August 21, 2010, Train to Cork, Ireland

We had to rise early this morning after a fitful night.  A comedy of sorts as we had requested a 5 AM wakeup call.  After staying up until after 11 and having difficulty falling asleep, the phone in our room rang.  Thinking it was 5 AM.  I got up and turned on the teapot and began to get ready when I looked at my watch and realized it was only 12:30.  I turned off the teapot and went back to bed.  I lay there worrying that the hotel wakeup system was wacky and wouldn’t ring us at 5, so I got up, found my iPhone, wrestled the new Sim card out of it (which won’t work because Apple won’t send me an unlock code), put in the original SIM card and was then able to set the alarm.  Feeling confident that we wouldn’t oversleep, I went back to bed.

John woke up just as I was dozing off, asking me what time it was.  In exasperation, I turned on the TV thinking something boring might lull me into sleep.  Almost asleep again, my cell phone then began to ring.  Not having heard it ring many times (it’s a new phone), I thought it was something on the TV when John said, “Why aren’t you answering that phone, Darlane?”   When I answered it, I heard my son Chris say, “Hey Mama.”  Of course my internal mother alarm went off when I heard his voice, afraid that something was wrong, but no, he just wanted to say hello as he had received a postcard from me from Canada. He didn’t realize I was in Ireland and there was a 5 hour time difference.   It was wonderful to hear his sweet voice and I was glad he rang.

After all of that, I had trouble getting back into a restful sleep, but the hotel wake up came at 5 AM and we made it to the train at 6:30.  Today is John’s birthday.  He’s 72 today and he’s wearing his California Surf Shop T-shirt, moving along like a much younger man!

We’ve been in Ireland now for a week and it’s been a pleasant time.  Everyone is so kindly interested in making sure we are comfortable.  The Irish are friendly people, and they look directly into your eyes – not too busy to answer a question or give directions, although I suspect a few of them of completely making up where a few things were located as we never did find the Sony store in Dublin, despite intricate directions given by several people.  No matter, we found a camera shop along the way that had what we needed.

The company that we decided to use for our tour of Ireland is called Railtours Ireland.  The guides all wear bright yellow jackets so they are easy to locate.  The company was started by an Irish man who loves trains and decided to coordinate the Irish rail system with already established coach tours to offer tourists a way to see more of Ireland.  The way this works is you book your tour, choosing just one day or multi-days, then everyone meets up at a designated time at the rail station of a major Irish city.  At this meeting,  the Railtour guides give out packets of information containing a written narrative about the places you’re visiting, your rail passes, and attraction tickets.  The group travels together all day, boarding a tour coach after the train.  The coaches are big tour buses that usually have both a driver and a guide.  The guide gives an ongoing talk as you travel through the countryside, interspersed with pleasant Irish music.  Visitors choosing multi-day tours are transported in the evenings to their hotels, and either picked up at the hotel in the mornings, or make a short walk to the rail station.  John and I are amazed at the coordination of the tour as it is all very relaxing and stress free.  We are staying in 3 or 4 star accommodations which are all very comfy.  In Ireland, air conditioning is not necessary, so none of the hotels have air-conditioning, and the windows have no screens, yet there are no problems with insects invading into the room.  This is very different from Georgia!

We are now on day four of our 9-day tour.  We left Dublin by train to Cork where we’ll get on a coach to Blarney Castle and then to the harbor of Cobh (pronounced Cove).

So far we’ve seen most of the east coast of Ireland.  The first day we traveled by rail from Dublin to Belfast, then took a coach to the Giant’s Causeway, which is a stunning coastline that has been made famous by tales of Fein MacCool.  Fein’s tales are similar to the Paul Bunyan stories we learn in America.  He’s a giant whose adventures include real locations along the Northern Irish coast.  The Causeway area is a hike through several  geologically interesting scenes where erosion has weathered the different kinds of rocks into astoundingly beautiful creations.   We had lunch at the Bushmill Whiskey Distillery.  I had yummy Irish stew.

