Amenities

Céad míle fáilte romhat!*

A hundred thousand welcomes to you!

Ok... let's get something straight right here. I like to have certain amenities when I travel. If I have to make some concessions to enjoy those, so be it. (Though making too many concessions is not my cup of tea!)

There... perfect seque into the topic.

I can't be too long without my tea. Now, as we're traveling to Ireland, this should not be too difficult... I hope! I seem to have a cuppa at hand throughout most of the day, evening, and into the night. Since saying farewell to Coca Cola, back in Nov. of 2004 (?) I've become quite addicted to tea. These days, stateside, it's not hard to pick up a fresh cuppa as the day wears on if you're on the road. There's always a Starbucks or a Starbucks Wannabee somewhere, even in the smallest towns. If things get really bad, they even serve hot tea (pretty bad, mind you) at McDonald's. I'm fortunate in that I don't require the latest Chai flavors. I'm a pretty straightforward, black tea drinker, preferring English / Irish breakfast, with cream (that's cream, not milk - a bow to my low-carb lifestyle). The only "concession" I make as the day wears on is that I switch, sometime early after lunch, to decaf. Something about sleep appleals to me. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what we find on our travels and how often I will be able to get my required cuppa as the days and miles move on. They have opened a few Starbucks in Dublin, but that's as far as they've gotten. The B&Bs we've looked at often have tea/coffee in the individual rooms and there will always be tea at breakfast. Kinda makes me think about taking a thermos and making a big pot each a.m. for the day's journey!

Many of the B&Bs don't have TVs in the rooms, which is quite alright. I'll get my news fix from papers or radio. I did talk John into purchasing (thanks again, eBay) an am/fm/shortwave radio for the trip. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'll be anxious to see it when it does. Long days on the road and an avoidance of too much Irish nighttime driving will have us back into our rooms before too late of an evening. Hence the need for certain amenities to enjoy while we're rinsing out all that laundry and making notes in our travel journal and planning the next day's excursion. So, we're taking one of our CD walkman things. I purchased some tiny little speakers to give us joint sound. (Another eBay find!) They are amazing and have pretty darned good sound for a tiny plastic thing. Fold up into the palm of your hand! We're making copies of our favorite CDs so the "at home" collection will remain in tact. Now, of course, all this will necessitate constant battery supplies. We've purchased a dual voltage battery recharger and just need to stock up on a few extra batteries so the supply never runs out. We'll also have to get into the habit of charging batteries when we get settled into new rooms.

I also purchased one of those immersion water heating things that heats the water right in your cup. We're not taking cups, so mugs will go on the shopping list for that initial "gotta get what we didn't want to carry" shopping trip. Along with mugs will go something along the lines of a dishpan. (One can aggitate laundry while in the shower, you know!) I'm sure I'll have to trouble getting tea and some sort of non-dairy creamer to keep me supplied when in the quiet of our rooms.

I'm not taking an iron... too much weight and a few wrinkles never hurt anyone... plus there's that aforementioned polyester thing. If all else fails, there's the old college trick of putting your clothes between the mattress and box springs!

We have our travel clock and now our travel music / news appliances. Can't go without a hairdryer, but that's the tiniest thing I've ever seen! Really can't go without my curling iron. (Which, mind you, can get rid of a clothing wrinkle in a true pinch!)

Camera batteries will have to be recharged regularly, too. I have two for my good camera and might consider picking up a third. I do have concerns about so many pictures taking up so much space on flashcards. I have been known to take several hundred pictures in an outing, just hoping that at least one will be the remarkable shot. Unfortunately, I will only have the little screen on the back of the camera to check those things. I have thought about getting some sort of apparatus to download pictures and store them, but the only one that didn't cost an absolute fortune didn't have a good cnet review. (Gotta trust cnet as much as depend on ebay!) So...this remains a puzzlement. I have wondered about taking a flashcard reader and whether or not I could upload photos in an internet cafe to some photo storage site like shutterfly.... it's a thought, but not a fully developed one. Otherwise, it's lots and lots of flashcards and being ruthless in looking over the day's shots each evening and deleting the ones that look "fuzzy". Maybe a good magnifying glass is called for here! Who knows? Surely not me!

Anyway.... amenities are important. When I traveled for Head Start, I kept a little framed picture of Alex and one of John with me on each trip. They resided weekly on various bedside tables and made me feel a little more "at home". Those little things do help create a "home" when you are away from home. For that reason, we'll have our amenities with us. No laptop, however. We'll take advantage of B&Bs with internet access and the ever-present Internet Cafes. Hence the reason for this blog and it's affording us the opportunity to both journal and "keep in touch".

Now, of course, all those amenities mean we will have to be diligent about not leaving things behind. Wonderful John has already started the "check before you go" list and we'll have that close at hand each time we start to pack up and head on down the road.

So... if you've gotten advance notice of this blog and are reading while we're still in the "prep" stage, what amenities would you put on your "don't leave home without it" list?

More to come....

Dawn

* /cade meelah foyle-ta row-ott/

Who knew?

