The Flight Back

Luckily we had time to spare at the airport, because we didn't count on being doubly-violated today.  Apparently, Homeland Security doesn't trust Ireland's competence, since we had to go through two separate security gauntlets before getting on our plane this time.  One with shoes, and one without.  But no X-rays at all, so bully for that.

We'd again reserved our vegetarian and vegan meals in advance.  Again, we were served before everyone else on the plane.  Nice!  ;)
Penne pasta, side salad, roll, and a choco-chip biscuit-packet.  (The vegan had a fruit cup instead of cookies.)
Followed by coffee or tea, of course.
Not bad for airplane food.  Thanks Aer Lingus!

We received a nice flapjack bar and tea service as an afternoon snack as well.  UK flapjack bars
seem just a little larger / moister / heartier than an American granola bar.

What's worse?  Being on a plane for 6 hours with a loud and fussy infant, or sitting directly behind an old man who's obviously having some sort of intestinal issue.  :(

This time our flights end with us back in good ol' Raleigh, NC at 6:00pm, so the jet lag isn't bad at all.  This is definitely the way to go.



Back home safe & sound.  Not a whole lot to eat in the fridge, but at least our soymilk is still good.  Go veggie power!

No Sleep 'Til Dublin!

Had some time to waste at the Edinburgh airport before the short flight out to Dublin, so we had a quick lunch at  Yo! Sushi.
Novel concept for an airport restaurant.  You just sit and eat in front of a conveyor belt bringing you an infinite supply of colored dishes containing sushi et al.

The avocado sushi was fine, and the veg yakisoba was ok, but nothing to write home about.

Followed by the mad dash to our prop plane.  Apparently "Departing Time" and "Boarding Time" are two different things.  Who knew?  :}

So long Scotland; we hardly knew ye.

The shores of Ireland, at last!  (Well, after about an hour flight, actually.)

The Crowne Plaza Northwood

We arrived safely in Dublin, and then took the free airport shuttle to our hotel.  Just a quick 10 minute ride.

Luckily, the Crowne Plaza Hotel wasn't very full tonight, so the concierge jumped us up to a posh Club Level room for free.  Ooh la la!
The room was noticeably larger and more luxurious.  Thanks Crowne!

(Apparently, the bathroom is too expansive for the "Photo Sphere" function of my Nexus7.)

We had a nice and quiet night's sleep.  Two thumbs up!

Edinburgh Observations

There are LOTS of pidgeons in the city:

Nah, not really.  There seems to be the usual amount.  Not quite as many, and not quite as aggressive as the pidgeons in London.


But there are more smokers in the UK.  Or perhaps it's slightly more visible since there seems to be a ban on smoking anywhere indoors.


We also noticed that there seems to be more dog owners compared to the U.S.  And it's apparently not uncommon to bring one's dog to the local pub with you.  (We saw this numerous times.)

But out of all the dogs & owners we saw, we rarely heard any barking or even noticed any bad behavior whatsoever (unlike the stereotypical hyperactive U.S. dog).

Children, however, seem to be a bit more brazen.  Louder, free-range, and more willing to engage strangers than you might expect (or want).

Lastly, we never quite figured out proper restaurant service.  Restaurants are some of the few establishments that accept credit cards (despite posted signs), but they never seem to allow tipping via credit cards.  The tip jar is also a bit more rare in the UK.  Sometimes wait staff will automatically include a standard 12.5% gratuity.
But one universal standard throughout the British Isles is:  wait service is slow, and if you want anything, you have to ask for it.  Nothing will ever be preemptively brought to you, no matter how obvious your need (especially the check).

Mummers Gathering

(Unrelated to Mums restaurant.)

We had a little time to waste before heading to the airport, and we stumbled upon the local Mummers Gathering.  Not a big turnout as it was starting to rain.