Some Views of Ireland

A walk in the pouring rain around Rush Harbour ...



Down soaking wet streets to the Harbour Bar ...



And a pint in front of the fire.



Alfie (11 years) and Dot (5 months) ...



Window display at Connemara Tweeds, Clifden ...



Detail -



No wonder polar bears are the poster children for the greenies. I had to forcibly stop Anna from breaking in and stealing them.

EUrodemocracy

Funnily enough, I had to go to the Irish Times for this gem. Angela Merkel, in an interview after the Cannes summit:

"What we got in Cannes was the feeling that there is no such thing any more as domestic policy making. Domestic is what's inside the currency area. Greece can no longer decide all by itself the issue of whether it should hold a referendum or not."

So now you know.

Irish spelling

Always baffling.

For all its apparent difficulty to English eyes, Welsh spelling is pretty logical, and the pronunciation is directly related to the letters you see. It's almost 100% phonetic, and far more so than English, for example.

Irish spelling - nope. To someone not brought up there, the relation between spelling and pronunciation is often almost comically indirect. I have been collecting a few examples for the amusement and edification of chums, but last night I saw one that takes not only the biscuit, but the whole McVities factory.

Cill Chomhghaill

Pronounced

Kilcoole.

You could never have guessed that. Unless you were Irish, of course.

Stena Plus

A recommendation for you, if you are ever crossing between Fishguard and Rosslare on the Stena Line ferry: pay the extra and travel Stena Plus. For an extra 16 quids per person per crossing, you get:

• Access to a quiet lounge
• Comfy chairs (those aircraft-type things, but also proper armchairs)
  
• Free red or white wine, soft drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate etc
• Free pastries, nibbles, fruit, etc
• A steward to look after you
• A restaurant in the quiet area so you can eat in peace and quiet
  
• Papers, TV and free internet and wi-fi
• (cough) A slightly more exclusive class of fellow-traveller.

You turn up, you are greeted and treated as a human being, couple of glasses of wine, you can rest or sleep, you can fill up on biscuits and cakes, and read the papers or watch TV or surf the net until you arrive. For £16 a head it is a complete bargain. The Ireland ferry has a reputation for being a drinkers' special, and this way you avoid all that.

We have done this for the last two crossings, and have decided that we will never travel any other way. Highly recommended.

A Bike A Day

Helps You Work, Rest and Play.

Here's a challenge thrown out by Trobairitz:

If you had unlimited funds and could have one bike for every day of the week, what bikes would you choose?

OK, after some thought (about ten seconds' worth), here is my selection.

1. Yamaha XT600E



All-purpose commuter/trailie. Old enough to be easily fixed on the driveway, and also old enough not to grieve the owner if it's dropped or (God forbid) stolen. 55 mpg and will keep going through anything. A post-holocaust bike. Also cheap. Of the seven, this is the one that would get ridden every day.

2. Triumph Sprint ST 955i



Yes, my other bike, which only goes to show that I am happy with my choices. So far. Comfortable for long rides, handles well enough, can take pillions and luggage. 150 mph performance is substantially in excess of anything I would ever use, but that's a comforting thought in itself. But best of all, that triple motor - torque in massive gobs from idle to redline, and that howl when it gets on the cam ...

3. Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster



For sunny days when I don't need to be anywhere in a hurry. I've never really 'got' the cruiser thing, but it would be a shame not to dip a toe in. I'd have the standard model with the centre controls, though - my back wouldn't stand the feet-forward position of the Custom, and I don't get that whole splayed-out thing.

4. Yamaha XT660Z Tenere



The modern version of (1), with a bulletproof 660 water-cooled single motor and a small screen. This is for 'adventure touring', by which I mean anything off the beaten track. These bikes have circled the world and been up the Himalayas, and seem to be, if anything, tougher than the 600 they replaced. I had the 660R briefly (the trailbike version) and the motor is just about enough. Fit it with huge panniers and strap a tent on the back, and off you go.

5. Moto Guzzi T3



A big, lazy 850 from the 70s, here to indulge my love of Italian bikes and retro at the same time. Not fast, but lazy and long-legged (the Italian nickname is Gambalunga), and an addictive vibe. But not, in any sane world, one's only bike.

6. BSA B30 rigid



My 'classic', and something to fettle when the other bikes are all running well. A true Brit.

7. Suzuki GSXR1000



Insanely fast. Just for the giggles. I would probably sell it after three months and indulge my love of strokers with a Yamaha RD350LC, which would be about as practical and twice the fun, but everyone needs to own a Gixxer at least once. Perhaps.

Ask again in a week's time. I will have changed my mind. Probably.

All pictures nicked shamelessly from the web.