1st of the Ireland logs
Well, home now. Just a brief review of the Ireland trip with JMT. Even though I was at Little Portion I flew separately from John Michael and Viola. I left XNA early on the morning of the 7th flying first to Atlanta, then Newark and on to Dublin. I've never flown through Newark before though I took a friend there for a trip to London long ago. Terminal C is OK with lots of food options, but I still had a long layover and no amount of food will cure that. Flying from the NYC area up the coast toward Newfoundland after Dark I tried to identify what features I could along the way. Saw the baseball stadiums in the Bronx (Yankee new & old I think). Mistook Providence for Boston which I realized fifteen minutes later when the pilot announced that Boston was visible out the left side of the plane.
Boston from 35,000 feet
I was in the very last row of the 757 on the trip out. Fortunately, the middle seat was empty so I had some room. It's also fortunate that I hadn't succumbed to the urge to buy the special fancy power adapter to use on the plane with my laptop. Turns out that Continental's 757's have been refit and have plain old 120VAC in every row!
I arrived in Dublin at 7am local time but still had about two hours to kill before our friend Gerry McCoy would arrive to pick us up (the Talbots were scheduled to arrive around 9:30). I was meant to wait for Gerry in in the food court upstairs above departures. Problem, I couldn't find my way into the food court. It seemed to me to be on the other side of security. So back down to the arrival area which is really not much bigger than in Buffalo and pretty spartan in the way of accommodation. I parked myself in a chair and did my best not to fall asleep for the next two hours or so. I stood up to begin looking for Gerry when Lo & Behold John Michael & Viola stroll in having landed early. Now to wait for Gerry. After some waiting Gerry rushes to us, having been looking for me in the food court for some time. "How did you get in there?" I ask incredulously. According to Gerry "you have to be Irish".
So off we go into Gerry's car for the drive up to Belfast with much catching up to do along the way. We arrived at the Balmoral hotel in Belfast at 11am by which time I believe I had been continuously awake for 24 hours (I didn't sleep on any of the flights). Off to the room for an afternoon of napping and then a quick dinner. And now for my pet peeve of the trip....hotel beds with no top sheet! Fitted sheet on the mattress and just a duvet. Problem, the duvet is too darn warm and I don't like to sleep uncovered. Aaargh. I though the Irish were famous for linens. Didn't I read that in Douglas Adams book? Would one more sheet really kill them? Just the hotels, the B & Bs were fine.
Spotted from my window at the Balmoral
Our first concert In Belfast went great, with sound provided by our friend from Armagh, Enda McClusker. Enda's done several concerts for us now and has really grown his production business since we met in 2003. We wish him continued success!
More from the Ireland trip soon....
From the first concert, in Belfast
I was in the very last row of the 757 on the trip out. Fortunately, the middle seat was empty so I had some room. It's also fortunate that I hadn't succumbed to the urge to buy the special fancy power adapter to use on the plane with my laptop. Turns out that Continental's 757's have been refit and have plain old 120VAC in every row!
I arrived in Dublin at 7am local time but still had about two hours to kill before our friend Gerry McCoy would arrive to pick us up (the Talbots were scheduled to arrive around 9:30). I was meant to wait for Gerry in in the food court upstairs above departures. Problem, I couldn't find my way into the food court. It seemed to me to be on the other side of security. So back down to the arrival area which is really not much bigger than in Buffalo and pretty spartan in the way of accommodation. I parked myself in a chair and did my best not to fall asleep for the next two hours or so. I stood up to begin looking for Gerry when Lo & Behold John Michael & Viola stroll in having landed early. Now to wait for Gerry. After some waiting Gerry rushes to us, having been looking for me in the food court for some time. "How did you get in there?" I ask incredulously. According to Gerry "you have to be Irish".
So off we go into Gerry's car for the drive up to Belfast with much catching up to do along the way. We arrived at the Balmoral hotel in Belfast at 11am by which time I believe I had been continuously awake for 24 hours (I didn't sleep on any of the flights). Off to the room for an afternoon of napping and then a quick dinner. And now for my pet peeve of the trip....hotel beds with no top sheet! Fitted sheet on the mattress and just a duvet. Problem, the duvet is too darn warm and I don't like to sleep uncovered. Aaargh. I though the Irish were famous for linens. Didn't I read that in Douglas Adams book? Would one more sheet really kill them? Just the hotels, the B & Bs were fine.
Our first concert In Belfast went great, with sound provided by our friend from Armagh, Enda McClusker. Enda's done several concerts for us now and has really grown his production business since we met in 2003. We wish him continued success!
More from the Ireland trip soon....
Labels: belfast, catholic, concert, ireland, john michael talbot, music
posted by JTC at 8:35 AM
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