That's Not a Paintbrush in my Hand!

I once worked with a lady whose husband was an excellent amateur decorator.  Not only did he keep their home immaculate, but he also did work for friends and family.  His maxim was that the key to a successful job was 90% preparation and 10% perspiration!

It could be argued that that's my approach to holidays ... at least it is these days.  In a way it's like living the holiday twice: once in the planning and then again in the execution.  That said, I do sometimes worry that I'm overdoing it and perhaps forget that there has to be a balance between preparing against the unexpected and planning the life completely out of the expedition and removing the possibility of any spontaneity.

Anyway - for good or ill - this has been my preoccupation for the last couple of weeks or more and I daresay will be so for a few more yet.  Having booked the ferry and the accommodation before Christmas, I'd parked the whole affair for some while.  Then I realised that, with less than a couple of months to go, I really ought to sort out what I'm going to do when I get there.  Out came the maps and the travel books.  I re-jigged my trusty holiday-planning spreadsheet - yes, Excel rules in this household! - and set to work.

Inevitably some of these printed resources are a little out of date and, checking things on line (isn't it wonderful that Mr. Google is so knowledgeable!), I discovered that one place I wanted to visit in Dublin has now been closed.  Fortunately there's another location on the other side of the Liffey that fills the same slot in my interest spectrum, so I attempted to book a visit.  Sadly they don't open on the day I wanted to go, so my week is now re-arranged.  14 Henrietta Street is not the sort of place where you can buy a ticket and just turn up.  Admission is by organised tour only; I expect there are fragile or expensive artefacts requiring visitor supervision.  The next screen asked which tour I want to be booked for and that sent me scurrying back to the bus timetables.  When would I get there, and how long would it take me to get across the city?

It was then that I realised that the time between arrival and leaving again wouldn't be nearly enough for me to see all I want to.  This added to the uncertainty of finding somewhere to park the car for the day, having driven from my farmhouse B&B to the town to catch the bus in the first place ... not to mention the matter of security.  A more flexible solution will be to drive to the outskirts of the city and use LUAS, the tram/light rail system.  Conveniently there's a park-and-ride facility beside the motorway junction.  Fortunately public transport is nicely integrated, so I can get a single visitor pass which will cover my use of LUAS, DART (the suburban train service, Dublin Area Rapid Transit) and the buses for the week, although I'm only planning to visit Dublin on a couple of days.

I realised that I shall gain an extra bank holiday this year as a result of my vacation: Ireland still celebrates Whit Monday, which falls in the week I'm there.  Uncertain of the difference, if any, that this will make, I'm planning a visit to the western port city of Galway and, with luck, shall be able to drive right to the edge of the ocean, some 60 Km further.  My 'Dublin day' was swapped with another trip to the west, to the city of Limerick, stretching along the shores of the island's greatest river, the Shannon.  These two visits are yet to be planned in detail, but shouldn't pose so great a challenge as the capital.

Luckily, I noticed in time that my car has number-plates that don't incorporate the EU stars flash and GB indicator.  In panic I wondered whether - not wanting to blemish the paint on the vehicle itself - there was any other alternative to getting new, conforming, plates.  Luckily I was referred to another shop, where I was able to get a magnetic 'GB' plate that I can easily peel off after it has given service.  I'm taking this as a good omen for the whole adventure.