Traveling to Fintona

Last year, our flight arrived at 5:30am.  We didn't realize how blessed we were with a relatively short customs line.  But we realized today, when we got to the customs room and the line was nearly out the door.  I do have to say, though, that they are really efficient and get people through quickly.  I think it helped, also, that an attendant pulled us out of line (after about 1/2 hour) and put us in an expedited line.  Having kids seems to make people want to help you quickly...or perhaps they are just trying to prevent a possible meltdown from an overly tired child.  Either way, I am thankful. 🙂

We got up to the counter and, since Bill had given me all the paperwork and passports, it was I who spoke to the agent.  I put our stuff through and decided to use my Irish

Me -  "Dia dhuit. Maidin mhaith!"  (Hello.  Good morning!)  
He smiled and said, "Ah...Dia is muire duit.  Conas atá tú?"  (Hello.  How are you?)
Me - "Tá mé tuirseach ach tá mé anseo" (I am tired but I am here)

He just chuckled and said, "I am gonna stop ya there before I run out of Irish words."  But it was so cool to be able to converse a little.  I can't tell you how happy I am that I found CKonLine and have been given the opportunity to learn Irish!

Back to the trip. One good thing about waiting in line for a while was that we didn't have to wait at the luggage carousel.  Just as we walked over to it, our bags came around the corner.  We gathered up our things and, after a short potty break, moved to the car rental place.  Since we had reserved a car online, we were sent to wait for a shuttle that would take us to the car park where they keep all the vehicles.  We waited for quite a while for the shuttle, but it was nice that when it came, the driver told everyone (there were quite a few waiting) that priority went to families with kids.  We were, once again, thankful for the special treatment. 

We found our car, which was a bit of an ordeal, but I think we were just tired and not processing well.  Our GPS connected without issue and we pulled out of the parking lot.  It was surprisingly easy to get onto the motorway from there.  *Here is the proof I was exhausted story*  A few miles down the road, the GPS said, "In 1/2 mile, keep right"  Bill asked if we should get over, and I said, "Well, you can't get any further right."  He looked at me as if I had lost it.  We were on a 3 lane road....in the far left lane.  Yet, my brain was telling me that left was right and right was left.  Talk about feeling not so bright.  But we made it through.  

 The motorway is pretty easy to navigate.  You almost forget that you are driving on the "wrong side of the road" because it is an interstate type road.  You don't really see the people going the other way.  Once we were on a secondary road, Bill commented how strange it was have people driving past the other way.  Thankfully, it didn't take him long to re-acclimate.  We also noticed, on the secondary roads that there were so many more tractors than last time.  We think it is hay/straw harvesting time because we saw several freshly cut fields.  It is very similar to Vermont. 🙂

Did you know that Ireland has a ton of roundabouts?  I mean, every 2-3 miles there is another one.  None of them were big ones today so we managed to breeze through them.  Also, there didn't seem to be a ton of traffic today.....probably because of the time, most people are at work.  When we crossed over from Ireland to Northern Ireland last year, I had been looking at the map and missed the sign.  I was convinced that I would see it today so I was watching closely.  I had my camera out, but there wasn't  a sign.  There was, however, a small sign announcing our entrance in County Tyrone.  I still missed the picture though.  But it made me happy knowing we were so close to the place we were renting.  Our GPS was wonderful and led us right here.  Last year, our GPS unit kept losing signal and we got lost several times (but found where we were thanks to map reading skills I learned as a kid)  But today, we didn't get lost once.  

The rental is beautiful.  The pictures of it online do not do it justice!  It reminds us quite a bit of the place we stayed in Armagh last year, but it is nicer.  Our landlady (for lack of a better word) is the sweetest lady ever!  Her accent is quite thick and she talks incredibly fast, so we really have to listen closely to understand.  **For those of my friends who are CT fans, her accent is similar to Keith's but more intense**  She showed us around and told us to "pop on over if  you care for a wee chat." She also had fresh flowers all over and they made the house smell heavenly!

The kids and I all napped for a few hours after we got settled in.  The bed was comfy and I was asleep within just a few minutes.  Bill prefers to stay up until bedtime when we travel internationally because he said it helps him not have bad jet lag.  My sleep cycle usually regulates quickly so a nap is good for me.  

After we all got up, we got dressed in pants (it's quite a bit more chilly here than at home) and piled into the car in search of a grocery store.  Our landlady had explained that the closest store was in Fintona town...just a couple miles away.  The road was pretty narrow.....I can't even call it a secondary road.  Is there such a thing as a tertiary road? LOL!  After one small wrong turn, we got there.  Now, I have this thing for grocery stores....especially in other countries.  I LOVE looking around to see what is new and different and we always find some cool stuff (lamb bouillon cubes.....how cool is that?)  I was even able to find some really good clearance deals on some yogurt for the kids...gotta love clearance!  I was so happy to find Devon custard.....that stuff is addicting!  Bill found some burgers and that called to both of us for dinner.  I was happy to cook knowing that we would be out and about most of tomorrow.  The boys both ate like they hadn't eaten in weeks and Katie picked.  Normal behavior for all of them. 🙂  After dinner, I was happy to have a cup of tea and just put my feet up.  I can't express how much I love the kettles here!  They are so fast and convenient....they encourage me to drink more tea.   

I am excited to see what we will find tomorrow.  We hope to explore the next town over, Omagh, and will probably swing over to the Moy to grab lunch or dinner.  Who knows, we might venture a little farther west to try to find a wood working shop Bill found online.  We hope to bring back some Irish wood pen blanks.  I am going to hit the sack since it is nearly midnight here.  We are content being back in Ireland!