Key West 2017 - First Flight Out - a close call

I'm a reasonably travelled person I like to think.  And thankfully I've never missed a flight.  Well on Sunday we were thiiiiss close to doing so.  Listed below are a litany of issues we encountered on our trip to Key West

Enid and I arrived at Terminal 2 at 7.00am for our 10.05 am flight to Toronto (3 hours in advance of our flight time).
According to our itinerary we were flying with United.

Issue 1: There was no United Toronto flight listed on the board.  A lady working for United told us we were actually flying with Air Canada (ummm not according to our itinerary!!!)

So we walked to Terminal 1 (ringing Alice on the way and telling her to go to T1 not T2)

Issue 2
If you recall our flight time (noted above) was supposedly 10.05 - again, this was according to our itinerary.  There was no 10.05am Air Canada flight to Toronto listed on the board.  Instead there was a 9.05am flight.  This meant our 3 hour timeline was suddenly reduced to 2 hours

Before we could even get into the queue for check in we were met by a Swissport/Air Canada official who told us we needed visas for our Toronto layover.
Enid and I quickly went online and applied for the visas (took about 10 minutes and cost CAD $7). 

We will take responsibility for this! We should have checked if a visa was needed - even though we were just transiting through.

Issue 3
Enid got accepted immediately.  My visa was "referred for review, we'll be back with a decision in 72 hours"

Alice had arrived at this point - and her visa application was accepted automatically also. 

Enid and Alice got into the queue and I went off to the Swissport desk to try ring Canada to see what was happening with my application.  Literally as the guy got through to Canada I got an email through saying my visa was accepted.  I ran back to Alice and Enid who had just arrived at the check-in desk. It was now 7.40am.

So you're probably thinking that surely nothing worse could happen.  Well you'd be wrong

Issue 4
At the check-in desk we were told that we were not flying Air Canada but United ("as per your itinerary") and need to go to Terminal 2.  After explaining we were there already - and that in fact the 10.05 flight did not even exist the staff member looked up the flight number

The staff member confirmed it was a Air Canada Flight.  Not United as per our itinerary.
The staff member confirmed the flight was at 9.05.  Not 10.05 as per our itinerary

Issue 5 - and this is the major one!!!
The staff member stated that no tickets existed for us!
Even though we had booked the flights back in January 2017.  Even though we had been getting monthly emails/updates from ebookers.  No Tickets!  What does that even mean??

It was now 7.45am.  Check-in for this 9.05 flight closed at 8.05.  And we had no tickets!

We were told to go to the Swissport desk to explain there was a "ticketing issue".

So!  It is now 8am (remember check-in closes at 8.05) and the ticketing issue still is not resolved!

Enid runs back to the check-in to see if they can hold open the check-in for us.  Apparently they can't.  Which seems strange considering this is their massive cockup with their incorrect itinerary (airline and flight time).
Hmm on second thought maybe it is ebookers or United, and not Air Canada's mistake??

She arrives back and literally right at that moment we are handed two passports (mine and Enid's) and told our tickets are sorted.

We run back to check-in where they (thankfully!!) OPEN check in for us in order to check in.  Alice arrives 2 minutes after.

Issue 6
We are handed boarding passes - that have no seats!!  And told to RUN to the gate.  It's now 8.20 - for 8.25 boarding (and 9.05 flight).  And we are told that it is currently taking 30 minutes to get through security.

We RUN. Alice grabs a security guy and explains (very quickly) about the whole debacle.  He RUNS us through security in 5 minutes - although not before Enid's bag is pulled for a random drugs swab,

Alice and I leave Enid and run through the airport to our gate.  From here thing go smooth we are given new boarding passes with seat numbers (all separate - that's ok) and on we board.

We are off!  A trip, 3 years in the planning and all of the above happening before we even left.  Not good for the heart I tell you!

Nostalgia's not what it was

Following on from my blog post last week, the excitement about Irish artist Pigsy's exhibition (Nostalgia's not what it was) continues to grow. 

Pigsy as you know is my brother in law - and if you will allow me the immodesty I am just a little bit proud of him. And how could I be anything but, after coming across THIS in the Irish Times on Thursday.  Not bad being referenced in a piece with the incredible Jean-Michel Basquiat eh?!

For the online text of the article see here.  And for more info on Ciaran/Pigsy check out his website. 

If  you are around Dublin this Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun why not drop into the Fumbally Exchange on Dame Lane and say hi.  I shall be there most of the weekend helping out and enjoying the vibe :-)

The Winding Stair

Looking for a nice restaurant in a city centre or Northside location?  You absolutely CANNOT go wrong with the Winding Stair.

