On the road again...
Or if you prefer, back abroad again.
Year one started with a couple of months in Costa Rica, and I was hooked. Year two and I’m fully abroad for the year, visiting family twice for roughly a month each. And in year three my family visit concludes the first visit for this year with family. This time for two months. Longer to accommodate cataract eye procedure and high school graduations, now onward.
The flight departed on Sunday and 6:55 pm, such a civil hour. The schedule showed an arrival at 8:00 am, also very civil. And then I realized with the six-hour difference it would be 2 am for my body. No matter, I was off again.
I’ve not flown Aer Lingus prior. This is a partner with American airline lines which I most often use. I loved that it was a non-stop flight from Minneapolis to Dublin. It surprised me when they boarded us from rear to front, something I’ve yearned for many years. Finally, it makes sense. Then again, when I boarded a very near new Airbus model about the size of a 707, not large. Everything was clean, prepared, there was a blanket, pillow and set or ear plugs on every seat. They assigned me a window seat. Again, I was pleased and surprised to realize no one else sat in my row, giving me the luxury of sprawling. I didn’t sleep, unfortunately, just rested my eyes. Everything else on the journey went well and I know in the future I will try to use this airline again, making the first step a good one.
Customs was basically a brief pause as I walked through. I’d checked my bag as it was free. And the bag was present in a few moments. I asked an attendant as I exited the building, about Belfast buses; he pointed to one leaving, a few steps away, in two minutes.
The ride was roughly 2-3 hours. The highway, M2, I think, it’s lined the entire route by dense vegetation that blocks most of the view of the countryside. In Belfast it was a few minutes’ walk to the next station, where I ate a light breakfast and set off on a short thirty minute train ride to Bangor, Ireland. The population is roughly 65 thousand, the perfect size for my taste. My location for July is a downhill 8-minute walk from the train station and I arrived two minutes after my check in availability. A brief, 8–10-minute walk to the grocery store for urgent needs, dinner and down for a great eleven-hour sleep. Ending a very long but great day.
Last year I stayed for July in Annestown, Ireland. a quaint and remote village on the copper coast and I loved the stay. I sought to repeat, but there was nothing in my price range available.
This year’s choice I had low expectation from last year’s high, but again I’m pleasantly pleased. The waterfront is a couple hundred steps away, with a long path running along the picturesque seaside. I’m on the ground floor of a row house that is the predominant type of housing. I know already that this stay will be great.
Every month, at a new local, it takes typically two to three trips to the local stores to get set with my grocery needs. In part because often on the first day at the new location, I’m tired and just get familiar and my immediate needs. This day two, I was about to head out for more groceries when I checked for a farmer’s market. I pleasantly discovered that one opened in the closest grocery store parking lot, starting in the next hour. I purchased the canned goods type of needs and completing with the market fare.
When in Costa Rica, roughly 90% of my purchases are at the farmers’ market (feria) and I’m spoiled as here green groceries are scarce or so it seems.
Also in CR Sunrise is at 5:30 and sunset at 18:00 virtually year round. Here presently its 5:00 to 22:00 a much longer day. Many photos, in the following video were taken at roughly 20:00 on my evening walk.