We also stopped for a photo of Dunluce Castle.  This ruin dates back to the 1300s – 1500s is such a picturesque scene along the incredible ocean view.  One has to imagine what life must have been like living in those times.

The last stop of the day was at Carrick-a-rede, the famous rope bridge connecting the mainland to a little island called Sheep Island.  The scenery along the 2 mile hike to the bridge is amazing and the weather was so sunny and gorgeous!  The rope bridge had a 30 minute wait because so many people wanted to walk across it.  We finally got to it and it was pretty shaky.  As others walk on the bridge, it bounces slightly, so you feel unsteady as you make your way across.  The sea below and around the bridge is shallow, with beautiful green and blue rocks and water. 

The coach took us back to Belfast to the Europa Hotel for the night.  The Europa is a happening venue on a Saturday night with weddings and proms.  Everyone we encountered was dressed to the nines and had a drink in their hands, even on the elevators.   I wish I had taken photos of the women’s dresses and outfits!  People-watching heaven at the Europa on a Saturday evening!

August 20, 2012,   Dublin, Ireland

Finding time to write is difficult!  Every morning is filled with too much excitement about what I’ll be seeing and doing all day, then I’m on the run all day seeing and doing everything and then in the evenings I fall into bed exhausted from all the many wonderful experiences!  Today is our “free day” on the tour in Dublin, and I am sitting in a laundrette called Mr. Tubs in Dublin washing some very smelly laundry.  I sent John on to ride the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and he took his camera.  We’re going to meet up at 2:30 at Trinity College.

I’m having a blast!  I love traveling. 

The last time I wrote here, I was in the process of outgrowing my clothes eating those massive 3 meals a day at Killarney Lodge in Algonquin, Canada.  The last two days there I asked for half portions because after eating the full portions, I couldn’t move!   The lodge packed a lunch for me on the 3^rd day and I set out early in the morning after breakfast, rented a mountain bike and rode 25 miles round trip to Rock Lake and back to the Two Rivers Store.  It was a beautiful and easy ride on an old railway path.  Not many people were out in the morning, but the route got busier later with lots of families.  I had my lunch at Rock Lake, a gorgeous place on a beautiful, blue-sky day.

The next day, Friday, I left Killarney Lodge and drove 5 hours across Ontario to Sebringville to see my Facebook friend, Katie Curran and her family.  It was a delightful visit and I felt like part of the family.  Katie and Steve have 3 children, twins: Savannah and Parker who are 4 and Megan, 18 months.  I had delicious home-cooked meals, including the best corn-on-the-cob that I’ve ever tasted.  Sebringville is located in a farming area and there was lots of corn growing all along my route after getting off the expressway from Toronto -- acres and acres of corn with big, old farmhouses and picturesque silos dotting the landscape.

On Saturday, the four of us girls visited Stratford, a town near Sebringville that has a great deal of theater and music performances and festivals.  It’s a quaint place with lots of shops.  We enjoyed lunch, shopping, and then a huge thunderstorm arrived where we all got mostly soaked, but the sun came out again and we dried out by the town pond where we fed ducks and swans.  I have a beautiful memory of the little girls and Katie in that lovely spot.

On Sunday, August 12, I left Sebringville and drove back to Toronto to stay in a hotel for 2 nights near the airport in order to rest a bit and prepare myself for the tour of Europe.  I spent that time reading up on the best ways to get around in Ireland, Scotland and England.  I also decided to abandon some of my clothing that was causing me to struggle with the zipper on my suitcase..  I gave them to a housekeeper who was about my size at the hotel.  She was thrilled, and although they were nice clothes, I don’t even remember what they were, and my suitcase is much easier to deal with now!

On Tuesday, August 14, I flew United Airlines to Newark, NJ, then took a shuttle to JFK in New York City, and then Aer Lingus to Dublin.  I arrived in Dublin at 5 AM and waited at the airport for John’s flight to arrive at 7 AM.