Who knew there were SO many things one had to think about before packing for a trip like this? Or that there were so many "travel accessories"..... Not me! And... that there are so many online shopping sites that will help you do it, their way!

It's a different world we live in than the one that sent me off on that 2001 adventure with Kerry. Seven weeks after we returned from our love-fest with Ireland, the world turned upside down with the 9/11 incidents. In these last five years, travel has become more strict (and rightly so) and more concentrated. We've gone from not being able to carry anything on a plane to a more relaxed effort today. What we have learned in reading is that airlines are more strict about the size and weight of your luggage and are VERY strict about the size, weight and contents of your carry-ons. And so... the adventure begins!

WARNING: THIS COULD BE A VERY BORDING POST!

Fortunately, the Aer Lingus site has information specific to size and weight of both checked luggage and carry-ons. So, John and I jotted notes and began the search for sturdy, lightweight luggage. We checked stores and websites and finally settled on a couple of TravelPro bags. Initially we thought we'd look into a 26" bag and a 22" inch bag, but after looking at 22" bags (which seemed TINY), we settled on two 26" bags. While this may be more space than we need initially, it does afford us the opportunity to bring stuff home for all our friends and family. (This is not a promise of anything, folks!) TravelPro luggage is quite expensive. You pay for that sturdy lightweight stuff, you know. Thank God for eBay. (What did we do before eBay? I can't remember... .I must have blocked it all as trauma!) Found a great supplier of new, in-box TravelPro luggage and ordered two pieces for a fraction of what they would cost new in a store or an online source. (Thanks, scoobygoodboy!) We're now set with two pieces.... of course, we have to hope and pray that they will BOTH fit into the trunk of the Hertz rental we'll get. (Kerry and I learned last time that large bags take up the bulk of space in those tiny rentals. I had always told myself that two small bags would be better than one large bag on the "next" trip, but now that the next trip is here and I still only have two hands, I can only pull so much luggage... .so, it's two large bags and that's the final say on that!)

I accidently ordered TWO carryons when I was ordering one for John from Sierra Trading Post. (If you haven't shopped there, check it out because they have incredible prices on stuff, many at 70% off other retailers!) So... now we have two large black suitcases and two very nice black (Eagle Creek, no less!) carry-ons. Sounds like things are getting a little "dark" here.... We'll have to do something to distinguish our luggage and carryons from each other's AND from the world at large! I think I'll refrain from the puff-paint squiggles suggestion that I read on some travel website. Just doesn't seem fittin' of our age!

Now... we've got the outside of packing taken care of... Time to tackle the inside. I have discovered the world of Pack-it cubes and pack-it folders. I do like a little something more sturdy and organized than my typical world of everything in zip-loc bags. It does make sense to keep your stuff organized when you'll be living out of a suitcase for 2+ weeks. The prices for those things range all over the place, but I did find good prices on sets at www.magellans.com and www.containerstore.com . Amazingly enough, The Container Store (a favorite of niece Julie) has tons of great stuff for travel. Who knew? So... between those places and Gander Mountain (our local adventure store) we have a nice assortment of things to keep our suitcases organized. I bought a pack-it folder yesterday and am anxious to see how it does with pants and shirts and things one doesn't plan to "roll up".

Now... we also have to deal with the issue of doing laundry on the road. Laundromats are available, but not plentiful, according to what we've read. I am not at all interested in the idea of dropping off my laundry in the morning and picking it up in the late afternoon. Sorry.... i'm picky that way, especially when I'm taking as little as possible and can't afford to have to "buy new" in Ireland or wear stuff that's shrunk beyond reason. (What would that do for American diplomacy to see high water pants roaming the Irish countryside?) So.... we've gotten a few aides (like the stretchy clothesline that doesn't require clothespins) and we've been doing some laundry "practice" to decide what to take. I'm not crazy about these polyester pants, but they dry in a flash and don't wrinkle so it looks like they're going. My jeans are fairly lightweight and dry quickly as well and since we have no idea what the weather will be like (though pleasant and about like here, with little sunshine -- sounds very familiar) so we're planning on layering. Boy, have long johns come a long way!

Weight and space... weight and space... those are the two things that keep running through my mind. I have amazed John by packing all my makeup into a little bag that is 5" x 3" x 2.5". Actually, I've amazed myself! Of course, it's nice to have all those little bags that pile up courtesy of Estee Lauder and Clinique, plus the sample sizes of stuff. Those samples should last a good two weeks!

Who knew you could buy disposable underwear? NOT me! I was amazed when I saw that in the catalogs. And, suffice it to say, we are NOT going that direction. We're sticking with the quick wash / fast dry stuff... taking three pair each. Now, there's a thought... "The Three Pair Ireland Tour" ????? Nah... not catchy enough! Or, maybe a little TOO catchy!

