Last night at the hotel I went to take a bath. I turned the water on and then went to my suitcase to get my bath salts. I came back to the bathtub and there was hardly any water in the tub. I fiddled with the plug and made sure it was working right. It was. It took over 30 minutes to get 2 inches of water in the bath tub. I was pouring little cups of water from the bathroom sink trying to fill up the tub.
This morning I went to take a shower and there were barely sprinkles coming out of the shower head and the bathtub faucet. I didn’t get a shower as I couldn’t have gotten wet enough if I stood in the shower for 15 minutes.
I got my hair wet in the bathroom sink and called it good. Sometimes things don’t work the way they are supposed to. At breakfast I was asking the others on the fourth floor (the top floor of the hotel where I was at) and they all had the same problem.
When I told the desk clerk when I checked out, he acted surprised. I was surprised he was surprised. I am guessing this has happened before.
The hotel I am in now in Dublin is having a light issue. You have to put the room key in the little box by the door so the lights turn on. I did that and after five minutes the lights go out. I have to get up, take the room card out and put it back in again for five more minutes of lights. I can’t get the bedside light to work. I will be in this room for three nights. This might get old quick!
Today we started our day in Waterford and then drove to Kilkenny. We had three hours in Kilkenny. I walked down the street for a bit and then back up close to the bus park. There was a Kilkenny Design shop across the way so I went in there. I managed to fill another box that they are going to ship home to me. I hadn’t gotten anything for myself this whole trip and I found two sweaters that I liked so I bought them for myself. Got a few other little things too. I should get the box in about 3 – 4 weeks according to the clerk. She actually said God Willing it will arrive in 3 -4 weeks.
I walked back down the street and had a meatball Sub from Subway. Not the same as home but close enough. I then walked back to the bus and boarded it over an hour early. I AM DONE! Just stick a fork in me and call it good. I am totally peopled out.
We then rode from Kilkenny to Dublin. We played a quiz game on the way back to Dublin. The Guide asked 20 questions and the three people that got the most right won prizes. I didn’t win. The things that he asked about are about names and places and those aren’t things that I choose to pack into the limited number of brain cells I have left to play with. I got about half of them right.
I will be at this hotel until Tuesday morning. There are lots of little shops and restaurants in the hood to visit and I can always use an Uber or taxi if I want to go somewhere in the city. Right now a full day in my room alone sounds like heaven. I will venture out for food occasionally but other than that I am ready to hole up and build up my energy for the trip home.
This tour has been painful for me at times. There were no other single people on the bus and with the exception of two couples most ignored me. I have forgotten how to make small talk and be social. Many in the group were with several couples traveling together so they hung with their small group.
I forgot how herded one can fill when you go on a group tour. We were given several hours a day to be free to roam in the various cities along the way. That saved my sanity.
There is a group farewell dinner tonight but it is someplace away from the hotel and there is a music show as part of it. Sounds like absolute torture to me so I told the guide I was going to skip it. I tipped the bus driver and the guide earlier as I may not see them again. The guide will be hanging around tomorrow and then will be around Monday to make sure everyone that is leaving Monday gets their proper transportation. He is to leave me a note on my door with the time that my transportation will be here Tuesday. He won’t be here that morning.
I need to call down to the front desk and find out what I am doing wrong with these lights. I will go crazy if I can’t get those straightened out.
I will be home Tuesday night – God willing. Ready for my open skies, little people and freedom.
Grateful for another safe travel day, grateful the group part of this tour is done, and grateful for this experience to see all that I have been blessed to see.