Saturday November 28, 2020
I was feeling a little uncomfortable today with all the people at Logan Airport. When I went to Seattle in October, Logan was like a ghost town. Today there seemed to be a lot of people heading to Florida - seniors, families, young people - I'm not sure if they were returning home after Thanksgiving or heading south on vacation. Wherever they were going, I didn't like it. Every other seat at Gate 21 was designated as unavailable due to Covid to promote social distancing. I found an end seat in a row of five seats. People arriving had to stand as no more seats were available - the situation was the same across at Gate 22 and behind me at Gate 20. And more and more passengers were arriving.
I kept checking that my mask was positioned correctly - over my mouth and nose - as the gates became more crowded. Now I'm talking about Covid crowded - at first about 100 people sitting and standing around the 3 gates. Pre-Covid, that would be just a few of the passengers going to Ireland. The numbers at the gates kept increasing until suddenly competing Jet Blue representatives started simultaneously giving instructions on boarding for flights to Orlando and maybe Miami - they both had loud shrill voices and spoke over each other. People started lining up at Gates 20 and 22 - and then they were gone - there were only about 30 at Gate 21 for the Dublin flight.
I had checked in online but was unable to print my boarding pass - I was also unable to open my Aer Lingus app on my phone. So earlier when Mike dropped me off here at the airport, I had to go up to the counter. There was no line, and I was almost immediately on my way to Security. The TSA agent was taking a good look at my passport - I had to pull down my mask so he could check that I looked like my passport picture. Then he said to me that his wife's best friend is Mary Manning from Falmouth near the High School. Did I know her? She had gone to school in Ireland when she was older then returned to the Cape. Now she was in the process of selling her home and moving to Ireland. I said that I didn't know her, and we chatted for a few more minutes. Can you tell there was no line going through Security! I was putting my things on the conveyor belt - another TSA agent told me there was no need to take out the fluids or to take off my sneakers. How nice! Of course the scanning machine went off as I stood with my hands over my head. My hips always set it off - one hip is ceramic so I figure it is my titanium hip that sets off the alarms. This time they patted down my shoulders - nothing showed up at my hips and I was on my way. I was surprised at all the people in the restaurants and those standing in line to get in. I went straight to the gate - I thought I would get a coffee at Dunkin Donuts, but it was closed. So I found a seat and people-watched until it was time for boarding. The incoming Aer Lingus flight arrived - only 17 passengers got off the plane - there were more than that heading to Dublin. Boarding was delayed a bit because the plane was late and the Covid cleaning had to be done.
This was the first time I wasn't feeling excited about going to Sneem - I had been feeling more nervous about traveling due to Covid and now more so because of all the people at the gates. Plus the collapsed lung during the summer chipped away some of my courage. I was landing in Dublin which is a longer drive to Sneem - I have only driven it twice. And I was alone - how would I like spending 3 weeks in Gortdromagh by myself? I was heading to Sneem in the middle of the pandemic because Beth and I had to rush out of Gortdromagh last March when Trump was closing the borders to the UK and Ireland - so I wanted to check that everything was working in the house before the winter sets in.
The seats in the back of the plane boarded first - that was me - I had figured that most people are in a rush to get off so they sit up front. I had three seats to myself in the back of the plane - the rows closer to the front had more people. I put my knapsack under the seat beside me and settled in with the TV series Young Offenders. I was laughing out loud so many times that the guy in front of me turned around to look at me! I watched Season 2 - I had seen Season 1 on another flight. It reminds me of Derry Girls but is much funnier.
The stewards passed out drinks and pretzels and then a meal. It was just like pre-Covid. I watched a couple of British TV shows and a couple of short Irish movies. And then we were in Dublin! I was one of the last off the plane - I had a short wait at Customs and Immigration. The agent checked my passport and my face again - he asked why I was traveling to Ireland. I told him that I had a home in Sneem as well as an elderly cousin I was concerned about (sorry Larry!) He asked how long I had there house - when I told him since 1987, he laughed and waved me on.
