Our Journey to “The Shire”

After flying across the Atlantic all we wanted to do was hit the road & head to the cottage.  Ballydehob, which I lovingly refer to as “The Shire”  (doesn’t it sound like a place straight out of Lord of the Rings?!), is a four hour drive southwest of Dublin.  Our plan was to take our time getting there, so we could take in the sights and stop along the way.  Well, you know what they say about plans: you make them & God laughs.  Only this time, it wasn’t God laughing; it was the aspiring comedian behind the counter at the Hertz Rent-A-Car counter.

The attendant at Hertz took one look at our luggage and laughed.  Okay, he didn’t really laugh, but the big smirk on his face told me he was trying not to. Here’s the conversation that ensued:

Mr. Hertz:  I don’t believe the car you reserved can accommodate your luggage.
Gaby:  Oh? I thought I reserved a car that could hold up to five people.
Mr. Hertz:  Yes, five people. Not luggage.”
Gaby:  Yes, but there are only four of us…”
Mr. Hertz:  Right.
(Awkward Silence)
Gaby:  …so I thought we would be able to fit.
Mr. Hertz:  No.
Gaby: Really?  I’m sure the website indicated that the car would fit up to five people and three luggage.
Mr. Hertz: Quite sure. The car is rather small and it is unlikely that it can accommodate all of you plus your luggage.

He then proceeded to explain our options to upgrade as the four of us exchanged WTH glances. The solution was simple (or so we were told): Rent a larger car. For double the price. (Insert jaw drop here.) After a quick huddle of sorts, we decided to upgrade. What choice did we have? It was either pay for the upgrade or stay at the Dublin airport for ten days. Luckily, the four of us were determined not to let this big oversight get in the way of having a great vacation.

On the way down to the parking garage, a friendly older gentleman with a killer accent (love it!) decided to take us under his wing.  He gave us directions to get out of the airport and bypass the traffic in Dublin City on our way to the freeway.  Only after hearing us repeat the directions several times and drawing a crude map of the city did we part ways.

The guys up at Hertz were not kidding about how tiny the cars were.  Even with the upgrade we still had a heck of a time fitting all of our luggage in the trunk, so we had to squeeze a few in the backseat with Olga & Joana.  We piled into our clown car & we were off!

It’s a good thing Gaby had on her prayer bracelet because we truly needed some divine intervention with it being Gaby’s first time driving on the left side of the road and all. All joking aside, she did an great job driving (for the most part). I was pretty impressed, but Olga’s screaming from the back seat told me she wasn’t. Other than a few scares here & there, I was able to just relax and enjoy the scenery.

There were hardly any cars on the road. It likely had something to do with it being a little after 7AM on a Sunday. The lack of traffic allowed us to slow down – or completely stop – and take pictures. Gaby couldn’t find a safe place to pull over fast enough, so Joana and I had to run back (yes, alongside the freeway) about a quarter mile to snap these beauties.

Thank goodness for wide break down lanes, very few cars, and being in good enough shape to handle a bit of early morning cardio.

The drive from Dublin to Ballydehob was incredibly beautiful. As you can imagine, it was also more than a little distracting, so after several missed exits, hitting a few curbs, and countless photo-op stops, we finally made it to Ballydehob. In one piece.

It was easy enough to find the local gas station/convenience store where we stocked up on supplies and met up with our landlady, Kathleen. A short 10 minute drive through the most narrow, dirt, roads I have ever seen and we had finally made it to Heron’s Cove – our home away from home.