Wow, what a beginning to the new season.
I picked up the group on Sunday the 22nd. Great bunch of people from Upper Franconia in Bavaria.
The group is of religious background, but not on pilgrimage – it’s an educational tour.
The accompanying Priest is as cool as a breeze.
Disastrous Walk
Today I experienced the first “major” glitch.
We had a great start to the day.
We left Dublin and headed straight for Powerscourt in Enniskerry. Glorious sunshine all the way. From there we headed to Glendalough and had some lunch, before I took the group out to the Monastic site. While I guided on the site, it started raining (sleety kind of stuff, but not too heavy).
I suggested to the group (22 of them), “let’s take a walk up to the upper lake. We have time, let’s enjoy the nice scenery”.
I asked the coach driver to move up to the upper lake. It’s a 20 – 25 minute walk. Half way through, it started lashing – absolutely lashing. Then it started to hail. Heaven opened.
We got to the coach, soaked to the bones.
Wrong Hotel
We then travelled through Wicklow Gap, via Carlow, to Kilkenny. The clients were as wet as you can get.
In Kilkenny, the driver pulled up outside the Pembroke Hotel. I told him that this is not our hotel, that we have to go to the Ormonde Hotel. Okay, he pulled up outside the Ormonde Hotel. 22 clients followed me into the hotel. Still wet.
The girl at the reception shook her head and said “we don’t have a tour in”. I checked my docs and you know what, it wasn’t the Pembroke nor the Ormonde, it was the Hibernian Hotel on Ormonde Street. My heart was in my pants. I was so embarrassed, I can’t put it into words.
22 clients followed me down the road, pulling and carrying their cases behind them.
Clients are all good, no bad words and well humoured, that’s Germans for you. Easy going and great to work with.
I’ll keep you posted. Subscribe to the blog, if you wish.