My bag was right there at the baggage claim - things were looking up. But then Dan Dooley was closed - all the other car rentals were open - what the heck! I called the car rental agency but of course didn't get anyone at 4:45 am. I waited until 5:15 am and then went up to Sixt car rentals and asked if they could match Dan Dooley's offer - they didn't have a mid-size automatic car available but offered me an SUV - I took it. I just wanted to get the heck out of there.
The car isn't bad - it is a manual - I got my suitcase in the trunk which is quite small. I'll have to get a bigger car when Mike and Dan arrive. In the meantime, I asked Siri to get me directions to Sneem, County Kerry. It is easy enough to get onto the M50 from the airport - there was hardly a car on the road - it was also pitch black. I passed a sign for Blanchardstown - I think there was also something about the N7. A short while later Siri told me to get off at the exit for Blanchardstown - Blanchardstown sounded fairly familiar - did we get off there before? Did that sign say the N7? Doesn't that go down to Killarney?? As we approached the exit, Siri told me to get into the left lane and take that exit. I paused but decided to follow Siri's advice. But that was a big mistake - I don't know where we ended up - I pulled over and asked Siri for directions to Cork City - he lead me further down the wrong path - I ended up on a dead end street. I was wishing Beth was with me so we could laugh this off - instead I was just fuming. It was black dark - I did not have a clue where I was or how to get back to the M50. I tried Siri one more time but didn't really trust him until we got to a roundabout that brought me to the Liffey. I drove through Smithfield past the the Guinness Brewery and the Jameson Heritage Center - I was so relieved to know where I was! If I didn't have the long drive to Cork, maybe if someone else was with me, I wouldn't have been stressed. Anyway I calmed down in the familiar surroundings and enjoyed the drive along the Liffey in the dark and with no traffic. I turned left onto Dorset Street and followed that to the M50 South. I got rid of Siri and decided to follow my own instincts. It was easy enough, but the extreme fog complicated things. There was no one on the highway - I would have preferred following someone's tail lights. At one point I was on top of a toll booth before I even saw it. So I had been lost in north Dublin for a half hour and now was slowed down by the thick fog. I finally made it to Cork City and knew to go through the tunnel. The fog was lifting except close to the River Lee. I was finally on a road I knew! It was good to see familiar sites and places - there is the turn for the airport, there is the friary where Beth's relatives are buried, here is Macroom, now I am on the highway to Kilgarvan, now I pull into Supervalue in Kenmare. The sun came out as I left County Cork so there was sunshine and blue skies as I drove into Kenmare. It was a fabulous morning and quite warm.
I bought enough groceries to last a couple of days - I am supposed to quarantine for 14 days. I met Catriona, Monica's daughter, in Supervalue. She told me that some people take Covid seriously - others don't - most people in the supermarket had masks on, but others in the parking lot had no masks. I had been struck by the lack of traffic even on a Sunday. It was after 10 am and Supervalue was not the least bit busy. I headed to Sneem. I took my time to take in the scenery - the sun was shining - it was a beautiful drive along the Kenmare River - there was no one else on the road. Sneem was very quiet - streets empty of cars, no buses, no one walking - Christian's shop was open - Riney's door was closed - the door to the Sneem post office was open - butcher shops closed - pubs closed, but Hilary's shop in North Square was open. I drove straight through and headed to Gortdromagh.
It's always nice to arrive on a sunny day except now it is sad to see the old house looking so run down. We have received planning permission to renovate it - now to get the money together to get it started. I was too tired to unpack everything - it is nice to have clothes already here - so I just brought in the groceries. I didn't want to go to bed at noon time and I was hungry so I made a turkey sandwich and turned on the TV. The news was all about Covid and Ireland reopening this week. Numbers are back down so, on December 1, Ireland is going to Level 3 from a soft Level 5 lockdown, and more businesses will open December 3. The Health Services think it is too soon to open - they should wait until December 18 when travel restrictions are lifted - the politicians are concerned about businesses, the economy, and votes so decided to re-open on December 1 and 3. The news is also saying that Ireland may have a vaccine by the end of December.
