Day 40 - The Journey to Nimes

We all slept in til 9:10 AM...Honestly we could have slept longer, but the hotel stopped serving breakfast at 9:30 and we were hungry.

After a very expensive breakfast (this is France after all), we decided to check out the pool and spa, since we had seen some fancy pictures online when booking the hotel. The kids really wanted to go swimming and we figured after yesterday they deserved some time to stretch out and play before we put them back in the car for some more driving. 

We took a taxi to pick up our car a bit after noon.  We are going to have this car for 3 months, now through Spain.  It is a manual Renault Captur, much fancier than the Skoda, and has built in GPS which actually works well!  This car isn't really a rental, it's actually a short term lease directly with Renault.  It's a brand new car, and is part of a buy-back program we had read about as a cheaper alternative to renting if you will have the car for more than a month or so.  The process of getting the car was amazingly fast and smooth, and it was nice to not try to be sold extra bells and whistles and insurance like they did in Ireland.  It was just pick up the keys, a quick demo of the car, and on the road we were.  We had to remember how to drive on the right side of the road again, but that didn't take too long:)

If we wanted to get car seats through Renault, it would have been ridiculously expensive, so I buckled the kids in with the seatbelt just over their laps and I sat in between them at first.  We had done our homework on where to get car seats for a good price, and we headed to a store called Auchan to buy them.  Auchan is a very large supermarket, it is a bit of a mix between Target and Costco in the US.  The trip to the store was successful, except for when we ran into a problem with the credit card machines not accepting our credit cards (a lot of credit card machines in Europe now require the card to have a chip, either chip and pin or chip and signature) and no one in the store spoke English, not even at customer service. 

Eventually a girl who understood some English and worked at the store came to our rescue and told us our cards would not be accepted, but that we could use the ATM. Problem solved :)

We ate lunch at Auchan too and bought a prepaid SIM card so we could communicate with our host in Nimes. 

We then began our drive to Nimes, which we expected would take around 7 hours.

Kids strapped into their new car seats

Alas, we found out the hard way that apparently August 1st is the day the entire country packs up and goes on vacation!  At the very beginning, thanks to bumper to bumper traffic, it took us 2 hours to drive 12 miles (20 km)!  Eventually we were out of the traffic and drove deeper into the countryside where the highways are still grand, but you see lots of farmland, cows, and very old, historical buildings on either side. 

We only stopped to get gas and grab a very quick dinner before hopping back in the car.  At this point our arrival time was going to be near midnight according to the GPS!  Yikes, but at least still before midnight.  That was all good until we hit the craziest thunder and rain storm!  I even saw lightening just spark in mid-air right by us...gulp gulp. I was glad I was not driving.  It was almost impossible to see where we were going.

Mother nature's madness added to our time of arrival.  Thankfully, our host is extremely kind and she just told us to be careful and drive safe and that she would wait up for us. 

We finally arrived around 1:30 AM!  Our host, Roselyn was waiting for us, and every time I apologized she just said, it's not a problem :) 

She showed us the house and give us some instructions, a bit in French a bit in English, and then we said good night.  

The entire family was out like a light a bit after 2AM.

Day 39 - A long day of traveling

We left our lovely cottage and Louisburgh behind around 9:30 AM.  We all talked about what our favorite part of Ireland was.  For me, it was petting the sheep.  For the hubby, it was Croagh Patrick.  For Kian, it was Clare Island.  And of course, for Hannah, it was Sam the dog!  

The drive to Dublin airport, which is 173 miles (279 km) away, was very smooth.  We ate lunch on the way and my brilliant husband (no sarcasm this time :)) had the wonderful idea of just reserving a taxi online to pick us up at the Beauvais airport [More on this later].

We returned our darling Skoda at Europcar, and said farewell to driving on the "wrong" side of the road for now.  In total, we drove 1,549 miles (2,493 km) in Ireland, not too shabby.  Thankfully, after a little complaining, we were able to get a refund on the GPS that came with the rental car, because at no point during the vacation was the GPS even remotely useful, since the maps don't have most of the roads!  If you find yourself traveling to Ireland, a word of advice, just skip the GPS.  There aren't too many roads, and the signs are pretty good, so an old fashioned map will do the job just fine.  

A shuttle brought us to the terminal around 3:30 PM.  The check-in process for Ryanair at Dublin airport is much, much smoother than at Stansted airport in the UK.  They also didn't hassle us over 2 extra kilograms in our luggage. Hurray! 

