Uncle Tom and Cousin Mike Visit

12 May 2008
Well, high over the Northwest states, I once again travel back from my birthplace, San Francisico, California to my current home in England. It is an eleven hour plane ride. Because it is a business trip, I am travelling business class. Lucky me… my leg room is comfortable and I currently being served a cocktail and warm nuts..(love the warm nuts!) anyway, time to write.

Prior to the trip home, I had a wonderful visit from my cousin, Mike Kelly and my Uncle Tom Kelly. Uncle Tom lost my aunt last November. They had been married 50+ years and she died suddenly. He is doing his best to cope. My cousin Mike (son of my late Uncle Ted, brother to Uncle Tom) organized this trip for him to travel to visit me and to visit Ireland… I decided to drive them to Ireland. ...So the adventure continues....

They arrived in London on Tuesday morning. I picked them up at the airport and deposited them at my home, explained how to get downtown and went off to work. Returning at about 2pm, we took off to London. We took the train, then got on the tube and came out from the underground at Piccadilly Circus. Uncle Tom was amazed! He never thought he would see London… We then rode the double decker bus that passes all the important sites in good old London Town. He was thrilled!... We enjoyed a wonderful pub meal in one of the famous Soho pubs, called Brown’s. We enjoyed traditional English pub food… and desert! This trip did not include alcohol, but lots of deserts! Men after my own heart!! …(did not help my waist line!) Just the beginning of a “good times” with “Tom Kelly, International Man of Action…” as my cousin Mike titled him.

Mike asked Uncle Tom if he might want to go to Paris? “Sure” says the International man of action… I arranged for a driver, Bruce, to take them to St. Pancreas station so they could catch the Eurostar through the chunnel to Paris. That man of action, at 79 years of age, got up at 5:30 in the morning and travelled with his side-kick, nephew - Mike, the never-stop-going- kid, to Paris… They ran all over Paris, using the metro. He saw the sites of Paris… that International Man of Action! In the famous cathedral, Notre Dame, he lit a candle and said a prayer for his dear wife… “Why wouldn’t she get on a plane?” he voiced over and over…

(I think it was because she wanted him to have something to do after she left)

So they returned from Paris on Thursday evening, the driver Bruce delivering them to my house around 9pm. I had dinner waiting and enjoyed listening to the details of the Paris adventure. Uncle Tom repeated over and over, “… this trip as been great so far… I never thought I would ever see what I have seen…”

We decided that they needed a “down” day, which worked well for me since I really needed to spend another day in the office. Saturday we set off, first to buy Uncle Tom a new camera… (it got lost in the security check point at the train station going to Paris)…Then to the ferry that would sail us to our destination. Our destination was Ireland… Uncle Tom wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone! Like he needed too! (It is supposed to give you the “gift of gab”… believe me, I am sure he kissed it in his previous life!)

The schedule included a four and one half hour ride to Holyhead in Whales in my little BMW. The arrangement worked fine. I drove, Mike behind me…sleeping as soon as I started the car!...Uncle Tom in shotgun, able to move the seat back so his long legs could stretch out.. and Mike guarding all the stuff we needed to travel - water, candy (what else for a road trip!) ect… At Holyhead we caught the car carrier ferry and took the 2.5 hour trip over to Dublin… it was a quick trip to homeland! (The name Kelly in Ireland is like Smith in the US…)

We spent four days in Ireland. Two days in Dublin, one overnight in County Cork…up to the Cliffs of Mohr and then down to Waterford and then to the return ferry at Rosslare Harbor. The visit included an AA meeting in a small town outside of Dublin, Irish Music in the Temple Bar District, a visit to the “Book of Kels” at Trinity College, a hike up to the vista at the Cliffs of Mohr and a car tour through Tipperary and other counties to Waterford… (too late for stores… we saved some money there!)… 12 May 2008

That International Man of Action walked all over Dublin, clapped and stomped his feet to the Irish band we enjoyed at Goharty’s Pub in the Temple Bar area… he climbed the narrow, winding Castle stairs to kiss the Blarney Stone… and that he did! … Again he said, “I never thought I would do this..” Good Times… We drove to the Cliffs of Mohr where he climbed the path to the vantage point without even being out of breath! Talk about “Man of Action”

We ended up taking the late ferry at 9pm and arrived at my house at 5:30 in the morning on Wednesday morning.

We slept until noon then ventured out to Windsor Castle… we didn’t get to visit the castle because the Queen was in residence and she was having some kind of event so the castle was closed…

Not to be stopped, the International Man of Action and his two side kick relatives ventured over to Eton which is within walking distance of the castle. The old English lifestyle is very evident in this school boy town… we enjoyed a nice drink by the river at a place called the River House which we thought was an appropriate establishment for us to finish up our trip.

More good times!

The next day I orchestrated the perfect airport pick up/drop off… I dropped off cousin Mike and my Uncle Tom outside terminal three at 8:am… circled around and parked my car. Walked into the arrivals terminal and greeted my cousin Pauline who arrived on a 7:30am flight…Back to my house where I left her to her own devices then set out to work! I was pretty proud of myself for what ended up being a great airport coordination! She and I enjoyed a great time together.

The next day she went off to spend time in London and I headed for the States… well that is a whole ‘nother story!