We left the hotel at 8:50 am by taxi to the SPAR grocery in Ballyvaughan. It was to be a long travel day by bus, train, tram transfer between Dublin train stations, and then another train.
2.67 miles for the day, 58 degrees, 91% humidity.
Click to get Richard’s ReLive video for the day: https://www.relive.com/view/vXvL5RVzK1O
We’re ready to leave the Hazelwood Lodge bound for Belfast. We asked for help securing a taxi for Saturday morning. The bus website said it would not stop in Ballyvaughan on Saturday, but no one believed it: not Darren at the hotel, or bar patrons on Saturday night. We ordered the taxi to take us to a town that WAS listed for a stop on the website. When we arrived for breakfast, Darren said the taxi driver had not believed there would not be a stop in Ballyvaughan, so she called the bus company to be sure. Yes, they would stop, so she adjusted the taxi pickup time slightly. Thank goodness for kind folks who saved us time and money.
When we arrived at the SPAR grocery to wait for our bus, we chatted with Larry and Ann from the Toronto area. We had seen them yesterday at the raptor show. They were traveling with companions met on previous trips: (wait for it) . . .
. . . Larry and Anna from the Seattle area.
The bus dropped us off at the Galway bus station that shares space with the train station. We had to go to a machine to retrieve our prepaid reserved-seat tickets, and then brave the outside line to enter the train area. The Galway station is undergoing renovation and seemed particularly chaotic in a weekend.
It’s a long train so we’re worried about there being enough luggage space.
No problem—we got the big luggage in the shelves at the end of the car. We have American seatmates: Miranda and Peyton from Kilgore, Texas. They were traveling with two other couples, celebrating one person’s college graduation. We shared our lunch as well as travel plans and stories. Richard perked up when Peyton said he worked in HVAC, so he asked him what equipment he uses. It turned out that he mostly used ASI Controls equipment—the company Richard worked for and the equipment Richard used for teaching. Peyton works out of the Shreveport office with many folks Richard knew and had interacted with.
Miranda is a health inspector traveling around the east Texas area. It was fun to share stories about areas of the country we knew.
Now we’ve arrived at Dublin’s Heuston train station. We have to travel to Dublin’s Connolly Train station for our international train to Belfast. There’s a tram service that should take 19 minutes.
It’s busy waiting for the tram, and it’s Saturday. Each tram (about 15 minutes apart) seems to arrive already crammed with people. Several of us on the platform decided we would have to elbow ourselves onto the next tram. Safety in numbers.
We make it on the tram and arrive at Connolly station. The elevator is out of service.
Things inside are busy but we have no trouble finding our train to Belfast. Only a couple more hours!
Arrival at Belfast Grand Central Station. It is incredibly clean and modern, with bus bays on the back side of the train station—no need to even leave the station if you are making a transfer! Fortunately, we’re through traveling for today.
We head off to our nearby hotel just as another rain squall starts. There is a lot of ongoing construction in the area so we go out of our way to find the Hampton Inn.
Arrived!
We stopped in for dinner at Ginger Bistro just before they filled the last table. Richard was ready to order his usual Guinness, but it was not on the menu! They serve a local brew, Belfast Black, so now Richard has a new favorite.
We had a delicious dinner. Richard had risotto with goat cheese, peas, and pesto and Jan had blade steak with potatoes and vegetables.
Back to the hotel. There was a little light left for sunset, and then off to an early bedtime.
7 Responses
Complicated travel! But glad you made it. It’s a small world, isn’t it? Is that blue sky I see in Belfast, despite the rain squall? I’m doing the sunshine dance for you guys. 🕺
Keep the sun dance going! Except for the storms on the west coast of Ireland, we seem to get on-and-off rain with sometimes even sun in the midst. Like Oklahoma, if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes.
We’re coming and going from smaller places that sometimes require more complicated travel arrangements but it’s more our style. Funny you should mention it, since you’ve lived in Helper and Price.
We are enjoying your travel log. It is taking us to places we have never been. The caves were interesting. The churches were unique. Stay healthy!!!
We’re also enjoying new territory and sights. It’s been quite a mix of activities but now we move into more hiking for the next week. Hoping for good weather!
A challenging day of travel. You are both so good at adjusting to problems major and minor that occur. Wendy and I are not so good at such things and enjoy tours where our guides have to make all the adjustments. What is with all the rain? Don’t remember “daily” rain the several times we have been in Ireland though it did rain frequently. How are you holding up Jan? Moving luggage from place to place can’t be fun with your elbow.
Dan
It must sound complicated, and I never enjoy multiple trips in one day, but rarely do we not find an incredible surprise and people who make us laugh and enjoy life. That was definitely the case on this day, and the time sped by quickly. We so appreciate how people are willing to help us, and that is comforting. Richard is handling the luggage without problems. Now that we are in Northern Ireland, we can have more baggage but lesser weight for each. That makes it easier also for me except that I’m constantly faced worth weighing everything.
What a small world it is! Sounds like great train ride company. The risotto looks delicious 😋 And…mom, you look absolutely gleeful in your “arrived” photo. I love it. Keep having an amazing adventure.