Monday, November 30
I woke up and it was still dark - I had left the drapes open in my bedroom. I knew that the sun probably came up about 8 am at this time of year. I checked my phone - 4:30 am! I tried to get back to sleep - after tossing and turning for a half hour, I got up and made a cup of tea. I did a little more cleaning then noticed that it was getting brighter. I sat on the porch with my tea to watch the sun come up.
I watched some of the morning talk shows. Brexit is a big topic. There was a short segment on how Irish fish and chips will be affected by Brexit. I didn't know that the majority of potatoes for chips (French Fries in American!) come from the UK. Apparently the UK spuds are better to fry than Irish spuds - 80% of potatoes used for chips are from the UK and only 20% from Ireland. The problem is that the British need to get the EU to accept that UK food standards are equivalent to EU food standards or Ireland cannot import the UK potatoes. Fishing rights are another big debate between UK and EU. So I guess I better eat up as many chips as I can in case there is a shortage!
Of course Covid was another hot topic - Ireland is on a soft Level 5 lockdown - the schools are open - but tomorrow the country will transition to Level 3 - department stores will open tomorrow - restaurants and pubs serving food will open Friday. The Irish government thinks a vaccine against Covid will be available in January - Ireland has to wait for the EU to approve any vaccine. The UK is talking about starting vaccinations this month.
I was just getting ready to head to Larry's when Lee arrived. I first met Lee in the late 70's at Larry's. She is related to Larry but I can't remember how at the moment. She is also related by marriage to the Moneyflagh Breens - her mother's sister married Harry Breen. She came to welcome me home - she had a piece of paper with her phone number on it - she asked if I needed anything - do not hesitate to call her and Seamus if I need anything. She also brought me a tall white candle! So appropriate at this time of year. When we lived here, we always had a white candle lighting in the window on Christmas Eve - I had it on my list of things to look for!
Lee wouldn't have tea or a cold drink - I had nothing stronger to offer. I often tell people that I am American - if you say no, I take that as a no - I don't take that to mean that yes you would like a cup of tea. Anyway we had a nice visit - she told me that her uncle was schoolmaster in Camp on the Dingle peninsula. She was surprised when I told her that James Moriarty, my mother's uncle from Loughane, was schoolmaster in Inch - when he retired, his son-in-law, Denis O'Donoghue from Bridge Street in Cahirciveen, took over. Denis married Tess Moriarty, my schoolmaster's daughter.
Lee volunteers for the Sneem Resource Center which has Sneem calendars for sale. She said she is getting 2 for Larry and offered to get some for me - I asked her to get me 5 - one for each of my kids and one for myself.
I headed for Larry's shortly after Lee left. He had just come in for his dinner - he had been outside working on this warm sunny day. I did have a cup of tea while he had his chicken, potatoes and carrots. We talked for about an hour then I headed into Sneem to the Post Office. My Irish mobile phone was not working - "invalid SIM card"- I wondered if it was because it had not been used since March. Anyway John Damien said that they just top up the phones - he didn't know anything else about them and suggested I go to the Post Office in Kenmare which is where I had bought it several years ago. I stopped at Christian's shop for some sliced turkey - I had bought the packaged kind at Supervalue on Sunday and didn't really like it. The town was so quiet - hardly a car in sight - one person walking down from the bridge - not many more doors open than yesterday. So sad on such a beautiful day. I was feeling tired so headed home.
