I predicted that I would love Ireland...I know myself. I was right.
Not Dublin- it was certainly not the most beautiful foreign city I have seen, and it reminded me of Upstate New York, with older buildings. Cold, rainy, gray. Not a place I want to return to- if given a choice :)
But the rural countryside, that was another matter entirely. I did not know this- but Ireland has no large predators- no large cats, bears, coyotes or wolves. This makes the island country the perfect place for raising livestock of any kind. Sheep and cows wander freely, and are gathered in for yearly shearing and check-ups with the help of dogs. So while you are out driving or hiking, you come across random animals. One sheep even came over to say hi. BAAAAA, really. Interestingly enough, the locals don't seem to be into overfarming and raising absurd amounts of anything (like in America, where the aim is always to maximize) so the cows and sheep appear very content and not overcrowded. The beef and lamb is incredible at restaurants and pubs, because it is all local, grassfed, happy animals that donate it :)
I spent 5 days in a Vagabond tour vehicle with my brother, sisters, spouses, and Dad. It was awesome. We visited mountain passes, we kayaked with harbour seals, we hiked amazing trails that we NEVER would have volunteered for here at home. 45 minutes, uphill at a 45 degree angle with no flat bits? Sure! Give me two, please! Have you ever seen an old movie, where the heroes are captured and driven to a castle on top of a mountain, in a carriage at alarming speeds at the edge of a cliff? We replicated that- take one LandRover, 12 passengers, one luggage trailer, and an old copper-mine road. Add in a couple of passengers who are afraid of heights, and you get one hell of a ride! We drove on another road where 200 meters of it had fallen into the sea 2 years ago, and had to be rebuilt. A very comforting story for our tour-driver to tell while we were driving on the new part of the road. The gents loved Jean on the first 2 days, and all the ladies secretly fell in love with Sam and his accent. We had to change drivers mid-tour, due to the laws for drivers. It was fine, as they are all knowledgeable and fun.
I'll write more about specific moments once I get my pictures ready!