Many of my friends,  and family as well, wonder about my friendship with John.  I met him through a friend who recommended him as a handyman.  He helped us fix up the house in Carrollton, and then he and I built the boys a tree house in the backyard.  He’s 16 years older than me, but he is very young for his age.  John retired after 30 years of service as a Delta Airlines mechanic at age 53.  He’s 72 now, so for nearly 20 years he has enjoyed getting up every day and doing whatever he wants to do.  He has an amazing carefree attitude, combined with “can-do anything” experience.  He’s well read and seems to have a photographic memory.  No matter what the topic, he knows something about it and uses his unique “country boy” wisdom and perspective to enrich the discussion.  He can also repair anything, build anything, cries at sad movies, loves to cook and eat good food,  hikes and bikes anytime I’m ready, and has the softest, biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. We have spent some part of just about every day together for the past ten years.  He’s my best friend, and while we love each other, we are not romantically involved.  It’s an amazing and wonderful friendship that we both treasure very much.  John is just about the best blessing I’ve ever received.

My laundry is done, so I’ll have to go.  I love Ireland and especially my FB friends I spent one day with last week, Robby Martin and Robert Hand.  We are all friends because of our activism for Palestine.  I believe that people who understand the conflict are just open-hearted, good people – and I treasure the memory of meeting Robby and Robert.

August 7, 2012 – Killarney Lodge, Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada, 8:00 AM

Spent my first night at this beautiful cabin last night.  Awoke at 6:30 AM and walked down to the visitors’ lounge for a cup of coffee.  I did not see another person on my walk there.  Everyone here must not be early risers.  The lake is calm and I can hear loons calling.  Idyllic is the descriptive word for these surroundings!

I left the big city yesterday after spending 3 nights with Doug and Randy Hembruff in Randy’s home in the Scarborough area of Toronto.  After a slightly stressful ordeal at the car rental facility (I left my car insurance cards at home.), luckily my credit card provides rental car insurance, I set out driving the 180+ miles to Algonquin Provincial Park.

On the way, I thought about how gracious the Hembruffs were to open their home to an “online” friend.  Doug and I have been FB friends for several years and we talked about how we portray our genuine selves on FB, rather than projecting a false persona.  We are who we are in real life or on FB, and it’s very refreshing to “know” someone well through an online friendship even though you’ve never met face-to-face.

Doug and I went into Toronto on Saturday to the CN Tower to have dinner at the 360 Restaurant.  We arrived early and were able to be seated at a table right by the massive windows, viewing the city and lake as the restaurant made its complete 360 degree revolutions.  We enjoyed a bottle of wine and a four course meal while comparing our lives in the USA and Canada, and getting to know each other better.  After the meal, we toured the outside viewing area and walked over the glass floor, where one can look down through the glass, giving the impression that there is nothing between yourself and falling!  I walked about on this glass, but it took my breath away and I could never escape a slight feeling of anxiety.

Doug and I enjoyed the CN Tower on Saturday and the Picasso exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario on Sunday.  The exhibit covered all the phases of Picasso’s life and we came away from it well informed about his work.  His female forms are truly confusing because I find them insulting to the beautiful women in his life.  Doug thinks Picasso must have been a fairly creepy individual, and he’s probably correct.  I believe he was a genius artist who pushed the envelope on what was considered acceptable in art, and for that I’m grateful.  Art should invoke emotion, and Picasso’s work always does.   After viewing the art, we had a relaxed meal at the Village Idiot Pub, a corner café right across the street.  We drank Canadian beer there and had a long conversation.  Doug is easy to talk with, and I appreciate his insights and thoughtfulness.  The entire visit, he was extremely thoughtful about my comfort and my preparedness for the rest of my travels.

I stopped a couple of times on the drive to Killarney Lodge. once for lunch and internet access near Barrie, Ontario, and then again in Huntsville to purchase suntan lotion and a couple of bottles of wine to have with my dinner here at the lodge.  They do not have a license to sell alcohol,, so guests bring their own and the lodge keeps it for you and serves it upon request.

I met the couple in the cabin next to me who are from Oakville, Ontario – Ann and Georg.  Ann has a home childcare business and George works as a mechanical engineer in a manufacturing firm.  They are really friendly and nice, so we all had dinner together last evening. 

