I never heard anyone say “Top of the morning to you!” and googling the phrase told me that it’s archaic and only used in Irish stereotypes. However, I have a bone to pick about the lack of a top sheet on hotel beds. The humid weather plus windows that barely opened led to stuffy rooms and a clammy Margaret. Since I prefer cooler sleeping conditions, the duvet felt suffocating. Thankfully, our tour guide offered to request top sheets for those of us not sleeping well and VOILA, problem solved. In more tips that I’ve been giving a friend and his partner headed for Ireland in 9 days, take a washcloth. I wasted a lot of body wash and even contemplated using a hand towel in lieu of a washcloth. My friend is already aware of the lack of A/C although we did have a portable unit in our Dublin hotel room. It’s an anomaly though, trust me!
Our arrival in the Big City was a gigantic change: traffic, crossing busy streets (scary!), lots of buildings, much more noise and the problem of getting lost. Have I mentioned my atrocious sense of direction? We didn’t have to deal with any of these conditions in the smaller places we’d visited. However, the A/C unit was much appreciated and I loved feeling cooler.
Our first excursion in Dublin was to the Glasnevin Cemetery where many heroes of the Irish Revolution and other nationalists are buried. I learned a lot about the history of the country and its fight for Catholic rights and independence although I’ve promptly forgotten much of it.
We went down into Daniel O’Connell’s tomb where many of his relatives were also in stacked coffins in a small room. I guess it’s one way to spend eternity with your family!
Did Daniel like them much though? Their remains got short shrift.
A highlight of my Dublin stay (and whole trip!) was meeting up with my former student for dinner and drinks. Thanks to his absentee, but Irish father, he’s now an Irish citizen, lives in Dublin and works for the Irish civil service. He was delighted to spend the time with my friend and me. He’s recently broken up with his partner and is estranged from his mother, so our welcoming and kind faces meant a lot to him. And the food at this restaurant was incredible!
Because I’m a failure at making souffles, I ordered this one and was extremely impressed!
Since I had already had a rather large beer, I ordered a virgin drink “The Flirtini” at our next stop, a Georgian era cocktail bar. It had pineapple, citrus, passionfruit, vanilla, egg whites and non-alcoholic Prosecco. I could easily have drunk several of them, but at 13 euros a piece, I restrained myself. 🙂
I took a double take at this gorilla in the window. My former student told us that he gets decorated for every holiday and I’m hoping that he’ll send me photos of those events!
In the meantime, two of our closest friends on the tour have also come down with Covid. I tested yesterday and am still negative although doubtful that I’ll escape. Evidently though, this strain has a short incubation period and I’ve passed it, so…HOW MUCH LONGER MUST I WAIT? I’m an impatient person.
John, who has already been exposed to me, invited me to his house for the Seahawks-Patriots game last night. Wednesday Night Football, really? For the first part of the debacle, I was thinking, “Well, at least we have pizza and beer!” Then, suddenly, we were tied up, and I started caring about the game, a mixed blessing. An acrobatic interception in the end zone saved us from a Patriots touchdown and the Seahawks won 13-10. Woo hoo! It could be a disappointing season without our #1 quarterback though. (hip injury) I attribute this win partly to my lucky shirt and pants!
Fall is on its way and I’m ready for some cooler temperatures and rain. However, ask me how I feel in November…
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