We had lots and lots of time, so we decided to take the kids to the McDonalds play area before going through security.  Since it was neither lunch nor dinner time for us, I was grateful the kids could play there without us having to buy any food.

The kids played for a while as I uploaded a ton of pictures for the last 5 days of blog posts.  The internet at Dublin airport is mighty speedy! 

After playing in the little obstacle course for a while and helping Hannah through a variety of up and downs, Kian joined us at the table to play a little bit on the Nintendo 3DS. 

Kian playing the 3DS

Hannah was happy playing with a balloon she had found.

Hannah and her yellow balloon that she left for "other kids" after we left the play area

We went through security and ate dinner at Burger King.  During dinner, we were entertained by our silly Hannah making up and singing a France song that went something like this: France France, Francie France.... well, just listen for yourself :)

Our flight was supposed to be at 7:30 but it was delayed 1 hour.  We all stayed in good spirits.. playing, chatting, and recharging all our devices for the next leg of the journey. 

Hannah feeding baby ginger while we waited to board

Eventually we all boarded and were on our way. The flight was quick and smooth and before we knew it we had landed at Beauvais airport. 

Beauvais airport is a very tiny airport. At terminal 1 (I think there are 2 terminals there), you walk off the plane, and into the doors where a line of people is formed to get passports checked/stamped. Immediately behind passport control is where you pick up your luggage and you walk out of the door.

Remember I mentioned my husband's brilliance earlier on? Thank goodness there was a taxi driver waiting outside holding our name on a piece of paper, because at this airport there is no line up of buses or taxis. It is true that you can take a shuttle for 17 euros per adult from Beauvais to Paris, 20-25 mins after your flight lands, but that shuttle takes you to Porte Maillot in Paris.  From there you will need to take a taxi or some other form of transportation to your hotel unless you have a hotel within walking distance. 

Either way, since it was 11:00 PM, and the hotel we had booked wasn't in central Paris, but rather near where we will be picking up our next car, I was extremely grateful for the kind taxi driver who picked us up and gave us giant bottle of water. 

The drive to our hotel took about 1 hour, and we were all in bed shortly after midnight. 

It is definitely worth mentioning that despite the long, long day, the kids kept it together the entire time, we heard no whining or crying or fussing. At bedtime I was probably more cranky than them! 

Bonne Nuit ... Zzzzzz

Day 38 - Packing and Good-byes

The morning began with lots of packing. We dragged out our eBag and Eagle Creek packing cubes and got busy rolling clothes :) 

It surprisingly took a lot less time and energy than we thought it would. 

Packing in progress

In the afternoon, we headed over to Mike and Andrea's house to say farewell and to thank them for their warm hospitality, and we were treated to a delicious shrimp appetizer.

Shrimp Appetizer ... Mmm Mmm...the sauce was so delicious

It is really amazing when you end up meeting people so far away from home and feel like you have known them for ages.  We were sad to say goodbye, but thankful for all the technology that will keep us connected and future travels that could reunite us. 

From Left to Right: Baby Ginger, Hannah, Kian, Baby, Ciara, and Roisin

Richard and Veronica, the owners of the farm and the cottage, had kindly invited us over for dinner.  When we arrived at the house, once again we felt like family. We all started talking and the kids all had a great time talking, running outside, and playing with Sam (have I mentioned how much our kids love Sam?)

Our first course consisted of fresh and extremely scrumptious oysters still in their salty water. Mmmmmm.....Mmmmmm!

Goodbye Dinner

Freshly opened oysters

Goodbye Dinner

Closed oysters and mussels and the special seaweed that keeps them cool and fresh

Goodbye Dinner

Cheese and cooked smoked salmon

Goodbye Dinner

Lamb and vegetables :)

I am not sure if the most amazing thing about the dinner was the oysters, our delicious entree, or the fact that both Kian and Hannah tried salmon for the first time and loved it so much they kept asking for more! 

After dinner, Caroline played a bit accordion for us (which was awesome) and both Caroline and Richard (Jr.) sang a couple of songs. They are both very good and talented kids. We will definitely miss the entire family and Sam very much. 

From left to right: Richard (Jr), Hannah, Kian, Sam, and Caroline

Thanks again to Richard, Veronica, and the whole family for making us feel so at home this past month.  We are so fortunate to have found such a wonderful house in such a wonderful little town.  It was a really wonderful experience for us all, one we will never forget (well, maybe Hannah will, but thats what the pictures are for!).

And again, thanks to technology, we will keep in touch, and who knows maybe one day we will meet again.

Tomorrow morning we will head out to Dublin to catch our flight to France. We will have two slightly crazy and hectic days before we settle down in Nimes.

