Loaded

Our shuttle, the Paddy Wagon was coming for us at 5:10 am, but we were in the lobby by 5. The guy at reception wanted us to wait upstairs, but the chairs were much more comfortable downstairs by the front door. At 5:10 on the button, the doorbell rang, the reception guy ran down to unlock the door, but it was bread delivery for the restaurant. 

By 5:20, I was getting nervous when the reception guy tells me sometimes the shuttle just does not show up. He added that they quit services over the Christmas holidays, never informing the hotel. Great! Just great! They did show and we did get to the airport on time, but they only go as far as the parking lot. You are on your own from there to walk the rest of the way.

Strangely, we did not have our passports stamped leaving Ireland, but we did going in. They did stamp us coming into Hungary. There were no munchkins returning with us. They must have found their pot of gold.

I made a good book haul with the 3 for 2 offers and special sales with some books that I had not known existed, some by authors I had never heard of before, but they sounded interesting. 

Authors I have read and enjoyed, I have added these books:

Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci

Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

The Chosen One by Sam Bourne

New authors and titles include:

Tender Morsels: A Work of Genius by Marco Lanacan

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall

A Gate to the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Darkhouse by Alex Barclay

This will keep me in reading material at least until the end of October.  

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Mondays Are for Animals

Not all Insomnia coffee shops are created equal. Some are little cafes, while the one today is a bar in a smaller Spar store. The muffins are not very fresh either. With all of the coffee I had drunk in this country, I cannot say I had a good espresso drink yet. Some places even use the same brands they do in Budapest, but the quality of the drink is not close to being as tasty. The water perhaps? Maybe their need a better filtering system of the Liffey? It has been doing a great job for the beer though.

Decisions, Decisions…we had to decide how we were going to get to the airport tomorrow morning. Our IrishRail package included round-trip tickets on public transport, but we need to be at the airport by 6 am. The buses don’t start up early enough. With that in mind, since we could not use the first portion, we took our tickets to the bus office. Ron, who perpetually looks innocent, told the young lady we needed a refund since we could not use the tickets. Technically this was a true statement. What he did not say was that when we arrived, we tried shoving these tickets into the validator, but since it was the wrong bus and had made so many attempts the driver told us to forget it and sit down. After she went off to ask someone one who may or may not have known more than she did, she forked over a twenty Euro note.

Still back to decisions, decisions how to get to the airport. Option 1: take a taxi for twenty-five to thirty Euros. I have nothing against taxi drivers; I drove a taxi for 2 years in Jamestown, NY. BUT, I really hate shelling out money needlessly. Option 2: take the first bus for 5.50 and hope we get to the airport before the check-in closes. Too chancy! There are security and Passport Control counters to pass. Never know how long the lines will be. Option 3: take the Paddy Wagon. Yes, we decided on option 3 for 4.50 Euros each.

With that weight off of our backs, we used the Hop On – Hop Off bus for city transportation. By now, we could have given the commentary ourselves. We went all the way to the 20th stop, which was the zoo in the park. With Ron’s Silver Surfer card, we received 2 for 1 admission saving 15 Euros. Really it only saved us 12 Euros due to a senior concession. Dublin Zoo was opened in 1831, still not huge, but really a magnificent place for animals if they have to be kept in a zoo environment. There were a number of different animals one would expect, but were not here. Those they did have, they had a good number of, like four rhinos that we spotted. We spent almost the entire day watching the animals, but sometimes more fun was watching the children react to the animals.

Before the day passed us by, I wanted to check some computer stores for MS Office 2010. It would have been easier to buy it here than have someone bring it to me from the US. I had concerns that here it would be British English, but they said it was changeable. The cost, however, was exorbitant. I can get a multiple computer license in the US for about 70% of the selling price here. However, although we found a number of bookstores with offers for cheaper books, Waterstones had their usual buy 2 get 1 free offers. With some quick calculations, already knowing the prices and discounts offered elsewhere, this was a better bargain.  We came home with 9 new books, 6 of which were newly on my list as of this trip. I hope they are worth the lugging home.

For the first time this trip, we went back to the hotel for a rest, but that only lasted less than an hour. We went out for dinner, but for a change we went to an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant, but getting there at 8 pm when they close at ten was not the best move. There was an apparent slowness in refilling the trays that were empty, but eventually they did.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a lovely old-fashioned looking pub with a young staff. We were 2 of the 4 people in the place and that continued until we left an hour later. I hope it survives the downturn.

It sounds kind of pathetic, but on the way back to the hotel, we bought Cheddar cheese, a rare or expensive commodity in Hungary. At either the Tesco or the specialty cheese shops, it will run about $10 a ½ pound.  We had it for snacks a couple of days, since we miss it so much. 

