The Emerald Isle. Failte

Arrived without complications, which is its own special Irish blessing.  On time, got my all my luggage, and Danny my Driver was waiting for me as planned.  And what a treat he is.  

Danny has lived in Lahinch (5 whatever the distance is down the road) and has a car/taxi service.  45 minutes from Shannon to Ennistimon was a talking tour in itself.  And what did he want to know about when he found out I was from Wisconsin?

The Green Bay Packers!  I'll need to send him a tee shirt.

Raining leprechauns when I arrived got soaked trying to open the lock box to no avail.  2 nice young people came along and tried to help.  Nada.  Their advice: go on down to Cooley House Pub (about half a block).   "they're nice people you can trust and you can use their WiFi".  Did I mention it was a bank holiday, which means, well, just as it sounds.  

Classic pub.  2 old gents in the corner reading the newspaper and having a discourse about its contents.  4 young guys at the bar on holiday wearing Notre Dame shirt and a Patriots shirt, etc.  And now 1 drenched Yank with 2 suitcases, a backpack and a tote.  (I am here for a month, you know).  And indeed, very nice.  Got a beer, got on the internet and made contact with my host.  Turns out the code was a typo and 1 digit off.  Trudged back up the street, this time without the help of the nice young people, still raining leprechauns but got the door open.  Ta-Da!

All is going swimmingly except I can't get the door locked and the WiFi isn't connecting.  Back to Cooley House to contact Phil, my host (who turns out to be Phyllis, the Podiatrist above whom my apartment is situated).  Different bartender, still lovely.  Ultimately got it all solved and will now stop once a day at Cooley to thank them for being so kind.  And I'll have a beer.

Found my way to the grocery store and tucked in for the night (or whatever time it was).  Apartment is quite nice:  one flight up to floor 1 where the kitchen and living/dining room and half bath is.  1 more flight up to 2 bedrooms and a full bath.  Phil/Phyllis has supplied me with bread, butter, milk, coffee, tea, apples, microwave popcorn, hair dryer, shampoo.  

And here I am.  For August.  

BTW: if you are looking at the above drawing of Ireland, I am in County Clare, in the green part, in the middle "finger" sticking out into the Atlantic.  However, I can't see you from here.