I brought my suitcase and carry on bag in from the car and pulled out a few things. I cleaned the cobwebs from the ceiling in the living room and cleaned up a little - I pulled a couple of nutcrackers from my suitcase. I was getting hungry - of course the cooker (stove in American) isn't working again - this happened before when we brought Johnny Murphy's ashes home in April 2019 - Tony Mulcahy fixed it - he said there was air in the tubing from the cooker to the propane tank. So the cooker is on the fritz just like the phone. I found some frozen potato skins in the freezer so I microwaved those - not too bad, not great - I ate half of one. I made half a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. Much better. I watched some TV and headed off to bed about 11 - I got up a half hour later after tossing and turning. Back to the TV - the Late Late Show's Toy Show was on as a repeat. I watched that until almost 3:30 am. Back to bed - I guess my system is adjusting to jet lag - plus I don't sleep great since I retired.
Tuesday, December 1
I did some more cleaning this morning. I am checking out the morning talk shows - there is one on RTE 1 at 8 am - I like this one because the male cohost is from Kerry - Daithi O'Se - he is an Irish speaker - he hosts the Rose of Tralee Festival - he is homey. It is a repeat from the previous day at 3:30 pm. Virgin 1 has Ireland AM on at 7 am - then This Morning at 10. I flip back and forth between them. There is a lot of talk about the Brexit deal - I guess the transition period ends December 31 - if no deal is made by, then there will be no deal. Fisheries and a level playing field are two of the sticking points apparently - and don't forget that there will be almost no chips if a deal doesn't go through!
The hosts and guests talk about the drop in Covid cases - high incidence among the elderly. The big concern is what will happen over the holidays - there seems to be the expectation that the Covid numbers will go way up during the holidays. I hear ads all day long on the TV and Radio Kerry to wear masks, social distance, and to stay home for the holidays to protect Granny. The EU apparently has contracts with 6 pharmaceutical companies for a vaccine - 1.2 million vaccines will be distributed initially. The Irish Health Services are prioritising who will receive the vaccines that Ireland receives - the vaccine will come in 5 dose bottles - it doesn't matter which vaccine you get. It will not be a mandatory vaccine - the government cannot force it on anyone but they encourage people to receive it. One of the reporters was in Cork city - they interviewed some elderly shoppers - most said that they will have the vaccine when it is available. The plan for the Irish roll out of the vaccine will be finalised the end of next week. One question remaining is does the vaccine prevent symptoms and transmission or one of these or both?
There are still a lot of TV "soap operas" - Coronation Street, East Enders are the old timers - Coronation Street is celebrating 60 years on air. Emmerdale is one of the newer shows - plus there are the game shows. I have seen some of my old favourite BBC shows since being here - Morse, A Touch of Frost, Vera - funny that they have commercials - I usually see them on PBS, American public TV, which is commercial free. There are usually 2 shows in a row starting at 9 pm - so I will be going to bed at 1-1:30 am.
I took a walk down to the river for some exercise and to take some pix. I was looking up the mountain for the old potato ridges that I used to be able to see from the old house. Lee and I had been talking about the TV show Monday night on the famine and also about old potato ridges around Sneem. I have always wondered when someone would have planted potatoes so far up the mountain in Gortdromagh - I always presumed it had to be before the famine. Lee said there is a ridge in her place in Derrah. At one time there had been about 5 small farms in Gortdromagh and lots of small farms in Moneyflagh. The Batt Burns had the farm where Bergin is now - up behind our new house. Johnny Murphy's relatives had the old house, and there were 3 other farms - all Burns.