This was the end of our mini-vacation.

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No Hopping for These Guys

What to do on a rainy Sunday in Dublin… Our package deal with IrishRail included two-day tickets for the green as opposed to the red Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tours. I often wonder if the name of those tour buses is discriminatory for those who are physically challenged. However, I have yet to see anyone taking the name to heart. I have never seen anyone actually try to hop entering or exiting the vehicle. Either way, we sat up top in the open air letting the mist and raindrop flutter through our hair as we traveled the speed of a crippled dog.

We did the entire loop of twenty-three points of interest in 1 ½ hours, but still did not do any hopping yet. What I find interesting, yet disappointing are the Sunday hours of museums. Is it because this is a Catholic country that museums do not open until 1 or 2 pm on Sunday? Do the attendants need that time for church, get home have that full Irish breakfast, change, and then get to work? Even I know Saturday night masses can count for the points a Catholic needs to tally up for a Sunday obligation. They are going to be closed all day on Monday like most museums worldwide. It would make more sense to open early, close early.

Continuing on the bus, we did get off, sorry, no hopping was involved, but we were close to the National Gallery of Ireland on Merrion Square West. This art museum houses over 7,000 pieces. I cannot say it was in deference to our time constraints, but over one floor was closed off for renovations. Admission is free and we were short on time, so it worked in our favor. We were able to see the highlights of what interested us.

In the interest of time, we were able to walk to the Irish National Museum of Antiquities. We had been here on our last trip, but it seemed the same issue as this time. Museums are open 2-5 pm on Sundays, causing a mad dash as Monday is a no-go. I don’t get enough time in this museum, but it is actually four museums at four different locations. I really need a day for each. Look, look, look, digest the visual overload, look, look, look, leave to nap and return again. Admission is free.

There was still time to fit in one more museum, a unique one; unique due to the subject and because they are open until 6 pm. The National Leprechaun Museum was on my watch list. Okay, I admit I have a carry-over from childhood when the marketing to youth included “Be the first on your block to…”  I am certain we are the first and probably only ever on our block to visit this museum. It was not focused toward children as much as one would expect, though they do have a charming end to the guided and self-guided tours. It is obvious they put a great deal of thought, energy, research, and workmanship into making this as enchanting as it is. Never did catch that evasive leprechaun though.

Dinner was in the Temple Bar area. We learned on our tour that Temple was a provost at Trinity. He and his family lived in this district. bar in Irish means ‘close to the river’ (Barra an Teampaill). There are no associations with bar and pub, though there are plenty of pubs in the Temple Bar area, but there are also shops, restaurants, and residences. Using Ron’s Silver Surfer card, we went to the Turk’s Head for another 2 for 1 dinner. A lively pub atmosphere when we arrived at about 7 pm turned into a ghost place by 8:30 pm. Maybe we missed the second shift.

To work off dinner, we did a bit of shopping, not much mind you. We only have carry-on luggage and a backpack that can carry another forty pounds, but that is reserved for books. I found a funny sweatshirt that made me guffaw out loud, something rare these days. It has “I swear to drunk, I am not God.” Had to buy it. Off by tram to Ryan’s Pub, the only place we have found that had Galway Hooker on tap or at all actually. One of the genealogy research places shows that my original family name hailed from a tribe in Galway. I must have needed to get to my roots. If you go to the Galway Hooker website, read the first page carefully. It is funny, not really adult rated.

If WiFi access were not 6.95 Euros an hour, I would have thought to check their website for other places that sold it. Darn!

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Kinsale by the Sea

Allowing ourselves to sleep in until 8:30 was a rare treat. Breakfast was included in this hotel stay; we could fortify our bodies for an endurance test in shopping with some sightseeing added in. In addition to a standard buffet including choices of cereals, pastries, and juices, another option was for a full ‘traditional’ Irish breakfast.

It is a wonder the Irish don’t have a short life expectancy. The full deal is an egg, bacon, and a slice of ham, sausage links, black and white pudding, sautéed mushrooms, and a half a fried tomato. Sounded good to me for a once a vacation meal, but I could not do it every day. Before accepting the black and white pudding, being of a suspicious nature, I questioned the ingredients. From the waitresses description it sounded like they used the results of a pig’s D & C (Dilation and Curettage) for the main ingredients. I love the cryptic names these types of foods are labeled with: black and white pudding, head cheese, chitterlings, Rocky Mountain oysters, haggis, scrapple (Bet this one really makes board game companies angry).

