Newgrange and Knowthe via Wheelchair

Trip Start Jun 14, 2009

Trip End Jul 03, 2009

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Flag of Ireland Donore, County Meath, Ireland
Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Well now I've gone and done it. As usual, I end up in some kind of doctor's office on my vacation. Last night I tripped over my luggage in a very small room and took a spill and hurt my toe.It didn't feel all that bad when I went to bed, but I woke up around 4am in a lot of pain. I couldn't even stand to let the blanket touch my big toe. I ended up taking some alieve so I could get some sleep. I came downstairs (painful to be sure!) to grab some ice later in the morning. The girls and I had planned to go to Newgrange and Knowthe today. I figured I would just stay home and take it easy. But Balmeo was having none of that! The only hospitals I had been able to find where vets! But she found a nearby clinic and made me an appointment. Not only that, but she convinced them to loan us their one pair of crutches for the day. Don't mess with Big B! So I hobbled around the sites today and the girls got some exercise pushing me around in the wheelchair. I promised them ice cream after dinner:) Knowthe and Newgrange were pretty cool

Toe Day 2: looks worse but feels better

! They predate Stonehenge by 1,000 years! It was constructed around 3200 BCE. They are burial mounds and then some. It is dated to the Stone Age, but continued to be an important site throughout the years. Newgrange is part of a complex of monuments built near the River
Boyne known collectively as Br� na B�inne. Newgrange is a popular stop around the winter solstice as the chambers are flooded with sunlight. You can't go in Knowthe but it was cool to wheel around it. The stones that adorn the mounds were spectacular! Such cool designs!
After we finished up we left and picked up Andrew. Then it was off to the clinic for me while the troops entertained themselves in the lobby. After some talking and moving around of my purple big toe, the doctor told me it wasn't broken. Phew! Funny thing was, one of the first things she asked me when she was comparing my feet was if I wore high heels a lot! Nah, I just have a funny curve to my big toes I guess. I hadn't really noticed, but I guess I don't spend much time comparing my toes to others. She told me the best thing to do is to wear shoes with support, unlike the sandals I was sporting (they were the only shoes my toe would fit in, it was so swollen) and to make sure that I keep wiggling my toe so it doesn't stiffen up. She said if it feels worse in a couple of days that I may have a bone chip, but she didn't think it was all that likely

Mound at Knowthe

. So the order of the day is ice, advil and wiggling of the toes.
After the clinic, we all went to dinner. Michelle and Jodi had buyers remorse about the meals they had ordered. Mine was great though! Andrew and I were very entertained by their constant critiquing of their meals. We agreed that having minimal expectations is the way to go. After dinner we went back to the house. I called Mom and Bill to make sure they knew I was ok, even if my toe was pretty damn ugly! Then it was time to do some repacking. Joy of joys. But I think I'm in good shape. Tomorrow we head to our Dublin airport hotel. I am looking forward to having a relaxing day where I can put my feet up and take it easy.