Gage-Family Comes to Dublin... and then goes to Cork!

Oh my poor family - they had the flight frommmmm Hades...

My Dad, mind you, is 70 years old and has not flown in 22-some-odd years. So just imagine, this was wayyy PRE-the-security-frenzy-fascist-institution that is the modern airport. When he last flew, getting on a plane involved the same level of time & planning as boarding a bus. You brought what you needed, you showed your ticket, perhaps you walked through a security check point with some rudimentary metal detectors but that was about it. I was slightly nervous when, two days before the flight, I was talking with my Dad on the phone and realized he knew nothing about "carry-on" bags and that they needed to be smaller and of a certain weight (a relatively new and joyful development in airline madness). Or that he could only carry on, not only certain SIZES of liquid-containers but that they now limit the AMOUNT of liquids/lotions that you can bring on. Really, it's a wonder any one of us fly at all. (let alone taking off belts, shoes, jewelry and that you can't bring a bottle of water)

 Well, everything went perfectly in getting all five of them to the airport (no small feat of its own - given this involved getting 5 people, from 3 different locations, (including 2 children) to the airport, 3 hours before their flight.) They did this seamlessly though, and even got through security without a hitch. Then they boarded their flight, all on time - smooth sailin'.

Except........ FOUR HOURS LATER, they were still sitting IN the airplane ON the tarmac, IN Seattle. This was due to "emergency maintenance" - (whatever that means). Finally they were allowed to de-board (which I'm pretty sure is illegal now, to keep passengers on that long) and the flight was officially cancelled. This is after having already missed their connection in Boston - the ONLY outgoing flight to Dublin for that day. Shit-storm.

Fast-forward 8 more hours (still in SeaTac airport) and they were finally taking off on a red-eye flight to Boston, arriving there at 4 am (instead of 5 pm as planned). With a 70 year old who has not experienced a flight in 22+ years, a 7 year old boy and a 1 1/2 year old boy! They were absolute paragons of patience and all kept it together throughout this ordeal.

Well.....then throw in the fact that Aer Lingus was on STRIKE this day and that means there were NO FLIGHTS TO DUBLIN THE NEXT DAY! Thankfully there was a flight attendant who went way above and beyond her job description and sat on the phone for an hour or more negotiating to get all five of them on a flight with another airline at 12 pm the next day.

So, in the end, it was meant to be an 18 hour journey, from the time they WOKE UP in Seattle, to the time they landed in Dublin. A dream - easy-peasy. Instead, it was almost 35 hours before they arrived here. Just brutal.
BUT, they made it and we all couldn't have been happier.

And here they are coming through the arrival doors in Dublin - 12 am, 2 days after they left Seattle. Big smiles and lots of exhausted tears and sheer disbelief that they finally made it!

Marko making Simon giggle - at 1 am Dublin time - pretty impressive!

The last leg of their journey, from Dublin Airport, on the Aircoach (35 minute ride), to our place.

The next morning (still Saturday May 31st), kiddos having a ball going through all of Norah's toys. Simon had a ball seeing all the new stuff.

Having a quick breakfast and visit before we're off on our NEXT Adventure. The 4 hour bus ride to Cork City for my very first Marathon (2 days later). Wow, why did we think this would be a good idea?? I felt so bad for them - if their flights had gone perfectly, this would've been easy as pie but given that none of them even got to sleep until 4 am, this was brutal timing!

Simon bee-lined for Norah's big-kid bike.

 And we're off - thankfully the first leg of the journey starts with the DART Train (directly outside our place). So off we went, with our suitcases packed for a 3 day trip to Cork City (4 hours south of Dublin).

 Papa with 2 of his grandbabies. Norah just ecstatic to be with Marko

Dad's first ride on the DART Train

So, we took the DART to Connolly station (25 minutes north of us), then the 8 of us had to make it two blocks to the big bus depot (Bus Eireann, which would be the Irish 'Greyhound' service).

Kids playing 'Angry birds' on their devices and having a ball.

We'd overhear them cheering each other on, giving each other encouragement.

At one point, Norah goes, "I think you're getting better".

 Annnd, they're conked out. Perfect.

Sarah and I having a grand ol' time.

 The bus ride was long but the upsides were: 1) dirt cheap (€20 for each roundtrip ticket), and it went along some small Irish country highways so we went through loads of towns we have never seen.

And the 3rd child conked out. Perrrrfect.

And the view from our Cork Rental Apartment (€95 per night, for an apartment that fit - well barely fit - 8 people). Pretty impressive. I'm sold on AirBnB.com. Sold.  

It was certainly bare-bare bones and next door to a very raucous hostel full of 18-22 year olds partying 'til all hours but the price, and location were right so it fulfilled it's purpose.

Ohh cuuuuuties!!

My Dad is a real-lover-of-Guinness. He never drank but recently (about 67) he took up drinking. Ha! Worse things could happen. So, his drink of choice is Guinness - (in a can!) So, of course, we were all looking forward to him having his first REAL pint of Guinness in Ireland (unfortunately it was not in Dublin - the HOME of Guinness - but Cork would have to do). So, he orders a Guinness and the girl says they only have it on draught (draft/tap). Well, would you believe - he says, "Do you have any in cans? I prefer it in a can."

We all laughed and tried to persuade him that what he drinks in cans is originally draught beer. He was not convinced, or converted, but he did finish his pint (and a 2nd).

Sweeties



 Perfect family portrait