Saturday - October 4, 3 pm

3 days and counting down! Refrigerator is getting pretty empty. I wanted to make a note of all the obstacles we've encountered in the last month, so I don't forget any of them. We are going on Tuesday come hell or literally high water <g> Except I gotta' wonder if there's a message here.

1. Icelandic volcano affecting European airports
2. a plane from Washington DC to near east encountered problems. Never heard more about that so I guess it went away
3, ISIS
4. Ebola
5. Fire in Chicago airport (we aren't going there but still...) affecting all flights in country
6. German and French pilot strike which could have affected airport functioning. All resolved!!
7. Found out European automatic machines only use chip/pin credit cards (railroads, métro...) Thought that one was resolved: 2nd day expedited cards. Someone screwed up and they sent the same magnetic strip cards we already had. By then - down to 2 working days. To send chip card, they would have had to cancel our original card entirely. What if it didn't get here? We'll make do with old-fashioned go to a bank and withdraw cash. What a concept...
8. Polio virus released into environment in Belgium by pharmaceutical firm. Fortunately we are both vaccinated. Hope it still holds valid!
9. 12 inches of rain inundates southern France near Montpelier Monday - just southwest of where we will be traveling. Most of the time we will spend in mountainous hills. We both have raincoats - just no rubber duckies. If the water is that deep, we'll just have to stay inside and eat/drink. Brian says that's all we do when we travel anyhow. He could be very right <grin>
10. Reservations made in Paris at lovely B&B in 18th arrondissement (not too far from the CDG airport, on the 9th floor (elevator and terrace included). Harder time in Nice (where we leave France from). Finally a lovely vacancy at Eden Cap, up on a hill. I took the time to write my reply all in French and got a lovely French reply saying if I would give her the time the train will arrive from Avignon, she will pick us up. Isn't that 'gentil'? (French for gracious :)
11. Problems with tenant in Gunnison. Management company is on top of it. May have new tenants when we return.

Furniture all moved back into its winter place today. Gathering things we don't want to forget, like passports and camera. All accounts are as current as I can make them before we go, so if we get delayed somehow, returning (or Mike says 'quarantined') no worries here at least. Garden is frozen (30 degrees last night) except for two flower pots and parsley. Interesting what is hardy. Gathered my zinnia and marigold seeds for next year. And house cleaning! Family tradition - leave a clean house. If you don't make it back...

Sorry for the length - didn't want to forget anything :) J

La Belle France - here we come! Bonjour :)

Greetings! One week plus 2 days until we board an airplane headed for Paris, France to spend a day, and then TGV (fast train - train de grand vitesse) to Avignon and the Rhône wine valley. Mike says I'm taking him on a wine trip - to southern France :) Guess that's about right.

Plans are not as complicated the second major trip. We have the backpack and small suitcases we used before- which worked perfectly. The weather is much like it is here, with temps maybe 5 degrees warmer. The clothes we took before (layers) worked very well for us in Ireland. Except for taking more short-sleeved shirts, we will probably do the same.

Stay tuned!

Home for over a week...

Monday - May 10th. So, we've been home for 10 days. Last week almost a blur - with so many things to get done. 6th Grade days, groceries, clothes, sort and sort and sort pictures, and write narrative so we don't forget everything.

Shared some of the story with Roberta and Ron Hagen last Friday. Didn't show pictures, forgot to take her a cross or bring along the map to show where we went. They've not been there. Ron asked if we would recommend people stay in the castle just for the experience. Wasn't an easy answer -- but in the end, we both said yes, it was definitely something to experience. I wonder what the falconry activity was like? I'll never know - no doubt I would have been disappointed. Don't actually get to play with the birds - most likely a talk or something.

Having an Irish Night @ Mullin House on Friday of this week. Irish libations, snacks (as much Irish as we can come up with: soda bread, Irish cheese, Irish nachos (I know - American Irish, but still), and pictures and stories. Invited anyone we thought might be interested, including library folks. Will be interesting to see who comes. Joan and Mike and Mary Redlin, for sure. That will be grand!

Chicago O'Hare

Well, it's all the fault of the leprechaun I bought this morning. Snow, really? Says freezing rain on the weather screen. AA flight 1987 canceled due to weather. Many others also. United apparently is still flying - wer're on 597 @ 8:30 tonight, God willing & the leprechaun is done being mischievous :(. I did it, cannot tell a lie about city.

Airport is filled to their brim it feels like. Sure wish we could have gotten stuck in a friendlier place. Personnel are getting kind as' tetchy.

And now it's11 o'clock, we're @ Brian and Jill's - darned leprechaun! Flight finally left at 9 p.m.  We were supposed to be underway @ 3. The good news is we did not have to spend the night in Chicago airport :-)  More tomorrow.

Dublin airport

1 security 1 VAT refund kiosk 1small shop to buy cardsd, 1 shop to replace M's mug which broke @ car rental :( couldn't find same darn. I wanted one too). Then customs - neither customs agent nor we knew who pix next to prez. Good we don't have to take citizenship exam :-). Then second security same as first. You all should be very proud of me! Not even wanded. Old lady ya' know. M wanded once. Very polite - lots of smiles - Irish courtesy. Many USA flights delayed. Flight 93 still shows on time. 11/2 hr layover in Chicago. Hope enough. Coming home... :-)

OMG

It took us longer to get to the Dublin airport from 'burbs than the drive from Wexford. VERY long story. We have arrived safely at long last @the Carlton near the long term car park. Wow the buses. It is definitely a night to find the bar! Fortunately not far from the lift. Highlights of the day: a stone circle in a field of sheep, and nettles of some sort. I touched w/ one finger untying gate rope, M brushed his arm retying. So many villages w/ 20 chemists (only slight exaggeration) and we never saw another until serious rush hour traffic. Will be fine; slight blister to start w/ then itching. Will maybe want benadryl when we reach mpls. 2nd high spot -Russhough House - vol au vent & cappuccinos for a break. Never got a pix of the Guinness keg delivery truck , but I think everything else - including 1000 transits . Even rode in 1 to hotel, Mimi! How different the roads east to west coast and how much more assertive M is after driving for 8days :-) Says might be difficult to adjust to right side again. M checking flights for tomorrow now. Poor soul has spent eves copying pix & then Blogger locked up on him - lost 2 posts. Said he would bring laptop next time. I can so relate. Me & nexus have love/hate relationship too :( DRINKY TIME!

Wed eve

We covered a bit of ground today. West coast back to east. Stayed away from cities for most part. Lovely stories about Fl after breakfast - host couple winters there. Her grandmother's advice in emergency "fill the tub". We've been filling our water bottles every day, just in case.

2 hours in locals pub tonight visiting w/ the 'publican'. Delightful - reminded us so much of Jay - reads and hears a lot - interesting ideas thoughts.  Tried local cider - Bulmers I think. We passed the brewery (?) earlier today. PBS on tv Ken Burns 'West' ironic... Talk ran the gamut of guns, Irish language, law, sports (none of the games on TV the last week were Irish teams), famine & immigration (saw 'famine' boat as we came into New Ross - tiny. Apparently they do reenactments on it - too tired to go back down.) Mind full off lots of things - will take awhile to process. Sorting suitcases tonight 3/4s full of dirty clothes. Have to work purchases in. Mike sweater, hat, Kells tie, sippy cup, Jan pashmina shawl w/ shamrocks, AND 12 Celtic crosses! (Among other things...)

That's it for tonight. More tomorrow...