BESSIE

The AA mechanic finally arrived from Bundoran at about 11:00 (we had called the previous night!). He said he could do nothing for us but guide us down to a mechanic in Kilcar. He said the brake lining was rubbing against the wheel rim and that it would not be wise to drive the car back to Dublin without it being fixed. Apparently, this is the most common problem with older Renaults.
The mechanic in Kilcar said he would need the car for about a week to fix it. When he saw the look of astonishment on our faces he suggested another mechanic in Kilcar, JohnJoe, who he said would put it right for us.
We got directions and set out in search of JohnJoe. We found his house at the end of a little bothairin on a hill with a commanding view of Slieve League. He said he could fix the car but a part would have to be got from Donegal Town. He called the supplier to have the part delivered to a filling station in Killybegs. Pat agreed to drive us to Killybegs and bring us back.
We got to Killybegs at about 12:30. It was pouring down rain. We had a wait of about an hour for the delivery van from Donegal so we went to the hotel for a little lunch. We all ordered the same thing from the carvary - fish chowder. When in Killybegs . . . After lunch, things looked a lot brighter. We went back to the filling station to pick up the part and before long we were back with JohnJoe enquiring about the cost of the repair. He scratched his head and looked at the price on the outside of the parts’ box then said “50 euro”. We were expecting him to say something in the range of 200 to 300 euro so we were more than pleased with ourselves. He said it would be ready tomorrow morning. Pat drove us back to GleannCholmCille with more than enough time to spare for our afternoon class. Thank you Pat!