I have no idea what time we woke up today. I think it was pretty late. We didn’t have any specific plans except for dinner, so we took advantage to catch up on sleep. We went down to breakfast together and feasted on everything they had. The kids were delighted. I don’t think they’d been at a breakfast buffet before. Today was the day before the wedding. Anyone who hadn’t arrived by now was due today. We heard of a few more delays. The plane on which two of my sister’s friends, who were coming in from Dublin, were on had to make an emergency landing at Gatwick. Some poor unfortunate had a seizure. My cousin and her husband were flying out of Gatwick, and were grounded for hours. There had been fog in the morning, but nothing obvious after that. From Italy a lot of us who knew that there were issues at Gatwick with two flights wondered if it might mean terrorism.
My mum, dad, brother, niece, aunt, and her boyfriend went for a walk around the town, and through a park. We ended up having lunch together. Apparently I stoped taking picture, because I really don’t have any!
We got back to the hotel, and hung around for a while. Anyone I saw in a kilt was fair-game for a barrage of questions. 100% correct assumption that they were part of the wedding. I met all my future in-law, in-laws – if those are titles. Brothers, cousins, nephews, wives, friends. Everyone was very open and welcoming, and also great craic.
My dad and I took our two cars and drove to meet my sister, her fiancé, and the two kids at the train station at the nearest big town over. We brought them to the hotel.
As people trickled in it was lovely to see some of my sister’s friends who I hadn’t seen in years. In some cases twenty or more. Others that I knew I should recognize but didn’t. I had forgotten their personalities, but was still able to chat to most of them. The guests were comprised of the following nationalities: Irish; Scottish; English; Welsh; American; Canadian; French; German; Danish; Italian; Mexican. Almost everyone spoke some English, except for some of the French speakers. My sister is fluent in French, so no big deal for her. I found myself at some point over these few days speaking (or trying to) English, Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian and often a mixture of them all. Now some were better than others – obviously, but they all improved a tiny bit as I went along. I was sitting beside the German at the wedding, and was shocked I remembered a few words from what I had learning in High School. His wife is French, and they speak French with each other. She and I speak English together. He and she speak French together. I could pick up a good chunk of what they were saying. I got on really well with them both.
On Thursday night anyone who wanted to out of the guests – which seemed to be everyone – was having dinner in the patio restaurant of the hotel where most of us were staying. The food was amazing, and the restaurant was taken up almost fully by us. The company was great. At one stage we noticed, that at our table was our original family, which never happens. My parents, and their four kids. Oh course tons of pictures were taken then. I know there are none on my phone, and they’ll probably never make it to me!
It was a late night that night. Between 00:00 and 02:00. Some people, who will remain nameless (not me) stayed out until 05:00. The wedding was late the next evening, so I guess no harm, unless you have an angry wife.
Running Half Empty 