8 Jul 2012 – on a budget!

Now comes the boring but important as this has to do with budget and expenses (downloaded pix on R column). Have often been asked how it is that one can travel in this life’s journey and the way to do so is to go by budget airlines with only a backpack not more than 10kg as hand-baggage. KK mentioned that I had a monotonous wardrobe when traveling and I asked if he is willing to pay for my first-class air tickets and carry the extra baggage?? 🙂

Complains about unsuitable times, baggage allowances, etc etc with budget airlines are quite valid. For this life’s journey, the most important is that the mode of transport from A to anywhere has to be affordable and if that is what one can afford, then go with the flow. Whining with buts and ifs will not get anywhere except frustrations or perhaps the urge to travel is not within… 🙂 🙂

Am aware that without family and friends’ kind hospitality, would not have been able to travel this way the past 10yrs. Most grateful and blessed to have them. Will have only manage one trip per year if hotels are in the picture.

The recent Ireland trip:

Bus from OSL-RYG (Moss, app 1hr S of OSL)-OSL: NOK310/S$65
Ryanair from RYG-DUB-RYG: NOK331/S$68
Transfer from DUB airport: EUR10/S$16
Train from DUB-Castleisland-DUB: EUR55/S$86
TOTAL: S$235

Of course that is not including food and other misc expenses which would usually total to app 5 times more but still worth it to be able to spend time with family and friends who one can only catch up with once in a while. The previous trip in Ireland was 2004, at Brother Joseph McNally’s (1923-2002) Inauguration of Counsellor II, a bronze sculpture erected by the people of SIN in his memory.

The sculpture measuring 2.9m is situated on the grounds of the National Museum of Ireland-Country Life in Co Mayo, Ireland is a tribute to all the Irish De La Salle Brothers who by their life work in SIN have helped to transform SIN from a 3rd World to a 1st World country.

I know that the arts are an expression of spiritual values – Brother Joseph McNally

6 Jul 2012 – From Kilcloon to Portrane

Sun: breakfast at Caffery’s (1640) in Batterstown, Co Meath where Mick and the boys gather! The old section has much history and personality.

100,000 thanks to Ann & Mick for their warm hospitality and great to catch up with Ivan & Karl too. Glad to meet Trish and the twins, also Jack with a wooden heart 🙂

The drive from Kilcloon to Port Reachrann/Portrane=landing place of Reachrainn took app 40mins, appreciations to Ann. Poor Stephen was in a job accident, lost his 5 toes but still in good spirits. Have not seen him since 1974. Today he lives in Portrane with wife Trisha. Local and only pub here, The Brook is where the movie Jerry Maguire*** (Tom Cruise) was filmed.

The Fingal Dublin region is renowned for its old world charm and rich heritage. Deriving its name from the Gaelic words Fine Gall=land of the fair-haired stranger in reference to the Vikings who settled in the area from the 8th Century onwards.

Martello towers are small defensive forts built during the 19th century from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards. 40ft/12m high (with two floors), their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse a 360° arc. Bro Les wants to buy a Martello to renovate for a holiday home!

In the distance is Lamby Island (must be the Viking influence!), a privately owned island. With a name like Lamby where Lamby=Lam town in Norwegian, it would be good to own a Martello with Lamby in the background 🙂 🙂

St Ita’s Hospital is an impressive collection of Victorian red brick buildings which dominate the peninsula. St Catherine’s Church and Bobs Castle are the ruins on Burrow Rd where Stephen & Trisha live. 3 above pix credit goes to Stephen.

Tóg go bog é, my favourite Irish phrase!

Yeah… more or less up to date with the Irish’s journey postings 🙂 🙂 🙂

How about a little piece of integrity in this world that is so full of greed and a lack of honorability that I don’t know what to tell my son! Except, ‘Here. Have a look at a guy who isn’t yelling ‘Show me the money’…  – 1996 movie Jerry Maguire

5 Jul 2012 – Where the memories are so pretty!

Mon: Alexandra School & College Earlsfort Terrace (1765) where a naive young boarder age 15yrs was first exposed to the world! Alex celebrated her 200yrs in 1965 with a formal dress dance at the Shelborne Hotel, a 5* and historical hotel (1824) then and now! Unfortunately no pix from those days but the memories are quite in tact.  Today Alex has moved to Milltown and it is now the Conrad Hotel with University College Dublin/UCD still standing majestically opposite.

