting person you have met?
B. Eirik, the Lofoten fisherman.
Z. Alan, the Welsh fisherman. Because I like going fishing and I liked how he did it.
[Note, Alan's technique was to toss chum (aka maggots) in the water, and then just sit there with a line in the water]
What do you like least about being on this trip?
B. Leaving California
Z. Not having any friends to play with because Autumn and Bryce don't get along with me.
What advice would you give someone that is about to take a flight?
B. Drink all your water before security and then fill it up afterwards.
Z. Don't eat sugary stuff like Skittles when you are about to start a six hour plane flight.
Does this trip make you want to travel more?
B. Yes, but not for a year
Z. Yes, but not for a year
[Some minor editorial license here... the tone of the responses suggests a huge degree of homesickness. While that may be simmering underneath, from all appearances, they really do seem to be having a grand time]
NEXT STOP.... AFRICA!!!! (May be radio silence for a bit.)
No comments:
Post a Comment