|
IRELAND'S SMILING SHEEP
Now I know why that person’s
Irish eyes are smiling as the song goes. If you ever toured around
the Emerald Isle you would be smiling too.
Last year Athena and I flew into
Dublin and began our journey around this lush country. Not wanting
to begin our experience in a city we immediately headed south
towards Cork. The gentle drive through the storybook villages
instantly stripped away any stress that we might have been holding
on to.
From Cork we headed west to the
famous Ring of Kerry which beholds some of the most inspiring
scenery this world provides. Along the route the springtime lambs
gleefully played tag with one another but stopped to smile at us as
we drove by. It must be in their Irish blood.
Whatever village we stopped in we
couldn’t wait to find the local band playing their Irish ballads
and Celtic songs. The bright laughter of the accordion, the wail of
the fiddle and the windy purl of the flute were always magical. The music alone was almost worth the trip.
For a little taste of the city life
we traversed the western shore, stopping by the majestic and awesome
cliffs of Moher and then continued north to Galway. It is populous
but not crowded. The buildings are elderly and stately but very few
were run down. We even stayed in an old stone warehouse that was
recently converted into a brand new youth hostel for only $20 a
night.
By staying at youth hostels,
traveling in the off season, finding a rental car for $12 a day
(Auto Europe 800 223-5555) and eating cheaply at pubs (with a couple
of special meals at more expensive places), our entire one week trip
to Ireland cost less than $750, not including airfare. Now my wallet
is smiling.
MORE ROMANTIC
GETAWAYS
|