My last full day in London started out with breakfast in the hotel (it was included in my cost), then I took the tube over to the Waterloo Station to do the London Eye. There was a long line, but it moves fast. This was an experience - a little hard for me to do because I am scared of heights and the capsule is almost completely made of glass, but I enjoyed it (but no need to do it again) and got some good pictures. I decided to skip the Imperial War museum, and headed over to Harrods (this is a tradition, must do whenever I'm in London) for some shopping. I then walked up to Hyde Park where I saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.I took a bus back to the hotel, then found an internet cafe to catch up on emails. I walked back to each of the theatres I'd been to the day before and took pictures of the marquis, stopped at a bookstore for the latest Harry Potter book in paperback, did a little bit of souvenier shopping, and explored Leister Square and Chinatown on my way back to the hotel (in the rain). I bought a smoked ham and mozarella baguette in a store at the Charing Cross Station then went back to the room. Packed up all my things and got ready to leave the next day.
I had arranged to have a taxi pick me up at 8am on the 10th, so I ate breakfast, checked out, and got into my cab to Paddington Station. I made it there in time for the 825am Heathrow Express train to the airport. I was scheduled on the 1150am United flight from Heathrow, through Washington Dulles, back into Orlando at 703pm. I spent some more money in the Duty Free shops before exchanging the remaining Pounds back in to US Dollars. I had another uneventful flight, and was happy to be home. My friends David and Jack were waiting for me as I walked off the plane, and they drove me to their home to pick up my car. This was a great trip, and I was happy to have shared this with my parents. Where will next year take me???
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April 9th & 10th - London
My last full day in London started out with breakfast in the hotel (it was included in my cost), then I took the tube over to the Waterloo Station to do the London Eye. There was a long line, but it moves fast. This was an experience - a little hard for me to do because I am scared of heights and the capsule is almost completely made of glass, but I enjoyed it (but no need to do it again) and got some good pictures. I decided to skip the Imperial War museum, and headed over to Harrods (this is a tradition, must do whenever I'm in London) for some shopping. I then walked up to Hyde Park where I saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.I took a bus back to the hotel, then found an internet cafe to catch up on emails. I walked back to each of the theatres I'd been to the day before and took pictures of the marquis, stopped at a bookstore for the latest Harry Potter book in paperback, did a little bit of souvenier shopping, and explored Leister Square and Chinatown on my way back to the hotel (in the rain). I bought a smoked ham and mozarella baguette in a store at the Charing Cross Station then went back to the room. Packed up all my things and got ready to leave the next day.
I had arranged to have a taxi pick me up at 8am on the 10th, so I ate breakfast, checked out, and got into my cab to Paddington Station. I made it there in time for the 825am Heathrow Express train to the airport. I was scheduled on the 1150am United flight from Heathrow, through Washington Dulles, back into Orlando at 703pm. I spent some more money in the Duty Free shops before exchanging the remaining Pounds back in to US Dollars. I had another uneventful flight, and was happy to be home. My friends David and Jack were waiting for me as I walked off the plane, and they drove me to their home to pick up my car. This was a great trip, and I was happy to have shared this with my parents. Where will next year take me???
I had arranged to have a taxi pick me up at 8am on the 10th, so I ate breakfast, checked out, and got into my cab to Paddington Station. I made it there in time for the 825am Heathrow Express train to the airport. I was scheduled on the 1150am United flight from Heathrow, through Washington Dulles, back into Orlando at 703pm. I spent some more money in the Duty Free shops before exchanging the remaining Pounds back in to US Dollars. I had another uneventful flight, and was happy to be home. My friends David and Jack were waiting for me as I walked off the plane, and they drove me to their home to pick up my car. This was a great trip, and I was happy to have shared this with my parents. Where will next year take me???
