In this age of modern conveniences, it never fails to amaze me when one of our many "conveniences" fails to be.....convenient. Such is the case with hotel WiFi. It doesn't even seem to matter whether you are staying in a $150 a night single room in Fort Worth, or in a $2,000 a night all inclusive resort in the Caribbean !!! I'm presently ensconced in a very comfortable hotel across the pond and I have no complaints, save one. NO WIFI 😵!!! O.k obviously, if you're reading this the WiFi is working now, but since I arrived, only for a few hours everyday ,and when you're dealing with a nine hour time difference between work and home, it can be very frustrating.  It was Tess' birthday on the 7th and I had made the requisite "adorable birthday video" for her and guess what? No WiFi 😒. Well, it finally came in and I posted it to YouTube, but when I tried to post it here.......🤪. Well, luckily, My Tess always checks her phone when she wakes up, saw the YouTube icon in the top left and found the video waiting for her.....and she loved it😁👍😘🤗💘!!! So, what am I "vexed" (Tess's word for it 😏) about ?  I just think that if you advertise a service, then it should be available and reliable. I don't claim to be computer literate, although I've gotten a lot better since we've been writing the blog, but I can't understand what the problem is and why it still IS a problem and nobody seems to know why and of course the hotel staff always apologizes profusely, but nothing happens until it wants to, which is very...you guessed it.....inconvenient. Alright,rant over and onto better things.
🙂

So, as I said, it was Tess' birthday and just like two years ago when I was in London, we thought we would be separated by thousands of miles😔 . But, unbeknownst to me, my ingenious little angel was working on a solution! Not wanting to spend the money on a ticket for $hipfare, but not wanting to fly, she did her research and found that she and her friend and travelling companion Lily, could book passage on a cargo ship for half what an ocean liner would cost. If I had known that my beloved would be traveling with a scurvy crew of swashbuckling pirates⚔️, despite having her formidable chaperone to protect her, I would have insisted that she take a more traditional mode of transportation. (I was later assured that they were "perfect gentlemen" and that she would not hesitate to sail with them again🤨. Apparently, the name of the Captain, was not Sparrow. )

Eeep😟.

I was getting ready to go downstairs for lunch on Sunday when I heard tapping on my door. There was a family with several kids next door who had mistaken my room for theirs the day before, but when I opened the door.............

YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!😁☀️🎉🤗😘😍
My better half had arrived the night before, but not wanting to wake me, had spent the night in Lily's room down the hall until she could surprise me. She had a basket full of goodies procured from the ship's chef (My Tess could charm Satan himself) and kept in the mini bar overnight, and a recommendation of a nice place to have a picnic. I changed my shirt, grabbed my camera and we were off.

PHOENIX PARK

Basically, a park full of deer. Not a phoenix in sight.😒 They must be nocturnal.
Lunchtime 😋!!!

Potato salad, lemonade, veggie burgers
and fresh sweet cherries.
The crew found out that it was her birthday
and gave her this cake.

She saved a piece for me😁
(We shared it😘🤭.)

Tess felt guilty that she hadn't made the picnic herself. I told her she shouldn't have to on her birthday. Two days later, she found a hotel with a kitchenette and she and Lily moved us while I was working. When I got "home", there was sushi 🍣  and steak 🥩 and risotto 🍚and the best coffee in the world 😍☕...
I ate it all and forgot to take a picture. 😟 Sorry. Dessert was melon. Apparently, I'm on a new diet.🙄Yippee.

The next morning at breakfast.........

This has been my standing breakfast
order since I arrived.

This is what I was presented with now that I am no longer in charge of my own gastronomical indulgences. Yogurt and fruit ??? 🤨 That's all ??? Tess ??? (She just smiled apologetically and refilled my coffee cup.)

The following Saturday ...........
THE IRISH NATIONAL STUD AND JAPANESE GARDENS

Horses made of wood ??? What do they eat ?

Does this count as going to Japan?
(She said "No.")

Time for lunch !!!😋

Apples, celery, baby carrots, strawberries and peanut butter.

Well, who doesn't love crudite ?😝

Oven fried chicken.

Now you're talkin' 😋

Potato salad with celery, parsley, olives and LITE mayonnaise.

Honey sweet tea.

Where's the Guinness ? 🍺No dessert ?🍰🍪🥧🍦🍿Tess ???🤨

My poor little Tess. The "ship lag" finally caught up with her. Either that or she polished off the Guinness when I wasn't looking.😯

Shhh🤫 Don't wake her !!! One of the horses stole her straw hat and he's wearing it😃.........No, now he's eating it.😧...😆......🤪

And now, without further ado....

Happy Birthday, Tess 💐🎂🎁💝🐕🍺 (The last one is mine😉.)
    P.S. The WiFi works great !!!  ( 30 minutes later.....Oops, I spoke too soon☹️.)