Day 41 - August 21, 2022 - Fly from Dublin to Atlanta

 Well, our adventure in Scotland and Ireland has finally come to an end.  Since our flight from Dublin Airport wasn't until noon, we had a leisurely morning.  Our checked bag had to be outside the room at 7:00 AM, so we went down for breakfast at 7:15.  Our cab ride to the airport picked us up at 8:15.  There were eight of us who left at this time.  Six of us were on the same flight to Atlanta.

Check-in was straight forward, but it was a slow process.  For some reason it took longer than normal to process each passenger.  After getting our boarding pass we proceeded up two levels to security.  This also took a while.  After clearing the airport security, we had to proceed to US security clearance.  This involved another full security check, including shoes off, etc. and going before a US customs agent.  The total time for check-in and security checks was about one and one-half hours.  The plus side is that when we arrived in Atlanta, we just picked up our luggage and left, no further customs involved.

The flight was uneventful but there was almost an hour delay in take-off.  It apparently it had something to do with a passenger who hadn't fully completed security.  After arriving in Atlanta 50 minutes late, we were further delayed due to a gate problem.

Fortunately, recovering our luggage was not a problem and I contacted our Top Hat driver and we were picked up in about 10 minutes. 

It was good to get home and discover that apparently nothing had failed!  It seems that there is always a problem when we return from a long trip, but not this time.

Regarding the trip, we all agreed we had a good time, saw some great scenery and learned a lot of history.  Travel, post Covid, is still not perfect with some things still closed, and some areas with limited access.  Our travel company, Overseas Adventure Travel, still had some Covid restrictions which were a pain.  Masks were required on their coaches and on the ship in public areas.  On the ship they did not provide printed menus or itineraries with the excuse of Covid.  This was a fallacy, since we had a breakfast buffet where everyone handled serving utensils and did not wear masks.  Things are still crazy.

Personally, Scotland and the Shetland Islands were my favorite.  The landscape was beautiful and the food was great.  I enjoyed Ireland and Wales also, just not as much as Scotland.  I was surprised at just how different the people in such a small area (not as large one of our small states) were.  Even in Scotland, the different areas had quite a large variance in customs, culture and even language.  The Shetlands and Orkney Islands had a more Nordic heritage compared to the rest of Scotland.  The Hebrides were different from the Highlands.  The variety was fascinating.

In summary, it was a good trip and I am glad I was able to make it.  On the other hand, I am not sure I am ready for more international travel until covid and the problems with the airlines are resolved.  Unfortunately, I don't believe they will ever be like pre-covid.

I will now start my usual post-travel process of researching and reading about all the many things I have been exposed to which I wish to learn more about.

I hope you who have endured my musings have found some enjoyment, at least from the photos.

Until our next adventure, I will say goodbye....