Of course, being with Mr. Map (A.K.A. If I don’t have a map in my hand, I am not a happy camper), a stop at the tourism office is a mandate. At the hotel we picked up a copy of “What to do in Kinsale”. Second on the list of our things to do right after book shopping were the ferret races that is espoused in the booklet. It has been a full lifetime since I have been to a ferret race, so this was a ‘must see’. Wouldn’t you know it? “They discontinued them a year ago and never updated the booklet. They said something about having problems finding suitable jockeys.

I had forgotten how much fun it was to browse whole bookstores where ninety-nine percent of the books were in English and new at the same time. There are no used bookstores in this little town. I had also forgotten how expensive new books were. My trick was to write down the name and author of all books that looked interesting, which were not on any list I previously created. When we return to Dublin, I can check the other bookstores for second hand copies or sales.

At one point along a road through a residential section, Ron wanted to climb a lengthy flight of stairs between two homes, leading to an upper road. He took the high road and l took the low road, but hey, that is Scottish, not Irish. Anyway, the homes I passed has some themes like the Mermaids Haven and the Red Apple Place. Imagine the way the exterior was decorated based on their names and then imagine being their neighbors.
Eventually, Mr. Map and I found each other and went to an exhibition of craftspeople from around the county. Porcelain, glass, fiber, wood, crafts of all materials were used to create glamorous and stunning pieces of art: both functional and non-functional. Across the street, we visited an old church and graveyard dating back to the 14th century. I should look so good.

Two coffee stops were needed to warm up from the damp cold air from the sea when the sunshine was not doing its best at warming, but also for a save the back rest. Lunch was at Cucina (motto “Eat, Drink and Sleepover”), a delicious lunch at bargain prices, highly recommended for the next time you are in Kinsale. Our IrishRail person picked us up at 5 pm to drive us the fifty minutes to Cork to catch the 6:55 pm train back to Dublin.

Ryan’s pub shouted out our names when we returned; it is so very close to the train station, but the ride was close to 3 hours and we were encumbered with carry-on suitcases. Another time Ryan, I will remember your name. Did I happen to mention that President Clinton made a stop here? He drank, but never swallowed.

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Green, Green, Everywhere Green

Rain, sun, sprinkles of rain, sun, rain rain, sun, all in the first hour of our morning, but it continued like this all day.My umbrella was up and down, up and down. It was like an old man who had used an out-of-date dose of Viagra.

Our hotel was booked by Rail Ireland as part of the rail tour we will be taking with them tomorrow, but this gave us two nights in Dublin to settle in before getting up at 7 am to catch the train. The train station is two blocks away, a hop, skip, and a jump even with suitcases. We only travel with a carry-on bag each and I have my computer backpack for my 2 pound netbook and another 2 pounds of camera and equipment.

Breakfast at the hotel was going for 15 Euros additional, making it an easy choice to look elsewhere for our caffeine fix. We found a coffee place in the Spar stores called Insomnia. Their special was a choice of any coffee or tea drink along with any muffin, scone, log roll, or other sweet for 3.50 Euros. Having spent two summer vacations in Edinburgh, I catch myself thinking in British Pounds not Euros, sending chills up my spine when I see the cost of things. Then I realize, it is Euros, which is not as bad. Still, the cost of things here are expensive enough in Euros, let alone BP. For all of the economic depression Charlie and the hotel staff have mentioned, it has not hit the restaurant industry for sure. Looking at menus along the way, food is still expensive.

We were here in October/November 2001 when Ireland, but Dublin in particular was one of the richest countries and cities in Europe. Much of their money was made in computers. Apple, Microsoft, Dell, and others have European headquarters here. Prosperity was green for sure, but came in the many colors of the Euro bills also. Since then, multiple of ten times thousands have lost their jobs, not only in the computer industry, but others as well. Personal or professional space in Dublin was difficult to find and if you could was on par or greater than NYC for rents. In spite of the cost of everything, the city was alive. Restaurants, pubs, and stores were overflowing with tourists, even in the autumn months.

The changes in the economy are tangible. There is a feeling in the air, like a 21st century potato famine. It is difficult to miss visually as well with “For sale” and “For rent” signs everywhere. Office buildings are vacant. Rents are being offered for 15 Euro a square meter. People are being paid to stand on pedestrian streets holding advertising signs for services of businesses down side streets, which may otherwise be overlooked. Our hotel advertises their 'Rack' rate on the door as 175 Euros per person a night. Through IrishRail Tours we are paying 99 Euros a night for both of us. Certainly, even without IrishRail, bargains are to be had everywhere just to fill rooms. The rate signs were holdovers from better days.

