Winter Wonderland

As expected, traveling has proven challenging and nerve wrecking, but Ireland has been an overall success. So, I left at lunch time last Thursday with a funny feeling that things were going to go wrong, and the feeling was pretty accurate. On the very first train we went no more than twenty minutes and had to stop because the tracks were snowy or something. I was delighted to see two bunnies and a quail scratching around outside my train window, so I took that as a sign of good luck. I have a strong tendency to meet awesome people when I travel, and on this day they were particularly amazing. The first fellow I met was tall with a pony tail, wearing a long jacket. I learned that he’s a computer guy who likes to collect samurai swords and go to Renaissance festivals. He was eccentric but very polite and translated the German announcements for me. He was going to meet his father for the first time, even though he’s over 30. He said he was excited but nervous, but seemed really calm considering. On the next train I sat beside a guy who plays the didgeridoo in a band. He was also very nice and helpful with the German I didn’t understand. I made it to Hamburg and found that my next train would also be delayed, so I started to worry a little, but kept it all in check. I sat beside a really nice lady and her daughter on the train to Frankfurt and man am I glad I met her, she totally took care of me. She helped me find out how I could get to the airport and when I’d be getting there. I was happy to have a plan, but it wasn’t long until that train had problems too and we were once again delayed. I heard something about trouble with the breaks that they magically fixed…I decided not to think too hard about that and just hoped that I’d make it in time to catch my flight to Ireland. The lady who had been so nice went to the bathroom and happened upon another lady who was taking the same flight as me. She was pretty freaked out and had been calling the airline to tell them that the trains were having trouble. A nice man who had become involved in my dilemma called the airline too just to say that I also needed to catch that flight. I joined the lady and her son when we got to Frankfurt and we raced to the other train to the airport. Of course, this train was late too. By the time we got to the airport it was 8:00, and our flight was meant to leave at 8:15. I was just sure I’d have to stay in a hostel or something and rebook my flight, but we tried to make it to the gate anyway. We ran as fast as we could and by the grace of God, they had delayed the flight and we made it and even had to wait a while at the gate. I absolutely could not believe my luck, especially because I met such lovely, helpful people along the way. I sat beside yet another interesting man on the plane who told me ghost stories and anecdotes of Ireland. When I finally made it into Dublin, I was beat but thrilled to have made it. Denise eagerly awaited my arrival at the airport and rewarded my traveling efforts with a huge hug. We took a bus into Dublin, settled into a hostel, and saw a bit of the city. I must say, Dublin is really nice. It doesn’t feel enormous and overwhelming like many big cities. The streets are wide and pedestrian friendly and gorgeous Christmas decorations were all over the place. After a hot whiskey drink with Denise’s friends, we made it to the hostel and got some much needed rest. The next morning we spent the majority of our time waiting for Kelsey at the airport. She had some trouble with her bag so she took forever to come out to meet us, which of course worried me to death, but we finally found her. Her bag didn’t find us until the next Tuesday, but in true Kelsey style, she didn’t complain. We had a nice time walking around Dublin together that evening, but she was also quite exhausted by the evening so we went to bed pretty early.


The next morning was Christmas Eve so we got up early and took a train to Denise’s home town of Ennis. The bus drive from the train was spectacular, a ride through a true winter wonderland. Because strange weather follows me everywhere, Ireland has experienced its first bad ice storm in years. It’s made everything pretty, but the roads have been treacherous. The buses were still running though, so we made it to Denise’s aunties’ house. Her aunts, Annette and Helen, have been extremely welcoming since the moment we arrived. They settled us in and made a traditional Irish fry for our breakfast. We had sausage, black pudding, fried ham, and toast. It was filling and delicious, great way to start the holiday. Denise’s cousins and uncle stopped by soon after and all decorated the Christmas tree together. Later Denise, Kelsey, and I walked into town and met several of Denise’s friends. A few of them even performed an acoustic gig at a café that was surprisingly good. That night we went to our first Catholic Christmas mass because Denise’s friend was directing the music. It was a kids’ service and ended up being insanely crowded. Kelsey and I kinda hid ourselves away in the back so we couldn’t see much, but Denise said the kids were terribly behaved and ended up tearing off the wing of an angel statue and kept eating the hay in the Nativity scene. It was definitely an experience, but was made all the better when Denise and her friend humorously bashed the service and the priest who led it. The Irish are very quick witted, especially when they’re passing judgment. Kelsey and I were in stitches of laughter all the way home.

Christmas morning was complete with cute little presents in stockings from Denise and her aunts and a huge Christmas lunch. We had turkey, ham, dressing, carrots, and fried potatoes, followed by a warm figgy pudding. It was familiar and delicious, and really felt like Christmas. We had hoped to visit a neighbor that evening but the ice froze any hopes of leaving the house. We happily watched movies and a funny Irish show called “Father Ted” and cuddled up on the couch next to the fire. It was pleasant just to be in the house and pick up on the funny Irish phrases. They like to say “Go away” (pronounced go aweee) in when someone says something shocking, I guess we say “Get outta town.” They also like to say “Your man” when describing any man. I like that one. Sadly, they don’t actually say “Top of the morning to ye,” but they do say ye instead of ya’ll. It’s an adorable country.