Adventure awaits...

Day 37 - Museum of Country Life

About a week ago, someone we met happened to recommend the Museum of Country Life to us.  We knew the drive was about an hour, so we had it put it off.  Today, since we had no other plans, we decided to venture out to Turlough Park to check out the museum.

Turlough Park House build in 1865 - Once home to the Fitzgerald family who at one point owned 8500 acres of land in the county of Mayo

"Camper van"

This is how people travelled back in the day! The wealthy would have one made for them which cost quite a bit. Most people preferred to build their own.

"Camper van"

The chimney is for the stove that was used for cooking and also heated the inside.  These were mostly used for traveling in the summer months.

This is a wonderful spot to visit as a family, especially with younger children, and the best part is it's free for the adults and children.  We learned a lot about the Irish history, and the kids had a great time.  There are lots of items that are left out, and the you are encouraged to check them out up close and personal with a sign that says: "Please Touch".

Kian and Hannah posing with an Irish family in the attire they wore long ago.

Kian and I in some Irish clothing we were encouraged to try on by all the signs :)

The museum focuses a lot on the country life in Ireland, before and after the famine. There are a variety of different sections, such as: professions, agricultural tools, and basket weaving techniques.

Museum of Country Life

Kian chatting on an old phone

Museum of Country Life

Hannah having a blast with some woven straws and a stack of twigs.

Museum of Country Life

Hannah mailing a pretend letter

Museum of Country Life

Kian and Hannah with the taylor

Museum of Country Life

Kian churning butter

Museum of Country Life

Kian, Hannah, and Daddy in the play/children's activity area of the museum

I found the description for the school master most interesting:

"The master was the most respected man in the town, feared alike but his pupils and their parents.  His appearance in the noisiest streets brought immediate silence.  Most of his pupils came from very poor families and he was determined to make something of them whether they liked it or not. He knew what was good for them and even if it meant teaching by terror, they got it."

The Schoolmaster

The Schoolmaster

You can pick up this phone and press a button to hear the school master teach the alphabet with Irish words and their translation in english. You can follow along using the binder.

I also liked a few "fact" posters around the museum which talked about summer months, and how the poor would generally suffer in July, as the stored food would run out but the new crops were not quiet ready yet for harvest.  Makes you think about how much we take for granted! 

Summer

"A wet May and a dry June makes a farmer whistle a tune."

A Year of Life

Country people remembered the events of their lives by relating them to familiar milestones in the year.

There was a special exhibition about the police force in Ireland on the basement floor.  They had some gear and outfits on display, and they had a section for taking mug shots and doing finger prints. It was actually a fairly crowded section and we had to wait a bit, but we had Kian write his name on the little blackboards they had and do a mug shot.  The numbers for the height though didn't seem quite right, but it was all silly nonetheless.

Kian's mug shot

The museum grounds are also very beautiful and lots of fun for the kids. There are few sculptures around and many gorgeous flowers.

Kian trying to slurp up the lake with the straw - "The installation of the straw sculpture is intended to highlight the current issue of water charges and water equality in Ireland. The placement of the straw in the lake should remind people where their water comes from and how much of it is left". -Paul O'Driscoll (Artist and Musician in Mayo)

After the museum, we stopped in Westport on our way home and had dinner at a pizza restaurant, followed by dessert at the Maple Moose, a cute little place worth a visit.

Maple Moose

Maple Moose

Great Uncle Albert's picture on the wall. We also saw a few funny sayings on the walls/mirrors.

Maple Moose

Hannah loving her pink ice cream with sprinkles and marshmallows

Maple Moose

Kian enjoying his warmed up chocolate muffin

This was our last day of sightseeing in Ireland. Tomorrow we will have to start packing and saying goodbye to the good friends we have made here. 

Day 36 - Kickball

Four important things were accomplished on this Monday. 

1. The kids had fun swimming in the pool
2. We had a delicious lunch and dessert at The Creel (our favorite restaurant in Westport)
3. I was able to upload quite a few pictures and catch up a bit on blog posts (Thanks Creel!)
4. Kian learned how to play kickball

Spicy lamb naan pizza - It was scrumptious 

Little swimmers loving their delicious chocolate cake and milk

Hannah watching "Dora Saves the Mermaids" for the 10 billionth time :) as I type up a new post

One of the things we really love about The Creel, aside from it's amazing variety of food with great quality, is the atmosphere.  It is very relaxed and airy.  They have some normal tables with chairs,  and they also have some couches with coffee tables, which makes it a really great spot to just hang out.  Check it out if you are ever in the Westport area.

