Here is my itinerary:
August 22-25 Dublin Ireland
August 26-28 Dundalk Ireland visiting family
August 29 Galway Ireland
August 30-September 3 Dingle Ireland
September 4-6 Ballymaloe Cookery School
September 7-23 Walking a portion of the French way on the Camino Santiago de Compostela
September 24 – October 21 Paris. Because, as Audrey Hepburn once said “Paris is always a good idea”
October 22 – October 30 Cambridge UK for Ideas Festival
October 31 – November 2 Edinburgh Scotland
November 3 – 5 Amsterdam
November 6 – 17 Who Knows?!?
November 18 London
November 19 home
On the trip I plan to spend the 12 weeks following the 12 weeks of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. She came out just this year (coincidence? you decide…) with a version that covers these bonus years called “It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again — Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond”. Follow along with me if you’d like!
Last day at work Friday, August 19 (had to maximize my income!) and flying out Monday, August 22. Whirlwind of goodbye lunches, dinners, coffees, drinks (and plenty of procrastination) left me with little time to do the last minute preparations that I had put off. Saturday I visited my youngest son at his new college. Sunday night my older two took me out to our favorite Italian restaurant for all our classic favorites. Including two bottles of a delicious chianti. A perfect sendoff. Last pedicure, last hair color, before being away for three months. Somehow it all got done. What was to be two pieces of luggage for 3 months — a domestic carry on piece of luggage and my backpack purchased for the Camino — become 3 with a tote bag added at last minute. I am hoping to shed things as I travel in Ireland to consolidate to two. Wishful thinking I’m sure.
Wonderful trip on American coach. Thank you Tom for taking care of me with my aisle seat and no one next to me! Heaven!
Landed in Dublin on dreary grey day. Took bus into city center near St. Stephen’s Green and walked to B&B. Of course room not ready yet, but had coffee at nearby cafe and room was available earlier than expected. Took (uncharacteristic for me) long nap. Usually I power through the first day to get on the new time zone’s schedule. Uncharacteristically, I was just too tired, despite sleeping a bit on the flight. Was it the grey day? All the work to get out the door? All the emotions of saying goodbye? All of the above I’m sure. Luckily I booked myself to a touristy Musical Pub Crawl that was recommended by the travel writer Rick Steves. It got me out and hearing Irish music in pubs. Heaven for me. Learned a lot, got recommendations for pubs in Galway and Dingle as well as Dublin and enjoyed it. Stopped in the wrong O’Donoghue’s for a pint (music at a microphone not in a corner of the pub) before back to bed.
