June 3 Austin
We headed out to the airport a good 2 hrs early anticipating a long wait in line. It took us all of 3 minutes to go through security. I had done a pre check in with TSA on line and we are old..so they just whizzed us through the fast lane. We didn't have to open our suitcases or take off our shoes or anything.
So with 2 hrs to kill in the airport hubby decided work on crossword puzzle book. The pen that we stole from the shabby hotel gave up after 2 words and the shops wanted $5 for a pen which he refused to buy - so he decided to use his kindle but the battery was dead.
He managed to find an outlet and there we sat.
Austin airport was extremely clean and lovely. It has interesting steampunk artwork hanging on the walls and comfortable chairs for the passengers.
Good thing hubby had wandered around because they changed our gate without notice and we could have missed our plane.
On board hubby wants the window seat and I am sitting next to a large young man with his iPhone crammed I his ears. The plane is small with very little leg room and I'm happy that it will not be the overseas plane.
Not sure whether we had a new pilot or a bad pilot, but the landing at JFK was too fast and the hardest I've ever been on. We pounded to he ground and the pilot stomped on the brakes throwing us all forward. We looked around at each other and we're happy to be safe.
We had 4 hours to kill before our flight so we had an expensive airport lunch. At the time we didn't know that we wouldn't be eating for a long time, so it's a good thing that we stuffed ourselves.
Finally we made it on our flight. We breathed sighs of relief that we were finally on our way and this plane had much more legroom. I took the window seat and dale took the middle and was seated next to a lovely Irish girl in her mid 30's who was on her way home to Dublin.
Then the pilot announces over the loudspeaker. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a little electrical problem in the cockpit and we will need the mechanics to check it out before we leave.
They turn off all the electricity in the cabin, so we can't recharge our electronics and we sit in the plane for 2 hours while the mechanics figure out and go get the part to fix the captains oxygen mask....
By the time we leave my butt and legs are already numb. Hopefully I can go to sleep and forget about it.
We look at each other, hopeful that all our irritatingly bad luck is out of the way....and we are finally on our way. Dinner was actually edible, and I had a glass of wine hoping it would help me sleep and I was amazed that after watching American hustle, I drifted off for a few hours.
Dale who had bragged that he could always sleep on a plane did not and when I woke in the morning he was sitting with his gray airline blanket over his head. He had left all his pills in his carry on, so when they brought breakfast of all sweets, he decided it was better if he didn't eat. They brought a nice little box with yogurt,banana,chocolate muffin and dried cherries.....talk about the wrong meal for a diabetic.
But we finally arrived. Our first taste of Dublin,was sticker shock at the ATM where 300 us got us 277 euros. We managed to find the air coach that the Irish girl said to take to town and we met a nice young and very cute Irish man on the bus who lived right near our hotel and who did his good deed for the day and walked us old farts to the hotel door.
The sweet young man gave me a hug instead of a handshake and I was wishing I had another daughter to play matchmaker with.
Although we arrived at the hotel at 9 am the girl at the front desk sweetly found us a room which was old and lovely. The first thing I did was use the enormous old porcelain bathtub to soak out the airplane soreness and the took a little nap.
We left the hotel and wandered in circles looking for a place to eat. There were too many choices and we finally ended up at the metro cafe less than a block from our hotel "The Grafton Capital" which I highly recommend for it's location in the heart of the city.
Hubby had Irish stew in Ireland and I had a sandwich and we splurged on a toffee apple cake for dessert. Coffee was dark and excellent dale will have to get used to European coffee.
The weather is cool. I wish I had brought a pair of jeans, tennies and a sweatshirt. I am surprised at how shabby everyone is dressed. I need to dress down a little even though I' wearing yoga pants with a long sleeved t shirt and a sweater. I also wish I had a sweatshirt or light jacket as it sprinkles a bit now and then.
I'm also surprised that I didn't see one camera even though most people here are tourists. Everyone uses their phones for photos.