April 8th - going our seperate ways - me to London, them to the US
We were picked up by a taxi at 8am on the 8th, and were at the airport at 825am. Mom and Dad were heading from Dublin on United/British Midland to London Heathrow, then on to Washington Dulles. I was going on Aer Lingus to London Heathrow, and then spending a few nights in London before heading back home. We got ourselves checked in, then waited at a coffee bar between gates B & C until it was time for our flights (both scheduled at 1150am, mine out of gate B, theirs out of gate C). We went our separate ways and then met back up at Heathrow for a last goodbye. Off they went back to the States, and after getting my suitcase, and changing some money I was off to London. I had originally planned on taking the Tube into London, but due to a wrong turn on my part ended up taking the Heathrow Express into Paddington Station, then the Tube from there to the Embankment station (using the Yellow line). I was staying right above here at the Thistle Charing Cross. I checked in, even though my room was not ready yet, left my bags and practically ran to the Palace Theatre to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Whistle down the Wind". I made it with 5 minutes to spare and was able to get an orchestra seat for the price of a nose-bleed section seat ($20 GBP). It was a good show - lots of first-timers on the West End Stage. After this ended, I walked over to the Dominion Theatre to see if they had seats available for that nights performance of "We will rock you" based on the music of the band Queen. I got lucky and was able to get one of the "cheap" seats for that night. I then headed back to the hotel to put my things in my room - I was assigned room 896 in the old section of the hotel. I got situated and rested only for a few minutes, then headed back to the Dominion Theatre for the show. That show was AMAZING! If you like Queen's music, this is a don't miss show. I can't wait to see it again (if the theatre had not been dark the next day, I would have seen it again). I stopped into a convience store on my way back to grab a quick bite to eat - I bought a premade dish that required no heating up (pasta with pesto, pine nuts and spinach), and ate it back in the room (I was back at 11pm).
April 5th-7th - Dublin
The 5th of April brought us another good breakfast (I really loved the fresh fruit), and some good conversation with some of the other guests. We checked out, dropped our bags over at the Kilronan House, then went to return the car rental (Dan Dooley has a location on Westland Row), then went sightseeing. We purchased tickets for the Dublin Bus Hop on/Hop off bus (a ticket is good for 24hrs, unlimited use during that period) and went for a ride around the city. We did a full loop to see where we would want to return, then we got off at Trinity College. We saw the Book of Kells, luckily before the groups of international students came in so we weren't rushed or crowded. We walked down to the Tourism Center on Suffolk Street (inside what used to be St Andrews Church), took the Hop on/Hop off bus back to St Stephen's Green which we then walked through to go back to the Kilronan House (about a 15 minute walk). We checked in and were given room 12 (Mom & Dad) and room 15 (me). I was supposed to get a single ensuite room, but was informed that they upgraded me to a double. Very nice rooms. Mom & Dad were in the new section in a room with skylights, while I was in the original section of the house (my room had the toilet/shower in the bathroom but the sink was in the bedroom area). We settled in, had a coffee, relaxed for a little bit, then were off again. We walked back to the St Stephen's Green Hop on/Hop off stop and took it to O'Connell Street. We walked around but most of the stores were already closed. We had made reservations for dinner at the Knightsbridge Bar (at the Arlington Hotel) as they had a show with live music and dancing, and decided to head over there. This show is definately geared towards tourists, but the food was good and the entertainment was enjoyable. We then took a cab back to the Kilronan House.
Thursday started out with some great choices for breakfast, a nice variety. We again got onto the Dublin Bus at the St Stephen's Green stop and headed over to St Patrick's Cathedral. That was breathtaking! The only thing that we thought looked out of place was the gift shop inside (that didn't stop us from buying things though). We then walked over to the Temple Bar district, saw the Liffey River and the Ha' Penny bridge, walked past Trinity College, down to Grafton Street, and then ended up back at the Kilronan House. We got directions from Alex to the Harcourt Launderette and Dry Cleaners where we went to do laundry and were able to get onto the internet at the same time. Dinner was at Kitty's Bistro on Merrion Row (another recommendation from Alex).
