Eire! My Eire!

Well, I've finally slowed down enough to go through some pictures and start blogging about the trip to Ireland that my Mama and I went on at the beginning of June. We couldn't have asked for better weather, it only rained on us like two times and that's the only got out our umbrellss! (This weird weather phenonomon seemed to be courtesy of my occasional "Bethel Triangle" that causes weird unexplained happenings when I'm around. I went to Canada immediately after Ireland and they had be deluged with bad weather before I came and it was 75 and beautiful while I was there and then I went to Southern California and it had been 107 all the week before I got there and it was a beautiful 75 the whole week I was there! Sadly, these powers do not seem as powerful in the Houston area where we have been "glowing" with mid-90 humid temps)

Our flight(s) over (yep, 2 for me, 3 for Mama) were great. Except the part where I could have been upgraded from Houston to Newark, but being the "great" daughter that I am, I politely declined. Seems like it would be really selfish to go and leave Mama behind in coach... Also, we left at 9:45 pm on Saturday night and planned to sleep as much as possible on the flight because we had things planned for the next day, but the blinking flight attendants had other ideas! They kept flipping on and off the lights thru-out the 8ish hour flight and offering food, drinks, etc every little whip-stitch. Honestly, if this had been daytime, I would have been impressed with the service but as it was, I am wondering if they were just sadistic by nature or had made a bet with someone!

I thouoght I would focus on the beginning of our trip for this post. We ate at Pappadeaux in the Houston airport and if you have ever been to Houston, you have probably eaten there, if you haven't, be sure and go there when you come. I had fried crawfish and Mama had fried shrimp (big surprise) and it was delish! In Newark, we ate at a cute little 50's theme diner, however, we ordered shakes and they were really impressive looking and yummy. Here's Mama with her strawberry one.


After we arrived in Dublin, we took a shuttle bus to the hotel where we were staying that night. Unfortunately, they did not have our rooms ready. We were prepared for this, since it usually happens since flights to Europe get in in the morning and check-out times are usually noon and they have to clean the rooms. I needed a Diet Coke in a BIG way. It would just have been better for everyone!

The hotel was very modern and had a large open lounge area for us to wait in. We decided to order tea (also known as substitute caffeine for me) and it was cool that the tour had arranged for tea for us for free! Too Cool. Although, that might have been a protective measure for the front desk personnel when people found out their rooms weren't ready... Here is a pic of that welcome brew, I had Earl Grey and Mama had some kind of Mint.


We got our room literally 15 minutes before we were to go on our tour of Dublin and raced upstairs with our bags and put them in the room, washed up and raced back down.

I have a really funny story about that hotel room later that night, we finished dinner and were waiting for a check, so Mama went upstairs to take a bath before I came up so I could take a shower. The room had a card reader inside the room that said it was for the lights. So she swiped the card and the lights came on and she took her stuff in the bathroom...and the lights went off. So she swiped her card again and went into the bathroom and started to undresss...and the lights went off. Soooo, she swiped her card several different ways and the lights would come on for a minute or so and then go off. It's a testament to how tired we were that she just kept at it a while, finally, admitting defeat, she opened the drapes, closed the shears and left the bathroom door open a little and took a bath in...twilight! Might have been a bit more fun with candles and some wine, but there you go.

So being the smarty pants that I am, I think she is just doing it wrong. Mama just lays on the bed and laughs at me swiping the card every way known to man. Finally, I call down to the front desk and they inform me that we need to LEAVE the card in the reader as long as we want lights! Oh! That makes some sense. Evidently in Europe this is somewhat common and is considered "green" cause it makes sure the lights are off when no one's in the room. Nobody told the Okies...

Another funny thing that happened at this hotel was I wanted to get a Diet Coke to take up to my room after dinner. So I went to the front desk and asked if they had Cokes machines in the hotel.

She looked horrified and said NO.

So I asked if the only place to get one was the lounge or room service.

She said YES OF COURSE.

So I said, well, I travel a lot and they usually have Coke machines and ice machines somewhere in the hotel.

She said WELL, THIS IS A FOUR-STAR HOTEL!!

So I said well even most 4-star hotels have mini-bars or fridges in the rooms for a Diet Coke.

Then, she says OH, WELL, WE HAVE MINI_BARS IN THE ROOMS.

Sooooo,when I asked if the lounge and room service were the ONLY place to get one, I GUESS it didn't occur to her THEN that there were mini-bars in the room. But then, I should have remembered THIS WAS A FOUR-STAR HOTEL! Just so's you know...