Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Itinerary for Trip to Ireland

Wes, my close friend and former colleague at the university in Corpus Christi, will be traveling with me.  He and I are departing for Belfast on Thursday, May 10, and will spend 2 1/2 weeks visiting both Northern Ireland and Ireland.  There are few details for our trip since we are hoping to be flexible as we explore the island, but a general itinerary is in place with a few room reservations.  These plans were made with consideration of area sites that we could drive to visit from each location.  The specific places to stay were often chosen because of the availability of twin-bedded rooms; in Ireland it is common for guest accommodations to have only a double bed which can feel small and uncomfortable.  It took hours to search for places with twin beds!  Here is the itinerary followed by the two books I am taking to read on this short trip:

May 10--Wes departs from Corpus Christi while I depart from San Antonio.  We both end up on the same flight from Newark to Belfast that evening.

May 11--Arrival in Belfast.  Airport Express Bus 300 to Europa Center.  Take Enterprise train from Belfast Central to Dublin.  Sandymount Hotel (3 nights)

May 14--Pick up car from Budget Rental.  Drive to Cork.  Belvedere Lodge (2 nights)

May 16--Drive to Kilarney.  Arbutus Hotel (3 nights)

May 19--Drive to Galway.  Amber Lodge (2 nights)

May 21--Drive to Sligo (1 night)   No hotel selection yet

May 22--Drive to Dublin (1 nights)  Hotel in airport area, but no selection yet

May 23--Return rental car.  Take Goldline Bus 274 from Dublin Airport to Londonderry (2 nights)  No hotel selection yet.

May 25--Take train to Belfast (3 nights)  No hotel selected yet   Rent a car either May 26 or 27 for day trip along northern coast of Northern Ireland

May 28--Take Airport Express Bus 200 to Belfast Airport.  Return to Texas.

Books I'm taking to read on this trip:

Freedom: A Novel  by Jonathan Franzen

Fieldwork: A Novel  by Mischa Berlinski


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