Upon returning from Italy, we jumped back into our non-pizza-and-gelato-eating-life and landed ourselves in a pickle. I arranged a flight to Galway, Ireland, where I was to give a keynote talk at an annual research meeting, and Rachelle set up a bus ticket to London to meet up with her sister, Monika, and niece, Marita (aka Sweet Pea). Once the dust settled, we realized that the kids would be on their own Monday morning through Tuesday afternoon. Oops! A stressful and frantic problem-solving scramble ensued.
Kevin and newly formed friends to the rescue. The kids would accompany separate schoolmates for playdates following school and then join Kevin once he was home for work for dinner and a slumber party with him (Janet and Kaidyn were out of town). Kevin would bring the dynamic duo to school and Rachelle would be home in time to gather them at the end of the day on Tuesday. Crises narrowly averted. Phew!
Lindsey in Ireland
After dropping off the kids at school on Monday, I took a cab to Bristol and flew to Dublin. Given several hours before my flight to Galway, I hopped a double-decker bus for downtown Dublin. Following the advice of a tourist magazine, I made my way down O'Connell and Grafton and took in downtown Dublin. The Guinness advertisement were as common as those of Coke-a-Cola in Atlanta. I found a pub and had the prerequisite half pint of Guinness with lunch and wondered the streets a bit more. The combination of Guinness, sunshine, and statues and Georgian architecture left me with a wonderful impression of Dublin; I did not find it to be another big industrial city as I had been told.
My little flight to Galway was bumpy, but we made it to the west coast port town safe and sound. Another UK researcher, Sara Kelly, who was on my flight and I met up with one of the conference hosts, Dave, at the airport. (Did you notice how I subtly referred to myself as a UK researcher?) Dave toured us around the quaint city and then out to dinner where Brian, the other conference organizer joined us. We had a great meal and shared too much wine. We then headed to a little pub for a Guinness. Off to bed for me in the lovely hotel with a flat screen TV and a very comfy bed.
The next morning was sunny and I strolled around town enjoying watching the very rapid river come through town and empty into the harbour (By the way, the Galway pictures were lifted from the internet. Rachelle absconded with the camera to London). I met up with Brian and we headed to the Univeristy. My talk went well and I enjoyed meeting with the academic folks with their fun accents. Brian and I went out to dinner at a seafood joint, and the food was magically delicious. The next morning I cabbed it to the airport, caught my flight to Dublin, then my flight to Bristol, and cabbed it to Kevin's house so I could walk over and pick up the kids from school (Rachelle, Monika, Sweet Pea, and the car were in Lacock).
Stay tuned for the stories from the last few days from Rachelle (London with Monika and Sweet Pea) and Noah and Liv (holding down the fort in Bath).
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