Today at lunch in Mallo my tour mates bought my lunch. As they said, they always take their pastor out to lunch. We’ve had lots of bus time today and we won’t return to Dublin until 8pm.

I will then return to my motel to retrieve my big bag and then move to my hotel by the airport as I have a 6:30am flight to Glasgow. Then I’ll catch the train to Nairn and join us with my Scotland Trip for the next leg of my trip.

Any prayers you could lift my for my hearing and my ears would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve left the city behind and I am quite glad for it. Today I’m on my way to Dingle and the Kilkenny peninsula.

We started off this morning with a lookout stop at the Conor Pass. It was quite blowy and brisk. We are beginning a day with hiking and peaking at the beautiful summits around Dingle

I had to leave a coat behind because this tour only allowed me to bring one carry on for three days. I believe I will need to purchase an Irish fishing sweater.

The one road we are traveling down the pass is as frightening as any ride at Worlds of Fun.

A stop to look at a waterfall which guide said, “it’s not as big as the ones how have in the US but we’re not worried about that.” As you can see, it’s a lovely spot.

The road is so narrow and our driver is a whiz.

A beach trip. Not my usual gear but here’s the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland. I learned of the death of a dear one from Aldersgate last night. I took a moment and read a scripture to remember.my friend. I guess my fellow travelers now know I’m a minister.

Today closes with a view of the Dingle Harbor with the yachts, fishing boats and lots of locals at the restaurant. The hearing situation has not improved both ears seemed to be closed up tight. So I do a lot of guessing, pointing and lip reading. It makes it harder to ease drop on the conversations around me. Probably just as well for my moral soul.

Here’s the view from my third floor B&B called the Waterfront. This morning’s challenges were a learning curve for me. I had to time the taxi and my arrival at tve pick up site for my Rabbie’s tour. Let’s just say I was 15 minutes late. No harm as we still saw everything on the itinerary for today.

Tomorrow begins with old churches and abbeys. My historical heart will be happy with these sites.

Here we go. I’m here at KCI awaiting my first of three flights today. What a whirlwind to get to this point. Here’s my “I’m ready” picture. The bag is packed and my backpack is too heavy. So much for packing light.

My suitcase is 45 pounds and my limit is 50, so I guess I’ll be only getting five pounds of souvenirs. Thank you to so many who helped me get to this point. Thanks to my sibling Terra who brought me to the airport. I’m ready…I guess.

I begin with a little bit of fear and hesitation. Off into the world alone, slightly untethered and fully medicated to see and experience new things A middle and outer ear infection adds to the drama of the day. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Get ready for things to get busy on here. I leave in one week for a month-long trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England. I’ll be traveling with a tour group and on my own from May 12- to June 13. I’ll be sharing some of my pictures and insights from the trip here and on my Facebook page Shelly’s Great Scot Adventure.

I’ve finalized the Ireland portion of my trip. I’m mostly seeing the Dingle Penisula and a couple of days in Dublin. Then I begin my tour of Scotland with Overseas Adventure Travel for 15 days. I close out my trip with a week in England. I hope to see some early Methodism sites and some beautiful scenery.

Thanks for joining me on my Great Scot adventure.