As we move along with plans we've made our reservations at B&Bs along the way. It took an entire weekend just to get the majority of emails and enquiries sent off to approximately 17 locations for our 4 week trip.
This week I finally heard back from the last of the B&Bs with confirmations. I did find out that often the responses came back to me in my junk mail, so was checking there daily. And those online enquiries that are part of the B&B network don't always work. After not hearing from a few B&Bs, I searched for direct emails and received responses within 24 hours.
So at this point we have plane reservations and reservations at B&Bs, and a car reservation. I'd say we're pretty much ready. We did end up changing the tour plan for our last 4 days on the road to include a visit to the horse races. Something new for me during a vacation to Ireland. Now we are down to finding some additional unique places to make sure we have a chance to visit.
I'm very excited that when we are in Dublin a friend and her husband from London are flying over to spend our last weekend with us touring this wonderful city. They have never been to Ireland before, even though they have lived in London for a year. Have to admit, with everything there is to see in England, I might be in the same boat if I was there.
As a reference, I'll be listing the B&Bs in the various locations as we travel, so that if anyone is looking for a B&B in a town they might want to use the same one we stay in, or not, depending on our experience. For the most part, after having stayed at B&Bs my last trip, I really haven't found one that was unacceptable. It's really important to understand that some are newer and "purpose built" - built as a B&B, and some are older and converted to B&Bs. Most are ensuite, meaning each room has it's own bathroom and shower, but on occasion, they are not. For the most part a "double" room means a room for 2 with a double bed, no queen-sized, or king-sized. They are not really what you would consider luxury accommodations, but very comfortable and homey.
Outside of a hotel or a self-catering cottage, a B&B gives you a better chance to meet people. Both the people from Ireland and others traveling to visit Ireland. Some B&B proprietors are very business like and only tend to the business at hand, others are much friendlier and spend some time getting to know their guests and chatting with them. Back in 2009, at a B&B in Dublin, Mary our hostess sat down in the evening and had a nip of whiskey with us while she shared about her life. It was great.
In all these plans we did make reservations at hotels in and around Dublin when we first arrive and the last 4 days before we leave. It was important to be closer to the center of things where walking would be our means of transportation. If you are staying in Dublin City Center you are within walking distance of most locations. It's not really a city I'd want to do much driving in.
As we approach our departure time in close to 80 days, we'll make a few more online reservations where we can save a little with online reservations, like the ferry to the Aran Islands, or a hop-on-hop-off tour of Dublin.
I wanted to post this little picture of one of those "out of the ordinary" sites. I hope we get a chance to go and see this little church.
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