Hurricane Elaine (and Thomas)

The day before Elaine arrived for her visit, Kevin suggested I rest in preparation for “Hurricane Elaine.”  In addition to the commentary on Elaine's active lifestyle, I liked how the words sound.  Little did I know that an actual hurricane would impact the weather during Elaine’s time in Ireland.

Considering the rain and wind of the last several weeks, Elaine was very lucky to have reasonably good weather during her Irish adventure.  The one exception occurred last Sunday.  While we weren’t expecting to experience an actual hurricane, Hurricane Thomas was forecast to cause gale force winds along the Irish coast.  Meteorologists expected the winds, combined with rain and an unusually high tide, to lead to flooding.  The adventure was scheduled to begin about 4:00 PM on Sunday.  Elaine and I went to mass Sunday morning after which we ate lunch, walked around town and visited the grocery store to buy necessities (e.g. chocolate) for the coming storm.  We returned to my apartment to settle in for an evening of wind and rain. 

Thanks to my large windows, we had quite a show!  The wind was intense.  From my window we could see the sailboat masts rocking briskly and deeply from side to side.  The blowing rain made fascinating patterns on the ground.   Water splashed up on the docks.  The violent storm increased my gratitude for the shelter of my apartment. 

Street musicians in Galway on Sunday afternoon

Remarkably, Monday was a relatively lovely day.  Elaine and I joined a tour to the Cliffs of Moher.  I took a similar tour when Erin visited, but a different company conducted this trip and I saw some new places on the way to the Cliffs.  Our tour guide, Desmond, was quite a character.  He told a lot of jokes and shared interesting facts.  He also sincerely warned us to be careful at the Cliffs.  Desmond told us that 18 people died at that spot last year alone.   Elaine and I managed to spend a little time on the cliffs before it began to rain after which point we sought shelter in the Visitor Center. 

Near Dunguaire Castle

Fairy Fort

Elaine at a Fairy Fort

Poulnabrone Dolmen, 5800 year-old portal tomb

The Burren, near Poulnabrone Dolmen

Cross on top of a tomb at Kilfenora Cathedral, 6th century monastery

Tomb marker at Kilfenora, 6th century monastery

Stormy day on the Cliffs of Moher

Sign at Cliffs of Moher, don't go near the edge

Sign at Cliffs of Moher, don't go off the path

Sign at Cliffs of Moher, don't climb over the barrier

Coastal stop on the way back to Galway

Tuesday was Elaine’s last day in Galway.  Fergal (from the tour company) met us in Eyre Square to lead us on a walking tour.  I loved learning details about the streets I have walked and the buildings I have passed for several months.  Fergal gave us this tour to make up for telling us the wrong start time for our tour to Connemara.  Elaine and I tried to tip him at the end of our tour when we were near the Spanish Arch.  He would not hear of it; in fact, he told us that it would be illegal for him to accept the money.  Interestingly, a man Fergal knew was enjoying his lunch near the Spanish Arch and he found it very amusing to see two women attempt to hand money to his friend.  We all enjoyed a laugh over that.  After our tour, Elaine and I visited the Galway City Museum and the cathedral.  We listened to live traditional music at Tig Coili and then ate dinner at Ard Bia. 

Nora Barnacle House, childhood home of the woman who married James Joyce

Clock Tower of St. Nicholas Collegiate Church in Galway.  Legend has it there is no clock on one side of the tower because that side of town was delinquent in its taxes.  Some say this is the origin of the phrase, he wouldn't "give the time of day."  

On Wednesday, Elaine and I took a bus to Dublin.  We visited Trinity College where Elaine saw the book of Kells.  I had seen it when Kevin was here and the admission fee is 9 euro, so I browsed the gift shop while Elaine went in.  While in the gift shop I saw a lovely W.B. Yeats poem done in calligraphy.  I looked it up online so that I could remember it:

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

                        -W.B. Yeats, “He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven”

Elaine and I also visited the National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts & History.  I have spent three nights in Dublin (one with Kevin, one with my parents and one with Elaine).  All three nights we ate dinner at Italian restaurants and each one was fabulous. 

After dinner, Elaine and I walked to the Abbey Theatre to see the Frank McGuinness version of the Ibsen play, John Gabriel Borkman.  Well-known actor, Alan Rickman, played the title role.  The actors were outstanding.  Elaine and I sat in the third row; I was close enough that I could have thrown a catchable ball to Mr. Rickman.  Considering my lack of upper-body strength, that is very close.

I loved the play.  I found it engaging and provocative.  The applications of the material today are legion.  I was fascinated by how many of the characters were genuine victims, but instead of trying to heal, which would have allowed them some degree of happiness, they nurtured their pain.

I purchased a poster from the play to give to friend and colleague, Theatre Professor, Jay Scott Chipman.  The man who sold me the poster suggested we might be able to have it autographed.  Elaine and I (and probably about 20 other people) waited by the outside stage door and, sure enough, Mr. Rickman emerged and kindly signed the poster as well as all of our play cards and programs.  I told him I enjoyed his performance and he said, “Thank you.”  Wow!

Alan Rickman signing autographs outside the Abbey Theater

Yesterday was Elaine’s 70^th birthday and she spent it travelling back to Lincoln.   I’m glad the day before her birthday was filled with so much adventure because long flights are generally not much fun.