How picturesque is the Georgian building where its located, overlooking the Liffey.  Right beside the Ha'penny bridge - which you get a lovely view of from inside the restaurant.

Hence its name :-)

I started with the whiskey cured salmon, char-grilled cucumber and cucumber ketchup, sea beet, dill and Goatsbridge Farm trout caviar.  The flavour combination was incredible!

And then this masterpiece!

Cider braised McLoughlin’s pork cheeks, black pudding scotch egg, grilled baby leeks and crushed swede.  The black pudding scotch egg was something special I tell you. 

 

A glass of malbec rounded it all out.  I'll definitely be back here. And soon I hope! That scotch egg is calling me :-) 

Digital detox

 

Enid sent me this pic last week of an article from the weekend section of the Sunday Independent. 

 

I'm way ahead of the pack! I've been switching my phone off and removing it from my bedroom at around 9pm for over a month now.  It is not an overstatement to say that I am enjoying life so much better since I've started doing this. I am back to reading more books and I am sleeping better.  I cannot recommend it enough.

 

The one question that everyone asks me when I tell them I do this is "but what do you do for your alarm".  Like in the article, I too have bought an alarm clock!

Oireachtas Committee - 8th Amendment

When asked by a journalist for a few words on the lobby at Dail Eireann today this is what I said:

"As a supporter of the Repeal the 8th campaign I felt that the "Handmaids" made for a powerful visual representation of how a lot of women in Ireland are feeling today - you must remember that many women who are of an age where they are accessing healthcare under the regime of the 8th Amendment have not actually had an opportunity to have their say previously. And equally there are people who have voted previously who will never actually have to make choices related to the amendment. I believe that the results of the recent Citizen's Assembly was a considered and fair reflection of the people of Ireland today. And I thank the citizens for that.

Our stand today, was to say to the Oireachtas Committee that we will not accept any retreat from the recommendations of the Citizen Assembly."

We got a tremendously positive reaction today with many people stopping during their lunch break to take photos and say messages of support to us. I truly believe Ireland is changing for the better (again), and now we just need a referendum (on legislation according to the citizens assembly) to demonstrate that"



The Irish Handmaid's Tale

I have been intending to do a detailed post about my feelings about the 8th Amendment in the Irish constitution and why I believe it needs to be repealed - that is for another day as it is a complex issue about women's healthcare and rights (which extends so much further than just abortion rights) which deserves some time and attention to explain my thoughts fully.

In the meantime I would like to record details of a protest I shall attend tomorrow at Dail Eireann.  The plan is to dress in the costume of Margaret Attwood's handmaids and the objective is to call attention to the Oireachtas Committee (on the 8th amendment) as they start their deliberations  - that after the clear pro-choice recommendations of the recent Citizen's Assembly we will not accept any retreat.

The Oireachtas Committee is made up of 21 politicians and it is in their hands to decide what legislation we will get/get to vote on.  Our objective is to put them under pressure that they cannot but recommend pro-choice legislation - again along the lines of the Citizens Assembly.

It took me just under two hours to make my handmaid's cape and hat this evening. If Enid wasn't away I would have zipped through it on her machine but unfortunately I had to do it all by hand sewing.

I was only able to buy a sheet in the correct colour in a Single bed size.  I was worried it would not be big enough but actually there was so much material to battle with that I was glad I had not got the double.

I created it with a simple long/high collar which came out really good I think.  Plus I think I will get away without a hood because of this collar - which is a relief because I simply don't think I have the energy or will to make a hood as well.

 Finished! Cloak (or cape) and hat.

 

 

 

Esmara by Heidi Klum for Lidl

I may or may not have queued up at 7am this morning outside of Lidl on Parnell Street for the Heidi Klum collection that went on sale today when doors opened at 8.

 I may or may not have gone into the shop and bought the one thing I really wanted - this INCREDIBLE brown suede biker jacket for a crazy €59.99.  The cut and shape on it is amazing.  Not to mention the detail in the stitching.

I may or may not have gone a bit wild and bought a few other items.



Ahem....!



3 pairs of skinny jeans in black, blue and navy

€12.99 each.  COME ON!!!!!!





3 pussy cat bow shirts in white, navy (for work) and leopard skin (not for work).  I would have bought the black one but they didn't have it in my size.

Leopard skin is not my usual thing but hey will be nice for a Saturday night out in town am sure.
 Like the jeans these were a bargain €12.99 each too...



And finally, a fabuuuuurlous black lurex tuxedo style jacket.  Seriously at €19.99 I wasn't leaving this behind.  It'll be nice for any formal events - thrown over a cocktail dress.  Or else just a Saturday night in town over a graphic tee for fun, or a plain top if I want to look a bit classier. 
It's fun! I am totally going to get wear out of this :-)