The day was spent just walking exploring the different areas. Since we have been here before so it was a 'get our bearings' journey. The city is no stranger to us, but there are parts we had not had proper introductions to yet. One such place was St. Stephen’s Green, which was new for us, but we only walked the inside periphery. The expanse of the park is twenty-two acres. One of the tourism people gave us the names of three used book stores. This made up our next three stops. Not buying a thing, I did make notes of titles that jumped out at me. So many did so, I felt like a victim of a lynching. We have 48 hour Hop On-Hop Off bus ticket, but it is 2 consecutive days. Leaving for our tour tomorrow, it is prudent to wait until we return to use it to the max.

The pub that Charlie recommended we all attend last night is called Ryan’s and it is just a ½ block from our hotel. We went there for a pint where I discovered Galway Hooker beer. This is my new favorite beer. Ron ate at the pub, but not being hungry yet, I skipped it. We walked to the train station, a few blocks from our hotel to get a visual for tomorrow’s excursion. The fast food place appealed, so I settled for a portion of curry fries for my dinner, but we had to return  to Ryan’s for a nightcap of that great beer. When we return from our tour, we will be on the other side of the city, making this less convenient to get to.

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Going for the Green

Thinking ahead, there have never been any redeeming factors for having a Malev’s frequent flier program membership. In the past, they always seemed to either lose my points or mysteriously disappear after three months without warning or explanation; however, Ron's remained intact most of the time. To question them, I always had to visit their office to adjust it in person. Too much hassle. One quick Google search showed Malev as now being a member of the One World Alliance. Opps! We don’t have any memberships with any of those airlines. Best options were American or British Airlines. American seemed the most logical, but we have not flown either for over fifteen years. With a couple of keystrokes, we each were instantly American Airlines members with virtual cards. A quick screenshot of them pasting them into a document, I had them printed out for an airport presentation. This flight is 3 hours, over 1,ooo miles, a trip too good to miss out on miles.

There was not a single empty seat on the plane, meaning Ron and I had to sit in different aisles. Initially, we were two rows apart. I would have shared my row with two youngsters until they mother asked me to change seats. That put me one row ahead of Ron, a wee bit closer, not ht that we had any conversation stored for the flight. Good thing too. There were over twenty unaccompanied children or twenty-some little people on their way to an International Little People convention, we were never quite sure of their category. Regardless of their status, the little munchkins were on their way to the Emerald Isle. Even at baggage claim in Dublin there was no supervising adult hovering over these children with worried looks. There was no news of any orphanages in Hungary reporting a great escape. I wanted to give them my number in case they did find Oz. I would pay for their map and directions. I guess we should have hopped on their shuttle marked Yellow Brick Road Express, but we were too busy looking for our provided ride by Irish Rail.

Our escort was supposed to be wearing a bright yellow jacket. As we left Passport Control and then Customs, there was a small mob of anxious people waiting for loved ones or those they were commissioned to temporarily love and transport for a short time. Those looking for strangers had signs announcing who they were there to retrieve. No one had our names. There was a grandpa looking man with a yellow rain jacket, but he was busy speaking to a young woman, who we presumed was his arriving daughter. His hands were to his sides, one with a briefcase. 

Calling IrishRail was useless. They close at 5:00 pm. We walked back and forth and forth and back, but no one bore our name on any sign or signal to alert our attention. Elder man never left, though his young female companion had dismissed him minutes earlier. We finally approached him asking if he were from IrishRail. At this he turned around and showed us the logo on the back of his jacket; like this was intuitive for us to check him out front and back. There was no indication on the front of the jacket. Later when he gave us our documents, I noticed a sign with our names on it that never made it out of his briefcase. He claimed he thought the jacket would be enough. Hey Charlie! News flash…it does not work.

Charlie is how we referred to him; we never did catch his name, but he could not remember ours either. He was to transport us to our hotel. Transport was public bus with tickets provided by IrishRail, but due to our late arrival, the bus we needed had its last run for the night. An alternate bus did not accept our tickets,  only took us part of the way, but then we had to take a tram the rest of the ride, purchasing our own tram tickets. We did not arrive at the hotel until close to 11:00 pm. Charlie kind of hinted we should join him at the pub near the hotel when I had asked about pubs being open. That was hours earlier it seemed and my interest had waned significantly. 

IrishRail booked us into the Ashling Hotel for two nights. As it turned out it was a Best Western, better than any I have remembered in the past and the service was exceptional. To celebrate Ireland, we had a pint in the lounge, deciding for forfeit dinner. Malev only provided a sandwich as a meal, but we were too tired by this point to hunt out places. Pubs would be closing soon, making pub food scarce. 

