Okay, so I’ve actually been back a little over a week, but this Arizona heat is kicking my ass!  I went from beautiful, mild 70 degree weather to temps that are over 115!  As I was swimming with my residents this past week, two of them said they have never experienced sweating while in a swimming pool.  Mind you, the water temp was 98 — no lie — 98!!  So yeah, my brain is a little fried and it seems like Ireland was a lifetime ago.  What an incredible trip!  Please bear with me as I stumble along and try to recount this incredible trip.

I left on Saturday, June 26th and my flight was supposed to leave at 11 in the morning.  Once there, I learned that my flight was delayed two hours.  The agents weren’t sure I would make my connecting flight.  Yipe!  I was really worried about Mom having to fly to Ireland all by herself. Not a way I wanted to start our vacation.  Never fear — I made it with lots of time to spare.  I flew Continental and I love them.  They always feed you and give you great entertainment.  Check out that turkey dog!

Interestingly enough, I flew the exact same plane the whole way.  Once I landed in Newark, I called Mom and asked her which gate we were supposed to be flying out of.  Originally it was C 90.  My plane was flying into gate 94.  All of a sudden she said, “Oh wait!  They’re moving us to gate 94.”  So, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. It was great seeing Mom waiting for me when I got off the plane.   While waiting in the airport, Mom met a really nice gal named Roberta.  She was going on a similar tour and we were actually going to meet up with her group a couple times on the trip. We had to take the obligatory pre-adventure shot.

I was bit apprehensive about taking the same plane to Ireland that I had just flown from Arizona.  I thought maybe the plane might need a rest.  She really wasn’t that big either.  Only two rows with three seats in each row.

Talk about great luck — Mom was on the aisle, I was on the window and we had no one in the center seat.  Once the flight attendants closed the doors, Mom and I did a little high five and started spreading out.  We were super happy!  😀  See the little screen on the back of the seat?  Each of us had our own little TV with super cool movies.  I watched “The Crazies.”  If you haven’t seen it and you like end-of-the-world-outbreak kind of movies — you should see it.  They kept us well fed and we landed at Shannon Airport around 7am on Sunday.

Most folks fly into Dublin and don’t know about Shannon.  It’s the difference between Atlanta’s airport and Asheville’s.  Shannon is super small and easy.

I called our B&B and they gave us the name and number of a great cabbie — Andy.  We arrived at the Ashgrove House around 9am just in time for delicious Irish coffees.  That sure put me in the mood to sleep.

Isn’t it adorable?  Sheila and Frank are the proprietors and their hospitality cannot be beat!

This was our room for the next two days.  Being the awesome daughter that I am, I let Mom sleep in the big bed.  I was just happy to have some place to get horizontal.

I loved the applique on the duvets.

We had our own back entrance which was really nice.

This is what was in the back of the house.  I love the laundry flapping in the wind.  FYI: Our weather was gorgeous!  We only had two days of rain the entire trip.

Each night we slept with our windows open.  We could hear the cattle lowing — it’s just not for Christmas carols.  😀  Anyway, I took a pretty long nap and then Shelia gave Mom and I a ride down to the town center.

We ate at Durty Nelly’s which had pretty good food.

After dinner, we walked back to the B&B.

The pub sits in the shadows of Bunratty Castle.  It was built sometime in the 15th Century and is older than our country.

Mom walking back to the Ashgrove House.

In front of our drive-way.

Once we made it back, we relaxed in the backyard.  At 10:30 at night, it was still broad daylight — Weird!  It took some getting used to.

The following day, we ate a traditional Irish Breakfast.  BTW — I felt like I was eating every 30 minutes on this trip.  The food was delicious and I think I gained 10 lbs on the trip.

I swiped the above picture off the internet, but it looks exactly what we ate the second morning.  The little black looking biscuit is blood pudding.  It really was quite good, but once I knew exactly what it was made of I had a psychological block and couldn’t eat it any more.  I can now empathize with all those picky eaters.  😀  Shelia’s scones were scrumptious and the tea was the best I’ve ever had in my life.  Barry’s.  Mom bought some at a local market to bring back to the states.

The second day was spent lounging in our rooms.  Reading, napping, resting up for the tour.  That night, we met up with everyone on the tour and ate at Gallagher’s.  Such good food!

Okay, now bear with me as I show some of Shelia’s gorgeous flowers.

And finally, meet my favorite character living at the Ashgrove House.

Sydney!  He was new to the family (they only had him for two weeks).

He wouldn’t cooperate for a proper close up.  Such a cutie!

*Be sure to follow Mom’s blog at www.gibbysgirl.com/mamapuff/ Just click on her link right under Chuck’s photography link.*