Safely home in Eugene. Felt great to sleep in my own bed with my pillow & blankets. And real AC. ("AC" in the UK & Ireland left a lot to be desired.) Got 2 big hugs from Reyn. Maybe I should go away more often? Stoy says he can finally relax because I'm home. The pugs - well they just wondered if I had anything to eat.
The almost 11 hour flight from Dublin to San Francisco was not bad at all. I love having the TV screen in the seat in front of you - except when a strapping Irish lad leans his seat all the way back into your lap. Watched a bunch of movies - DL found "My Life In Ruins" about a Greek/American ex-pat in Greece leading tours. Hilarious, especially given what we'd just gone through. Our flight attendant was CUTE. Dazzling smile - I didn't even get his name. We kept asking him for tea. ;-) We were on time so had ample time in SFO to collect our bags & get over to United to check in for the final leg of our journey to Eugene. BL & Stoy were there at Mahlon Sweet Airport & looked so happy to see us. Stoy brought his camera. BL brought us COLD bottled water. So thoughtful! Now I'll fill y'all in on stuff I forgot, wanted to forget & just random musings...
AIRPORTS:
- DL got frisked at every airport - except for the last one. I asked her what she had on that might be triggering the detector. Her watch! She took that off & voila! She made it through, but I didn't. I forgot to take off my zippered jacket. It was hysterical. I haven't been felt up like that in public since...high school?
- When we went through customs in SFO I used my tried & true technique. I smile my best & brightest smile at the agent & ask them how their day is going. He very nicely told us we needed to fill out our declarations card & directed us to a counter to do it. DL was about done with airports by then & quickly marked no on all the questions about food brought into the country. Upon clearing customs , we had to wait for our luggage to go over to United to check them in. Our backpacks were on the ground & the cutest beagle sniffer dog kept coming by & nosing DL's pack. Turns out she had this small stick of beef jerky - bought in Ireland - that she didn't declare. Yes, D, there was a box to mark for bringing cured meats into the country. The TSA agent with the cute beagle had NO sense of humor whatsoever. He made a red mark on DL's customs card. After getting our bags I was directed to the right. DL had to go to the left & through more screening. At least they didn't rifle through her suitcase when she told them she got nabbed for the piece of beef jerky. Or so we thought. Upon getting home, DL discovered that "Notorious B.I.G." had indeed been rifled through having been left a note inside her suitcase.
- In Dublin's airport they made us put our umbrellas in the security bins & the agents had to open them up & inspect them. I don't remember hearing about umbrellas being weapons of mass destruction.
- Once you get through security in Dublin Airport they funnel you through a shoppers paradise. DL & I still had Euros burning holes in our wallets so we shopped. It's amazing all the things they can make with Guinness or Bailey's.
- We didn't get a stamp in our passports from Scotland. I'm so disappointed.
- Don't assume all hotels have lifts (elevators) they don't. Our last hotel in Dublin, the Clarion at the airport put us on the ground floor - one floor below the reception area. We found the stairs down but no elevator. There was no way DL would get her suitcase down there without someone getting hurt. Turns out there's a dumbwaiter for luggage - but you have to get the hotel staff to work it. Not the greatest system. Still better than the alternative.
- AC in the UK & Ireland is not the same as ours. It's not cold. It doesn't really blow very hard. AC is open windows - except pubs are open till 0300 & people carry on till all hours. Thank God for iPods.
- Most hotel workers are from France it seems. They have as much difficulty understanding us as we have them. Lots of restaurant workers are also French.
- A store called a bookseller only sells books. No magazines. No CD's. No coffee. Just books.
- Great deals are to be had at local coffee cafes. A hot drink & a danish or sandwich for about 3-4 Euros.
- Food in Ireland was amazing, away from the really touristy areas. Just a 1/2 block from the Brooks Hotel was the Hairy Lemon Cafe & Bar. That place was hopping day & night. The tomatoes were so flavorful. My mouth is watering just thinking of them. All the produce was farm fresh & beautiful. DL loved the cheeses. All those sheep & cows are being put to good use. Our worst meal was at a famous fish & chips shop on O'Connell Street Upper called Beshoff's. Greasy, no flavor except for the grease & bones in my fish. Rude counter help too.
