But Have I been to Ireland?

Part One - Christmas Trip December 2019

What a difference year makes!

December 21st 2019 and the Humphrey family set off for America to spend Christmas with family. 

Our son had been encouraging us to go for years. I am not terribly keen on flying but faced with the statement "I have bought a house now." I began to realise that we really should be brave and venture across the Atlantic. The KHT hates hot weather, so when our son was visiting at Christmas 2018, I floated the idea, partly in jest, that we should visit the following Christmas. To my surprise this met with approval, and from then on we received regular gentle nudges from across the pond with suggestions of flights and dates and other things that needed to be arranged, such as passports! Ours having expired some years ago. 

Our destination usually has snow cover at this time of year, so in addition to acquiring suitcases, cabin bags and handbags to confirm with flight specifications, suitable footwear and clothing would be required. 

Once plans were taking shape we broke the news to family that we would not be able to host the usual Christmas mayhem as we would be in America! "Don't worry,  it won't be a regular thing. We will be back to normal next year" I reassured them. How very wrong I was!

Our only previous experience of flying had been when the same son persuaded us to go to Malaga for a week, when he was on his year abroad as part of his language degree. The KHT had loved flying, and when we landed in Malaga she asked "Can we do that again?" as if it was a fairground ride.  I was just relieved to be back on the ground, quite content to wait for my next aeronautical adventure. Since then seeing the footage from 9/11 had made the KHT wary of air travel. However, she knew that her brother regularly flew, so it must be OK...

We booked her a window seat, and she was soon mesmerised by the glorious cloudscape outside the window, and sat entranced, beaming with delight.

To avoid a lengthy wait at JFK airport in New York, we opted to go via Dublin so we could go through immigration there. As we stayed airside, did we ever enter Ireland?  

DH paid extra for a seat behind the bulkhead so that he would have legroom. However as there was a couple travelling with a small child he got moved back a row so they could use the drop down support for their travel cot, which meant DH had to sit with his legs at an angle for the whole flight. 

I had heard a lot about airplane food, but never had the opportunity to try any.

The KHT had the veggie option, DH the gluten/diary/goodness-knows-what free option and I got Christmas Dinner - which was not really like any other Christmas dinner I have ever eaten before!

The food was interesting but edible, the coffee however was dire! I drank some just to reduce caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

The first thing we did once we left the airport was find somewhere serving coffee, decent coffee.

We then went on a tour of Dyker Heights to see the Christmas lights - street after street of fantastically decorated houses. Our modest berry lights and stars were not a patch on these illuminated extravaganzas. Every branch, balustrade, edifice was lit up. Disney characters, nativity scenes and other large characters were proudly dsplayed.

By now the KHT was falling asleep, which given that it was 8:30pm New York time, was hardly surprising. I got out and explored. There was a real festive atmosphere as lots of families were out to see garden after garden filled with amazing illuminated decorations, each one vying with its neighbours to be the best. Crowds stood and admired, whilst stressed out members of New York Police Department tried to keep the traffic moving, blowing furiously on their whistles, whilst trying to ensure crowds could safely cross.

However crawling around these congested streets took its toll on the car radiator, and our son became aware that he had a serious problem. Leaving us parked a side street they set off to the nearest place they could buy water. We then became aware that the row of decorated Christmas trees outside the church were were parked outside was dedicated to a members of the congregation that did not survive 9/11.

Water was found and they returned and added some carefully to the radiator and we set off for the Airbnb booked for the first night - a top floor flat of a brownstone in Brooklyn. It was quite special to actually stay in the type of building I had read about so often.

Here endedeth the first very long but amazing day of our grand expedition!