The trip to Ireland, in summary
Nov. 4th, 2010 08:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ailbheFri 22 Oct Train left Reading West about half past one. Ferry left Swansea 8pm. Ferry company website lied about transport from Swansea railway station to Swansea Ferry Port. Wheelchair-access taxi had all three children rear-facing, Astrid in the buggy and Linnea and Emer in flip-down seats with lap belts only. Urgh.
Sat 23 Oct Ferry arrived in Ringaskiddy at noon, not 7 am. Two buses to my mother's house, where we arrived before my little sister and her husband and their daughter. We slept in the spare room, Linnea and Emer sharing a single bed and Rob and me and Astrid in a standard double. They slept in my mother's room, in a 4-foot double with the baby in a travel cot. Mum slept in the sewing room on a single bed.
Sun 24 Oct My mother had her five daughters, two of her four sons-in-law, and her ten grandchildren over for lunch. She seemed to enjoy it. Last time all 5 sisters were together was my wedding, in 2003. I didn't fight with any of my sisters.
Mon 25 Oct My mother and I got the bus to Cork City and I bought clothes for myself and the children.
Tue 26 Oct Brought the children to a bookshop so Linnea could spend book tokens she received for her birthday in April. Tried to go swimming, pool full. Found somewhere for ten of us to have lunch on Friday.
Wed 27 Oct Meetup in a softplay centre with my eldest sister, her husband, her four children, my second sister and her two children, my mother, and the five of us.
Thu 28 Oct Lost in the mists of time.
Fri 29 Oct Lunch with my uncle, my sister, and her two children. Later, tea with my aunt. My-aunts-the-nuns and my childless uncle LOVE babies. Like, they really, really love them. No, I mean really. REALLY. But my uncle doesn't hold them. He did give me Johnson's Lives of the Poets, an edition with the first volume published on 01 November 1805, though.
Sat 30 Oct Swimming with my mother and my aunt, then lunch, then two buses to the ferry. Gale force 8.
Sun 31 Oct Ferry arr Swansea 10am, train dep 10:38, bus to Severn Tunnel Jnct, no reservations so upgrade to 1st, arr Reading about 2pm, Rob to town to drop laptop off for repair, me starting unpacking and laundry and sorting post and collecting keys from the cat-feeding neighbour. Rob came back and I brought the kids trick or treating, then we had a visitor for dinner.
Mon 01 Nov Housework, swimming lessons, obtaining new library cards, and birthday party.
My birthday party included PINK CHAMPAGNE and a CD I've listened to a lot since. I like pink champagne, it turns out. Thanks to everyone who came and to everyone who sent greetings other ways, too. I won't be here next year because I will be 33 and my mother will be 70. What can I give her? other than some kind of award for being the most awesomest mother in the universe ever?
Sat 23 Oct Ferry arrived in Ringaskiddy at noon, not 7 am. Two buses to my mother's house, where we arrived before my little sister and her husband and their daughter. We slept in the spare room, Linnea and Emer sharing a single bed and Rob and me and Astrid in a standard double. They slept in my mother's room, in a 4-foot double with the baby in a travel cot. Mum slept in the sewing room on a single bed.
Sun 24 Oct My mother had her five daughters, two of her four sons-in-law, and her ten grandchildren over for lunch. She seemed to enjoy it. Last time all 5 sisters were together was my wedding, in 2003. I didn't fight with any of my sisters.
Mon 25 Oct My mother and I got the bus to Cork City and I bought clothes for myself and the children.
Tue 26 Oct Brought the children to a bookshop so Linnea could spend book tokens she received for her birthday in April. Tried to go swimming, pool full. Found somewhere for ten of us to have lunch on Friday.
Wed 27 Oct Meetup in a softplay centre with my eldest sister, her husband, her four children, my second sister and her two children, my mother, and the five of us.
Thu 28 Oct Lost in the mists of time.
Fri 29 Oct Lunch with my uncle, my sister, and her two children. Later, tea with my aunt. My-aunts-the-nuns and my childless uncle LOVE babies. Like, they really, really love them. No, I mean really. REALLY. But my uncle doesn't hold them. He did give me Johnson's Lives of the Poets, an edition with the first volume published on 01 November 1805, though.
Sat 30 Oct Swimming with my mother and my aunt, then lunch, then two buses to the ferry. Gale force 8.
Sun 31 Oct Ferry arr Swansea 10am, train dep 10:38, bus to Severn Tunnel Jnct, no reservations so upgrade to 1st, arr Reading about 2pm, Rob to town to drop laptop off for repair, me starting unpacking and laundry and sorting post and collecting keys from the cat-feeding neighbour. Rob came back and I brought the kids trick or treating, then we had a visitor for dinner.
Mon 01 Nov Housework, swimming lessons, obtaining new library cards, and birthday party.
My birthday party included PINK CHAMPAGNE and a CD I've listened to a lot since. I like pink champagne, it turns out. Thanks to everyone who came and to everyone who sent greetings other ways, too. I won't be here next year because I will be 33 and my mother will be 70. What can I give her? other than some kind of award for being the most awesomest mother in the universe ever?