I'LL TRADE YOU: Dion has arranged both her domestic and foreign trips through a house-exchange organization. After many years with Homelink (homelink.org), she switched to Intervac (intervac.com) "to try something different and attract new people."
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: They stayed in Moycullen, a suburban village in County Galway, about 7 miles from the city. Dion had the use of the family's car and even their cellphone. "The house was beautiful, with four bedrooms and five bathrooms. It was right across the street from a pasture with sheep and horses. It was a tiny town with a couple restaurants and pubs, quintessential Ireland." One day the sheep broke free from the pasture and started grazing in the yard of their borrowed home. "They were eating everything in sight," Dion said. "Their flowers, their garden. We were able to just shoo them out."
DESIGNATED DRIVER: Dion and Cosgrove arrived a week before Dion's sons did and Dion was happy to turn over the driving duties to Shawn as soon as possible. The driving "took a little getting used to," Shanaver said, "especially the narrow roads and the left roundabouts. And it seemed like around every corner there would be a tour bus, with bikes sandwiched in between, with no shoulder and a hedge on either side." Shanaver was also the designated cook when they were home, and made a mean Irish stew, though it took him a while to figure out the Celsius-based stove. They frequented the pubs for local color and, of course, for Guinness. "It tastes a lot better over there," he said.
AROUND THE ISLAND: Everyone loved Inishmore, the largest of the Aran islands off the coast of Galway. There they hired a donkey, cart, and driver to tour the island. Other outings included driving in the scenic Connemara region, seeing the Cliffs of Moher, and touring the Dingle Peninsula, where "the road going over it along the side of the mountain was basically single-lane traffic," Shanaver said. "There were really nice beaches there, and my brother and I even found a couple surf shops."
POINT OF DEPARTURE: Dion particularly enjoyed the Cobh Heritage Centre in County Cork. Of the 6 million adults and children who emigrated from Ireland between 1848 and 1950, almost half left from Cobh. "That was the area my grandmother left from," Dion said. "The center was very well done. Lots of Americans go there to trace their roots."
