51 replies to this topic

[axlfoley]

meanderer, on 26 September 2012 - 11:20 AM, said:

Hey, jenjen. Nice to see you. You didn't get the $20? I sent it to axlfoley, to pass along to you.

Never got the 20 but it doesn't matter. I'll have what you're drinking in your prof pic and I'll be happy.

Welcome back btw

[meanderer]

Nice to see you here, axlfoley. If you're having what I'm drinking, I'll save you a seat.
Yeah...and about that $20....I must have sent it somewhere. oh well.

[Puti]

Come on Meanderer, talk about Ireland. We need to plan another trip. Hubby can't watch a TV show about Ireland without giving me that "look" of when are we going again?

[meanderer]

So Puti, you've already been there...tell me about it!

[jimmary]

Yeah, I'm wearing pants now, but just wait until I get on the the bus for the commute back home after work; time to relax.

[meanderer]

(Quietly sliding my chair away from jimmary...keeping a wary eye on him...)

[Puti]

"A little bit of heaven fell from out the sky one day....." Something like that. You know the song? Ireland can't be described. You have to go Meanderer. Fly into Dublin (not Shannon) take smaller plane to Cork city, rent a car and drive south towards Clonakilty. You'll never want to leave!

[meanderer]

Puti -

I did go to Ireland, back in 2002. You're right: Ireland can't be described. I didn't even take too many pictures - I kept thinking "there's no way I could truly capture what I'm seeing on film..." - so I did my best to memorize some of the beautiful views I witnessed. The people were terrific (they'd break your stones as if you were family!), the music was incredible, but the food...a bit bland for my liking. And I should have known better (as a coffee drinker) not to expect a decent cuppa coffee in a country that's primarily a tea-drinking country. Although, I will remember a shop on Poolbeg Rd (in Dublin) that had a fairly good cup of coffee.
As much as I really liked Dublin (it kinda reminded me of certain areas of Waterbury and/or Hartford...you ARE originally from CT, right? So you'll probably know what I mean), I absolutely loved...no...LOVED Galway. If I had the opportunity, I'd be back there in a heartbeat. I sometimes catch myself wishing that I was still there.
I doubt I'd ever drive over there, though...they're all on the wrong side of the road! What's the deal with that??? Besides, Ireland has a wonderful public transportation system - I actually took a bus to the various places around the Republic. I'd have no problem with that.

Edited by meanderer, 21 October 2012 - 05:36 AM.

[Puti]

Meanderer, That makes me so happy to know you actually went to Ireland! Especially that you made it to the west! I consider the west of rural Ireland HEAVEN.
I know exactly what you mean about Dublin..... yes, I grew up in Connecticut, on Long Island Sound, but know of what you speak.

My impression of the food is just the opposite of yours though. I grew up on my Dad's garden and really really miss fresh food these days. Everything was fresh and good, and the fish!... amazing to eat the catch of the day every day. You can tell I love seafood. My brother introduced my husband to Murphy's instead of Guiness.
Oh, and one of the things I always bragged about from Ireland was the coffee. Everyplace we went had terrific coffee. Even in Dublin airport. Trying to think of the brand. My husband and I do not like wimpy coffee either. Are you sure you went to Ireland?????
The people of Ireland are terrific. It felt like I was around the rest of my family!

We rented a car, hubby drove and didn't kill us... although at times I had to pick hedges out of my teeth!!! And came home with a few more grey hairs. Next time you go, try it. After all, with those narrow winding roads you can drive as slow as you want and everyone is so patient.
I'm only half Irish. How about you?

[cathylj73]

Hey guys.. thought I would jump in, I too ventured back on GV. Been a memeber on here since 2004.. I was reading what you both wrote about Ireland that is one place I have always wanted to go It sounds so beautiful (but I too am from CT just moved out west in March lived in CT for 49 years. Wtby and Bpt I drove school buses in.) but hope to see you guys around its great to see a lot of older memebers coming back on .

[Puti]

Hey Cathy, yep you're old and OLD! Just teasing you.... I'm 74 so let me tell you about my knees today.

You're on my personal "prayer list" Cathy after you mentioned your Dad. I think about you often and hope for you to find answers.

