Random Thoughts~~

**The Irish are unlike any people on the face of the earth.  They are warm and congenial, friendly, helpful, and sincere.  We were constantly amazed at how eager they were to lend a hand, a word, or even just a nod and a greeting.  Passersby would join in the conversation to give their 'two-cents worth' on the best way to get somewhere.  We'll always remember the gentleman in the BMW who pulled up beside us to ask if we were lost (our map was out.) We explained where we were headed, and he insisted on leading us there.  The locals were never content with an "I don't know," but would insist upon finding someone to answer our questions.  There is a level of civility and polite conduct there that I hope to bring home with me, a mode of behavior that we need to emulate.

**There is a love of their own history and culture that exists in Ireland, one that has carried the past into the present.  They honor their forefathers and the hard-fought freedom that they have today.  Their appreciation for the craftsmanship and mastery of days gone by has protected and maintained the past for us to enjoy.  There does not exist an attitude of "knock it down and build something bigger and better."  History is preserved, as it should be.

**The streets are a nightmare - frightening and dangerous and rough and, in places, as narrow as an American driveway.  I am so thankful to my brave husband for manning the wheel and maneuvering through it all.  And even as I complain about them, I know it all relates to my earlier comments regarding their history.  To widen and improve the roads would require removing landmarks, and that just won't happen.

**We have a lot to learn where being 'green' is concerned.  They are so far ahead of us.  There are large recycling stations located in convenient spots around every town of any size.  These stations offer large bins for aluminum, glass, paper, and other metals and materials.  This is in addition to curbside recycling.  They also charge you for plastic grocery bags.  What?!  How dare they?!  Well, I'll just say that, unlike America, we drove around for sixteen days and there were no plastic bags flying around, laying on the roadside, or caught in trees.  Paper is renewable and recyclable, and the reusable bags are even better.  That is what most people use in Ireland, choosing not to pay for plastic and not seeing the need, and it seems to suit them just fine.

**Everyone walks.  Everyone takes their daily walk - the fit and the unfit - and it benefits them all.  I believe that this is part of the reason they are so happy.  Fresh air (truly fresh - no smog anywhere) and a bit of exercise is beneficial to body and spirit. 

                   When I think of Ireland I will remember:

*Coming around a bend in a country road and seeing a ruin of an old castle sitting out in the middle of a cow pasture more times than I can count.  They pepper the landscape and cause you draw in your breath each time you see another one.

*Strange traffic signs - - Traffic Calming, Automatic Level Crossing, Accident Black Spot, Lorries Turning, Hidden Dips, Heavy Plant Crossing, and my favorite, a No Passing sign written in Irish, which I joyfully translated as "No Scooter" each time we passed one.

*Soft-serve ice cream dispensers in every quick stop market, gas station, and souvenir shop in every city, town and village.  They LOVE their ice cream!  All the shops have huge plastic ice cream cones out front on the sidewalks; you see them everywhere and it makes it hard to refuse.

*Hundreds, maybe thousands, of roundabouts (traffic circles.)  They use them abundantly, and after some hesitation we came to see the logic and efficiency with which they work.  They really are brilliant.