Wednesday December 21, 2016 (Winter Solstice!)
I think I have this blogger thing figured out now so instead of people getting long e-mails from me, you can choose to come over here and look at what is going on 🙂
When I last wrote, I said that we were going to be jaunting around looking at rentals. Yesterday, though, found us in Carlow trying to figure out the Irish banking system. Despite Wells Fargo assuring me that I would be able to do a cash advance for enough money to pay for the car we bought on Monday, the Irish banks in Carlow said 'no go.' So we sat down with David, the seller, and a friend of his in a pub (of course) in Carlow and thanks to Transferwise, I transferred the payment from my bank to his. I think. I hope. Should know tomorrow. That took most of the morning because, of course, there was loads of chat and a hot chocolate and a scone and more chat. Golly we are getting used to this way of conducting business!
Then we went to a "carvery" for lunch and had a yummy one. I had called about a place for rent in Kilkenny so after lunch and after a stop at a department store for warm socks (Delta again) I drove over there with Richard having conniption fits most of the way (move left! move right! you're going to hit that post!!) We got there without incident but when I climbed out of the car, I was shaking. And he said that he thought I would be better off driving alone so "[he] wouldn't make me nervous." Then he offered to do most of the driving and I said great. It IS a large car. Richard claims it is wider than our Escape at home but not as wide as Laurie's Tahoe. Not sure--it doesn't seem like it's so much the size of the car as the width of the roads and the fact that people park on both sides of the street. And, oh, I am fine on the highways except that I haven't nerved myself up yet to pass the lorries. Hey, I don't mind going slow. But I am thinking I will take driving lessons once we get settled.
Ah, getting settled. On to that. We saw the place in Kilkenny which was a rather dumpy bungalow. Richard came out muttering about how people could charge so much for so little. We are learning that happens quite a bit. But later that night I went back onto daft.ie and found three properties in Dunmore East. Here's a photo of Dunmore:
Pretty idyllic looking isn't it? I didn't take the photo, I found it on dunmore east photos. It's a holiday village just south of Waterford. Of course, a lot of the time it will be raining. So far though we have found that the rain usually doesn't last all day. And when we saw the properties today, the sun was shining and it was absolutely gorgeous. We really, really, liked one property that has a big picture window in the living room that has a harbor view and a window in the master bedroom with a window seat that also has a harbor view. I was on Cloud 9 and even Richard had to admit that it was pretty darned nice. We "almost" have it. Just have to get our references checked and then I need to come up with a way to get the money to them. I will probably be haunting ATMs daily for the next four days and just hand them a wad of cash. The estate agent said that it will probably be fine and he should let me know tomorrow. So it's not a done deal but so much else has worked out that maybe my Irish luck can hold on for a bit longer....
I'll even give up my fight with Delta for it. I won't get into the sorry tale of lost luggage again. It's really a trade-off . . . a lost suitcase for a year living in a cottage (a NICE cottage) by the sea. Yeah, I'll make the trade.
It is supposed to be sunny tomorrow so once we go to the Post Office so I can send off a money order for my car insurance payment, we are planning to go to Altamont Gardens in Tullow. Will post tomorrow if that actually happens.
I think I have this blogger thing figured out now so instead of people getting long e-mails from me, you can choose to come over here and look at what is going on 🙂
When I last wrote, I said that we were going to be jaunting around looking at rentals. Yesterday, though, found us in Carlow trying to figure out the Irish banking system. Despite Wells Fargo assuring me that I would be able to do a cash advance for enough money to pay for the car we bought on Monday, the Irish banks in Carlow said 'no go.' So we sat down with David, the seller, and a friend of his in a pub (of course) in Carlow and thanks to Transferwise, I transferred the payment from my bank to his. I think. I hope. Should know tomorrow. That took most of the morning because, of course, there was loads of chat and a hot chocolate and a scone and more chat. Golly we are getting used to this way of conducting business!
Then we went to a "carvery" for lunch and had a yummy one. I had called about a place for rent in Kilkenny so after lunch and after a stop at a department store for warm socks (Delta again) I drove over there with Richard having conniption fits most of the way (move left! move right! you're going to hit that post!!) We got there without incident but when I climbed out of the car, I was shaking. And he said that he thought I would be better off driving alone so "[he] wouldn't make me nervous." Then he offered to do most of the driving and I said great. It IS a large car. Richard claims it is wider than our Escape at home but not as wide as Laurie's Tahoe. Not sure--it doesn't seem like it's so much the size of the car as the width of the roads and the fact that people park on both sides of the street. And, oh, I am fine on the highways except that I haven't nerved myself up yet to pass the lorries. Hey, I don't mind going slow. But I am thinking I will take driving lessons once we get settled.
Ah, getting settled. On to that. We saw the place in Kilkenny which was a rather dumpy bungalow. Richard came out muttering about how people could charge so much for so little. We are learning that happens quite a bit. But later that night I went back onto daft.ie and found three properties in Dunmore East. Here's a photo of Dunmore:
Pretty idyllic looking isn't it? I didn't take the photo, I found it on dunmore east photos. It's a holiday village just south of Waterford. Of course, a lot of the time it will be raining. So far though we have found that the rain usually doesn't last all day. And when we saw the properties today, the sun was shining and it was absolutely gorgeous. We really, really, liked one property that has a big picture window in the living room that has a harbor view and a window in the master bedroom with a window seat that also has a harbor view. I was on Cloud 9 and even Richard had to admit that it was pretty darned nice. We "almost" have it. Just have to get our references checked and then I need to come up with a way to get the money to them. I will probably be haunting ATMs daily for the next four days and just hand them a wad of cash. The estate agent said that it will probably be fine and he should let me know tomorrow. So it's not a done deal but so much else has worked out that maybe my Irish luck can hold on for a bit longer....
I'll even give up my fight with Delta for it. I won't get into the sorry tale of lost luggage again. It's really a trade-off . . . a lost suitcase for a year living in a cottage (a NICE cottage) by the sea. Yeah, I'll make the trade.
It is supposed to be sunny tomorrow so once we go to the Post Office so I can send off a money order for my car insurance payment, we are planning to go to Altamont Gardens in Tullow. Will post tomorrow if that actually happens.
Do you have to stay in that first place you rented for a month? Or are you simply moving on when you find something more suitable?
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