My First Trip to Ireland - Day 5

Monday was my last day on the island, and I was very sad to be leaving.  There is not a whole lot to really post about, but I do have a couple of pictures I took from the plane.  The first few are of Ireland.

The west coast of Ireland

The west coast of Ireland

The next two are of Prince Edward Island, Canada from 42,000 feet. PEI is the place I've traveled to most in my life, visiting 5 times.  In fact, PEI had trumped Ireland in the past because it was closer and less expensive to travel to.  I'm glad I made the choice to do Ireland this time.

PEI

PEI

And now, for a few comments on Ireland from my brief time there:

• I absolutely loved Ireland. I felt a strong sense of connection since my Grandfather was born there, so it made the visit that much more meaningful
• There is very little trash in Ireland.  Here in North Carolina, just about every street and highway is littered with trash, and when the mowers come through, they just mow over it and chop it up into even more bits. It's disgusting.  Yes, I saw trash in Ireland, but it was not near the amount I see in the states. Dublin had its fair share, but to be honest, I saw sweepers constantly trying to keep it clean.
• There are a LOT of roundabouts in Ireland. At first, I was annoyed by them, but quickly got used to them. I also realized how brilliant they are, as they keep traffic moving and don't require the expenditure and maintenance of traffic lights. I saw very few stop signs on my visit.  I'm now very pro-roundabout.
• I like the fact that there are not chain restaurants everywhere. Yes, it makes you work harder for your meals if you want to eat out, but it's worth it in the end because each restaurant has it's own unique qualities.
• I absolutely loved how bustling Dublin was. It didn't seem to matter what time of day it was, except very late or very early; there were people everywhere, and I like to see that in a city. It shows the city is surviving thriving.
• Just about every single road I drove on had reflectors embedded into the pavement. This is brilliant, especially in a country that can be very foggy and misty.  Those little reflectors help out tremendously at night, especially if you are on an unfamiliar road.  Here in NC, they glue reflectors on just after a road is resurfaced, and they never replace them once they are damaged or plowed away by a snowplow.
• I fell in love with Ribena.  I wish it was more widely available in the states, but then again, I hopefully will not have to wait too long before I can enjoy it regularly.
• As I mentioned in another post, I love that Irish drivers use the passing lane to pass, and don't use it as a travel lane. I also found the drivers to be quite curtious.