Heading for country #3

I'm back in the Dublin airport waiting for my flight to Stockholm.  Tanya left a few hours ago to return to the states, so I am on my own from here on out.  In the last 7 days I have been on 5 planes and more buses than I can count.  I'm feeling like a seasoned traveler already, and I still have 5 1/2 weeks left to go.  I brought only one bag with me, as I didn't want to be lugging too much stuff around Europe.  That has worked well so far, but one of the first things on my agenda tomorrow is to find a laundry somewhere near the hostel.  I am down to almost nothing left that is clean!

Although I was careful to get a bag that is carry-on size, one of the things I've learned is that not every airline allows the same carry-on dimensions.  I've booked several flights on Ryan Air, a low-cost, no-frills European airline, and they allow only 1 carry-on bag...and it can be no larger than, well, the average American's purse.  So, I'm checking my bag for those flights.  Ryan Air is low, low, low cost but when I say no frills, I mean it.  You don't even get a reserved seat unless you pay extra for it.  There is no pocket in the seat, no sky mall catalog (which I could do without anyway), no walking through a sheltered hallway to get on the plane.  You walk right out onto the tarmac and climb the steps up to the aircraft.  When you get off, they warn you that if you get off at the rear exit "please walk around the wing, not under it."  They don't come right out and say not to get caught in the engine turbines, but it is implied.  An adventure for sure!

I had a long layover today, so we went into town to catch some of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin.  It was quite an event!  The crowds are massive and very festive.  We didn't stay too long because Tanya had a plane to catch and we couldn't get close enough to see much anyway.  I've posted a pic below so you get the idea.

More tomorrow from Stockholm!