...That time we thought Gail was dead…

It had been a very long day; near the end of our 2024 tour through the Wild Atlantic Way. We’d had time to check in to our hotel in Malahide and freshen up, and we were meeting in the lobby of the hotel to head to dinner. The elevator door opened in the lobby and one traveller in our group loudly announced, “Erin, we have to get the hotel manager to bring a key and check on Gail. We think she might be dead!”

“Whaaaaat!?” I asked. “Why would we think she was dead.”

“Well, we can’t reach her and, she’s had health challenges in the past, and she isn’t answering her phone and we’re worried. We think she might be dead!”

“Dead is a pretty big leap from, ‘We can’[t get ahold of her’,” I said.

“Well, we’re going up to check”, was the response.

Did I mention that it had been a very long day?

Paula and Jan are friends who travel with me when they can to make sure things go smoothly.

“Paula, go to the other door of the hotel and see if she’s waiting for us there,” I said.
”Jan, when’s the last time we saw her?”

So, one faction of traveler’s went to Gail’s room, and we all fanned out looking for her.

That’s about when Paula realized her own mother, Betty, 89, wasn’t there to meet us either.

About 10 minutes of pure panic ensued. We called, we knocked and we looked everywhere. That’s when Paula returned and said, “Follow me, you gotta see this.”

And I did.

Two rooms away from the lobby, in the hotel’s main bar, was Gail AND Paula’s mother Betty. but Gail AND Paula’s own mother, Betty. They were about 3 Pina Colada’s deep into a very happy, Happy Hour. Hahaha.

Betty, said she and Gail decided to meet up there, tired of feeling behind the rest of us, because they walk slow.

A few minutes later the others appeared in the bar as well and saw the two newly-minted best friends thoroughly enjoying themselves, and all the worries wafted away.

Every touring group is different. Personalities always find a balance. Some travellers find like-thinkers and some stay to themselves. Gail and Betty were new best friends for the rest of the tour.

And Gail wasn’t dead!!!