16 Waterloo Rd, where siblings and cousins of the LAM family could be found from the late 1950s-1970s! Was also staying there at short periods from 1966. Directly across the road was WahYan House/for HKG students, conveniently located to watch TV! Here everything looks the same, it was like stepping back into adolescence 🙂

Grand Canal: lived in the short yellow building on Grand Parade for a some months. The tiny shop (with the candy-stripped shades) in the middle of Leeson St still exists where I bought my bar of chocolate. After a few too many drinks! driving over this slight hump over the canal was like riding a roller-coaster 🙂 🙂

Courtney and Mitchell House: lived in DUB’s first modern apartment blocks on Appian Way from 1969-1974. Today there are fences build around these 2 well-kept blocks and still looking very much the same!

146 Stillorgan Rd where the YUNG’s resident was located is again For Sale! http://www.myhome.ie/219185

Was a frequent visitor there!! Appreciations to May LAM-YUNG who married cousin Lock. She was and still is a wonderful chef. Stillorgan Rd used to be a 2-lanes road and today it is a 6-lanes highway leading to N1. Was unable to even find the sign for the road name!!

Ospidéal an Rotunda/Rotunda Hospital (1745), Parnell Street, where Linn was born. This bundle of joy arrived 18 Mar 1974 0400hrs. Was praying hard to not get caught in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in O’ Connell St 🙂 🙂 🙂

What a wonderful way to end the day, a 4hrs lunch at The Church**** with John, Stephen & Trisha. Another good memory to add. This most interesting church and it was a functioning St Mary’s Church until 1964. Arthur Guinness, Founder of Guinness Brewery was married here in 1761. Highly recommend anyone to visit this location between the junctions of Mary & Jervis St.

Thanks John for introducing this excellent location and appreciations to Stephen for the drive down memory lane!

http://www.thechurch.ie/history.aspx

But if at church they would give some ale. And a pleasant fire our souls to regale. We’d sing and we’d pray all the live long day, Nor ever once from the church to stray – William Blake

4 Jul 2012 – Happy 4th

To those who are celebrating, enjoy and stay safe!

Wed: thank you to Stephen & Trisha for their kind hospitality and it is great to finally catch up after nearly 40yrs! Good to meet their daughter Samantha and grandson Stephen.

Dep DUB 0700hrs in rain and arrived OSL on schedule in lovely summer weather after 2hrs on Ryanair. Took about 1min and got this cheerful recognition smile from Olai. He will be 10months tomorrow and a joy to be with. The last 2 days in Ireland was a journey to face issues which have finally come to a closure!

Back tracking the Ireland trip…

Tue: wet and grey. Lunched at Waterside House Hotel Cafe & Bristol**in Domhnach Bat/Donabate=fort of the ferry, a small suburban coastal town app 20km NE of DUB. Stephen & Trisha got married at the St Patrick’s RC Church here. Was hoping to do the cliff walk but unfortunately the winds and rains picked up when we got to the coast.

Newbridge House(1736) located on 145hectare park & the ruins of Lanestown Castle.

Loreto Convent in Baile Brigín/Balbriggan (1909). Downloaded from:

http://www.emerald-isle-gifts.com/vintage-irish-town-prints/religious-vintage-photographs/balbriggan—dublin—loreto-convent.asp

Drove down another memory lane, Loreto Convent in Balbriggan, 32km N of DUB where my teaching days in 1972-73 took place. The memory was not coherent and the new red-brick buildings did not help. Eventually found the main gate and there was a slight opening in the memory 🙂

More memory lanes on this trip to be posted and editing to some of the Ireland trip postings. It has been a wonderful trip but need to rest and get the thoughts together to close this chapter 🙂 🙂

Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt that thematic closure is never attainable – Gene Wolfe