After a great night of much-needed sleep, I'm having a spot of tea here in the Virginia Lodge at Silken Thomas in Kildare, Ireland.
Sleep and a shower after a 30-hour day of sitting and flying and directing suitcases and getting a rental car and then pushing forward through the rest of the day which included a Guinness and a delicious meal at Silken Thomas--let's just say it hit the spot.
I feel alive and ready to go.
Our trip has amazingly gone without incident and very smoothly.
We did not have to pay for luggage in Spokane because our Alaska plane was late.
We arrived in Dublin yesterday a half hour ahead of schedule.
My stomach has behaved. That's big!
We have met some neat people along the way.
Susan and Steve, seasoned travelers from Port Angeles, headed to some U2 action in Dublin, stood with us at the front of the Aer Lingus line in Seattle. We hit it off.
Before deplaning in Dublin, I watched a flight attendant bring a Western straw hat to the lady seated behind us. It was a Resistol, and I could not resist asking her if she liked horses.
That needed no thought whatsoever because she had spent a week at a working cattle ranch outside Rexburg, Idaho. Her name is Sinnead (Shenay), and she was delightful.
She said she'd signed up for another such experience next year and that she had also traveled to all the neat places in Southern Idaho and Yellowstone.
So, I told her that next year she needed to tack on a trip to Sandpoint if she wanted to see some really neat places.
While in Seattle and sitting in the vibrating chairs neat the gate, which require $5 for starters, but going the free route like all the other ladies, I met a nice lady from Skagit County who loves Border Collies. I never asked her name but did learn that she had been an audiologist and teacher at Western Washington University.
It's the perks of travel meeting new people AND reconnecting with those you've met several times over last travels. And, that was the story when we drove into the parking lot at Silken Thomas and immediately saw sweet Beata walking our way.
Her recognition of the people in the car brought an immediate halt and hello. Once we were inside, a hug party ensued with Beata and Caroline. Out came the cell phones and photos of Beata's new grandson and Caroline's 16-year-old son who represents Ireland in cycling competitions.
We knew during those moments we had arrived HOME. And, we'll repeat that same feeling a few times more as we travel around this magnificent island, which is beautiful inside and out.
In our "push forward" mode, Bill and I walked around Kildare and visited St. Brigid's Cathedral where the our family enjoyed our first visit a few years ago.
St. Brigid is the second best known saint in Ireland, and you can find symbols of her throughout---the St. Brigid's cross being the most predominant.
She is part myth and part historical---a blend, so to speak and she is revered in this country. I've mentioned before that various spellings of Brigid are a common Irish name. We have at least one Bridgit in our family ancestry.
AND, the nickname is Bridie, not to be confused with Birdie. Any follower of this blog knows that our dog Bridie is named after Bridie, the manager of THE BAR on the Aran Island of Inis Mor, whom we hope to see in a few days along with her wonderful sidekick Mary Ratcliffe.
Lots of stuff to look forward to and so far so good on this trip. We could not believe that it did not rain for our welcome here yesterday, which made the first day all the better.
Stay tuned.
I'll keep posting additional photos throughout the days on my Facebook promotion for the blog, and I'll do my best to add some mutterings as we travel along our way in this place that we both consider a Heaven on Earth!
We'll probably go see some horses today and walk the Curragh Plain.
Top o' the morning to ya!💚💚💚
Beata and Caroline, great ladies!
For my friend Trish Gannon
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