"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!" - Dorothy in "the Wizard of Oz"

Fish and Chips in Ireland.

First and foremost, I love visiting new (and sometimes very old) places, experiencing new things, and trying new foods. Getting there can be the headache. There are also sometimes some very unexpected things that will throw one off of stride. For instance:
TSA checks will require you to unsling your carefully positioned camera bag and computer case, empty the eleven pockets of your jacket, the seven pockets in your pants and the three in your shirt. Don't forget that they want you to remove your shoes, take off your knee braces and will still scrutinize your eyeglasses and wedding band. All this about a minute after you just did this for the Irish Garda. I was about in tears, because getting everything off without damaging the fragile takes time and the line behind me was getting longer. Lesson: aim for the balance between minimalist and every contingency in packing. Especially with the carry-on gear.

While we're on travel to the Emerald Isle, it's useful to prepare by a bit of studying. We read and brought along copies of Rick Steve's Guide to Ireland. It proved a very useful source. Sometimes somethings aren't mentioned. The Irish do drink coffee. They drink a lot more tea. Coffee is sold by the cup. We are talking a consistent 200 ml (about 6.5 oz.) cup. When you are used to, nay addicted to, large mugs of coffee this can add up fast in the traveling expense column. The best way to get your caffeine fix is switch to tea. Tea is often sold by the pot or cup, and refills are often free. Tea is usually included with the meal.
Ireland is primarily temperate rain forest (The trees are slowly returning after centuries of over-harvesting.). There are usually some sunny days or even an hour or two of sunshine most days, but don't expect it. It's damp more often than not. Dress for it. We wore wool or microfiber and good rain shells. Our accommodations had towel warmers that made for dry towels after morning ablutions-more forethought.
Our travel arrangements included car rental. The car we got was almost as large as my 1/2 ton pickup truck! It was HUGE. It did have a lot of trunk (boot) space--we joked four bodies would fit in there with room to spare. So us Yanks had this huge car, with manual transmission and the steering on the other side from what we are used to across the Pond. Most Irish roads that aren't Motorways are pretty narrow. When we went over Conner Pass, it was down to one lane. It was a good thing the only things we met coming the other way was bicyclists. I'm glad we paid the damage waiver as a stone wall reached out to grab the car near Dingle. We did clip a few hedge branches and a construction barrier with our curb-side mirror. One big advantage was that the engine was diesel powered. Diesel fuel costs pretty much the same as gasoline (petrol) in Ireland, but we had a fantastic range. We drove the car 2000 kilometers (1200 miles) while there that week, and only filled the fuel tank twice.
Ireland was fun, and we'd go visit it again.
Even in the US, we have some adjustments to make when we travel. Our home state of Wisconsin is known as the "Dairy State" for a reason. Milk and cheese are the biggest agricultural products here. One of the special treats that can be found virtually anywhere is fresh cheddar cheese curds. We're talking so fresh that they squeak when you bite into them. Fresh cheese curds are uncommon to rare outside of Wisconsin. Note this as they make wonderful gifts for out of state friends! The cheese choices quickly dwindle down to American, Swiss and sometimes cheddar the further you go from our fair state.
The strong German heritage also has available a variety of sausages in Wisconsin. Ask for a bratwurst in Mississippi, and you'd get a blank stare with a "Whot dat?" Spicy andule sausage is popular close to the the Big Easy.While it looks and smells the same as keilbasa, it tastes very different!
The closest thing to tarter sauce-the staple condiment of the Friday Fish Fry-south of the Mason/Dixon Line is "sandwich spread" which is sweeter and pink.
Iced tea down south is made very sweet. If you want it unsugared, ask for "unsweet tea".
The joys of traveling often make the rewards that much better!

Quick Thoughts



Enjoying a staple of the Wisconsin State Fair:
Cream Puffs!

There is something that everyone should make time for: Going to your County and/or State Fair. My wife and I made the trek to West Allis more times than not during our married life. Usually on the years we can't we go to the Dane County Fair. Every time we take in the talents and genius of young people from all over the state in the Arts and Crafts exhibits.

A resident Turkey Vulture from the Schlitz Audoubon Center
spreads her wings to take in the summer sunshine.

We also like to wander the vendors to see what is "new" and "exciting". Sometimes we'll buy it (like some spiffy brushes that clean out our dryer vent), but usually not (Multi-use scarves, anyone?). There are also safety exhibits and birds of prey, a nature preserve with a self-guided trail, and tons of entertainers from street dancers and musicians, to big name acts on the stages.

A team of the Budwiser Clydesdales usually makes an appearance. It's fun just to watch them hitch up.
Lest I forget, there are also some of the cutest farm animals in the state, exhibited by 4-H youth.
There is also every conceivable food you can think of (and some I hadn't ever dreamed of) skewered on a stick. For instance, two years ago I was introduced to chocolate-covered bacon on a stick. It wasn't half bad, but way too rich for one person. My wife and I shared one. We didn't go for the deep-fried Snickers bar on a stick. The new one this year was deep-fried butter (it was battered to hold it together). We decided to pass on that one, too. We never pass up the cream puffs, the grilled cheese sandwiches, milk (of course it's Wisconsin!) and the baked potatoes.

Grapevine at Weggy Vineyard.

The State Fair is a place where just about the whole state comes to you. Most times, you have go yourself to see stuff that special in your home state. Today, my wife and I took in a wine tour at a small winery near Muscoda. We learned some basic vineculture that I'll be using for my own grapes and a lot about this delightful winery. We had so much fun there, we decided to visit two other (relatively close) wineries and taste a few (OK, over two dozen) of the local vin. We brought home eight bottles of different types. We were happy campers!
One should experience Life. You can only do so much staring at the TV or computer screen. It's hard to savor the iridesence of a vulture's feathers, the taste of a cranberry apple wine, the soft fur of a rabbit, the rumble of 16 one-ton horses in harness, or get the smell of a cow barn from pictures that flicker before you. Go out and see/smell/hear/touch/taste it!
Portrait of me is by Mary A. Hoffman. Other photographs are Copyright 2011 by W. Clinton Hotaling