Arrival in Ireland

Here is the view out our window at the B & B in Wales

Here is the view looking straight ahead.  In the shadows is one of the ferries.

Well, we are in Ireland now.  We left yesterday from Holyhead Wales around noon and took the ferry over, then took a taxi to the Hertz in Dublin and then Kevin drove from Dublin to Drumcliffe.  We arrived here around 6 pm in the evening.  Kevin did a great job.  I won't be driving over here, I am not as confident a driver and I am also blind in my left eye.  It means that my depth perception is not as good as most people.  I think I am a decent driver in the US, but I am very accustomed to driving on the right and judging where I am in regards with the road and the car, I think that would be quite difficult here, sitting on the right side of the car.  At least that is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

So the driving went fine.  The ferry ride was not as nice as the ride over.  This time we took the fast ferry.  It was a smaller boat and also older.  For some reason they boarded the cars all first and then the walkers, so by the time we got on the boat there were no places for us to sit.  Finally, one of the crew members helped us find a seat, but asking another family if they could move over.  It worked out fine and the family was quite nice.  But the boarding was nothing less than bizarre.  First they left us standing in the terminal for a long time, then they brought us by bus to a holding room of sorts and then finally just before the boat was scheduled to leave they had us leave that room and walk to the back of the boat and walk up the car ramp onto the boat.  The poor workers all looked a bit befuddled and stressed.  I was speaking to a woman on the boat and she said that she'd never seen the boat so full.

The other ferry experience was that there was a rugby team or the like on the boat.  They were quite near to us when we were waiting in the line.  At that point they were relatively sober, but they were joking around and swearing.  My boys weren't the only little ones watching and hearing this.  Robert was a bit uncertain, sitting safely next to Daddy on the bus with them, but with his thumb firmly in his mouth.  (We have noticed on this trip that a good indication of his comfort level is whether he has thumb in mouth).  By the time we got off the ferry in Dublin (which was much better organized than the port in Wales), the majority of those men were quite drunk and acting it.  As we waited for our luggage, they were joking and began throwing around each other's luggage and jumping on the carousel.  Eventually, one of the gardai (Irish police), went over and escorted one of the men out after he had leapt upon his bag, rode is partway around and rolled off.  Harry was quite impressed and thought them quite funny.  So we talked about how they were drunk and disorderly and what that means.  Add that to one of those conversations that you come away from, wondering just exactly what your child is now thinking.

Our taxi driver, Gerald O'Sullivan (lovely Irish name), was quiet at first and then chatted nicely with us.  He gave Kevin directional advice (which was better than what the Hertz office told us).  We were offered a larger car, but as it wasn't an automatic (which we specifically wanted), we refused.  Our car is plenty big and after asking for a different booster seat (the first was actually broken - I went to move it and the handle came off in my hand), we were on our way.  The boys were good for the ride and Ireland is lovely country.  Kevin and I enjoyed the view for the whole ride, the boys were plugged in at first and then also enjoyed looking out the window.

So we got to meet the Lintons, in whose house we are staying and they treated us to a pizza dinner before they headed off.  Tomorrow evening they will be arriving at our house.  Their house is lovely and big and the boys are enjoying the toys and books here.  We have a view of the water from our bedroom and this morning there were bunnies frolicking in front yard.  One we saw right after arriving.  The boys call bunnies, Mimi (my Mom), because I do and they really seem to appear in our yard or life when I am thinking about my Mom or in a new place or new situation.  So all is well, the bunnies are here.

Speaking of bunnies, who put those ears behind my head?  Here we are with the Lintons at their house!  I hope they find our house as comfortable as we are finding theirs.