We began our last full day in Dublin with breakfast at the B & B and then headed out to the LUAS station (Dublin's state of the art light rail transit system) and took a ride on it - between the St Stephen's Green station and the Sandyford station (roundtrip $3.90EUR per person). We explored the St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, then Mom went to Dublina (an exhibit that portrays life in medieval Dublin), Dad did the Viking Tour of Dublin in a WWII vintage amphibious military vehicle called "Ducks" (http://www.vikingsplashtours.com/), and I looked at the Christchurch Cathedral, then hung out in the lobby of the Jury's Inn Christchurch waiting for my parents. I was able to have a coffee, sit on a comfy couch and stay dry while I waited (there were a few showers during the time I waited). We walked back through the city, ending up in Merrion Square taking pictures of the Oscar Wilde statue (getting caught in a rain storm on our walk). Dinner was at Foley's on Merrion Row, and then we headed back to the Kilronan House to pack up our stuff.
Thursday started out with some great choices for breakfast, a nice variety. We again got onto the Dublin Bus at the St Stephen's Green stop and headed over to St Patrick's Cathedral. That was breathtaking! The only thing that we thought looked out of place was the gift shop inside (that didn't stop us from buying things though). We then walked over to the Temple Bar district, saw the Liffey River and the Ha' Penny bridge, walked past Trinity College, down to Grafton Street, and then ended up back at the Kilronan House. We got directions from Alex to the Harcourt Launderette and Dry Cleaners where we went to do laundry and were able to get onto the internet at the same time. Dinner was at Kitty's Bistro on Merrion Row (another recommendation from Alex).
We began our last full day in Dublin with breakfast at the B & B and then headed out to the LUAS station (Dublin's state of the art light rail transit system) and took a ride on it - between the St Stephen's Green station and the Sandyford station (roundtrip $3.90EUR per person). We explored the St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, then Mom went to Dublina (an exhibit that portrays life in medieval Dublin), Dad did the Viking Tour of Dublin in a WWII vintage amphibious military vehicle called "Ducks" (http://www.vikingsplashtours.com/), and I looked at the Christchurch Cathedral, then hung out in the lobby of the Jury's Inn Christchurch waiting for my parents. I was able to have a coffee, sit on a comfy couch and stay dry while I waited (there were a few showers during the time I waited). We walked back through the city, ending up in Merrion Square taking pictures of the Oscar Wilde statue (getting caught in a rain storm on our walk). Dinner was at Foley's on Merrion Row, and then we headed back to the Kilronan House to pack up our stuff.
April 4th - Avoca, Glendalough and Dublin
Tuesday started out with yet another full irish breakfast (still yummy), then we went to explore the Avoca Wollen Shop. We drove through Avoca - a town made famous by the BBC show "Ballykissangel". I had seen the show before, so it was kind of cool to see where they filmed the series. Our next stop was Glendalough, a Celtic monastic site made famous by St Kevin, with supposedly the best preserved Round Tower in Ireland. We had a guided tour, then had time to walk around on our own. My friends Dorrie & Keith had visited here on their 2004 trip and highly recommended a visit. We had a nice day - lots of sun but still a little chilly. We spent a few hours here, then had to come up with the decision of where to go next. After much debate we decided to head into Dublin a few days early. We figured that way we could see all we wanted to in Dublin and not feel rushed (we originally scheduled 2 nights in Dublin, but now were going to have 4). So off we went. Driving into Dublin was not too bad, except that we couldn't find the turn off for Adelaide Road (where the Kilronan House is located). We drove around and then finally figured out how to turn on to Adelaide Road, and found the Kilronan House. I went in to see if they could let us check in 2 days early. Alex was at the desk and said they could get us in the next night, but they were fully booked for that night. He then called around to a few places to see if he could find us some where for 1 night. He was able to get us into the Number 31 guest house (Leeson Close Street, run by Noel and Deirdre Comer (with dog Homer), www.number31.ie), so off we went. Mom and Dad were given room 17 (on the bottom floor of the building), and I had room 44 (at the very top of the building - I had 5 flights of steps...whew!). We used the door that is on Fitzwilliam Place Street as our main door (down the street from Fitzwilliam Square). We set off to do a little bit of exploring - we walked towards St Stephen's Green, and then down Merrion Row. We decided to have dinner, and settled on The Rubicon restaurant on Merrion Row (good food). We walked a little bit more, then returned to our rooms.
