I Love Happy!!

Failte! (This means Welcome in Gaelic.)

Sue and I are in Ireland!! : )

I am typing this from Dunning's Cyber Pub (no joke). It's a little early for Guinness (for me, but the pubs are open), so I am sipping a cafe mocha instead.

I love happy seems to be the mantra for our trip! It all started in the Philly airport. Our 9pm flight to Dublin was delayed until midnight. (Apparently there were a few mechanical problems that needed to be fixed. Lovely...) Sue and I walked for about 20 minutes away from our gate in search of some dinner. We found an open bistro, and were just settling in to toast ourselves with a glass of wine, when they made an announcement about our flight. Turns out they were boarding! Luckily, we waved someone down in one of the electric carts and we were on our way. The woman driving the cart was extremely vivacious - she kept yelling out "Smiles people! I want to see smiles!" When we mentioned that we enjoyed her attitude - she simply said "I love happy!"

I love happy, indeed. : )

We made our flight, even enjoyed some complimentary wine, on account of the delays, and slept the entire flight. We got our car (a Dihatsu Terios) which looks a little like a "wee SUV" - as Sue described it - and headed out of Dublin to Westport. Which is situated in The West.

The countryside is lovely - I am in love!! - It's green everywhere with lush fields; cattle and sheep; stone fences around stone houses; old churches; lots of gorse and broom in bloom; and the sun was shining. I played navigator (and tried to keep from falling asleep in our hermetically sealed car)and scanned the radio waves for tunes and to get a feel for what Gaelic sounds like. Sue drove like a pro - only occasionally freaking out when she passed cars that looked as if no one was driving them.

When we arrived in Westport, we had a few difficulties finding our lodge. Apparently all we had to do was drive through town, go up a big hill, and it would be the second left at the bottom of the hill. "Tis all" said the locals. Well, there are 3 ways through town, and two big hills that surround the village, so it took us a few tries. : ) When we hit a gorgeous part of town called the Mill, which perched at the edge of the ocean, and feeling quite hungry, I convinced Sue that we should have dinner (and beer) first before heading back to the lodge.

We walked into a pub called the Helm, and there was a huge crowd of rowdy guys in the entrance. It turns out they were there for a stag party and with a couple of giggles (and maybe a snort or two) we settled at the bar with our pints (Guiness for me, Smithwicks for Sue).

Dinner was a bit of a challenge for me. There was a garlic mushroom appetizer or deep fried brie that I could tackle, otherwise, the rest of the pickings were of animal origin. I asked if they could make me veggie fajihita (their spelling, not mine). The waitress brought me a green salad which was delicious, some salsa, and two tortillas that were beautifully crafted into a fan shape. I whispered to Sue that I might need to find a grocery store after dinner to supplement my dinner. After I gamely tucked into my plate, the waitress arrived a few minutes later with a plate of steamed vegetables. Woohoo! I should be just fine.

Our B&B is cute - the Augusta Lodge - it is all stocked to the brim with knicknacks and even has a mini putt in the front entrance. But it's comfy and spacious. We slept for about 11.5 hours straight.

This morning, we woke up to more sunshine and a full Irish breakfast. (Black and white pudding; bacon that looks more like ham; toast; eggs; and coffee). Today we are walking around, site seeing, doing the Internet thing, and enjoying the sunshine and lovely, friendly, people.

Bye for now!
Lisa & Sue