IRELAND, THE TRUE CAMELOT
I have a wee bit of Irish blood in my veins, but that is not a requirement for calling Ireland "home". My short visit to the southwest coast of the "Emerald Isle" was a nostalgic trip to yesteryear. Today's Ireland is booming, the economy is robust, the younger citizens are among the world's best educated, TV antennas sprout from even the most remote cottage roof, and blue denim appears to be the favorite fabric, but the people themselves and their polite way of life is pure yesteryear.
Search as you will, your search for diet soft drinks, or fat-free foods may be in vain. Yet, I saw not one extremely fat derriere among the natives. In general, the Irish are on the slim side and good looking, with straight , white teeth. Their food is good. It is not bland. It is good, with plenty of variety, from traditional Irish stew to "Cajun" style blackened salmon. The traditional food is wholesome food, with lots of meat and veggies, and good! I was delighted to note that rice was not the featured item on every menu. The idea of reduced calorie foods or fad diets seems quite foreign to those in County Kerry. We had homemade bread with nearly every meal ---- and real butter! The only MacDonalds I saw was tucked away in a corner without the huge golden arch. Ditto for a Burger King in Killarney, out of sight on a side street.
Okay, so maybe I'm fudging a bit. Actually, we skipped Dublin and the big cities of Ireland, where diet drinks and golden arches may well prevail. Instead, we went to the small villages and tiny towns where British influence never made any real inroads, let alone American. We traveled along the southwestern shore of the island, following the ins and outs of Dingle Bay, Tralee Bay, Brandon Bay and the Loane, Inny and Shannon Rivers, exploring ancient castles and graveyards and eating in small roadside restaurants and pubs. We traveled more than seven miles out into the North Atlantic on a tiny fishing boat to view Skellig Rock, a small, rocky island where Catholic Monks lived in isolation nearly a thousand years ago. A sister rock is home to thousands of birds, including Puffins and Gannets, two rare and beautiful sea birds.
Click here to take a trip!