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Éirinn go Brách

We are leaving on a jet plane, sadly we know when we will be back again. If you recognize the title or realize it is the Gaelic version of Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever), that is where we are headed. Off to the Emerald Isle for a week's vacation, we will start in Dublin. 

In today's Tourism Review, there was an article about the dire state that Irish pubs are facing due to lack of tourism. They cannot keep their doors open with fewer bar hoppers coming in to get a wee bit of Irish in their bloodstream. Locals are finding they can save two-thirds the cost of booze by buying it in the grocery store. This must distinguish the social drunks from the hardcore 'I just need to get drunk' drunks.


The Irish pub owners can count on us to do our bit for the economy and have a pint or two, but we will spread our euros out here and there. We will be in Dublin for only a couple of nights, Cork one or two, and then somewhere else. Needless to say, Ron planned the trip, not I. The Irish Travel Association along with the Irish Rail have a number or packages, allowing me to comment on at least one as we venture forth.


As usual, the whole trip will be documented on my handy-dandy 2 pound netbook computer. I don't leave home without it. However, the postings may lag behind the times depending in the availability of Internet access. As spoiled as I have become here in Budapest, where WiFi is everywhere and free, I do hear from guests many complaints about other parts of Europe and the US really having fallen by the wayside of the Internet highway in this regard. So know as soon as I am able, the posts will be a comm'in your way. 


We return on the 24th, a short trip, but as the Irish proverb goes "Is deas an rud an beagán ach é a dhéanamh go maith." 
Little is best if well done.

"The legend goes that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. I was thinking... that must be hard to put all the tiny seatbelts on all the snakes."
-- Ellen

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Luck of the Irish and Some Foot Stomping

After thinking about having a summer vacation last year, the long "To Do" list this summer with fall teaching immediately following, I had to put my foot down. There had to be some R & R (rest and relaxation) for R & R (Ryan and Ron). R the elder is doing his annual trek to Denver and a little town in Iowa that no one has heard of outside of Cedar Rapids. Though he is visiting family, he does claim there are fun times involved. Personally, I love his family, but there is no family in the world I could handle for longer than 3 days including the days of arrival and departure. 


Having been a staunch supporter of equal rights for decades, I demanded petitioned and then threatened to have a fun time this summer also. Foot firmly planted after putting my foot down, we booked a week in Dublin for August. Hunting for a cheap airfare is like looking for an udder on a bull, but we finally found one. The key is being flexible with dates, but we had to fit it in between guests coming and going.


The last time and only time we were in Dublin was 2001. We loved it then, taking some side trips to Tara and other locales. Then we also spent a week in Galway, equally enchanting. Other day trips are on the list this time. I am not mailing anything this go around. The last time, I mailed myself souvenirs I did not want to carry, but they never arrived. 


Dublin, making the thought of the summer vacation ending, bearable. 

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Language Issues and a Good-Bye

I am having language issues with Google and the blog. Each time I start a search in Google or any other search engine, it defaults to Hungarian. The same with this blog. This started happening about a month ago and I don't know why. I checked my language preferences in Google every time I open it and change it to English. Firefox is in English in the tools section and has not changed. Internet Explorer is in English and that has not changed either. This is maddening, having to change each time I use it. I have cleaned the caches more than once and then did the changes yet again. There don't seem to be any new solutions that I can find when searching, so if anyone has any ideas, PLEASE... As we get closer to the end of October, we are coming to the end of SkyEurope airline's visibility in Hungary. As of November 1st, they will no longer fly into or out of Budapest. It is disheartening when an airline stops flying from your local airport, reducing the number of destination options. They flew to 23 cities from here and though some of those routes may be picked up by the force that drove them out, Wizz Airlines, not all of them will be covered. We had used SkyEurope often to go to Paris and Amsterdam. The fares were usually a bit lower than the competition. They will be missed. On the bright side, in October and then in November, Ryanair has started service from Budapest to Dublin and then Glasgow. Two places we cannot afford to visit often due to the state of the dollar. Of course when we went to Edinburgh in August, there were no budget airlines flying from here to there and to combine flights would have cost more than we spent on KLM. Maybe next summer.

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Nieces Leave

The ladies leave Edinburgh today for Dublin. Their luggage arrived this morning and both of their bags were soaking wet inside and out. All of their dry clean clothes were ruined and some color ran, so white shorts were now tie-died. Writing this in retrospect, I have no idea what we did today, though I do remember hanging out at the hostel with them while they ran the rest of their clothes in the dryer. They wanted food, and Pizza Hut food was the order of the day. They finally took off for the airport at 2:00 pm and we did something. When I download the pictures, I might be able to say what it was.

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