I was only at Larry's for about an hour. It was still daylight when I arrived home. About 4, I went to turn on the light in the living room - no go - the kitchen lights worked though. No light in the hallway, the porch or the front of the house. The TV worked. It must have been one circuit. I had no idea where the circuit breakers are located, but I knew there was some kind of electrical panel near the back door. Unfortunately, we had pushed a big dresser back there when I got a new one for the small bedroom. I shoved it away from the wall - there were a couple of small panels and lights but nothing looked familiar. I was in the kitchen when Bob arrived - he knocked at the front door. I was apologizing for not having any lights on - he said he almost walked through the glass sliding door in the dark! Bob went at the cooker first - he checked everything out - he said the problem was the regulator that sits on the propane tank - the gas was not getting through it. He took it off and told me to get one at Hilary's, and he would put it on tomorrow night. He suggested a new tank of gas as well - the tank was not empty but would not last too long. Then he started on the lights - we finally found the circuit breakers in a box over the back door - I could have fixed that myself if I had realised where it was. Bob wouldn't have a drink of anything or a sandwich - he wouldn't take any money until the job was finished. And off he went.
I talked with Monica a little later - she told me that her cousins from Waterville were coming tomorrow (Wednesday) to see her and Joan, and they wanted to stop by to see me on the way home. Johnny Murphy was very fond of these cousins - their mother was Nana Murphy's sister Lizzie. Johnny had spent a lot of time in Waterville with another aunt when he was young - Joan Regan - especially after her husband John had a stroke. We would always visit the relatives in Waterville when we came home.
Monica said that she still visits Dan Lynch's grave every evening. She said there was a robin at the grave today and recently one got in the bedroom window and was on their bed. We talked about the robin being Dan Lynch's spirit letting Monica know that he is nearby. I believe in spirits being nearby - I felt them quite deeply when I was researching some of Johnny Murphy's relatives - I could feel them right beside me - I wondered if they felt forgotten.
Wednesday, December 2
Today was another dry day but it was overcast. I poked around here - I am cleaning out the kitchen cabinets and washing them all. I waited until about 11 and drove over to Larry's - I figured he would have the cows out and be finished cleaning the cow shed by now - and he was. I asked him if Hilary's would deliver a tank of propane gas - he didn't think they would, but he said he would come with me and put the tank in my trunk. So we went back to my house, and Larry quite easily carried the tank to my trunk. We headed into Hilary's and got a new propane tank and a new regulator. I ran into Christian's to get some baked ham and sliced turkey in case the Currans wanted a sandwich - then I ran into Riney's to get a bottle of Bailey's to offer the Currans and some Guinness for Larry. I had been afraid the propane tank would be too heavy for Larry, but he had no problem lifting it. I drove him home - he said he had things to do before putting the cows in for the night. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw a robin sitting on the fence post - is that you Johnny Murphy?
Mary and Eilish arrived before dark but the weather had changed - it was cold and there were some showers - it was good to see them. I am friends with Mary on Facebook, but haven't seen Eilish for years. I mentioned that I had seen a robin in the yard - Mary said that there are lots of robins in Waterville. I don't remember ever seeing one in Gortdromagh before.
I have a Zoom meeting every Wednesday at 6 pm with some friends - while I am here in Ireland it will be at 11 pm. While I was waiting for the time to pass, I came across a show on the Irish language station based on Dan Breen's book - My Fight For Irish Freedom - which included old clips of an interview with Dan Breen and pictures of Sean Hogan, Sean Tracey, Michael Collins and other Irish Freedom Fighters. I've read Dan Breen's book and others about the War of Independence so I found this program quite interesting.
The news reported that the UK and Northern Ireland are to start Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations next week! Ireland is still waiting for the EU to approve a vaccine.
I had no problem connecting on Zoom but my screen kept freezing - a pop-up said that my internet connection was unstable - I get the same message when I'm at the Cape - Julie thinks it is because it is a busy time on the internet. Everyone survived Thanksgiving - either staying home alone or having small family gatherings.
Thursday, December 3
Today was a cold frosty day with off and on snow showers - there was a little snow on the mountains up behind the house. Sometimes there was rain, sometimes hail, and then the snow. I went over to Larry's about 3:30 - I brought him the ham and some of the turkey I had bought yesterday. He made a ham sandwich to have with a cup of tea. We talked for about an hour then I headed home. I am going to pick him up tomorrow at 2 after he gets the cows back into the cowshed and drive him to the bank in Kenmare - I'll run into the Post Office to see if they can get my phone working.