April 2nd & 3rd - Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny, Meeting of the Waters
Another great breakfast started off that Sunday - french toast this time for Mom & I, Dad had the full irish breakfast. We drove thru Tipperary (it was a long way....sorry, had to do that), stopped at the Rock of Cashel, and the priory in the Kells (where the famous "Book of Kells" is from), then chose Kilkenny as our next overnight stop. We found 2 rooms at the Carraig Rua B & B (Dublin Road, run by Una, no direct website) and were given rooms 1 (Mom & Dad), and 3 (me). We walked into the city and had dinner at Breathnach's Steak and Ale House. Alot of the shops were already closed, so we then headed back to the B & B where we did some planning for the next few days.
Monday took us back into Kilkenny after another full Irish breakfast. I left Mom and Dad near Kilkenny Castle, while I went to drop off my digital camera's memory card to transfer the pictures to CD (4.99 Euro per CD). I met back up with them, then we went to explore the Kilkenny Design Center. Mom decided to hang out at the Center while Dad & I went on the guided tour of the Castle ($9.00 EUR for both of us). Beautiful castle and grounds. After the tour, we met back up with Mom and walked back to the B & B to pick up our car (we had been allowed to leave it there for the day even though we had checked out that morning). Off we headed in the general direction of Glendalough. We stopped in Arklow for a pit stop, then at a rocky beach in Wicklow (near the Wicklow Golf course). We couldn't decide where to stay, so we kept on going. We decided to stay at the Meeting of the Waters (County Wicklow) where the Avonmore and Avonberg Rivers meet to form the Avoca River. This spot was also immortalised by Thomas Moore's song "The Meeting of the Waters". We were given rooms 3 & 4 (overlooking the street, and the parking lot where I kept a good eye on the car, just in case), dropped our bags, and headed downstairs to the pub for dinner. This was the worst night's sleep I had, only due to the fact that I was worried about the car. I kept waking up and looking out the window to make sure everything was ok.
Monday took us back into Kilkenny after another full Irish breakfast. I left Mom and Dad near Kilkenny Castle, while I went to drop off my digital camera's memory card to transfer the pictures to CD (4.99 Euro per CD). I met back up with them, then we went to explore the Kilkenny Design Center. Mom decided to hang out at the Center while Dad & I went on the guided tour of the Castle ($9.00 EUR for both of us). Beautiful castle and grounds. After the tour, we met back up with Mom and walked back to the B & B to pick up our car (we had been allowed to leave it there for the day even though we had checked out that morning). Off we headed in the general direction of Glendalough. We stopped in Arklow for a pit stop, then at a rocky beach in Wicklow (near the Wicklow Golf course). We couldn't decide where to stay, so we kept on going. We decided to stay at the Meeting of the Waters (County Wicklow) where the Avonmore and Avonberg Rivers meet to form the Avoca River. This spot was also immortalised by Thomas Moore's song "The Meeting of the Waters". We were given rooms 3 & 4 (overlooking the street, and the parking lot where I kept a good eye on the car, just in case), dropped our bags, and headed downstairs to the pub for dinner. This was the worst night's sleep I had, only due to the fact that I was worried about the car. I kept waking up and looking out the window to make sure everything was ok.
