May 22 (Wednesday) - Checkin And Resting (Daily Diary)
Overlooking the Grand Canal in Dublin's city centre, the hotel was less than two kilometers from St. Stephen's Green and Grafton Street. The Charlemont tram stop is a two-minute walk, providing easy access to sights, shops, concerts, and sporting events.
Arrival In Dublin In The Early Hours And Getting Our Car
Dublin had a beautiful airport.
The airport was easy to navigate since they had Gaelic signs everywhere! English is the most widely spoken language, with over 80% of the population using it as their first language. Irish is the official first language of the country and is spoken by a little over 40% of the population. Polish is the third most common language, spoken by over 3% of the population.
Before getting the car, I exchanged currency at the store near the car pickup. Mary got bags from the airplane. Mary has hidden talents! She and the other five bags came toward the currency exchange area. My Girl Friday does a wonderful job.
Standing in line, I almost yelled, "Over here Friday, and hurry it up!" But common sense and my desire for self-preservation kicked in, and I refrained from such a self-destructive outburst.
Hurry up! (I whispered it!)
Mary can do anything!
Making Our Way To The Hotel With The Rental Car
I must admit I was a bit scared as Mary was driving, not because of her but because we had to drive on the wrong side of the road. We spent about an hour driving 33 minutes because we were getting used to the street signage and missed several off ramps/turns.
As expected, Mary adapted and did an EXCELLENT job. I felt safe and secure since I was locked in the trunk, wrapped in fireproof blankets, hugging my fire extinguisher and first aid kit, having my cell phone speed dial settings ready to call the police and local hospital, and strapped to the floor with a five-point racing car harness.
We found a spot to park underground and unloaded it in preparation for going to the room. All eighteen bags surrounded the car, and this lovely lady came over and said hello in Galic. I responded with, "Dia duit ann. Nílimid ach ar cuairt ar feadh cúpla lá. Thug Mary a cnuasach culaith leis." After being slapped a few times, she offered to help us.
OK, here is the truth: we only had five bags. The lady grabbed two and went to the lobby. She then came back and got the last big bag. Mary and I soon followed, hoping she wasn't a homeless person making off with our clothes. With our carry-ons in tow, after Mary repacked hers after "the big cable search," we headed to the lobby.
We asked the front desk person who this masked hero/homeless person was, and it turned out it was the hotel's General Manager!! Wow, talk about service. We are going to write Hilton about her helping us.
Check in was smooth!
First things first, we found the lounge!
A cup of coffee and our nerves were back on track!
We were on the 4th floor with a scenic view of the next-door hotel. Oh well, we just wanted to take our pills and have a drink—well deserved, I might add. We had a better room reserved, but it was not ready. We didn't care; we needed to freshen up after thirty-six hours of traveling. I was eyeing the firehose outside but decided to wait another ten minutes.
After freshening up (and changing my underwear after Mr. Toad's Wild Ride), we went downstairs to the Bistro. We enjoyed a mouthwatering pastrami sandwich paired with a delightful glass of wine. And to top it off, I indulged in a refreshing whiskey sour.
When we returned to our room, I was exhausted. I decided to take a relaxing shower before climbing into bed, hoping to sleep straight through until Thursday morning. To my dismay, I woke up at 7:00 pm feeling wide awake and ready for action.We studied the local brochures. Mary took a shower, and we went downstairs for something to eat and a libation. You know what they say, "Nuair atá tú in Éirinn, déan mar a dhéanann na hÉireannaigh!"
Settling In
We went downstairs for dinner and met some nice folks from Ireland and Venezuela!
Cheers!
Mary struck up a conversation with one of the new friends.
Very nice people.
We were dead tired so around midnight, we crashed!
One of the guys was German and a medical professional!
