The Bluffer is sitting in a seomra óstáin - a hotel room in the Spanish city of Alicante. Now you’d think that was a good thing but ar an drochuair - unfortunately, he is not a happy camper. Bhí sé ar saoire - he was on holiday to Valencia. So what was he doing in Alicante?
Well, the Bluffer got a real bargain holiday on the Costa Blanca through a gníomhaireacht taistil - travel agency and had a jolly good time After getting up at 6am to get ready for the flight home, the Bluffer read a téacs - a text on his phone telling him that the flight has been cancelled.
Whaaaaa?
Tá an eitilt curtha ar ceal - the flight is cancelled got through his bleary eyes as Lance Corporal Jones screamed “Don’t panic! Don’t panic!” in his ears.
Normally you would hear tá moill ar an eitilt - the flight has been delayed but the Bluffer’s easyjet flight had completely disappeared off the radar due to “technical issues.”
So it was a case of making frantic phone calls to the relevant authorities on the mobile phone. (Are táillí fánaíochta - roaming charges still a thing? I hope not.
It’s fair to say the results were mixed.
Terra Travel were cuidiúil - helpful and tacúil - supportive, easyjet started off being understanding but then lost it.
We were hung up on twice as we tried to work out how to get home.
With other flights fully booked, we were told we wouldn’t be able to leave on Saturday at 11am but trí lá níos maille - three days later, late night on Tuesday.
While the idea of staying another 72 hours in sunny Valencia, home of the paella, was very appealing, we and others on the flight had work to get home to.
Easyjet offered an aisíoc - a refund so that we could make our own way home – no, gracias –there was nothing for it as the Bluffer yet again showed his many talents and became a travel agent.
A train was booked from stáisiún na traenach - the train station to Alicante; cuireadh teach ósta in áirithe - a hotel was booked and Aer Lingus saved the day with a flight the next morning to Dublin.
Gorraíonn beirt bóthar - two people shorten the road as they say in Irish, having company makes the time go in quicker but ar na saolta seo - nowadays, train journeys are shorted by luchtaitheoirí guthán phone chargers, gutháin chliste - smart phones and cluaisíní - earphones.
Having booked into the hotel in Alicante, the Bluffer – like all superheroes – needed his spinach and headed to out for a trendy Japanese restaurant called Miss Sushi for some raw fish and of course a few glasses of Ribero del Duero vino tinto – being a superhero is thirsty work you will agree.
Then it was a walk on the promenade and down to the beach to ponder upon the meaning of life and its interplay with low-cost travel.
Not a bad way to finish off a lovely holiday.
Next morning, it was up bright and early to the airport on the shuttlebus, breakfast at the airport and the plane home – even superheroes need a rest.
CÚOLA FOCAL
seomra óstáin(shawmra awstaan) - a hotel room
ar an drochuair(ar un drokhoor) - unfortunately
bhí sé ar saoire (vee shay er seera) - he was on holiday
gníomhaireacht taistil (greeoowerakht tashtil) - a travel agency
téacs(chayks) - a text?
Tá an eitilt curtha ar ceal(taa un etchiltch curha er kyal) - the flight is cancelled
tá moill ar an eitilt(taa mwil er un etchiltch) - the flight has been delayed
táillí fánaíochta(taalyee faaneeakhta) - roaming
cuidiúil(cudge-ool) - helpful
tacúil(tacooil) - supportive
trí lá níos maille(chree laa neess myilya) - three days later
aisíoc(aasheek) - a refund
stáisiún na traenach(staashoon ne traynakh) - the train station
cuireadh teach ósta in áirithe (keroo chakh wasta in iyreeha) - a hotel was booked
Gorraíonn beirt bóthar(gireean bertch boher) - two people shorten the road
luchtaitheoirí guthán (lukhtahoree goohaan) - phone chargers, gutháin chliste(goohn clishta) - smart phones
cluaisíní(clooasheene) - earphones
