Okay, I know I've been off the grid for awhile (hey, like that? I learned it from watching way too much "24"). Willie and I had a fantastic 11 days in Ireland. A highlight of the trip was meeting Lorenzo and his wife - finally! Lorenzo and I have shared stories, recipes and laughs for the last few years over the internet, but this was our first face-to-face meeting. And what fun!! We had more laughs, ate lots of great food and shared some funny brain tumor war stories. And Lorenzo and Sheila pointed us to some great spots as we continued our travels around the southwest coast of Ireland. 
So, what are the other highlights? Well, driving on the "wrong" side of the road is a thrill. And when you add twisty one lane roads that are meant for 2 lanes of traffic - well, can you say "WHEEEE?" Willie said that he spent the entire time in a state of terror (which is par for the course for all of our vacations.) As for me, I was screaming that he was too close to the left side of the road.
Okay, but seriously ... the coastlines and countryside are breathtaking. You can easily understand why people call it the "Emerald Isle." The coastline is a stunning combination of immense sandy beaches and rugged rocky cliffs. Really, it is just amazing. And, did I mention the sheep? OMG, sheep everywhere, including right in the middle of the road. I was ordering Willie to stop the car every two minutes so I could get out and look at the sheep. Yeah, I know - that was a little something that he didn't know when he married me 10 years ago. I am fascinated by livestock. Really. We will definitely return to Ireland. There are more sheep to see, more food to be eaten, and more breathtaking sights to discover.
What fun!! Your smile looks amazing! The last couple of pics on FB and here look GREAT!!!!!! What is the deal with the orange on the sheep??
ReplyDelete:D Had a great time with you two, loved meeting you and share some time! What a hoot!!!! Willie was in a state of terror? Really? lol S'ok, most tourists are, we're used to it in tourist season.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the sheep. LOTS of sheep. You forgot to mention the cows you photographed. lol A few of those too. I do the same, and enjoyed sharing some photo sessions with you!
Kay, about the orange butt. Colour change from farmer to farmer. Basically, the ram has a little bag of colour dye underneath, and when it does it's duty with the sheep, he leaves a coloured blob, indicating that the sheep had been... you know... Ok. You get the idea. Most sheep also have other colour spots on other areas, and those are marking made by spray paint by the farmers (with a spray paint can) to identify their own sheep. These ones are running around the hills and mountains.
So, a bit about sheep. :)
Kay - yes, it was an amazing trip! Regarding the smile --- Jackie taught me how to control my smile so that it looks almost totally symmetrical. This works as long as I am paying attention. If I smile really big, then the smile becomes quite asymmetrical. Another bonus - when I control the smile, it also minimizes the wrinkly stuff on my chin. The biggest "ah ha" for me was learning how to smile using my cheeks, NOT my mouth. Makes a huge difference. I am going back to see Jackie next week to work on some other things - like the eye that closes when I smile or eat.
ReplyDeleteLorenzo - ah yes, I need to post some cow pictures! Re Las Vegas, Willie is going to be working the whole time, which means banquet meals for the most part. However, they ARE taking a group of clients to a Circue du Soleil performance (I'm so jealous!!)
I LOVE Cirque du Soleil! Are you not going? What show are they going to??
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