Irish flights

On many of our flights to Europe, our airline flew by way of Shannon, Ireland. Our layovers were usually just a couple of days, but occasionally we were given extra time. On this particular layover, Sally, Kris, and I rented a taxi and traveled a few hours to the Waterford crystal factory.

Stopping at a pub along the way, we learned that since we didn’t have a man to escort us, we had to enter a side door and sit in a separate area from the male patrons. We had fish and chips and a couple of mugs of beer.

The three of us clicked our glasses and broke into song. “Leaving on a Jet Plane” was our favorite. The men on the other side of the pub came to our side and joined in the singing. We easily could have wasted our time away, but we had major shopping to do. Soon after, we left for the historic city of Waterford.

At the factory we bought crystal by the box load. Lamps, bowls, glasses, and vases packed the taxi’s floor and trunk (or boot, as the English say). The beer eased our wallets and helped with the purchases. Soon the vehicle had no room to spare.

Later, on our departure back to New York, we entered the duty-free section of the Irish airport. Continuing with our shopping spree, we bought wool blankets, liquor, linen, and handmade sweaters.

In 1966, U. S. customs taxed everything over one hundred dollars. Consequently, we arranged to have our purchases divided into increments. Every time we departed Shannon, we took another box home to America.

During our Irish layovers we often toured castles and historic homes in nearby areas. The green farmland was dotted with sheep and ancient buildings were scattered throughout the countryside.

The Bunratty Castle, built in the 1400s, was situated close to the airport and our hotel. Kris, Sally, and I chose to attend one of their medieval banquets on the last night of our layover. We walked through the kitchen garden and stopped to smell the fragrant herbs within its high walls. After exploring a number of castle rooms, we joined the other tourists and sat in the large dining room.

Medieval tapestries hung throughout the Grand Hall and antique furniture with life-sized woodcarvings graced the stone floor. Local entertainers dressed in period costumes danced and sang to our clapping appreciation. One played the harp and another the violin.

At one end of the hall, I noticed the skeleton head of a huge deer attached to the top of the wall. The tour guide told us the deer, which had once been common in Ireland, had been extinct for thousands of years. Its antlers spread across nine feet. Bog hunters discovered the carcass in a neighboring marsh in the 18th century.

We joined the other tourists at long tables and ate bread and deer meat. A knife was our only utensil. Sally, Kris, and I chomped on meat and broke loaves of bread to dip into sauces. Throughout the meal we gulped large mugs of mead, a wine made from fermented honey.

With no napkins and gravy coating our hands and dripping down our chins, we certainly seemed like the medieval maidens of yesteryear. No longer were we the glamorous flight attendants of a few days ago.

Soon it was time to leave. A traditional black taxi returned us to our hotel. The narrow road, lined on both sides with stonewalls, went directly toward Shannon. In the distance we saw our hotel lights shimmering in the fog.

The following day we flew Gaelic passengers to Boston. They wore their very best clothes, wool suits in tweed patterns with matching hats for both the men and women.

Surprisingly, they barely spoke English. Our airline hired a Gaelic flight attendant to translate the announcements. In spite of knowing French and Spanish, I couldn’t understand a word the interpreter said.

Because of the language barrier, the passengers chatted among themselves. On our arrival in Massachusetts, they beamed with happy expectations as they descended the portable stairs.

Дата добавления: 2015-08-27