Same Shit, Different Country

Saliente!

Ireland has already greeted us with sun, warm temps, and a pint - what more could we ask for?  The forecast even calls for two more days of full on sunshine.  Rob, this one is for you! (ps. do you wear cufflinks?)

Even more unbelievable than the sun - I am an AWESOME euro driver.  It's like the fact that driving is completely bonkers and backward here makes my mind so fully engaged on the task.  And I need to be focused. The roads are narrower than narrow and other drivers speed on them!  If I lose focus or even look away from the road for a second, BAM! Off a cliff, into a hedge row, or flipped over in a field.

Mom and I are at a B & B in Shannon for the night (see right) and tomorrow we're off to our house in Dingle. People have warned us - do not go over the Connor Pass to get there. This tiny, twisting mountain pass is little more than a one lane riad at points and crests at 1300m above sea level. Sounds amazing, but if mom is already gripping the armrests, she'd probably have a coronary over the pass.

First thing we did when we got here was get lost. Followed almost
immediately by getting into a small tiff over how to read directions in future. But once we got that out of the way we kicked butt and arrived at the famous Cliffs of Moher, all before 11 am!  This trip will definitely help us be closer and better communicators. If we can navigate unknown roads in another country together ... we can do anything!

The food is on par with mom's French Canadian cooking background and pretty much exactly what we ate as a family - meat and potatoes, stews, shepard's pie, meatloaf.  Mom is loving it and hardly being her "fussy" self.  Except when she tried bacon, which is actually more like ham, and didn't like it.  Best of all - the Irish seem to love breakfast as much as mom and I do! Yay to full Irish breakfast!

Before I go, I should explain the title of this post. No, Ireland is NOT the same as our country. It is as similar to our country as a place that is an island, pays 1.66 euro per liter for gas, drive on the opposite side of the road, have accents, and have been around for centuries longer than our country can be.  But. When we pulled into our B & B after dinner, a familiar scent came wafting to my nose on the cool night air. And across the road, the grumble of a distant tractor confirmed what I thought I smelled. That's right. Shit.

Some things are the same in any language...(that was for you J, and VT)

Well, off to sleep now. More adventures await us tomorrow....