Girls with bike are evil!

Disclaimer: Apologies, dear Irish friends, this has nothing against you, but the great service we all experience everywhere, here in Ireland. I've had enough :-) as well!

This is one of my latest adventures in the DART, Dublin Area Rapid Transit, or in other words - the Dublin suburban train. It happened last Saturday, and it still makes me angry when I think of it, so I decided to share it with you.

I was supposed to take my bike (bicycle, not a motorbike) from our offices' parking lot, since other employees who are cycling into work daily are having great difficulty in finding a parking spot.

The only way I can do that is by: 1. Cycling home. On a fair day it should take me about 1.5-2 hours. I live about 20km away from the city center, and have to carefully share the roads with the crazy Irish drivers. By the way, not too long ago I was informed that 50% of the accidents are actually caused by a certain East-European country's citizens, that Dublin (also Ireland) is flooded with.
2. Since the weather's crappy in the last few months (It's still winter here, you know) - the other option is taking it home on the DART. Therefor, not too long ago, I asked the cashier whether it is possible, and he told me that basically it is not allowed, but on weekends it shouldn't be a problem, especially late evening hours.

So last Saturday was I had the perfect opportunity to take it home on the DART. It was after 22:00, the trains are usually empty those hours, because everybody's in the Pub already. So I unlocked the bike, took it to the deserted train station, and about to go towards the platform, but, alas, there were 3 security guys, preventing me from doing so. So I started to argue with one of them, who was very much willing to help... with finding another solution for me taking the bike back home to Howth... He was also calling the bus company in order to check whether I can take it on the bus. But unless it's a folded bike, the answer is no.

Then he suggested that if it was another train station, say, a more deserted one, it could be possible. Then I suggested to go to Lansdown Road, and he said it would be perfect.

So I put on my helmet, vest, lamps, and I was driving there so fast and I made it in 4 mins (should take 7 usually). But then there was someone in the ticket office... And he was talking like a robot, repeating himself the way only Irish service providers know. I argued again, of course. Didn't help. Did I mention it was cold outside, raining and I didn't have my bicycle gloves?

So I had to ride back to the work, lock the bike, and make it to the train in 8 mins, unless I felt like waiting for the next one, 45 mins later. Which wasn't that bad, I could just sit on the massage chair and read a book. but I was so cold and wet...

The most difficult part was locking the bike, since my fingers were frozen, I could hardly do that, and till now I can't remember how good I locked it and if it's still there. But I'm quite sure it's still there.

I made it just on time, running to the platform in order to get on the train that just arrived, and get home as soon as possible and take a very hot shower.

I was sitting there for few mins until I could breath properly. Then I was looking around me, at the people I was sharing the carriage with. Then I noticed 2 guys in front of me, very loud speaking and drinking. From big bottles of vodka and something else that seemed more likely to be scotch rather than beer or wine.

Later on few teenagers got on the carriage, each is carrying his/her own six packs, and drinks from another can or bottle of some other alcoholic drink.

And that is the lesson of this experience: having drunk people on the train is soooo much safer than having a bike in it.

Until the train driver has to stop it for 20 mins and wait for the Garda (Police) to come and evacuate a drunk who's causing trouble on the train and refused to get of it.

My First Time

Or: First Month Summary

1. Got my first ever Free Massage for the first time in my life
2. Played Foosball for the first time in my life
3. Played Nintendo Wii for the first time in my life
4. Worked extra hours on my third week in a new job for the first time in my life
5. And must think how I want to spend my 11 Vacation days by the end of the year! And some other 25 days by the end of next one, not including public holidays - another 9 days per year. I wish this was my only problem. But when I come to think of it, I don't have that many problems these days for the first time in my life
6. Having an umbrella in my bag on a regular basis for the first time in my life
7. Walked in the rain wearing shorts for the first time in my life
8. Not working on Sundays for the first time in my life
9. Go to the Gym (for the first time in 6 years)
10. And don't have to pay for it for the first time in my life
11. Went to a Jews' singles party (organized by Rabbi Zalman), and enjoyed every minute (not everybody were Jews neither single) for the first time in my life
12. Drank alcohol every weekend for the first time in my life
13. Being broke for the first time in my life. Had more money when I was 16 (Don't want to spend the money I have in Israel)
14. But I'm also doing good by thinking how shall I spend the little money I do have.
15. Don't spend money on food during weekdays for the first time in my life
16. I'll have a very impressive this month for the first time in my life. This month only, though...
17. And of course living abroad, (18.) working abroad, (19.) to be precise- working at Google, (20.) partying and having fun and (21.) trying to count how many people in Israel are thinking of me and wanting to strangle me out of jealousy. Or just strangle me without any reasonable reason (I can think of one person right now! haha ha ha hahaha ha... I wish she could read that!) all of the above- for the first time in my life

There are many other first times I just can't remember. So many new good things and adventures. Besides, I must leave something for my next post.

I also have to go to a party soon, so no time as well.

The Southern Feast or How I Spent my Easter Holiday

As I promised, I'll tell you a little bit about our Easter holiday and our trip to the south of Ireland.

