And so we are at the end of our Irish adventure. Once the pictures are edited I will post them, but here are some final observations we noted on this incredible journey.
- Even though the Irish drive like complete maniacs, We didn’t see one person texting and driving. Part of this might be attributed to the fact that most of the cars have manual transmissions (and are super small.) Either way, it was refreshing to see.
- At the beginning of the trip, we tipped in pubs and restaurants as we normally do. About halfway through, we noticed that in most places there were NO tips being left at all. We asked someone about it, and were told that any tips are welcome, but not expected.
- The roads are really narrow. In most cases there is no shoulder, and we even encountered several “dodgy” roads that were little more than single lane.
- “Pedestrians have the right of way” – this concept is non-existent in Ireland. It wouldn’t take much effort at all to get mowed down.
- I commented earlier on the weather. Apparently the summer in Ireland was absolutely miserable….we heard this from everyone we spoke to. (Most of the Irish talk about the weather endlessly.) We had one morning of light, misty rain. Other than that the weather was spectacular…mainly like a lovely fall day around the Philly area.
- For the most part, the houses are modest. There seems to be a sensitivity to cost and ecology. In several places, we were told to let the water to run for a few minutes to allow the water heater time to warm the shower.
- In school, children are all taught to speak “Irish.” It does not seem to be an easy language to learn!
- We saw mothers pushing babies everywhere…I’m guessing when they finally get a nice day, they take full advantage. The same goes for people walking their dogs. Lots and lots of dogs. (and sheep and cows, but you already knew that!)
- In the major cities, I noticed that most of the women were wearing pantyhose. I honestly can’t remember the last time I did that.
- The power converters are different than those we brought to Spain. (Not too glamorous a tip, but worth noting!)
- We found the Irish people to generally be very warm, chatty, and helpful.
WeilStyle 