April 1st - Cliffs of Moher & Doolin
April 1st had us checking out of the cottage - we were off once again. We drove to Tarbert, took the ferry over to Killimer and drove on to the Cliffs of Moher. What an amazing view! Extremely windy though. I had intended to try to climb/crawl out to the edge for a crazy picture but chose not to do this because of the wind (it was pushing us around). There is construction going on - they are building a new welcome center. We ended up timing this perfectly - as soon as we got back into the existing welcome center (with the gift shop and cafe), and sat down for a coffee then the skies opened up and it started to pour. We waited it out, then headed out to Doolin. We went to several different B & B's trying to find some rooms for the night - most places didn't even answer the door (not sure if it was because they didn't have room, or if they weren't open for the season yet). We finally found space at the Killilagh House (run by Bridget "Brid" Shannon, http://www.doolin-ireland.com/) and were given rooms 7 & 8. We dropped our things and went out exploring. We drove through Lisdovarna, and The Burren. We saw "The Table" (real name is the Poulnabrone Dolmen) and the .................. ring fort), and then headed back. We parked the car back at the B & B, then walked down the street for dinner. We ate at the restaurant next door to McGann's Pub (don't remember the name) - some interesting dishes, very tasty. We headed then to McGann's for some trad music. We sat at a table with a couple from County Mead who were in Doolin for the weekend. We shared some good "craic", good music and pints of Guinness.
March 30th & 31st - Kinsale, Beara Peninsula and Killarney
Next day brought me my first full Irish breakfast. There was a good variety of food to chose from - fresh juices, cereals, breads, and of course the full Irish breakfast (eggs, white and black blood sausage, regular sausage, and bacon.....can you hear your arteries clogging?). I tried both blood sausages but only liked the white. After checking out we went to explore Charles Fort (a 17th century star shaped fort), and then went on our way to the Beara Peninsula. We stopped for a break in Bantry (had a snack at the Wheelhouse Bar at O'Callahan's/ the Bantry Bay Hotel) before exploring that peninsula. I personally think this was the prettiest area, of course this was also the best day we had weatherwise so that could have helped! We had some rain, but a good chunk of sunshine - we also saw 2 rainbows. Dinner was back at our "home" in Aghadoe.
The last day of March was a lazy day for us.....we decided not to go too far from home. Mom wasn't feeling the best, and I think we were all kind of tired of being in the car for so long. The day was partly sunny, and partly rainy. We all went down to the church in Aghadoe to look around and take some pictures, then Dad & I went into Killarney City to do a little exploring (since I hadn't been here yet), and to find an internet cafe. We ended up going to the library, where we were able to use the internet for a little bit (I think it was 15 minutes) for no charge. Killarney is also where I had my first Bailey's Truffle (WOW! A friend at home had told me about these truffles so I was anxious to try one.....boy, it was amazing!). We went back to the house to relax and do some laundry before going back into Killarney for dinner. We had dinner at O'Riains Pub, and I finally had my first Guinness (yummy). We chose this pub as it advertised "trad" Irish music after 10pm - something we wanted to listen to. Dad went upstairs to check it out, and came right back down explaining that the girl was singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" - not exactly traditional Irish music in our opinion, so we went home.
The last day of March was a lazy day for us.....we decided not to go too far from home. Mom wasn't feeling the best, and I think we were all kind of tired of being in the car for so long. The day was partly sunny, and partly rainy. We all went down to the church in Aghadoe to look around and take some pictures, then Dad & I went into Killarney City to do a little exploring (since I hadn't been here yet), and to find an internet cafe. We ended up going to the library, where we were able to use the internet for a little bit (I think it was 15 minutes) for no charge. Killarney is also where I had my first Bailey's Truffle (WOW! A friend at home had told me about these truffles so I was anxious to try one.....boy, it was amazing!). We went back to the house to relax and do some laundry before going back into Killarney for dinner. We had dinner at O'Riains Pub, and I finally had my first Guinness (yummy). We chose this pub as it advertised "trad" Irish music after 10pm - something we wanted to listen to. Dad went upstairs to check it out, and came right back down explaining that the girl was singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" - not exactly traditional Irish music in our opinion, so we went home.
