WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH
One week since we arrived in Ireland, Em has a job, and we had a city to live in, but we needed a house to live in. So todays main objective was to try and find a place to live. After breakfast we headed into town to pick up a paper. We also went to the Garda to try and sort out her working holiday Visa but this could not happen without an address. We also went to the bank, but again we needed an address. So we grabbed a bite to eat, then headed to King John's castle, on the banks of the River Shannon in central Limerick. It was built in the twelth century, and was definitely worth a visit. I am unsure if we will think this at this time next year, as I am sure we will probably see more spectacular castles than this one. No the less, we enjoyed it.
After we had finished here we headed back to the hotel and set about trying to get a room sorted out to live in. We managed to arrange to met a guy that evening. Someone we had talked to the day before decided she did not want a couple. We also heard from someone else who said she would consider us. So that evening after dinner, we were picked up by a guy from Lithuania and went to his flat which he was currently sharing with one other guy. He was very nice, but we were not sure whether we would be happy there (he didn't stop talking or smoking the whole time, and took us for a scary ride in his car). While we were there, we had a call from the girl who had said no, she had changed her mind and wanted to meet us, so we arranged that for Thursday night.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9TH
Today was the day we had to leave our hotel because we there were no more beds available. We found somewhere else to stay at bit further out of town, so at mid-day, checked out, lumbered on the packs, and wandered down the road 20 minutes to our new hotel. It too is quite nice, but unfortunately, no free internet access, and also again no access to cooking facilities and no fridge in the room. We checked in early and after getting organised we headed across the road to the supermarket there and picked up some lunch there. The afternoon was a nice relaxing one. This evening after dinner we went and met Marie and had a look around her house. Marie and her fiance, Joe, came and picked us up and took us to her house. It is a very nice house in a new subdivision and me and Em really like it. We are just waiting to her if Marie is happy to have two people or not, so hopefully we will have found a nice place to live.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10TH
We have been in Ireland for 10 days now, Em has a job, and we now have somewhere to live. We can move into Marie's house tomorrow which is fantastic. We now have an address, which in Ireland means we can now exist. We have not been able to open a bank account, get a car, get internet, and Em has not been able to pay her fee for her working VISA because we didnt have an address. So now we can start to get those things sorted out.
We went to Ennis today on the bus, about 50km North-West of Limerick. It is a beautful old Irish town, with narrow cobbled streets. It was a pretty miserable day, drizzling all day long. The main reason to go there was to meet our agent, so we could go and get a couple of things sorted out. What a surprise – to get our PPS numbers (tax numbers) we needed proof of an address which we couldn't produce. Anyway we found a loop-hole and got that sorted out. After this we went to a pub and had Irish lamb stew for lunch. It was so nice to have a nice hearty meal after a week of not so good meals.
Ennis will be a place we will have to go back to and have a look on a nicer day, well at least when it isn't raining anyway.
SATURDAY 11th & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12th
This weekend has been nice and relaxing. Yesterday Em and me spent the day having a look around Limerick's city centre. It was a nice warm day, and the sun made an appearance which was nice. We found a McDonalds with free WiFi which means we could do a few things online. Our hotel does have WiFi but it it 15 euros / day to use! No thanks.
We didn't find anything too exciting in the city really. I did find a really good seafood chowder though. Neither of us were expecting Limerick to be such a nice place.
It is not the best experience going into an Irish city from what we have experienced. Although you cannot smoke in pubs, they make up for it everywhere else, and you are continually surrounded by people smoking. From what we have seen smokes are relatively cheap as well, which I guess doesn't deter people. An entertaining thing is to watch people cross the road. At traffic lights, they don't wait for the green man, they walk across in the middle of traffic, the cars slow and dodge. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, away you go. It is crazy. I am sure lots of people must actually get hit, but we haven't witnessed anyone yet.
In the afternoon Marie came and picked us up from our hotel and we moved our bags into our new home. It was so nice to know we will be in one place for hopefully our time in Ireland.
This morning we went for a walk, but have not done anything exciting. It is a cool, overcast, typically Irish day, I think. Nice day to stay at home.
Em starts work tomorrow, and I will be going around to all of the physio practises to see if anything is available. No other plans for the week.
