With my brother Mike living directly next door to us in Leominster life is great because we can go on vacation and have somebody who will give our cats the attention and care that they need, and he drove us to the airport. My mother drove up from the Cape and is coming with us. There was a little traffic on the way to Boston, but we still had about 3 hours to hang out at the airport. I like hanging out at the airport because it gives me time to get my mind right. You know, people watching, snacking, contemplating my itinerary, and listening to my new playlist Hype Irish Jigs.
The airport was so busy. I haven’t seen an airport this busy in a long time. Is the pandemic over? Did the Russian invasion of Ukraine end it? I don’t know. Masks are still required in the airport and on planes.
We boarded first because we’re in row 41; almost the back of the plane. A child sitting row 42 - directly behind me had some sort of fit and was banging on the back of my seat. Enraged, I boomed, “What are we doing here?!”
Amanda whispered firmly, “it's a child.” There was no doubt that my outburst was directed at them. No doubt. The dad tried to calm the kid down and apologized. I noticed that there were empty seats next to them in the row behind me, but separated by the aisle, so I just got up and took an empty one. I went back to my seat to take my nighttime insulin and stayed there for the remainder of the flight because the kid had calmed down.
At the baggage claim, I could sense Amanda getting nervous that our bags weren’t coming out. I was having low blood sugar because I started feeling hot and started sweating, so I ate some candy that Amanda had stashed in her pocket bag, and I didn't let myself get stressed about possible lost luggage. I suggested that she find a security or help desk and I stayed with the bags while she did that and ate more candy. About 5 minutes later she returned with the bags. Our one suitcase that we’re sharing. Shocker, I know. And my mother’s little roller suitcase. My sister Mairead decided to come last minute and is arriving Monday morning, so we had to pack lightly because we couldn’t change the car reservation and get a bigger car due to it being Easter weekend and extremely busy. We managed to pack into one suitcase and when we arrived at the car rental with our nearly missing bags, my mother had already checked-in. We told her the bags were inexplicably at a rogue baggage claim.
There's no more rocky road to Dublin. One of the last things I remember Johnny Murphy saying to me was that Ireland was all highways now. In his words, "Ireland has mighty roads now sure." Something like that, but I distinctly remember the word "mighty." The mighty roads get you there faster, but you lose a lot of the charm of driving through each town. Which is better? That depends on you I guess. We loaded up the car and drove cross-country to Galway.
I had to adjust my pill schedule with the time change, obviously, so I needed to stop for breakfast, but it was 11 am and more like brunch. We pulled off in Anthlone, which is basically at the geographical center of Ireland. It's good to be in the middle of things sometimes.
By happenstance we ended up at Beans & Leaves Cafe. We were struck by how trendy, hip, artsy, healthy, and tasty this place was. Amanda and I ordered the salmon Benedict, and I learned that they called it Benedict Royale. My mother had a mini Irish breakfast. We had a lovely view of the Shannon River as we ate.
A note on my diet. I typically eat fish. I've gone through periods of being strict vegan, but as I've said all along - my diet is plant-based. So, I eat eggs and fish occasionally. I might even eat meat while I'm here, who knows. I might not because I haven't since 2019 and I haven't craved it once, but if I do, I'm not apologizing for it. Fuck you. I'll let you know.
After lunch, we only had about an hour to the Connemara Coast Hotel, my favorite hotel. I think it's Amanda's favorite as well. I reckon that my second favorite is the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA. However, I absolutely hated the room we stayed in at the Hawthorne last month, so I'm not committing to that ranking at the moment because they are on my shitlist at the moment.
Right before we got there I wanted to stop for some provisions. I knew they would sleep during the afternoon, and that I wouldn't, so I had to get some Club Orange Zero and cheese and onion Taytos. My favorites.
We arrived before stated check-in time hoping our rooms were ready. My mother's room was ready and I helped her bring her bags her room.
Amanda had posted up in the corner of the lobby, so I joined her and we sat for a bit. She took a video.
As we were waiting, all of a sudden I noticed that Amanda had leapt up and was embracing some guy. It took me a moment to realize that it was my cousin Micheal. Coincidentally, he is here for a wedding today. His friend, Peter, has a friend that is getting married, and Peter is singing! I said take a video and show us tomorrow night when we have dinner.
Micheal used to be the manager here at the CCH, so that must have lit a fire under their ass because our room was ready immediately. Then we went to our room and Amanda showered and passed out. I drank Club Orange Zero, ate a bag of Taytos, recapped the day so far, and stared out the window at the Galway Bay.
Padraicin's is our favorite restaurant, so obviously we went there for dinner. My mother likes it too, but I don't know if it's her favorite. We sat right down at what the server described as the "best table in the house." It was pretty sweet table.
For dinner, Amanda had the fish and chips, which I was also considering, but there was an interesting option I wanted to compare it to, so I got the cod tempura. My mother had potato and leek soup and a salad.
I'm not going to beat around the bush. I had a once in a lifetime experience during dinner. We all did. The fish dishes were similar if you haven't eaten a lot of fish and chips or tempura, but I have eaten a lot of both, so I was able to detect the subtle differences. It was the mushy peas that came with Amanda's fish and chips that caused all the excitement. I didn't like peas as a kid, but I've liked peas for at least a decade. Maybe. Regardless, I didn't know that it was possible for mushy peas to be this good. Amazing. In that moment, everything was on-kilter. I even insisted/forced/begged my mother to try them. Listen, my mother hates peas and was not keen on the notion, but I knew she would be pleasantly surprised. I knew it from glen to glen and down the mountainside. So, reluctantly, she took a small taste. And wouldn't you know, the woman, who has hated peas for who knows how long, actually admitted they were good and that she was surprised! I said how many fish and chips and mushy peas have you had in your life and this never happened before. You never liked peas, never mind mushy ones, but you liked these. There you have it. Once in a lifetime. I wasn't a fan of their chips though, but I considered asking for a full bowl of mushy peas for dessert.
Back at the hotel, when I came out of the bathroom, Amanda was in distress had tweaked her neck and was in such intense pain that she almost had a seizure. Everything was now off-kilter. I quickly cracked the door to let the Galway Bay breeze in because she said she was hot, grabbed a towel in case she vomited, and laid her on the ground in case I needed to roll her over during a seizure. We were prepared and fortunately for nothing. The muscle spasms became less intense and she got in bed and still washed her face. I texted my mother that she needs to be prepared to do the driving.
I suspected that Amanda was unaccustomed to snapping her neck to the right repeatedly to check and enter the passing lane because she has to pass every fucking car in Ireland. Obviously, I was right. Please proceed to the route.
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