Letter from Ireland
This just in from Jackie and her family:
In Ireland, even animals friendly
According to the guidebooks and general rumor, Ireland is filled with friendly, fun-loving people. This was certainly my experience in the six days I spent touring there last week. Some people, such as the hosts at our bed and breakfast in Cobh, were outstanding—going so far as to wash our clothes from the salty stench of being soaked in downpours at the Cliffs of Moher. Even the animals seemed more welcoming to strangers. For instance, we drove into Inch Beach on the Dingle Pennisula and noticed a band of three adolescent cats lounging in the parking lot—two orange tabbys that must have been siblings and a black one with white markings. I rolled down my window and made the universal cat sound. As I expected, they all immediately looked in my direction (cats can’t help but respond to that sound). What I didn’t expect was how they came running to meet me—not typical cat behavior. That same day, while walking back to our B&B, we encountered several dogs who simply wagged their tails and looked interested even as we strode near their property, a horse that ambled over to the fence for a personal hello, and sheep that bellowed a greeting (perhaps they just wanted dinner). Our hosts assured us there are barking, unfriendly dogs in Ireland and other unfriendly animals as well (humans too no doubt), but as far as our brief sojourn there, we didn’t meet them.