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| Goodbye, Ireland. Thanks for welcoming us and for being so beautiful! |
We’d decided to prepare the post after we arrived in Dublin for the night. This was an excellent way to keep the morning free to finish last-minute packing, organizing, and putting things back in their place in the house.
When we move into a new property, we often move some of the furniture to suit our needs. We make every effort to move everything back to its original location before leaving, which we did this morning.
Eileen, our thoughtful owner, stopped by to say goodbye. It was a pleasure working with her for the past three months. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to have been hosted by excellent property owners and managers, and, of course, we’ve made every effort to be good guests.
Currently, we’re in Dublin. On our way, we stopped in Oughterard for Tom’s teeth cleaning appointment. Previously, we’d made an appointment for me to do the same but decided to wait a little longer before having any dental work.
The total 3½ hour drive was seamless using “Maps” using the SIM card on my phone, which got us here without a hitch. Once we arrived in Dublin, there were many turns and roundabouts, but somehow we never made an error. I often wonder why “she’ll” suddenly say, “Make a U-turn” when we’re on the freeway, and there’s no need for a U-turn. Go figure.
We’d decided to stay overnight in a lower-cost hotel close to the Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport. The rates were reasonable compared to many other nearby options, and after seeing our room, we were satisfied with the amenities and cleanliness, including free Wi-Fi and breakfast.
This hotel doesn’t serve meals other than the included breakfast. Next door is a Crown Plaza with a decent restaurant, according to reviews online. The main dining room is being renovated. We’ll dine in the bar. Tom walked next door and brought back a menu to ensure there would be suitable options for me. There were a few.
I’ll have plenty of food options once we board the ship on Sunday. Their chefs always accommodate my dietary needs with enthusiast and precise care, often making beautiful meals the other guests at our shared table drool over.
It will be nice to have someone else doing the cooking for a while. After 15 months of Tom or I cooking and the three months in Ireland, I’m looking forward to the usual good food and service.
Tomorrow morning, we’ll use the hotel’s shuttle to get to the airport. At the moment, Tom is dropping off the rental car, hoping to get a ride back to the hotel. Tonight, we’ll walk to the restaurant next door, and although my walking is still sketchy, it’s a relatively short distance.
How am I feeling? Tapering off the heart medications is taking its toll on me. It could be several more weeks until I begin to feel the benefit of being off the dangerous drugs with many side effects, including being on the drugs and getting off of them.
But at least for now, I can keep my head up and eyes open during the day. I’ve gone several days without a nap and have slept through the past three nights, a significant improvement.
Like many of us seniors, a good night’s sleep is an elusive thing. Six good hours without awakening seems to do wonders. Tom sleeps even less, getting up at the crack of dawn and going to bed late. I don’t know how he does it.
Well, folks, that’s it for our last post from Ireland. Tomorrow, late afternoon, we’ll write a short post from Amsterdam. Our hotel room is situated overlooking the canal. Photos should be good.
Happy day to all!
Photo from one year ago today, August 8, 2018:
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| Dad and his offspring posing for a photo we’d taken on a drive in Marloth Park. For more photos, please click here. |