Forty Shades of Green

Posted by Kara Kostanich Categories: Blog

I have a rule I try to live by when I travel—never visit the same place twice. The world is too big and there’s too much out there to see and experience. But in the case of Ireland—I retract! I have to come back!

The variations of rich, bright green in Ireland are incredibility stunning. Everywhere you look a vibrant green glistens back at you. Growing up in Washington State the comparisons between the Evergreen State and the Emerald Isle were often made—but this week I’ve learned nothing holds a candle to Ireland. Johnny Cash was right, Ireland really does have 40 shades of green!

I took these pictures on our journey through the Dingle Peninsula. The sky was grey and cloudy but the rolling hills and blue water made up for it with some of the most unbelievable landscape I’ve ever seen.

Aran Islands or bust!
Who said it was easy doing the left side drive and reading road sign that make no sense? That’s what I told myself after missing the ferry to the island on Wednesday. Mom and I were determined to get there since this was the only day we had to make the trip without completely throwing off our whirlwind Irish adventure. We drove to the local airport, boarded a puddle jumper and arrived on Inishmore Island seven minutes later! The cost: 23 Euro. Bravo!

The people of the Aran Islands still practice traditional Irish culture and speak Gaelic.
It’s like stepping back 50 years. The isle of Inishmore is 9 miles by 2 miles. Population: 800. The island is covered with wild rock fences and houses with insanely narrow roads. Check out some of what we encountered…

Left side drive

I can’t say it hasn’t been challenging. I’ve clocked nearly 700 miles with four tanks of gas on the Irish roadways since Tuesday morning.

Facts about the experience:
*Mom white knuckled it the whole way.
*Admittedly, so did I!
*The driver’s side door broke when the wind whipped it open when I was getting out on Friday (not kidding).
*As a result the window also broke, however it did not shatter (thank goodness).
* I was passed dozen of times.
*Although, by the end of the week I was also passing slow going trucks.
*We faced every possible weather condition: wind, rain, sleet and even snow!

Bottom line: it was worth every stressful moment to see such a vast amount Ireland in such a small window of time.

We made our way back to Dublin in time for a whirlwind tour of the city and the Guinness Factory—what a blast!

This post would not be complete without honoring the people of Ireland. The Irish—hands down—are the nicest group of people I have ever met while traveling. It was incredibility refreshing. They seem to treat everyone with kindness and respect, even American tourists like Mom and I!

Sadly, I never found a four-leaf clover on my first Irish escapade. Instead, I found a pot of gold I’ll never forget—it’s called the Republic of Ireland.

Someday, I’ll be back.

Leg 2—Eastern Europe begins right now!

Till next time…Carpe Diem.