Waiting out the Gales. Or. How to keep busy doing nothing

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 Thursday June 29 2017.

After a good nights sleep and a hot shower it’s a new day. The same crappy weather but a new day. We have cereal for breakfast with tea of course.

What shall we do today is the conversation around the breakfast table. Our boat is so big we have a breakfast table and a lunch table and also a dinner table. Anyway back to our discussion.; What are we going to do today?” “I don’t know. What do you want to do?” “I don’t care.” Let’s go to the boat store and see where we can get propane”” Do we need it?” “Think so.” “OK” Then what would you like to do?” “Go into town?” “OK” “Then what?” “Go to archeology museum.” “ummmm,,,,ok”

So off we went in half our rain gear dipsy doodling across two parking lots one drying net(good luck *&^%$%^ down rain) passed the resident Seal who had an umbrella up! Into the Boat/hardware store.  “Can you exchange our propane cylinder?” (show picture) “yes””How much” Pick self up from floor. “OK can you deliver it to the yacht Club?” “No bother””How about tomorrow morning?””Sure” So  we then checked the rest of the stock out to see if there was anything we couldn’t live without. I got lucky. We then went to the train station and got help from a very nice train volunteer to use the machine to buy our tickets. I put the magic piece of plastic into the thing the volunteer pushed the secret numbers and buttons. There as  a crunching and grinding sound.I thought to myself there goes the card. Out pops what I think is two tickets and a receipt for a bunch of Euros. We say thankyou to the nice lady and get on the train.

We sit for a while,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Beep.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Beep,Beep. Something is about to happen! BEEP.BEEP.BBBEEEEP. Shhhhhhhhiisssss,rumble, rumbbbbbbblllle whoosh we’re moving. On our way to Dublin Town.

We get to Connolly Station. ‘Is this where we’re supposed to get off?” “Think so” So we do. Then we try to get out of the station.

For you who have not experienced the Irish rail system and maybe some others in the world.  Let me explain. You buy your ticket before boarding. Then you ride. Then you get to your destination. There you will find a bewildering number of turnstiles and gates with flashing lights and hoards(a lot of people make up a hoard) trying to through the same one your stopped in front of trying to figure out what to do. After carefull observations of what everyone else does. I step up, stick the ticket into the slot provided. The machine spits it back. I reinsert it. It spits it back. This goes on for a while I admit defeat! Go to the security guy. I get the look! OH,OH. Do the explaining .( Too long to go through here) He nice man that he is lets me out. I run to Sally for a hug. I get, what did you do? My ticket worked.” “I don’t know” Oh well.

So now we’re in Dublin. Whooppee! Now what? We need the Tram. “The what?” The TRAM”( For those who don’t know I’m just a little hard of hearing hense the capitalization) “OK” We put cash into a machine and viola(Not the Viola I knew in my youth) out popped two return tickets for the tram.(something that runs very well over here that Toronto is sure to screw up). We arrive at our stop. We get off. I sort of know where we are. Sally say’s”We go this way” I follow. We get to Trinity. “Ahhh”I say the book of Kells. Sally say’s”Let’s go see it””OK” I say. BIIG line up and it costs money. So we don’t go.

We get to the Museum. It’s free!!! We go in  and walk by some old pots and stuff.We’re on a mission at this point. Find an empty table  sit down. Sally goes to order. I wait Food comes. We eat. All is good.

Don’t know how I got into Itelics but fixed now.

“So what do you want to see?” “I don’t care” “What do you want to see?” “The Neolithic and Viking with the battle of Clontorf thrown in.” “OK” so we did.

Lots of stone tools and old pots and swords and axes and a couple of really old dead people some gold and silver(I’m going to buy a metal detector). Had a wonderfull time and then.

The return journey. We get to the station. Go and see the nice security guard. Explain about the no ticket when we got there. He looks at the receipt. “Hmmm, you only bought one” “But I payed for two.” “Nope only one”(this was all in an Irish accent)”I’m sure I payed for two””Look here. One” “Are you sure?” (Iget the look” “Go see the information ticket guy” OK. Off we go to the information ticket guy. Long story short. We bought another ticket and got on the train. Got a free one way ride though.

Return to Howth. It’s still blowing 1 ½ Hoolies. We manage to get back to the club. Exausted we manage the stairs up to the bar. A hot whiskey and a guiness later we’re able to get back on board and two hot whiskey’s later we have dinner. Read a little and try and download some episodes then slummberland.