Ireland is always on my mind, not just on St Patrick’s Day. I love Ireland. I’m Irish…but that’s not why I love it. I love the countryside, the castles, the accents and of course the whiskey.
When anyone asks me where my favorite place is in the world. I always find it hard to answer. I can’t pick just one. I have favorites for different reasons. However, Ireland is easily in my top 5. It reminds me so much of home but it’s so much older. The castles sprinkled in the countryside are not something you see in Oregon. We also have lots of rolling green hills and cliffs but not quite the Cliffs of Moher.
I don’t know what it is about the West Coast but not only do I love it in the states but it was my favorite in Ireland too (and a few other countries). In the SW area I loved Cork and the area surrounding it. We enjoyed the Ring of Kerry and driving through towns like Doolin and Dingle. We may have giggled a little at the names but it was all in good fun. It made it easier to smile and laugh when our GPS would send us the wrong way or have us going in circles. At least we had good scenery on our road trip no matter how roundabout the route.
I can’t miss mentioning that we also spent St Patricks Day in Dublin. We had our Irish coffee at Temple Bar. We visited the Guiness Brewery for the tour, the beer and the view. We became certified whiskey tasters at one of the best places on earth, Jameson Distillery. And, in the end, I learned of my favorite winter drink from a local in a random bar: Hot Whiskey (hot water, Jameson, lemon wedge and whole cloves).
If you ever get to the Jameson Distillery, pick me up a bottle of their finest, aged in sherry casks. Yummmm…my favorite.
When in country do like the locals do. Or at least try to experience the country like one. That’s what I always try to do. I may look Irish but I had a lot to learn about my heritage.