Ireland was sunny every day (both of them) that I was there. The first day, we slept until 10 and then set out into town where...I didn't take any pictures, We went to an English market and ate spicy sausages, Liam went to the bathroom in Mcdonald's after which, we discovered this:
Don't worry...I didn't take the picture until the next day. I wasn't lying to you before. In any case, I could seriously use one of these.
Then we took a bumpy bus ride to a small coastal town (=touristy) where we walked along the harbor braving the winds towards a hill that I was told we would be walking up. I was also promised a fort...and I was not disappointed.
(Warning mom!) Along the way, I noticed a lovely message that had been carefully put together along the water. Kiddies...go play in your rooms (or the street, as my dad would say) for a minute.
Mieke (our guide) told us that it used to say "Happy Mother's Day." Perhaps someone doesn't have as good a relationship with their mother as we may or may not. Am I talking nonsense? Perhaps. Perhaps.
We made it to the beach:
Where there were some people kicking a ball around, two kids crying because they wanted to keep digging in the sand when daddy said it was time to go home, and two people in swimming suits racing into the water...the freezing cold water. Perhaps if I had the balls to do something like that...I wouldn't drink.
I, spurred on by my sudden decision to stop being afraid of the small challenges. Lead everyone in the route Liam usually begins over the rocks along the waters edge. Liam and Mieke (old MS program buddies) chatted about geology and the ocean floor (or whatever) while I crawled around the rocks with the tip of my tongue gently clenched between my teeth and poking out the side of my mouth.
The came the promised Fort which I climbed around in frantically taking pictures in order to give others an idea of the fact that I was in Ireland...but this one is my favorite:
(for those of you that thought I'd given up on the funny pictures and embraced the canned smile...oh ye of little faith!)
But perhaps you cannot see much of the fort in this picture. Perhaps it is not me that you were hoping to see (as lovely as I am). I tried to take some fancy schmancy pictures too
After leaving the beach and the fort, we walked up a long narrow (and by up I mean UP) road and Mieke pointed out the endless blue-green ocean to us...and Liam pointed in the direction of home (USA!). It felt as close as I've been...with only an ocean in the way.
Then we decided to take a shortcut and climbed off the road on the hillside and into a giant never-ending patch of brambles. We waded, knee deep in thorns, with Liam leading the way, until we could hop down onto the sidewalk...and carefully pick the thorns out of our jeans. After which, we hopped the bus back into town (snuck a little nap on the way) and enjoyed some delicious Thai food. We ended up in a pub (surprisingly, Irish pubs are very similar to bars in America...by which I mean: full of drunk assholes dressed like frat guys at a job interview and loud with half top forty half I remember that song! tunes...p.s. I am writing a letter to Chad Kroeger [look it up] that says simply: Please Stop. Liam thinks I should curse...but then it sounds less serious), drinking stout, and struggling to keep our eyes open. Needless to say...sleeping was LOVELY.
And that was day 1 of my 2 day trip to Ireland.
P.S. Ireland is pretty damn expensive. Worse than London...if you can believe it...and I was in CORK....apparently NOT where cork comes from. Who knew.
1 comment:
have I ever told you about the time my great uncle hopped the bus back home after buying jam for his mom, dropped the jar and broke it, went to the town dump, got a "new" jar, came back to the spilled jam, and scooped it, pebbles and all, into the unbroken jar? and then presented it to my great grandmother as if nothing happened? honesty would have served him well here.
this happened in tipperary, (apparently it's a long way from picadilly and leicester square, so goes the song) land of my ancestors. that's right. you can kiss me, because I really am irish.
also, I like this honesty thing. for instance, I am glad that you mentioned liam going to the bathroom, mcdonald's or not. I would have worried had your story not included such noteworthy details.
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