Kiss me, I'm kinda Irish!

One of my many favorite "foreign hubs" was Shannon, Ireland. As this meant stomping around as close to my Scotch Irish stomping grounds as I could get. We often stayed in Bunratty, County Clare with it's famed Durty Nellys, Blarney Woollen Mills, and Bunratty Castle.

The one big downfalls to all my stops into Shannon, was Mama was broke broke BROKE. No shopping at the Mills, no Guinness with the girls, no tours of the Bunratty folk park or castle. But I did get to wander around by foot and take loads of pictures! And you KNOW I can tell you all about the food. Let me tell you about blood pudding. Don't know what blood pudding is? OH YOU POOR DEAR. Just hop on over to Wikipedia and fix yourself up. If you're on a diet, check it out before you eat. Just go ahead now... I'll wait right here. My inner vegetarian was disgusted with myself for trying it, because SERIOUSLY, nations of people eat variations of this as a staple in their diets! It can't be that bad, right? Let's just put it to you this way, it's an acquired taste. Kind of like eating baked beans for breakfast... and we all know what beans do to you. Do you really want to start your day off with that much fiber and it's intestinal side effects? Just my two cents.

 Woollen Mills was within a stones throw of our hotel. It gave me a place to window shop and listen in on all the dialects and accents flying past me.

 Durty Nelly's. Apparently this place has become so popular that they're branching out worldwide. WHO KNEW??? Not I. 

 Bunratty Castle. I wish I actually had the time and money to have toured the grounds.

It was my understanding that at "Bunratty Folk Park" they have a traditional Irish village with chickens running amok and people in "period" costume acting the part of that time period much like the Renaissance festivals here. That has nothing to really do with the picture above, I just found it a neat little tidbit. I really do wish I knew what exactly that little porthole type door was actually used for. I need to know. Anybody got any guesses???

Here's another neat little fact. The last time I visit Bunratty was right at St. Patrick's Day. I woke up in my hotel room with a couple literally going at it (and I don't mean fighting) under my window. I was on the ground floor. I should have introduced myself seeing as they were more than comfortable with consummating their love for each other right outside my room. Maybe I would have had a baby named after me. Happy *not quite* beginning of March, everybody! May you be Irish all month long! 

Hard to believe this is my last NaBloPoMo entry. Did I really write for 29 days? That is INSANE. I'll no longer be making it a point to write at least once a day next month, but I will try to be more consistent with my posts. That is the biggest lesson I've learned during this "project" so to speak. About halfway through the month I didn't quite lose steam, but I began losing my mind under all the stress of some possible life changing choices we've begun. And no, as far as I know there won't be any new sweet pwecious widdle babies shooting out of ye olde cooch shoot before the year is up. THAT I KNOW OF. Accidents happen, y'all... just sayin.