CAD É mar atá sibh a chairde, how’s it goin’ dear readers and loyal fans of the Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
The Bluffer wasn’t well over the weekend. He blames it on having written about winter ailments last week which caused him to contract a colfarsach - a chesty cough.
He asked his lucht leanúna - followers on facebook to suggest a cure and was given a list of remedies which ranged from the erudite to the frankly bizarre.
Proprietary medicines didn’t come out of it terribly well, while my favourites probably had least restorative qualities - pionta cois tine - a pint by a fireside, uisce beatha te - a hot whiskey and the frankly weird “a feg dipped in Vick. Inhale it in.”
The Bluffer will indeed try one or more of these but he decided the best way would be to spend a few days in the winter sunshine and head to his favourite Andalucian hideaway, Málaga.
This also gives me the chance to teach you a few things about the Irish needed for air travel.
Aerfort is the Irish for, you’ve guessed it, airport or aéroport or aeroporto or aeropuerto etc.
So you would say fuair mé tacsaí a fhad leis an aerfort - I got a taxi to the airport or you could swap tacscaí for bus - a bus or siab - a lift (from a lovely family member).
Things are so much different now that you can find your flights on line or on an app.
Then you can seiceáil isteach - check-in, get your pas bordála - boarding pass and Bob’s your uncle.
Paperless travel almost although you will need to bring some form of cruthúnas céannachta - proof of identity such as a passport with you.
However, there could be a glitch in the proceedings slándáil - security.
You might have read of enormous scuainí - queues at Belfast International Airport where people spent more time getting their cabin luggage through security than they spent in the air.
Bhí mé sa scuaine ar feadh dhá uair a chloig - I was in the queue for two hours was a not uncommon complaint and some passengers even missed their flights due to the shambles at security.
The Bluffer has always found Belfast International a particularly unwelcoming place.
Tá deocheanna iontach daor - drinks are very expensive and tá an bia go hainnis - the food is awful. Well, better to say nothing.
Belfast International of course isn’t the only airport where a meal for a family can cost as much as a flight but other airports – the City and even Dublin airport – seem much more passenger-friendly than the Inernational.
To be fair, Ní raibh fadhbanna ar bith agam means I had no problems.
getting through security on Sunday morning – although it was at 5am.
A sandwich, a bottle of Lucozade and the on-line weekend version of the Irish News kept him entertained and informed.
The magic of air travel has definitely long gone and the idea that the journey is as important as the destination has been relegated to books of quotations..
Still, how many of us have discovered or maybe rediscovered the beauty of Paris or the charms of Dubrovnik, or the delights of Barcelona thanks to cheap flights.
It’s such a pity that our main airport doesn’t always live up to the experience.
CÚPLA FOCAL
colfarsach(colfarsakh) - a chesty cough
lucht leanúna(lukht lanoona) - followers
pionta cois tine(pinta cush chinye) - a pint by a fireside uisce beatha te(ishka baha chay) - a hot whiskey
aerfort(ayrfort) - an airport
fuair mé tacsaí a fhad leis an aerfort(foor may taxee a ad lesh un ayrfort) - I got a taxi to the airport
bus(buss) - a bus
siab(sheeb) - a lift
seiceáil isteach(shekle istyakh) - check-in
pas bordála(pass bordaala) - boarding pass
cruthúnas céannachta(croohooniss caynakhta) - proof of identity
slándáil(slaandaal) - security
scuainí(scooanyee) - queues
Bhí mé sa scuaine ar feadh dhá uair a chloig(vee may sa scooanye er faow ga oor a khlig) - I was in the queue for two hours
Tá deocheanna iontach daor (taa jawjanana eentakh deer) - drinks are very expensive
tá an bia go hainnis(taa un beea gaw haanyish) - the food is awful
ní raibh fadhbanna ar bith agam (nee roe fybana er bee ugum) I had no problems