Paul Alton MBA

Lifelong Learning, Living and Loving

Home

Dukan Diet

Ad Copy

Articles

Thinking Ahead

Decisions

LongestDay

A Day

Jail Mindset

Dan Alton's Memoirs

DR Mission Trip

David Allen

Automation

Two Businesses

Winter Vacation

Tales of Buddy

Pirogue 2014

Travel

Copper Canyon 2010

Ireland 2011

August 1_2011 Photos

August 2_2011 Photos

August 3_2011 Photos

August 4_2011 Photos

August 5_2011 Photos

August 6_2011 Photos

August 7_2011 Photos

August 8_2011 Photos

August 9_2011 Photos

August 10 _2011 Photos

Ometepe Monastery

Somoto Canyon 2014

Reports

Heat Duct

Books

Updates

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

November 2022

October 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

May June 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

2021Review

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

Covid Spring

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

Peru Part 2

September 2018

SpringSummer2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

Fall 2017

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

March April 2016

February 2016

January 2016

D and E House 2015

December 2015

Fall 2015

Bill China

CarolynChina

September 2015

Summer 2015

April 2015

March 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

Going South 2014

summer 2014

Spring 2014

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

December 2013

November 2013

SeptemberOctober 2013

August 2013

July 2013

June 2013

May 2013

April 2013

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

July 2012

June 2012

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 2012

December 2011

November 2011

September - October 2011

July - August 2011

April - June 2011

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

December 2010

November 2010

October 2010

September 2010

Shop/Studio 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

April - May 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

Going South 2009

September 2009

Shop/Studio 2009

July - August 2009

June 2009

May 2009

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

Nicaragua Trip

January 2009

Big Feed 2008

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

Balloon Ride

August - September 2008

Studio / Shop 2008

June - July 2008

April - May 2008

March 2008

February 2008

Jan-Feb 08 Transition

January 2008

Big Feed 2007

December 2007

November 2007

Sept/Oct 2007

Summer 2007

Spring 2007

February 2007

January 2007

2006 Updates

 
Paul & Juanita Go To Ireland

The Plan
We went to Ireland in August 2011. Here are links to our plans which turned out to be pretty close to the experience:

Day 1 & 2

Day 3 & 4

Day 5 & 6

Day 7 Onward

Appendices to Plan

Eventually I'll get around to writing up the experience.

In the meantime there are lots of pictures in the photo albums linked below and a gradually accumulating narrative.

Edmonton - Chicago - Dublin
Photo Album
We stayed overnight at the Nisku Inn near the Edmonton International Airport. We also booked a night's stay for our return. The free parking combined for two night's stay meant we got accommodation for not much more than the cost of airport parking alone. That may sound frugal.

Maybe.

A truly frugal person would stay with a relative and impose on the relative to drive us to the airport all the way from Fort Saskatchewan in the predawn hours and pick us up in the middle of the night arriving early enough to be there when we arrived if the airplane was on schedule, but waiting around for us if it wasn't. A considerate person would think that would be too great an imposition even if said relative was willing. A comfort seeking person would say staying near the airport would mean a few hours more sleep on departure and a warm bed only minutes after arrival. Comfort trumps frugality and can be cloaked in consideration.

Three emotions, two travelers it's more complex than stated. Both cheap - one slightly more so. Both considerate - one a lot more so. Both comfort seeking - about the same but for different comforts. Where's Nash when you need him? Comfort won with a nod to frugality - stay near the airport but keep the cost down.

Airport security and US customs and immigration were no worse than normal. Aer Lingus used United as a connector from Edmonton for their Chicago to Dublin flight. The airport experience and flight were okay. One is not disappointed if one doesn't expect much. Perhaps people are so upset with airports and air travel because they think back to the good old days and how it once was. Well say what you will about the old days and faulty memories what is certain is that the old days are old. What works now is to expect the least and endure what is and it is not so bad. Yesterday when I was adding pictures to albums Juanita said "we sure have good memories of that Ireland trip, don't we?" One has to look at airports as just a small part of travel and like an overflowing toilet in a public restroom. Carefully step around it and put it out of your mind. No point in dwelling on  brief, unpleasant experiences that are not part of the main event. That said, it wasn't particularly bad.

As said, the flight wasn't bad. I occupied some of the time by working on electrical drawing for our "shop/studio". That was definitely a looking back from the plow moment. By the time we got to Chicago I put the residential guide and the drawings away and looked forward to the travel tasks at hand. Haven't returned to working on the drawings since. Some months later in mid October I have started wiring the place and used the guide to check code, but purchased the supplies from a guesstimate done on a day off without looking at the drawings. I might have to finish them to do some of the more complex circuits but they are definitely in the "maybe tomorrow" category.

