Today started with a trip back to Dublin Airport to pick up a rental car for the rest of the trip.  There were red, white, and blue balloons everywhere, including in arches over the doorways.  Pretty impressive!  I finally got the car, a Volkswagen Jetta (my only requirements were automatic and a/c; no small feat – or price tag – in Ireland), and discovered that it runs on diesel.  Add that as another first for me!  Having driven for a week on the left in England back in April, I wasn’t nearly as nervous or apprehensive this time.  I should mention that my nervousness this time stems more from the low mileage – only 19 km! – on the car than the driving.  I’m afraid of getting any little scratch on it.  They actually have pictures taken of it just before I picked it up.  Hertz’s NeverLost system seems to spend more time “searching for a GPS signal” than it actually does navigating, but I managed to make it to all my intended stops for the day.

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