Tag / flying

by shannonchance

Silver Linings of Dublin

I'd never noticed this beautiful weathering panel on the Quay just east of the Four Courts. Lovely, isn't it?

I’d never noticed this beautiful weathering panel on the Quay just east of the Four Courts. Lovely, isn’t it?

I’d snuck in one last trip to see the nephews this past weekend while I was back in the States.  It was such fun, but I caught a bug that kept me in bed all day Monday.  That prevented me from wrapping up my writing in a timely fashion and packing for my return to Dublin.  I had to lean on my colleagues for help and then throw my bags together in the wee hours before my flight.

The resulting overweight bag set me back $200.  And, I arrived in Dublin sans Irish credit card, bus pass, et cetera.  I suppose those documents are at home in some very safe location.  Dave has been in bed with the bug today and hasn’t yet located them.  I spent the day pulling myself back together.

The sliver lining in this cloud is that a new bankcard is on the way.  And on my walk to withdrawal cash I discovered wonderful new delights of Dublin.

Leaving home, the plane flew right over my neighborhood (the gridded one in the foreground).
Leaving Newark, we flew smack over Manhattan. Had I been sitting on the other side, I’d have seen my sister’s apartment in Harlem. (From the runway here, you can see the Chrysler building just off the wing tip and the new Trade Tower on the right hand side.)
I love studying city and land patterns from the sky.
The Dublin airport is shiny and new…
…and it’s well linked to the city by two different bus lines. This one has a stop just four blocks form my apartment.
The parks of Dublin are stunningly green, even in the coldest of weather.
My bank (AIB) recently opened a new brach location on Capel Street…
…the security is so tight that even after you enter, you have to wait in line to go through a double security door. (Wish I’d left my cards here instead of some random safe place at home!)
I discovered a brand new vegan restaurant on Mary Street. It’s been open just two days. The gluten-free foods were tasty.
There was a bassoon player out on Henry Street. Double reeds in this cold weather? Burrr.
I found an alley I’d never passed through before. It led to a place I’d been during Dublin Open House — complete with anther emerald green park.
I captured a view of Dublin’s historic vegetable market before my camera battery gave up the ghost for the day. It must be feeling jet-lagged!
by shannonchance

Outward Bound

Glen McClure took this photo in County Mayo, Ireland. It’s available on his blog.

The day has finally come. My bags are packed, I’m checked in for my flight, and I think I’m ready to fly. I can’t say the same for Dave, who is still furiously editing photos. He’s been working day and night for weeks to meet his clients’ needs and help me get my computer equipment in optimal working order.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t yet started to pack. But no worries… we’ve got 10 hours until we have to bid adieu to our kitties and hit the road.

Marshall McClure, the beautiful and talented owner of Parke Press, will be driving us to the airport. We’ll be flying partway to Ireland with her husband, Glen. He will split from us at JFK because, while we as landing in Dublin, he’ll be landing in Shannon. He is going to spend a couple of weeks doing what he does best… photographing landscapes, people, and the occasional building. He often travels to the western side of Ireland to do so.

Dave and I have our work cut out for us in Dublin. We’ve got get the essentials for living in place. Once settled, we plan to join Glen on the western coast of Ireland for a few days. I’m looking forward to our little camera and Guinness club. I’m just wishing Marshall was going to be there with us, too. She’s one of my all-time favorite people and the party’s not going to be complete without her.

Wish us luck with apartment hunting! We’ll let you know how it goes….