The Plan was to stow our carry on luggage in a locker at the Chicago airport and go downtown to sight see during the lay over between flights. Somebody once said that plans are the first casualty of war. Speaking of casualties. One of the casualties of the war on terror was airport lockers. Since 9/11 lockers have become extinct at least at O'hare. There "might" be lockers at the bus depot downtown, but that is not particularly close to where we wanted to go and by then we would be downtown anyway. Downtown with all the carry on luggage you might be carrying if you wanted to be prepared if they lost your check-in luggage and you still wanted to be equipped for ten days in Ireland with rain and temperatures around 60 degrees F. / 15 degrees C. Being in Chicago on a sunny day in August means you can't wear many of the clothes you feel you have to have with you just-in-case. That's a "would do differently", but not a big one.

We bought some transit passes and headed downtown.

It was wonderful. Saw the Picasso statue at Daley Plaza. I think it's feminine. Saw the "Bean". Gawked a lot. Had enough time downtown to please us. Made it back to the airport with lots of time to follow the ambiguous signage to our terminal. Went through security into the foreign flights gate area.

Security was a zoo.

Almost no services past security. Announcements for various foreign airlines in their native languages including Russian and Polish. This added the right flavor to the experience. The place couldn't have been designed better by a Soviet bureaucrat.

Juanita made the error of leaving the secure area to get some food. To get back she got into the shortest of several long lines. The line never got shorter. Everybody with a pass went to the front of that line. She was gone a long time. I was getting somewhat concerned, but had to guard our luggage so was forced to sit and read and admire the red headed Aer Lingus flight attendants in their green dresses. Also enjoyed watching the antics of a red headed moppet that could have been my sister when she was that age. I was headed "home" :)

The flight was wonderful. Service was as good as CP Air used to be before it became Canadian and then was absorbed in to Aeroflot Canada. Managed to watch a movie and sleep a bit and then we were in Dublin.

Dublin to Kinsale
Photo Album
Jet lagged

Driving on the left. Punctured left front tire. Weeds in the passenger side mirror.

Rock of Cashell.

Kilflynn church. Dead Alton's.

Here is a list of inscriptions of Alton Headstones at Kilflynn Churchyard: In Loving Memory of LEONARD ALTON who fell asleep 21st January 1892 aged 59 years. In Loving Memory of JOHN LARRY ALTON died 26th April 1925. SUSAN ALTON died 10th September 1951. And their children ANN ALTON died 11th April 1967, DAVID ALTON died 10th October 1973. Erected by MARGARET ALTON of Glenosheen. JANE ALTON died 12th November 1894, aged 50 years and her son WILLIAM ALTON who died in Shanghai 1st January 1911, aged 34 years. Erected by their children in loving memory of their beloved father JAMES ALTON died May 1898 aged 80 years. and their beloved mother MARY died November 1904. Also ELIZABETH CHILDS ALTON died 9th September 1938 aged 70 years. And her niece SARAH STEEPE died 25th July 1965, aged 83 years. Also SAMUEL STEEPE died 22nd August 1970 aged 60 years.

Alton homes in Glenosheen. Olive Castle.

Blarney Castle.

Cork in rush hour.

Kinsale.

Kinsale to Kenmare
Photo Album
Charles Fort

Ferry to Cobh

"The Cóbh Heritage Centre is a museum located in Cóbh, east of Cork, Republic of Ireland. It is attached to Cóbh's railway halt. The "Queenstown Experience", located at the centre, has mostly permanent exhibitions of Irish history. It provides information on life in Ireland through the 18th and 19th centuries, the mass emigration, the Great Famine, and on how criminals were transported to Australia for"

Buying a tire in Cork

Macroom Castle

Killarney

Killarney Park

Muckross House

Kenmare

book into bed and breakfast

supper in Kenmare

Kenmare to Doolin
Photo Album

Adopt a Sheep


Doolin to Westport
Photo Album
Westport to Donegal
Photo Album
Donegal to Portrush
Photo Album
Portrush to Rostrevor
Photo Album
Rostrevor to Waterford
Photo Album
Waterford to Dublin & Home
Photo Album
<< July - August Update     Home >>

Copyright Paul W. Alton 2006 through 2022 All Rights Reserved
Pages on this site contain Amazon affiliate links
Amazon sells everything from soup to drones.
   Amazon Link 
As an Amazon Associate i earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.