An Ode to Ireland
An adventure lives on in our memories especially if all our five senses get involved in the travel experience. Everyone gets a bit green during this week of St Patrick’s Day celebrations. My memory takes me back to the time I’ve spent in Ireland and I can’t help but remember it through my senses.
The sight. Johnny Cash had a song in the late 50’s called “Forty Shades of Green” that he penned while inspired by the Emerald Isle. I’ll admit I didn’t count, but I remember lots of green. The pasture spread out like a bumpy carpet, edged by hedge fences rolling out to meet the sea or the sky as much of the country isn’t stopped by trees. This land with a rich history in agriculture is dotted with fluffy sheep unless we visit after the shearing where Spring says more skin, less sweater. The roadways are clean and neat. The houses are tidy and gleaming. The little towns quaint with a mix of old and new existing side by side to observe.
The smell. I will always think of Ireland and the aroma of a peat fire. Peat bogs still continue to be a major source of heating fuel in Ireland and a big chunk of the South Island is covered in peat mires. An age old natural process of decaying vegetation in wet, moist climates result in a spongy, turf that is cut, stacked and used like bricks in the fireplace. Less expensive than wood, the peat gives off an earthy, warm fragrance that will forever embed in one’s olfactory sense, our strongest of memory makers.
The touch. No visit to Ireland is complete without a visit to a woolen mill. A place where families not only declare a coat of arms but also a woolen plaid, plan to drag your fingers along yards of beautiful woven tartans. Buying fuzzy gloves or scarf will be like keeping one of the wooly sheep as a souvenir.
The sounds. Irish music has long existed with instruments that resound in haunting melodies. Riverdance, Celtic Women and the Irish Tenors have given us much more than Molly Malone’s sad cry about “Cockles and Mussels” and the pipes calling in “Danny Boy.” The Irish like upbeat jigs and you will want to once you hear that Bodkin drum and tin whistle.
The tastes. Ahh, here is where all the senses can come together to make some memories. Ireland is famed for its whiskey and no trip is complete without a little taste. And one must wander a street and find a local pub to enter and have a pint with the locals. Pubs are more like cafés, where all ages gather to eat and converse. A thick soup served with the heavy soda bread with a slather of butter will warm you on a damp day. For me, I’ll take the scones with a dollop of clotted cream and homemade jam with a wee bit of tea. Perfect for all the senses.
Check out www.goodtogowithpb.com and go with us this September to make your own memories with Heather and Shamrocks tour to Scotland and Ireland.
