TLDR – Kara came for a few weeks. Our first family adventure was a drive to Cork for the weekend
Getting the Van
I left the house around 1150 headed for the Bluebell stop on the red line to pick up a van. Took me about an hour and a few minutes to arrive at the car rental office next to the LUAS stop. Made it to O’Connell with perfect timing to connect to the red line. Ran across the street and caught a red line train already waiting there. No time needed to wait for the train connection; winning. Philip, at the car hire shop, had the 7 passenger van we ordered and a 9 passenger huge van. I asked for the bigger van and he said sure, no extra charge.
The bigger van worked out well. We talked John into coming with us for the weekend and needed more room for him to sit. It’s about a 20-minute drive down the M50 back home – sigh 70 minutes there and 20 minutes home. Sometimes taking public transportation does not pay. At home, we ran a quick turn around. I was backing into the driveway as Michelle and the girls were getting home from school.
Packing and Driving
Michelle and the girls started packing while I went to get Maddex at school on the bike. By the time we made it back home, the girls were packed jumping around the house waiting to leave. Michelle and I ran around for a bit finishing up packing and adding random extra stuff. The van is so huge we can take everything in the house. I wanted to pack the Dyson cordless vacuum but Michelle said we probably won’t need it. Time will tell who is right – we had plenty of room to pack it. We totally should have brought it.
We left the house around 1500. By 1505 we were on the m50 stuck in traffic – Le sigh. The traffic took about an hour to clear. Did not bug the kids at all they were all sitting in the back back having a great time not making much noise, not annoying anyone at all. After the traffic, we stopped at a rest stop/gas station / super macs for some pizza, chips and toilet. Then back on the road for another hour. We were about 30 minutes out and Roxi started vomiting. She tossed up four times before we made it – sad face.
The first vomit came out of nowhere all over herself. What a mess. The next few she managed aiming into the vomit bin we brought with us. Apple maps failed us for directions. Apple lead us into the middle of nowhere on a 1.5 lane road. We switched to google maps and drove another 7km on 1.5 – 1 lane roads until we found the home for the next few nights. We’re staying in a 4 bedroom house in Cobh (pronounced cove) The kids all ran upstairs and setup their nests for the weekends while we unpacked. – They were out by 8. Michelle’s in the kitchen doing something, and I am sitting in the sitting room watching “The man who killed Hitler then Killed Bigfoot” John is headed to bed and Kara is already in bed. – This MacBook has super loud keys. Designed to attract attention to coffee workers I assume.
Exploring Cork in the Morning
We had a nice slow morning watching a few shows, playing some video games, eating foods, showering, and what not – you know morning things. The kids were into fruit for a pre-breakfast snack, they ate about 8 small oranges, 5 bananas, and some apples. Around 0930 or so we loaded into the Van and headed for Cork. I made a wrong turn somewhere trying to leave Cobh resulting is us making few circles around the city center. Wanting to break the cycle I made another wrong turn and stayed on a road until the GPS picked up and lead us off the island..
Eventually, we made it back over the cool looking bridge near the tall stone tower with the golden tree on top. 15k’s later we’re in Cork shopping for some parking. We crossed over a bridge onto an island then over another bridge off the island, drive around the block a few times in Cork to eventually park in a building attached to an Aldi.
After parking, we walked towards the no car shopping center of the town with a goal of consuming donuts. We found the shop we donuted at on our last visit here, Sticky Fingers. Maddex choose an Oreo donut, Roxi went for a blue Cookie Monster, Mila and Khaleesi picked out swirly glitter donuts, and John picked up a glazed donut. Michelle and Kara went to another shop for coffee. We crossed the street and consumed donuts on some steps while working out what to do next.
Roxi did not so much eat her donut as much as she smeared the blue frosting all over her jacket, face, and hands. After donuts we walk about some exploring the town and a book store or two then we hit a pizza shop called Slice for some wood fire pizza, chips, and a toilet. From lunch, we did some shopping at Aldi for milk. Where we ended up with a full cart due to my new the motto ” we have a car we don’t have to carry it home” – having not brought any bags, not planning to go nuts, we had to purchase a few bags for to put our stuff in.
Back at home the kids watched a movie, John had a nap, and us adults farted around the house for a bit. To end the night Kara came with us to explore Cobh a bit. We walked into the massive church thing and explored a bit then hit the town. Well, the Millfam hit the town Kara stayed to do Kara things at the church while we explored the town. We found a small playland to play in, a charity shop to buy books in, and a centra to pick up cereal from.
We were mostly full from lunch and did not have much of a dinner. The kids attacked from fruit and cereal and made all kinds of noise running around the house. Oh ya they took baths too. The house has a right huge bathtub on the second floor. Maddex and Mila bragged they were able to stretch out in the tub unlike at home. Mixed in with all of the sweets we picked up at Aldi we bought popcorn I made on the stove. After cooking I covered it in butter for everyone to eat for dessert before bedtime.
First stop on the way home – The rock of Cashel
First stop Sunday on the way home is the Rock of Cashel. Doing no research at all as to what the rock is I figured it was some big rock or a pile of rocks. Turns out it’s a large castle church complex on top of a stone hill. We paid for the tour and watched the movie talking all about old castles and stuff. Then we started our self guided walking tour. In the movie, they talk about the church giving up on the castle due to the wind and rain and maintenance on top of the hill. We can completely understand as we’re nearly blown over sideways from the wind and drenched by the heavy sideways rain.
We hide inside of the church in an alcove for a bit attempting to wait out the rain. Eventually, we gave up and left heading back to our car. Of course by the time we’re back at the car the rain had stopped; thanks Irish weather. Before getting back on the motorway we stopped at the RE. store with a Mcdonalds attached to have Mcdonalds for lunch. and not buy fuel. We did not buy gas because I prepaid for the fuel and we have to return the car with the light on to max level the game.
The remainder of the trip home was nothing too exciting. The kids had snacks and played on their phones. No Roxi vomiting happened. John naped off and on, and I managed to keep the Van in the correct lane on the road.
Some more pictures