I headed back to Larry's - he was already to go. We stopped in Sneem at the Post Office so he could pick up his pension - there was no more open doors today than yesterday - I did meet Jimmy and Mary Casey outside the Post Office and George Drummond also passed by. Then we headed to Kenmare - there were snow showers, rain showers, strong gusts of wind along the way. The mountains on both sides of Kenmare River were snow capped.
Traffic picked up as we approached Kenmare. It was busy but not normally busy - the Atlantic Pub was closed - Larry and I like to have dinner there. The supermarkets were open - as well as the banks and the Post Office. Larry flew out of my car to the bank. I waited in line at the Post Office to see Aoife, Helen's daughter. She gave me a new SIM card, a new phone number, and got the phone working - she reminded me that if a phone is not used for 6 months, the phone number is invalidated and given to someone else.
I ran into the bank next and got things straightened out. Maura said that Larry had headed to Foley's for something to eat. I checked near the car - no sign of him. I walked up and down Henry Street - he was not in the Wander Inn or Davit's - the Coachman, Foley's, Purple Heather were closed. I thought maybe Larry had gone to McCarthy's so I headed back up past the post office - there he was - sheltering in the corner of a building. He wanted to go to Davit's - but they told us that they had finished serving lunch and supper was not until 5 - it was 4:30. We went into the Wander Inn - I was surprised to see several guys sitting at a couple of high tables having pints. The press makes a big deal about wet pubs not opening, and pubs that do open must serve food. We found a table in the back away from anyone else - I needed a drink so I ordered a Bailey's, and Larry ordered a hot whiskey. We had delicious fish and chips. Larry wanted to go to Supervalue - I bought a couple of things there as well. Then we went to ALDI's - It was pelting rain when we came out - the gusts of wind shook the car. It was dark, rainy and windy as we drove back to Sneem. Larry wanted to go into Christian's, the Post Office again, Pete the butcher's, and Hilary's - a drive to Kenmare is an all day process! Larry insisted that I come in for a cup of tea which I did - it tasted great.
I headed home shortly after the tea - it was pitch black outside the house once I shut off the car - the wind was howling. I got my bits are pieces inside and locked the door - no visitors tonight in this weather for sure! The same lights are off again! I wondered if it was from the storm, but I do think that it is a loose wire. I settled down with the paper and TV - a good night - 2 BBC shows - Morse and a Touch of Frost - another 1:30 am night.
Saturday, December 5
Another cold day with wintry showers. I was going to make chicken soup but when I looked at the thawed out chicken breasts, the date was Oct 2019 - over a year ago so I threw them out. I went into Sneem - Pete's only had boneless chicken breasts or a whole chicken - I like a split breast - I only like white meat - and the flavour is better. So change in plan - I'll roast the chicken! I can use the leftovers for the soup. I went into Hilary's for buttermilk and butter.
When I came home, I tried making Irish bread - I had to convert the oven reading to 350 Fahrenheit - figure out how much a stick of butter is - use butter to grease the loaf pans. The bread came out okay - it tastes a little different but I am not a great baker so I'm not sure what the difference in taste is.
I am watching Morse and Lewis in Australia - it came on at 7 pm - I haven't put the chicken in yet. But I will - maybe I will - there is a Mass for Nana Murphy tomorrow at 11 am - I am picking Larry up at 10:15. There is no place open in Sneem for breakfast - normally I would invite people here, but I am technically still in quarantine - more importantly, I don't want a crowd here because of Covid. So we'll see.
Well, I have to put the chicken in now if I am going to cook it tonight. My sister-in-law Joan Leary just called so it is now or never for the chicken.
Midnight - I roasted the chicken - hadn't realised how dependent I have become on an oven timer and a meat thermometer. I also just made gravy. So I am off to bed ... I think!!
No comments:
Post a Comment