Now, I'm on the hunt for the perfect boots / shoes to wear on this trip. We've been reading a LOT about white sport shoes being the equivalent of giant neon signs that say "TOURIST"! Isn't that the strangest thing? Anyway, I did buy a pair of Reebok walkers, but haven't taken the time to break them in. I love my Cole Haan suede boots, but am not sure whether or not they are waterproof. They are so comfortable and have sturdy soles. I did buy some waterproofing spray on stuff and will most likely try that out. I had originally thought about wearing my hiking boots, but they are so heavy and can really weigh you down after an all day wearing. Besides they are QUITE unattractive.

Are you bored yet? I warned you in the beginning!

I found a great pair of leather, waterproof Cole Haan boots on ebay and got scooped in the last minute of the auction. Grrrrrrr.... Have purchased another pair and hope to see what they're like when they arrive in the mail this week. I bought a pair from Sierra Trading ... a pair of Rocksport, but they're a little big and feel kind of clunky. Who knows, they might be my very first ebay SALE!

And so... the clothing / packing / (and apparently) shopping adventures continue! Stay tuned for whatever amazing things come up next in the "who knew" category!

Slainte!

Dawn

FYI: Slainte (pronounced slawnchuh) is Irish Gaelic for "to your health"

Naming the tour!

Well... as I mentioned in my last post, all great adventures and tours need a great name. As John and I have been reading and reading and reading about Ireland, we've set our minds to thinking.

In all those great posters you've seen of the "Doors of Dublin" .... well, we've noted that in the Georgian architecture part of Dublin, the fame comes from the unique and magnificent door knobs and door knockers. Now, we've joked that we might call this the "Knobs and Knockers Tour".... Hmm... that doesn't sound very nice, but it is worth a chuckle! So... maybe you (dear, reader) can help us think of a great name for this adventure!

We're open to suggestions... but reserve the right to final decisions. (Tee hee hee)

.... Dawn

From Dream to Reality

Well, we've finally done it. John (my darling husband) and I have made reservations and are heading to Ireland in the very near future... in five weeks, we'll be there.

In the meantime, we've decided to set up a blog to capture the planning and prep for the big trip across the pond. To say we are excited is a gross understatement. To say there is much that must be done before we go is an even grosser (perhaps not a real word, but it really fits!) understatement.

A little history: In July, 2001, my niece (the lovely Kerry) and I went to Ireland for a week to celebrate her graduation from college and my graduation from just about everything else in life. It was an adventure of the highest order.... as she called it, The Pubs and Lads Tour. Now... to be quite honest here, we went to a couple of pubs and we met a couple of lads (including a couple from right here in dear ol' Indiana!), but that was about the extent of it. However, great tours and great adventures deserve great titles, yes? YES! We laughed and talked and drove and saw the sights for a very active and funfilled week. We got home totally exhausted (and turned around and headed to San Antonio for the last great All-Curlee Family Adventure trip), but at that moment, I knew I had to return to Ireland. Never had I stepped foot in place that made me feel more at home. I had gotten off a trans-Atlantic flights, gotten into a rental car I wasn't sure I knew how to drive, survived my first round-a-bout and headed out on the Irish highways (more like alleys here) and headed for the west coast of Ireland. Now, exhausted, cold, damp, confused, a wee bit lost, and did I mention TIRED, I stepped onto the Cliffs of Moher and I knew, without a doubt, I had come HOME. If Ireland doesn't grab your heart, you haven't got one! And so... to make a long story a little less long, I started saving for a return trip to Ireland.

In the intervening years, I've acquired a new husband (the aforementioned wonderful man) and we've had on again / off again thoughts of making this trip. Over the last 2 years we've discussed it and life just never seemed to afford us the time to make the leap and make the plans. This year, I was determined, with thoughts of April as a very good time to go (not as crowded and before the price jumps of "high season"). And so, I started actually reading, instead of deleting, those Tourism Ireland emails that come on a weekly basis. There was one that talked about Aer Lingus fare sales. Hmm... sale is one of my favorite words, so it seemed like fate. As I read through the info I realized that these fares were so much better for the month of March. Now, put the words "better" and "sale" into one sentence and this MidLifeDiva wakes up! We talked dates, we talked to our bosses, we talked to our staff and we started thinking very seriously. And we kept checking the fares. One way, $120 was an incredible price. As we kept searching dates, the $120 turned to $130 and at times $165 and then $245 and WHOA.... time to get serious as every second seemed to be costing us money that could better be spent elsewhere.

A plan of "two weeks" in Ireland turned into a little more.... actually 15 days, when we got down to the nitty gritty of purchasing tickets and looking for the cheapest flights. Truthfully, this was all fate once again as it worked out perfectly for us to fly into Dublin, spend a few days there, then pick up the rental car and head out for two weeks "on the road". And so... that's exactly what we're doing. We leave stateside on March 9, arrive in Dublin on March 10, spend three days in Dublin without a car (who wants to drive in Dublin? Not me... that's what taxis are for, right?), then pick up the car in Dublin (okay... I will have to drive IN Dublin just long enough to get OUT of Dublin!) and head for points unknown.

And so... there you have it.... We're heading for the Emerald Isle and all that goes with it.

Stay tuned.... More later!

Dawn