March 29th - Blarney, Cobh and Kinsale
Wednesday took us to Blarney - taking us longer than normal due to construction and detours along the way. Weather was very cold and windy, less rain, but still not much sun. We walked around the Castle, and then Dad and I climbed the 193 steps to the top. I originally was going to kiss the stone (not that I need help with the gift of gab), but because of the weather (cold and damp) I decided not to. Not too many people here today, and I only saw 2 or 3 people actually kiss the stone. We then headed over to the Blarney Woollen Mills for some shopping and lunch at Christy's Bar. While here, Mom and Dad met author Mike O'Donovan with whom they spent sometime chatting. Mike made some comments that made Dad wonder if some of his ancestry came from Ireland, and Mike stated Dad IS Irish - so was born "Paddy Coleman". We then got back in the car and were off to Cobh. We finally got there (after my navigator "Dad" had us going in the wrong direction) and our first stop was the St Colman's Cathedral. This was beautiful! We were also able to look down over the city of Cobh. We then parked down by the water, and walked around, ending up at the Queenstown Story exhibit at the Cobh Heritage Center. This was quite interesting - not only about the different cruise liner tradegies that affected that area (Titanic and Lusitania), but having to do with immigration to different countries (including the US, Argentina, and Australia). We then headed over to Kinsale - our destination for the evening. It rained on and off all day, and as we pulled into Kinsale it had started to rain again. We opted to stay at the Quayside Bed and Breakfast (overlooking Kinsale Harbor on Pier Rd, run by Mary Cotter, http://euroka.com/quayside) as parking is included. I had room 1 in the front of the house (overlooking the harbor) and Mom and Dad were given room 5 (on the side). We had dinner at the Vintage Restaurant (very good food and atmosphere). We celebrated Paddy's birthday.....this was Dad's first day as an Irishman ("Paddy"). After dinner, it was back to the B & B.
March 27th & 28th - Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry
The 27th of March (Monday) had us driving to Dingle. We drove around the Dingle Peninsula on a cold, rainy, windy, yucky day. The views unfortunately were not great because of the weather. We stopped at the Beehive Huts, and the Gallarus Oratory (had to see this from a far as it was closed), and had lunch in Dingle Town at the Marina Inn. Mom had also requested a try at a pottery wheel, so we stopped at the Louis Mulcahy Pottery shop to fulfill that desire. We looked around the shop - beautiful things, but expensive! Got some pictures of Mom at the wheel, I think she enjoyed it. We headed back home via Tralee, and had a quiet night in (we were tired, and the weather didn't make us want to go back out).
The next day started out a little bit better - there still was very little sun, but there was less rain. This day took us towards the Ring of Kerry. During my research I came across many people who stated that the Dingle Peninsula is better than the Ring of Kerry - I would have to say the opposite but I know that the weather had a hand in that. I wish we had been able to go back to the Dingle Peninsula on a better day, but that will have to wait until the next trip. We saw the Steigue Fort, and the Ogham Stone (near Daniel O'Connell's house, which was closed for refurbishment). Lunch was at the Brod's Bar in Waterville. Amazing views, and I loved the sheep all over the place. We stopped by Tesco again on the way home, had dinner and another quiet evening at home.
The next day started out a little bit better - there still was very little sun, but there was less rain. This day took us towards the Ring of Kerry. During my research I came across many people who stated that the Dingle Peninsula is better than the Ring of Kerry - I would have to say the opposite but I know that the weather had a hand in that. I wish we had been able to go back to the Dingle Peninsula on a better day, but that will have to wait until the next trip. We saw the Steigue Fort, and the Ogham Stone (near Daniel O'Connell's house, which was closed for refurbishment). Lunch was at the Brod's Bar in Waterville. Amazing views, and I loved the sheep all over the place. We stopped by Tesco again on the way home, had dinner and another quiet evening at home.