After a while, the laptop battery was totally drained, and the kids were stuffed with chocolate cake, so we packed up our bags and headed home.  I started working on dinner while Kian and Daddy started playing kickball.  Hannah was just walking around saying she wants strawberries, and she refused to believe me when I repeatedly answered we don't have any! 

She did eventually compromise and took a strawberry yogurt instead.

I joined the kickball game while dinner was cooking in the oven.  Hannah also joined the game after a while, but was having a hard time grasping the rules.  Kian was great at holding her hand and running her from base to base, and then acting as her shield if we tried to throw the ball at her in between bases :)

Kickball

Daddy on the pitching mound

Kickball

Kian getting ready to kick

Kickball

Kian shielding Hannah from me

Kickball

Hannah being silly & goofy

Kickball

Kian teaching Hannah, with lots and lots and lots of patience, how to play kickball

We all had a great time outside, and it was a bit after 8 PM when we came back inside and ate our dinner. Time flies when you are having fun :)

Baked marinated chicken thighs, baked potato, and a side salad

After dinner, the kids decided to make us bead bracelets to match theirs. 

Working hard at making bead bracelets

We are now all in possession of matching bead bracelets. Hurray!

Day 35 - Laaaazy Sunday

We woke up to a gorgeous sky, and thought we would head out to either Old Head or one of the beaches near us.  We planned to avoid driving by Croagh Patrick (which is on the way to Westport) since it was Reek Sunday and lots of people would be coming to the mountain for the pilgrimage. Then I opened the door and realized...brrrr....it was really much cooler than it seemed from the inside. 

And that is how our barely any plans turned into no plans.

Gorgeous view of the sky and ocean from the kitchen door

We lounged around the house for quite a while. I tried to upload a few pictures for the blog, which involves searching outside for a wifi signal from the main house, but the internet was not cooperating and so I abandoned that task to return to lounging about :)

We got a bit bored by early afternoon and went outside again. It was still chilly and windy, so my hubby's grand idea was to teach the kids how to drive a stick shift car : ) We have a huge "drive way", and there was no other car there, so they learned to start the car in the 1st gear, turn, and reverse a tiny bit.

Meanwhile, I was trying to check us in to our flight on Thursday.  The kids were having fun in the car, and I jumped out of my skin when Hannah honked the horn! :) 

Driving Lessons

Lesson # 1: Buckle up!

Driving Lessons

Kian at the wheel...Daddy at the pedals

We came back inside to continue the lazy theme.  I made some peppermint tea and cut up a fruit cake. Everyone had a snack, and we decided to have a family movie afternoon.

Afternoon snack

Toy Story 2 was the pick of the day.

Family movie afternoon - Toy Story 2

I made a quick dinner (couldn't be too extravagant or it would ruin the lazy mode) as the movie was wrapping up. 

Penne pasta with sauce and garlic bread

After dinner, everyone had enough cabin fever to get out and walk around the backyard for a bit. It was chilly, but the sun was casting some nice big shadows, so we started playing shadow tag and warmed up.

The kids had a blast being silly together and tackling each other.

Sibling love at its best :)

Hannah, of course, had to say good night to Sam before we could come inside and get ready for bed.

Hannah and Sam

Lazy Sundays are the best!

Day 34 - Little Friends & Persian Food

After breakfast, Hannah wanted to earn her keep and wash the dishes, and hey there is no reason to say no to a happy child who wants to wash the dishes (mostly utensils)!  Yes she got plenty wet, but she did actually wash the spoons and put them on the drying rack.

Hannah washing breakfast's dishes

Our main plan for the day was to go back to Andrea and Mike's house and make a Persian dinner, khoresh bademjan (eggplant stew over rice) for everyone.  After a few around-the-house chores and preparing the eggplants in the oven, I put all the ingredients needed for our dinner in the car and we all headed to the Killeen playground for a bit before heading over to their house.

Once we got to their house, the two little girls went off to make trouble.  It's so cute how friendly they are.  Kian started playing with some of his toys, and Andrea and I started making dinner.

Ciara & Hannah giggling =D

Ciara & Hannah drawing

Kian was a little bored again, but honestly he was too busy earning tomatoes in Turbo on the iPad to even notice.

We were all busy chatting and cooking and chatting some more, and so we did not take too many pictures. 

We all ate dinner, had dessert, and chatted some more!

Eggplant stew & white rice

We ended up staying way past the kids' bedtime, but when you are in good company it's always hard to leave :)