Ireland Journal: Day One

February 1, 2009

This has been travel like the old days. The car brought me to Logan Airport, where I walked to an empty (of passengers) Aer Lingus counter, then went through a deserted security line (this is 6:30 pm on a Saturday) and thence to a first class lounge inhabited by four people. This took all of six minutes before I had a drink and was finishing my reading on the Battle of Britain.

When I wandered to the gate for boarding, I was the first one on the plane and there were ultimately five of us who were seated up front, barely outnumbering the three flight attendants, who provided, as you’d guess, very personalized service. The pilot announced that everyone was on board who ought to be, so we were leaving early, and we did, by 15 minutes!

This is my first trip to Ireland, unbelievably, after visiting over 50 countries. Aer Lingus does a funny piece of flying. The A330 zips over to Shannon in just five hours, discharges and takes on passengers, now becomes a domestic flight, and then hops over to Dublin in just 30 minutes. That means the big jet hardly attains much altitude and it zooms along at treetop level, as we watch people brewing their morning tea while we’re roaring past their clotheslines and mailboxes.

After walking the traditional five miles to get to immigration, I clear it and customs in nine seconds, the car picks me up, and I’m deposited in a wonderful Four Seasons Hotel. Church is a mile walk away (this violates my three-block maximum walking rule) but off I go, to an old, beautiful, gothic Church of the Sacred Heart.

They are showing the Super Bowl here on TWO different channels, beginning close to midnight. I’ll watch it with a pot of coffee by my side.

This is a gorgeous place with wonderful people. I’m not up to a Guiness, but I did have Smithrick’s Ale with my burger at the bar, though only after the Belvedere to warm me up.

I don’t see how the Cardinals can win tonight, but I hope they do.

They just announced it’s going to SNOW in London!