March 26th - arriving in Ireland
The wake up call came at 6am on the 26th, with a follow up on the TV at 615am, and my cell phone at 630a - I was NOT going to over sleep! I was told before I left that I needed to allow 2-3 hours at Heathrow for the check in process, so off I went to the Aer Lingus conter in Terminal 1. I got there at 730am only to be told that I could not check in for my 1050am flight (EI 375) until 830am at the earliest. I was not happy to know that I could have had an extra hour of sleep and didn't know it (ugh!). Here you have to check in using the kiosk first, then with the agent at the counter. Everything went smoothly, and I was in the gate area by 915am. The plane arrived late, so our departure was delayed until 1130am. Another uneventful flight - I took the opportunity and slept. No problems getting off the plane in Shannon - got my bag quickly, and met my parents in the main area of the airport (they had arrived in Ireland 2 days before). We went over to Dan Dooley and picked up the rental car (a silver 4 door .........................) went with an automatic, and paid for the extra insurance. Off we went---heading back towards Killarney. We stopped in Ardagh (County Limerick) at the Foley's Pub for lunch, then a quick stop at Tesco (grocery store) before going "home".
I had traded my timeshare in (through Interval International) and had booked a 3 bedroom/3 bath self-catering cottage outside of Killarney (in Aghadoe) at the Old Killarney Village (website www.oldkillarneyvillage.com), so this was to be our base for the next week. My parents had checked into the timeshare the day before, and said that the check in process was pretty painless. We were in cottage 32. There were 2 bedrooms (1 room with a double bed, 1 room with 2 twins) on the first floor, with 2 baths (1 ensuite), the kitchen (with laundry facilities and eating area), living room, TV and fireplace. The second floor had 2 twins in the loft area, and 1 double in the room (bathroom ensuite). It will sleep 8 people comfortably. I had the second floor all to myself. This was a great place - it was nice to have a home base where we didn't have to live out of our suitcases. The only thing I think was negative was the options of what to watch on TV. There were only a couple of stations that came in clearly. My dad and I got into watching "Coronation Street" as that was on several times during our stay.
I had traded my timeshare in (through Interval International) and had booked a 3 bedroom/3 bath self-catering cottage outside of Killarney (in Aghadoe) at the Old Killarney Village (website www.oldkillarneyvillage.com), so this was to be our base for the next week. My parents had checked into the timeshare the day before, and said that the check in process was pretty painless. We were in cottage 32. There were 2 bedrooms (1 room with a double bed, 1 room with 2 twins) on the first floor, with 2 baths (1 ensuite), the kitchen (with laundry facilities and eating area), living room, TV and fireplace. The second floor had 2 twins in the loft area, and 1 double in the room (bathroom ensuite). It will sleep 8 people comfortably. I had the second floor all to myself. This was a great place - it was nice to have a home base where we didn't have to live out of our suitcases. The only thing I think was negative was the options of what to watch on TV. There were only a couple of stations that came in clearly. My dad and I got into watching "Coronation Street" as that was on several times during our stay.
Ireland - March 24th-April 10th, 2006
My adventure to Ireland started on the 24th of March, 2006. I left work and dropped my car off at some friends house to save on the parking fees (Thanks David & Jack!). I stayed at the Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport (7550 Augusta National Dr, room 354). I needed to be at the airport early the next day, and this way I was close by and the hotel had a shuttle. I was on the 345am shuttle from the Sheraton to the airport, and ended up being about the 10th person in line at the United ticket counter. The counter opened up a little bit after 4am, and I was the first person to be checked in per a person (and not the kiosk) as I was travelling internationally and my passport needed to be seen. I checked my suitcase, and was off to the gate. I arrived at the gate at 425am. I was traveling on the day flight over to London - with a change of planes in Washington Dulles (UA1558/UA 922) leaving Orlando at 6am, getting into Heathrow at 945pm. I had never travelled on the day flight, always the overnight ones, so this was a new experience for me - I will do this again...the only bad thing is getting up so early. The flight was uneventful, but full. I had requested Low-cal meals and they were quite tasty. I had reserved a room at the Hilton there at Heathrow (connected by a walkway to Terminal 4) using my Hilton points, and was given room 395. There was a sign at the front desk reminding everyone that the time change was happening that evening, so I had to remember to change my watch 1 hour (Spring forward).
Australia - March 24-April 8, 2004
This trip was definately a dream come true. I started dreaming about going to Australia when I fell in love with kangaroos and koola bears when I was about 7 years old.
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