The car is a compact Renault Clio hatchback model, the most basic option they offer, and I find it easily enough parked on a street where it should be. I follow the instructions for opening up the car via an app on my phone, and at first it doesn’t seem to work but the after a few minutes of fiddling around the driver side door unlocks.
I settle in, position my phone using a car mount I brought with me (the same one I used in my Prius back in the U.S.), and pull up directions using Google Maps. My initial destination is the drive-thru COVID-19 testing site near the airport. The test I scheduled prior to my trip to France is tomorrow afternoon, and I want to scope it out in advance to make sure I know where to go. It’s been awhile since I’ve driven a stick shift, and using my left hand to switch gears is a twist in addition to, of course, the whole driving on the left side of the road thing. My biggest concern is remembering to stay in the left lane when making turns so I don’t veer into oncoming traffic. Navigating the narrow and winding streets of Dublin is a challenge unto itself, not to mention roundabouts. I’m glad to be doing my first test drive on what’s probably the lightest traffic day of the entire year. Notwithstanding all these challenges, it actually doesn’t take long before I get the hang of it. Once out of the Dublin city centre, the roads become straighter and easier to follow. The drive to the airport only takes about 30 minutes, and I find the COVID-19 testing site without any problems — it’s located in a lot near long term parking.
Having met my primary objective, I decide to check out a few other nearby places. Not far from the airport is the town of Swords, which is still in what is historically considered to be “County Dublin” although technically it’s the seat of Fingal County. This is a nuance I have surprisingly not encountered yet… apparently in 1994, County Dublin was divided into four local authorities each with their own administrative councils: Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin.
Here’s a map showing the Co. Dublin divisions as well as the surrounding counties of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow:
The Swords castle and tower:
After my stop in Swords, I head eastward toward the coast and through the village of Malahide located on an estuary where the Broadmeadow River flows into the sea.
I’m mindful that daylight is beginning to fade, so I decide to head back towards Dublin city centre before it gets dark and driving becomes even more challenging. Back in town, Dublin’s winding and often one-way streets keep me on my toes. The navigation takes me south over the Liffey on one bridge to the westward running street along the quay, then it has me cross back over on O’Connell Bridge toward where I picked up the car. I miss a turn down an extremely narrow lane that leads back to the parking location, so I have to loop around, but it’s not too bad of a detour. There are plenty of open spots now, so I pull over to park, turn off the car, replace the key in the glovebox, then exit and relock the car using the app. All in all, the trip lasted 2 hours, total mileage was 45 km, and the cost was €27 with gas included. Not bad.
Back in the apartment, I change back into comfy flannel loungewear for a relaxing evening consisting of leftovers for dinner, watching movies on TV, then later on a Zoom call or two with friends and family back in the U.S.
Until next time…