- I loved the salmon in Scotland. DL found it too "fishy." I'm a fisherman's daughter so fishy doesn't bother me at all.
- Scottish shortbread is really good.
- Grocery stores charge you for plastic bags. Ireland is a very "green" country. They are big on recycling - with bins on street corners to sort your recyclables. Very nice!
- Had a couple of run ins with the surly Muslim shop keeper down the street from our hotel in Edinburgh. I had trouble with the GB pounds - especially their stupid coins. My first encounter with him was like something out of a Seinfeld episode. I was fumbling with my coins & he was there rolling his eyes. The next time I went in I was prepared. I wanted to buy a newspaper. 65 p. No big deal. I pay him & leave satisfied that I didn't look like an idiot that time. He chases me down the street to tell me I gave him a worthless coin. I said really, what is it? He said he didn't know. (It was 5 Euros folks. ) So I dig in my purse & come up with 10 p which he took with a huff & no offer to give me the change I had coming. Okay, so I am an idiot, but I never went back to his store.
- Weird occurrence: while at the Apex Waterloo in Edinburgh we never had a newspaper delivered to our door. Saturday morning we did. I glanced at the front page & saw a picture of one of my favorite movies, P.S. I Love You. I told DL I wanted to keep the paper. While I was waiting for her to get ready I looked more closely at it. It said there was a voucher for a free book on page 20. Indeed there it was, a coupon for P.S. I Love You only good at McColls, only on Saturday, only in Scotland. While we were out & about we kept our eyes open for the store & never saw it. I told DL to go back to the hotel to rest. I was going to check at the mall a block from our hotel for that store. It was there. I expected to find a book store, but it was more like a 7-11. I half expected them to say the books were all gone, but they cheerfully handed one to me from behind the counter. That's when I had my second fateful encounter with surly Muslim man because I wanted DL to have a book too. I made it back just as they were closing & got DL her book. Don't you love free stuff? Okay, so the weird part is I had called the front desk to ask if they had anymore newspapers left. I was informed that they do not carry that paper nor drop them on the floor in front of guests rooms. Ooooo.
- Trains run on time. They're clean. People take their dogs on them. The stations don't have enough places for people to sit while waiting. You have to pay to use the toilets (in the station.) No smoking on trains or buses either.
- Buses - the city ones - don't run so much on time. In Stirling, Scotland, our driver stopped to get himself a soda. Really.
- Take a steam train ride sometime. The smoke comes inside when you go into tunnels, but there's something very romantic/nostalgic about the sounds it makes over the tracks & the whistle.
- Signage in both countries is terrible. It took us a while to figure out the street signs are posted up on buildings not poles. They like changing the names of streets after intersections. Confusing.
- The Irish are extremely friendly & helpful. Whenever we stopped & pulled out a map a local would come over & ask if we needed help. Not so much in Scotland, but we were in Edinburgh mainly & it's a very big city.
- Irish men are very charming & flirty. :-)
- A lot of young men in Scotland wore kilts. ;-D
- Instead of saying "thanks" a lot of people said "cheers."
- Instead of saying "you're welcome" we heard "no worries."
- When we visited Stirling Castle DL got us free tickets. A gentleman outside the castle stopped her & asked if she & I were going to go in. She was on guard. He said he was a resident & bought 2 admission tickets but didn't have to so he gave them to her. Nice!
- DL got a lot of appreciative looks from locals & tourists alike. Being short I was able to watch without being obvious. The only time I got stared at was by a woman in a mall who stared at me so long & hard I got uncomfortable. What the? Ha ha.
- Does everyone abroad smoke? Seriously. Thank goodness they have banned smoking indoors.
- Remind her to leave the "medium" suitcase at home. Remind her about dragging that thing on buses & trains in Scotland.
- Tell her to lay out the clothes she wants to take & pack 1/2 of them.
- Make sure there's a coffee maker in your hotel room. She NEEDS that cup of java in the AM. Really.
- Know that you will not be lost when you're with her. She has a fantastic sense of direction.
- Have FUN. She's a great travel companion & I'm so blessed to have shared this amazing experience with her.
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