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Our Irish Vacation

e woke up to the smell of rich morning coffee. It was to be part of our breakfast on this first trip to Ireland, a dream in itself. It has been said that all Irish homes become a bed and breakfast during the summer, and this cottage with one spare room was no exception. The owners fussed over us at the table as we enjoyed eggs, bacon, sausages, black pudding, fried potatoes and home made rolls with marmalade. They told us of the area’s attractions and educated us on famine history. We followed their instructions and found a genuine famine pot in the middle of a forest, where locals placed food for the displaced victims.

We headed down the road to County Sligo for a pilgrimage to the gravesite of WB Yeats, and soon found ourselves stuck in the car, avoiding a heavy downpour. We didn’t mind---we read Yeats and gazed in awe at the green green surroundings. We stumbled upon a neolithic burial site, complete with massive stone markers. To this day no one knows who these people were and how they were able to move such mammoth rocks. We both could feel the power of the setting and something came over us---before we knew it we were renewing our wedding vows. After a Sunday pub meal of lamb, potatoes and Guinness we found another B&B – where (once again) we were the only guests. We wanted to take the owner home with us, and to this day remain in contact.

The next day, it was a drive through the sweeping Connemara – a place that Dickens described as a place of 'terrible beauty.' We pulled off the road to study a famine trail – a site where 80 or so famine victims trekked to a manor’s house in the hopes of food, only to be turned away. As we departed down the road, we both commented that we had not seen a single car for over half an hour. A second later there was a rumbling on the road. We had a flat – not unusual on these rock-strewn Irish roads. Faced with having to unpack our little rental just to find the spare tire and equipment was a daunting thought. Before we knew it, two cars, each arriving from the opposite direction, appeared out of nowhere. The drivers both hopped out and quickly changed our tire. They barely stuck around for a handshake. It was dark when we arrived at our next B&B. We awoke the next morning to find ourselves in the middle of a fjord. It was the town of Liane , where the film The Field was made. Eventually we made it down to the musical town of Doolin. This for us was an adult Disneyland. Three pubs specialized in Irish session music each night. We hung with locals and like-minded tourists, had big pub meals of lamb and potatoes or bacon and cabbage, then nursed glorious pint after pint of Guinness as we listened to reels, jigs and haunting ballads. Our daytimes were spent on trips to the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, a Dolomite burial site and local castles. We carry the memories with us wherever we go. Erin Go Bragh!

Linda and John Hildahl – Saratoga, CA

Paris in 1982

“So what if it was taken in 1982. It still is our favorite photo from our favorite vacation. In fact we don’t know the name of the nice young man who took it. We just handed him the camera and he took it.” Louis & Carol Bogny - Kent, WA