Anyhow, the day after Christmas is a big celebration here too. It’s called St. Stephen’s Day and it’s rooted in the church for a guy who was the first martyr, but as far as I can tell, it’s just an excuse to prolong the holidays. People usually go out to the pubs and since the roads had cleared a little by the evening, we went out in town that night and met more of Denise’s friends. Ennis feels a lot like downtown Athens, lots of stores and pubs with the young folk running around everywhere. It was energetic and fun, I liked it.

The next day we finally made it to the countryside and saw Denise’s aunt, uncle, and cousins. They were welcoming, like all Irish seem to be, and gave us yummy tea and cake. I’d call them simple, good hearted country folk just like all of us. They kept us laughing and smiling. As you’ve probably gathered, Ireland feels a lot like home, more that Germany at least. The language factor helps tremendously, but the family interactions are more familiar too. I guess having Kelsey here also makes it feel more normal, so it’s been refreshing.

The next day the three of us set out to a town called Gallway and explored a bit. It was a cute town so we walked around a lot and did a little shopping. We made some tasty chicken curry in the hostel that night and then met up with our friend Marc Dwyre from camp. Ireland feels much more like a small town than a small country, everybody knows everybody. I didn’t think I’d ever see Dwyre again after camp, but low and behold, we chatted over my first authentic Guinness. He and his girlfriend were good fun and we had a lot of laughs. The next morning we headed out of the town pretty early because it was rainy and yucky. We went into town once to get some coffee that afternoon, but other than that we cuddled up inside and tried to stay warm.

So today was a pretty huge adventure. We got up early and marched to the bus station, excited to see the famous Cliffs of Moher. The drive up was nice and pretty short. We figured it would be cold, but I don’t think I knew the true definition of cold until today. Our walk up to the best view of the cliffs was unreal, wind blowing a billion miles an hour in our faces, snow and other wet stuff stingy our skin, and puddles of slush rendering our toes useless. We snapped a few pictures and then paid way too much for coffee as we warmed up at the tourist center. Well, this is where the story just gets sad. We had to wait a while for the bus, and like idiots, we lost track of time. We walked outside right at 1:15 only to see our bus drive away. Oh were we upset. We found another bus and the driver said he could get us to a town where we could change buses and get home. On the up side, that bus took a different path down and it was gorgeous. We saw a lot more of the traditional countryside that you always see in movies. We went alongside the sea for a while and passed countless farms with cute ponies and sheep. When we finally got to the town where we needed to stop I was both sleepy and car sick, but the heart stopping wind took care of that fast. We found the bus stop and waited a full thirty minutes until the next bus came. Kelsey and I tried to think of a time we’d been colder in our lives, but neither of us could. The moist, brisk wind robbed all of our heat and our wet shoes made our feet ache. Bluh. So the bus finally came to get us, and naturally, it stopped just moments after it started. The driver said that there were problems and a technician was coming to fix the problem but it should be fast. Well, turns out that was a total lie. Other passengers told us that before we got on the bus a man had been yelling at his wife and actually hitting her, something about her being pregnant. The driver had actually called the police and they came on the bus and escorted the man off. Luckily he didn’t resist and we finally got started again. Denise’s aunt picked us up at the bus station and took us straight to the Chinese restaurant where we could grab our take out. We got home and devoured the food, and I’m currently sitting near the fire, still trying to warm up.

We’ve all decided that our bad luck today is a good thing; we’re getting it out of the way so everything will go smoothly in Paris. We’ll finish packing tonight and will grab a taxi at 4:40 in the morning to the airport. Our boarding passes are printed and we’ve called our hotel and received the directions to get there from the airport, so I guess we’re as ready as we can be. We’ve not planned every single day, but we know the main things we want to check out. We’re not tired of each other yet and we’ve made it through some hurdles already, so I think we’re a strong traveling team. Denise and I have enjoyed rehashing our camp experience and Kelsey and I can still make each other laugh with stupid jokes, so I couldn’t be happier. It’s refreshing to be around such strong and lovely individuals who I admire so much. We’ve had fun even during the down time when the ice made us house bound. They’re getting to know each other pretty well too, and luckily they seem to like each other a lot. Ah, how blessed we are. Keep praying for us, we’ve still got lots more to do and see and will still need a hedge of protection. We’ll be really lucky if none of us get sick after the cold day, but so far so good. So, more stories and adventures to come. Wow, New Years in Paris, I can’t believe it! Love and miss you all. Thanks for putting up with us being gone for the holidays, know that we thought of you plenty, and get ready to read more stories and adventures!