Travel Theme Photo Challenge: Road

This is in response to Ailsa’s Photo Challenge: Road. I’ve been away for awhile, not really blogging I mean, that I feel like I missed a lot.

Here’s a reblog of my trip to Ireland years ago. Although Ireland is a beautiful country and very photogenic, this picture comes to mind whenever I remember the country. This is definitely a big part of its charm.

This is what I wrote then:

My bosses prevented me from driving in Ireland. They said the roads will be narrow and I would be sharing it with tractors, goats, cows or other animals. Didn’t I mention earlier the roads were pitch black at night in the rural areas too?

From Killarney, Noel came and picked me up to go back to Limerick where I would catch my flight back to Chicago the next day. We took the scenic route, travelling via the Lower Shannon. It was endless fields of green, rolling hills and valleys. I wished we had plenty of time to take pictures. Horses ambled by while the cows lazily grazed on top of the hills with a clear view of the Shannon River, as the big river meanders on its way to the ocean. Sprinkled with cottages here and there. A few of them with thatched roof with a small garden. It was very peaceful and so refreshing to the eyes. I sat wide eyed grateful that Noel drove. I didn’t want to close my eyes even for a second for fear I will miss something. Noel let me savor it all in undisturbed, the view permanently pressed in my memory.

Then we had to stop. It doesn’t take much to have traffic in Ireland. People waited patiently in their cars as they let the cows, who at this moment were the king of the road, pass. There was no denying I was a tourist. I was so thrilled to happen upon this scenario, in fact it was what I imagined Ireland would be. Naturally I didn’t waste my time and clicked away.

I was so happy by the time it was over. I’ve got the pictures I’ve been longing to have. And then we had to rush to our destination. My host’s friends invited me to a Christmas party. What a pleasant surprise and a fitting end to a wonderful vacation.