The Gathering

As we check in at the hotel we spot one familiar figure walking away up the stair to the second level. Paula’s sister will arrive at the airport in the early afternoon. And as we sit in the hotel pub we watch people arrive and look around, as we wonder who among them is a tour companion. Later in the afternoon some of the usual suspects appear and start to recognize others, as there are several frequent flyers in the group who recognize each other from previous tours. Soon there is a small collection of souls sharing beverage and sympathy over travel hiccups, storm delays, re-routings, airports, and capricious airlines. More experienced hands know to fly at least a day early if not more, to allow for time zone adjustment before the tour gets started, and for spring and fall storms and domino-effect delays.

Nancy arrives as scheduled despite re-routings. Donnie, James, and Bronagh, tour leaders, appear. About half of the tour group arrives on Tuesday and the rest have arrived by mid-afternoon on Wednesday. We’re all just marking time until the official tour start on Wednesday evening in the lounge at the hotel. Some take the bus into Ennis on Wednesday if for no other purpose than to walk around, as there is vanishingly little to do near the airport. Shannon town has Bunratty Castle and little else, not even a Tesco.

The gathering process completes with the official start: drinks and introductions in the lounge and dinner in the dining room. Beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian for dinner. The tour bus will leave at 10 on Thursday, suitcases in the hall by 8:30. None of this 7 AM stuff!