Scottland, Wales and Ireland

You can see a great deal of Scotland, Wales and Ireland in one month. However, this past June was not a great travel month for this area. It rained and was cold. So, a lot of the visits to sites were just not that enjoyable. Everyone in each of these countries would assure us that they had a great time in April. The weather was perfect.


The fact is that it can rain on your vacation and it can rain for the entire vacation. At some point, you have to just relax and get into the Zen of being there. You realize it's going to rain every day, sometimes all day and that the wind is blowing, sometimes blinding you with the rain. Still you are on vacation. If you are fortunate enough to figure out how to drive in these areas and you are not terrified of the "wee tiny" roads, then you just slog it out and get out there and see those beautiful sights and imagine them in the sun.


I must admit that these roads are some of the more narrow paths, I've driven. There were times when the growth on the hedgerows were brushing both sides of the car. Several times I had to back down a hill to a "passing zone". Of course, there were a number of times when the rear tires would hit and rub the curb, often throwing the car into the right lane. For some reason, there are little parts of the road the protrude just a bit to snag that rear tire as you pass by.

A very nice Scottish lady advised me about driving by saying, "Keep your wits about you!" That sums up the driving. The rain it seems is an Irish thing. A nice Irish lady who was a drenched as I was at Knowth explained the rain in Ireland as her mother has explained it to her: "It rains eleven months out of the year and on the twelfth month when it stops, it drips off the trees!"


We visited Newgrange and Knowth during our last week in Ireland. There was driving rain and strong winds. I could hear some of the guided tour on the outside as I hugged the large stone near the entrance for shelter. It was worth the drenching we received to see these sites.


Dublin in the rain. The City Bus - Hop On-Hop Off - was a life saver. Trinity College and the Book of Kells and the Kilmainham Jail made for great indoor sights to see on a rainy cold day.


This trip was a great lesson in preparation: you need to take a light weight umbrella and rain gear or your trip, so that the trip doesn't become a painful memory instead of a delightful adventure.


Stay dry and travel well!