Doesn't matter where you move to, we're always from Connecticut.

Maybe we should just organize a trip to Ireland and stay at a B&B for a month.... maybe lose our passports and just stay.

Me too, about seeing some of the oldies back. I had backed off for a while.

[meanderer]

Puti -
I do remember having a few good cups of coffee in Cork, at the B&B I stayed at. Irish breakfasts are very good (but you can keep the black pudding, thank you). If I could survive only on Irish breakfasts...oh! And real fish 'n' chips! I just can't remember the name of the chipper in Dublin I was fortunate enough to find. Even some of the Irish pubs I've been to in New Haven can't make fish 'n' chips properly (I get so disappointed when they bring out something that looks like it'd been frozen with a fried batter and french fries!). Anyway...!
(now I'm wishing I had a nice packet of fish 'n' chips...)
I don't know about driving over there...luckily for me, the cities are all small enough that you can walk around the entire city in a small amount of time. I loved watching the cities "wake up". But as I said, I'd have enough confidence in the public transportation system over there to get me where ever I'd need to be. I just think I'd probably get claustrophobic if I tried driving on their roads. Besides - it was quite nice letting the bus driver concentrate on the road and the traffic while I gazed out the window at the rolling green fields (hang on - I'm getting misty-eyed!).

How Irish am I? Well...I dunno, really. I'd just done an ethnic-DNA test with Ancestry.com (since I'm working on my family tree). They say these results can go back a thousand years or so. I've found ancestors who've come from Ireland, but the DNA results say that I've got DNA that's 45% from the British Isles. I've always felt an affinity towards Ireland (and I'd dreamt about going there since I was very small) (never really thought about going to England, actually). Raised in the Irish Catholic tradition (no meat on Fridays, etc) was a strong push towards the "Irishness" I proudly feel. So, you're more "Irish" than I am - but I'm ok with it. Not only that - but I do remember, as a child, being visited by the wee people. They were quite little.

And cathy...yes, you have to go to Ireland. Yes you do. And as you might have guessed by now, I would whole-heartedly recommend visiting Galway. If I ever hit it big on the Lottery, that's where I'll be. I'll be the guy looking like he'd woken up in Heaven.

[jimmary]

Meanderer, don't wory, I'm wearing pants today. Let me see....yep, pants. They are my wife's, but who cares.
I wish you guys would quit talking about Ireland. I so badly want to go someday. Not Irish, but can still appreciate the beauty and simple living. Our neighbors went this past summer (they are Irish-decent) and loved the stay, but not the trip there and back. It was a comedy of errors. We did, however get an Irish-made oven mitt-dish towel set out of it for watchng their house (we got to use their pool).
I may have to get a trip to Alaska out of the way first. I'm from Texas, but I love the cold.

[meanderer]

jimmary -what can I say? You've got to go to Ireland. (hang on...just reminiscing...) Yeah. You've got to go. However, I think they'd be quite insistent that you wear pants. Just giving you a "heads-up".
Oh - since you're in Texas, would I be wrong in thinking you'd have cowboy boots? If you don't, I apologize. If you do have cowboy boots, I'd recommend you don't wear them in Ireland. With the rain over there, you'd find walking on wet cobblestones a bit of a hazard.
Another helpful tip for ya. You're welcome.

[jimmary]

BAD_WORD, there's that pants requirement again. I guess I'll wear a kilt to get around that.
Thank you for all of the info, meandererererer...er. Yes, Ireland is on the list of things to do before my wife kills me...I mean before I die.
I do have boots, but I bought those almost twenty years ago. They are the only pair I have bought for myself ever (elephant skin). Texas is very urban, but the cowboy lifestyle, attitude, and look it very much alive, especially around rodeo time in late February/early March. There are lots of small ranches and such around here where people actually live the life, so it is a real thing in Texas, but there are many wannabes around (just remember the movie "Urban Cowboy" with John Travolta, which was filmed here).
By the way, I have experience walking on wet granite sidewalks with flat-bottom dress shoes, so I won't be doing the cowboy boot thing in Ireland. Besides, I rarely wear my boots, so I wouldn't even think of taking them with me.