 |
| A pretty rainbow is starting behind the Twelve Bens mountains. |
Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland
“Despite what many
tourists believe about the Irish and our drinking habits, drinking in public is
illegal across Ireland. The only day of the year when this law is
slightly bent is on St. Patrick’s Day when there aren’t enough police
officers to monitor the one million-plus tourists on the streets of Dublin. The
law is a fairly new one, only coming into place in September 2009. It is also
illegal to be drunk in a pub…but that’s a law that’s rarely enforced!”
Late yesterday, during a downpour, we drove to John and Theresa’s Flaherty’s Seafood takeaway restaurant in Carna, at the edge of town. Tom wanted their outstanding fish and chips one more time before we leave Connemara in three days.
 |
| Mom and calf were resting on a sunny morning. |
I was longing for more calamari rings which I’d sautee with my salmon filets, last night and tonight. Once again, it was delicious. Of course, Tom loved his fish and chips, huge portions he can finish today for a snack. See the photos below.
 |
| Tom’s giant fish and chips dinner from Flaherty’s Seafood in Carna. Great leftovers! |
This morning I packed 90% of the items into the supplies suitcase. The balance can be finished in minutes when we add the toiletries we need until we depart. My clothing bag is also 90% packed, with only a few items left to wash and dry, including clothes we’re wearing now.
 |
| Big brown cow. |
Then we’ll have to pack the few carry-on bags; the yellow Costco bag, the duffle bag, and Tom’s computer backpack. He has yet to fill but will do so tomorrow to appropriately distribute the weight based on weight restrictions imposed by the airline.
 |
| Cow on a hill. |
The bags on the upcoming KLM flight are Euro 40.35 US $45 for the first bag and Euro 62.76 US $70 for the second. Since we each check one bag plus our one supplies bag, our total cost for baggage will be Euro 143.45, US $160. This is comparable to the fare for another person for the short flight from Dublin to Amsterdam. The allowable weight for each bag is 23 kg, 50 pounds.
 |
| “Estimates vary of the percentage of natural beef cattle births that produce twins. One estimate (Gilmore) puts the percentage at about 0.5 percent or 1 in every 200 births. Approximately one-half of the sets of twins should contain both a bull and a heifer calf.” |
We’ve often wondered if we could further lighten our load, but after handling every item as I packed, I didn’t see anything I’m willing to part with. Many of our readers have asked why we don’t bite the bullet and get rid of more.
 |
| Cattle are curious creatures and often look at us when driving past. |
But the reality remains…we don’t have a storage unit, a home, or an apartment where we could go to repack. The cost of making such a situation available is prohibitive.
 |
| Cattle in the pasture along our driveway. |
Also, we’d feel confined having to return to a certain location to repack. The nature of our peculiar lives is…everything we own travels with us, not necessarily the usual situation for most on-the-move world travelers.
 |
| “Donkeys are a traditional part of Irish rural life. Something is appealing about donkeys. Their long ears, the dark rings around their eyes, and their shaggy coats create an image that endears them to us. They fit into the category of “amiable animal,” along with hedgehogs, red squirrels, and pandas.” For information on adoption from the Donkey Sanctuary in Ireland, please click here. |
We no longer carry any foodstuffs of any kind, even those low-carb products that may not be available in every country. During those periods, we’ve quickly learned to “live without.”
 |
| Almost one million cattle are slaughtered for consumption in Ireland each year. |
As we prepare to leave on Thursday, we’ve done an excellent job of planning meals and using the food products we have on hand. We’d even gone as far as planning breakfasts and the number of eggs to prepare each morning.
 |
| Cattle are rather photogenic. |
The tiny freezer will be emptied, including the removal of our own ice cube trays. Many countries don’t use ice as readily as Americans, and the trays have come in handy. In many countries, the only ice cube trays available for sale are those that make tiny cubes that melt quickly, diluting our beverages.
Sure, when we see how much space the ice cube trays take, even stacked inside one another, we could think twice about packing them. But, as I often say, some items are simply worth the trouble.
 |
| We spotted this pheasant on a stone wall in Carna. |
We don’t hesitate to fit items into our bags and not exceed the maximum allowable weight, resulting in more expense. The bigger problem is when the bags are so full, they’re challenging to close. We do our best.
I am still hoping to feel better by Thursday. The side effects of stopping the two medications are taking their toll on me. Hopefully, soon, that will improve. For now, I’m ok, well enough to fly and board a cruise. From there, we’ll see how it goes.
May your Monday be grand!
Photo from one year ago today, August 5, 2018:
 |
| Where in the world would one drive down a road to encounter this site outside their car window? For more photos, please click here. |