After dinner, I explored the guest lounge where there are games, books, newspapers, magazines, tea, and coffee available 24 hours a day.  They have several books on the “Group of Seven” – a group of Canadian artists who are famous for Canadian landscape paintings.  I borrowed a book on them and have been reading it today.  Tom Thomson was an “unofficial” member, but he was the main inspiration for the group.  He died in Algonquin Park while swimming in Canoe Lake – apparently his death is surrounded by mystery, and I’ll have to research all of thr story eventually.  Doug and I had viewed the Group of Seven landscape paintings at the AGO on Sunday, and I feel in love with Tom Thomson’s work, as well as A.G. MacDonald’s. 

It’s around 3 PM now on my 2^nd day here.  I’ve had 3 massive meals at this place.  I just returned from lunch of cauliflower soup, beef medallions with pasta and vegetables, green salad, and maplenut ice cream.  I’m stuffed!  I was thinking of going on a hike this afternoon, but I’m going to take a luxurious nap instead.  I still have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to explore the beautiful park!

August 4, 2012 – 7 AM-Toronto

For the first time in my life I spent the night outside the USA, and what a night it was!  After traveling on the Megabus for 3 days and nights, I hadn’t had much sleep, so when I arrived at my friend, Doug’s house, I showered and went to sleep at around 6 PM.  I slept until 6 AM – twelve hours!!

I’m actually staying at Doug’s father’s home, which is in the Scarborough area of Toronto, in a neighborhood of neat, brick homes, all with immaculate lawns and beautiful, mature trees.  I haven’t met Doug’s dad yet because he wasn’t home when we arrived and I was asleep when he came home.  I look forward to meeting this 86 year old who has kindly allowed me to stay in his comfy basement apartment for my first three days in Canada.

Many people have asked why I’ve decided to set out on a long journey around the world.   Few people decide to go on an extended trip, leaving home, friends, and family for an entire year. One person asked if I had a terminal illness and was enacting my final wish!  The answer is no.  I have no illnesses at all and take zero (0) medications to maintain any mental or physical ailments.  I am blessed, as many people I know take several medications daily for depression, sleep, heart, blood, and diabetes problems.  I didn’t have to pack up any of those things for my journey – hurray! – more room for shoes!

So, I have no (diagnosed!) mental or physical problems.   I have simply always yearned to travel outside the US, and have never taken the opportunity to do so.  When the last of my 4 children graduated from high school in May, 2012, I decided to celebrate 31 years of devoting my life to motherhood by taking an extended trip outside the USA.  Why all at once?  Because there are so many places I want to see and I want to go from place to place without the expense of flying back and forth to the US over several years and trips.  I would like to spend one year in what most will deem a selfish and wasteful journey, because we aren’t allowed in the USA to imagine leaving work for any extended period.  I’m rebelling!  I’ve been rebelling since I turned 50 a few years ago, and this phase of my life feels right.  Maybe it took 50 years for me to mature, but I now feel more confident, genuine, and energetic than I’ve ever felt in my life.  My journey is a desire to see, experience, and grow in knowledge about the rest of the world.

Of course I’ll miss my children and my darling grandchild, Anna, but the children are all very able adults, and Anna won’t remember that Grandmommie was away during her early life.  With technology, I will be able to see photos, videos, and have real-time conversations through Skype with my family every week.  I will only miss hugging and kissing them all for this time away, and smelling that delicious baby smell of Anna. 

I will be so busy on this journey, and have scheduled visits to many friends I’ve met on FaceBook.  So far, I’ve met two FB friends – Neda and Doug, who are real-life friends themselves.  Neda lives in Washington, DC and Doug in Toronto.  Neda  is originally from Lebanon and has helped me understand the religious and political history of the Middle East.  Doug, like me, is a Christian who’s on a journey of understanding both the past and current religious and political aspects of the Middle East conflicts.  I’m happy that both these friends welcomed me so warmly into their homes.