A Perfect Day, Almost, Part 2

There are no photos that go with this post. You'll see why in a moment.

Right around 4:00pm We were on the highway and  we came to a toll plaza. As we approached the booth there was a sudden Boom! and the van made really big hop  So we pulled over to the grassy side of the highway. We had blown the right passenger tire and bent the rim. Tom didn’t remember seeing anything but several cars after us pulled over and got out to inspect their front tires.

So he gets out and looks in the back for the spare tire. No spare tire. There was a place to put it but nothing was in it.

We started making phone calls, first we tried to figure out if our AAA would work in Ireland. Nope!
By the time that was over we tried Alamo. It was after 5:00. They were closed for the day. Who closes an airport rental car office at 5:00??  We tried calling the other rental offices at the airport and none of them were open.

Finally we got ahold of someone from Alamo who said they were sending out a tow truck. It would be here in about an hour. So we waited, in the van, on the side of highway. After two hours we called them back. They told up that they were on their way but it would take longer because they had to go through two toll booths in order for them to be on the same side of the road as us. And we waited another two hours. No tow truck. 

Somewhere in between 7:00 and 8:00 there were other urgent things going on that needed our attention right away. There was just ignoring Mother Nature.  So, she who will remain unnamed and I headed up the grassy slope next to the van, on the side of highway, with heavy late afternoon traffic. There was a hedgerow at the top of the  slope so we headed that way. I stood as guard and wall as my friend went as quickly as she could.

Now, we had been on the side of the highway for four hours. In that time we called a local towing business who said they would come but they couldn’t replace the tire until Monday. So we sat and waited.

By the time we got back to the truck there were two lovely traffic police women who kept us company for a little while. They called the private tower to see if they were on their way. Well, no, because it was well past closing time. ((??))

About an hour later yours truly could no longer ignore nature's call and she who will remain unnamed followed me up the slope and played the role of screen for me.

Ann got on the phone to one of the numerous number we had already called and told them that we had an elderly disabled woman with us (not for the first time) and the ball started rolling, very slowly but it was rolling.

By the time the tow truck finally got to us, we had been on the side of road for six hours. And it was 11:30 at night.

We had already called a ride share place and they were sending out 2 vehicles that would be big enough for us and all our luggage.  They arrived before the tow truck left and we got in our ride share cars We hadn’t eaten anything substantial since breakfast. We stopped at a highway plaza and got stuff to snarf down while drove for 2 hours to our AirB&B. The grace of God allowed me to remain calm all day and when we were gettin into the cars I noticed the beauty of the deep velvet nighttime sky. The two drivers were Pakistani cousins who had lived in Ireland for 15 years. Our driver was really nice and told us about his family. The two cars cost us $300.00.

We arrived at the B&B at 1:00 the next morning. We had to get to the Dublin Airport at the ridiculous hour of 5:00am which gave us 3 hours to sleep. I slept in my clothes.  I don’t know what Tom did. I hit the pillow and didn’t wake up until the alarm went off 3 hours later.

5:00 the next morning we got into two more ride share cars and went to the airport for a 7:30 flight to Edinburgh, Scotland.

We were bedraggled and surly. But we had done it! We would make the flight to Edinburgh! 

Or would we?