Where St. Patrick is king....

I was up early today, seemingly back on my usual schedule.  In fact, coffee loving colleague Lisa and I opened the restaurant by genteelly tapping on the doors at 7:07.  I mean we gave them seven minutes!  It was a very nice buffet and we had a good view of the preparations for today's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The city is full of celebration fervor.  Last night, returning from the pub, even The Hot Donut was displaying very festive donuts decorated with tiny shamrocks.  

So far the sky is blue but the wind is brisk with a wind chill of 35 degrees.  I'm so happy my sweetheart is back in sunny Texas.  This would definitely not be his thing.

We're from America, the home of the multi-story, motorized, stereophonic, mechanized, set-directed float that belches smoke or fireworks.  Not so here.  

The enthusiasm is still the same.  We've watched the crowds assemble all morning in their regalia toting coffee or spirits.  Lots of dads will have sore necks tonight from perching their little ones on their shoulders, all cheeks quite bright from the cold.

Fellow travelers Deane and Dave get the award of the day for staking out this cozy hotel alcove fronting the parade route very early this morning.

We're sharing it with a couple from Donegal and their four children.  Dad allowed me a picture of this little doll dressed in her woolen suit compete with suede elbow patches.

I ran out front to capture a photo of our inside vantage point and joking Seamus, from security offered to arrest me for loitering.

In America, we are used to multi-story, motorized, mechanized parade floats, populated with characters and belching smoke or fireworks.

But this is not an American parade.  It is a charming, low tech homespun production.  The prime minister arrives in a long black car followed by the Irish President in a Cinderella carriage.  Squads from various military branches, the police and fireman, fabulous bagpipers and civic groups were represented.  

The floats were simple, worked by wooden poles.  Some were just giant balloons.  Joining two Irish bands and one from Germany were eight U.S. bands from Pennsylvania, Palm Springs, Wisconsin, Eastern New Mexico and the University of Nebraska and...The Spirit of Saginaw High School Marching Band from Texas.  The final number that ended the parade was Deep in the Heart of Texas.  How lovely for our little group. 

We were wondering at breakfast when this supposed guide would make an appearance.  We've been tooling around (happily) since our arrival yesterday and arrived with no list of the Sun City travelers so that when we were head counting after collecting our bags we were unsure of whom we were missing and how to call them.  Once upstairs an envelope had been slipped under our door with some instructions and itinerary provided by Kevin who will be our shepherd.

We met at six o'clock for an evening of typical Irish food and music.  Two additional tours have joined our group so our number has swelled to forty-one which is a HUGE group.  We'll be riding on a big motor coach captained by Bill.

Our evening is at the Landsdowne Hotel and we descend into the basement where tables are set in front of a tiny stage.  It was a pleasant meal of Irish standards. 

Afterwards the Irish House Party took the stage and gave a spirited performance of reels, jigs and ballads. Roma, the lovely dancer with blonde curls, perilously bounced out her routine without falling into anyone's ice cream.  Easier said than done. 

Now we are back home, full and tired but looking forward to our first organized day.