We left Dublin at around 12:00, heading south, towards Cork county. As we approached the big city (Cork), the direction road signs became lousier. So we were taking some wrong turns or just not taking the right ones. I must admit- that was no surprise. We were driving and we stopped at the more interesting places on the way. The road lead us to many villages and towns, since the national roads in Ireland goes through the center of each and every one on the way.

When it come to cities, luckily there are the Irish Roundabouts. Ahhh, the magnificent Irish Roundabouts! Now, let me tell you a bit about it: they are quite wide, with 2 or 3 lanes, sometimes there are traffic lights at the enterance and sometimes even along the roundabout.

One of the places we had a stop was a village near Cork, a very touristic one, called Blarney. Why is it so touristic? because it has a castle. One taxi driver told us we should kiss a certain stone at the castle, but he forgot why... Back to Blarney and its castle. So what do they do? Charge 9 euros per adult only to enter the castle and it's gardens. Does that worth it? Don't know. We didn't even hesitate and decided not to pay. 9 is far too much for just another castle that looks exactly the same as other Irish ones.

There was a shopping center pretty close to the castle's entrance. Since it was made especially for the tourists, they sell Irish gifts only. Besides all that, there are many pubs.

Then we continued towards the coast, and this time we passed through another touristic village called Kinsale. It is s supposed to be the culinary capital of something (of Ireland or the county). But we weren't hungry, so we didn't eat there. Which will turn out to be quite a fatal mistake. We continued driving along the coast, tying to find a nice B&B to spend the night. It was around 18:00, and we found a great B&B in a place called Kilbrittain. Don't get too excited, the initial Kil comes from the word 'Cill' in Gaelic, and means Church. Our room's window was facing the Celtic Sea, that will soon merge with the Atlantic Ocean. how Amazing was that! An hour or so later we started to feel hungry, so we got into the car and drove to the near village, and then to another one, only to discover all the restaurants are closed. Even the hotel's restaurant was closed. Then it hit us! It was Good Friday! Easter! We already knew the poor Irish are not allowed to consume any alcohol that day, but no eating, as well??? Eventually we came across a convenience store, so we ended up eating sandwiches ans dairy. Certainly not the kind of dinner we had on our mind that day. But we are lucky we were able to buy something to eat. By the way, remember the alcohol restrictions that day? We noticed the alcohol shelves at the supermarket were covered by a plastic covers...Sounds familiar?

It's getting too long, so in brief- the next day we were doing the Ring of Kerry, where I took the amazing landscape pics I attached to my previous post. Been to a Natioal Park near Kilarney, a very nice town. Then we drove in a very narrow national road, and again, you can find a related pic in my previous post. Then been to a Village called Kenmare, and this time we ate there, not waiting for the evening hours, affraid we'll stay hungry...

At the late afternoon hours we were in a town called Waterville, because at the east side of it there's a loch, and at the west side there's the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful town, but we decided to driver further mre for a hour or so, and then find a place to sleep. And then we were in Cahersiveen, a disgusting town, with dirty, old and ugly B&Bs, not to mentin the horrible hosts. I'm tellng you so you can learn fom our mistakes. After that we drove for another 30-40km, to the next town, Killorglin. a very nice town, definately unlike the previous one. There we found a very nice B&B- Grove Lodge, with the nicest hosts ever- Delia and Fergus Foley. We enjoyed our staying there. We also ate at a good Indian and Pakistani Restaurant, and we had a long talk with the nicest waiter ever- Manny (NOT to be pronounced like Money!).

The day after we were heading back home, had a stop in Kilkenny, the town where you can smell the beer in the streets. Probably becaue of the tens of pubs over there (and only 2 or 3 restaurants). Oh, and there's a castle as well.

By 20:30 we were home, so tired and exhausted, thinking we have 36 hours until tuesday morning, which means 36 hours to relax, sleep, watch TV and eat, without even leaving the house.

But we were sooooo wronge......

The One and Only Ireland

The Last few days Dan and I were exploring Ireland, the country where in addition to the Careful, Children Crossing road sign, you can see Cattle Crossing, Causion Cross Wind and Leprechaun Crossing road signs.

The country that in addition to the gazelle and cow road signs, you can find a road sign that from a distance looks like the Puma logo (but actually notifies the driver of a merging road)...
The only country where you can smell the beer in the outside fresh air and find empty beer-cans thrown at the national road in the middle of nowhere, and still find a sign such as this:

The country where you can find an advertisment sign for Castle for Rent, a place called Kilbritain, and a chain of islands called after the cattle family (The Bull, The Cow and The Calf)...

The country where you can find a roadkill every 1000 meters and sometimes even every 100 meters. Mostly foxes and crows, yes I actually did mean crows, but also other kinds of birds and badgers (and no, I didn't even think about taking a picture of it...).

The only country where you can find yourself on a national road such as this,

and find that the maximum speed allowed is 100 km per hour.

But also the only country where you can find that kind of breath-taking landscapes.

More about our Easter holiday, in my next post.