SusanP

Good luck!
As far as private drivers, you should not feel responsible for making them happy. I am in no way suggesting that you should be unpleasant, but you are paying them to help make you happy! If you don't want to do what they suggest if it's different from the original plan, you should be able to politely say no.

Fra_Diavolo

This is an instant Fodor's classic trip report. Not only was it lively and vividly written, but the post-mortem analysis was detailed and informative as well. I must admit I do not share your appetite for Celtic music (an occasional Saturday morning hour on WFUV completely satisfies me), but I have tried to master an Irish lilt on the penny whistle (fail). I expect I'll find your report very helpful when we plan our return to Ireland. Thanks.

AlessandraZoe

SusanP--Oh Susan, LOL, we can't cure our natures at this stage of our lives. Yes, I do tend to feel overly responsible for the happiness of every UBER driver I've ever engaged while my husband does not, when we've paid someone to give us a tour, we both feel we owe them more than money--we owe them our respect and attention. There is NO way around it! If we engage you for an hour museum tour, I guarantee we shall be your best clients of the day.

My point was that with only two people with one tour guide, we both felt as though we had to be "on" more than we might have wanted to be. Fact: Had I not made my big mistake by booking that Aran Islands Ferry, the long trip/tour from Galway to Dingle with stops at the Cliffs and the Burren would have been great for my husband. If I could have used a bus or a train in more places, we could have disappeared into ourselves a bit more.

It's that old introvert vs extrovert thing. My husband and I are both classic introverts in that we can appear to be "life of the party" while actually needing badly to "shut down and shut down NOW." I knew when I was engaging these tours what I was getting into--we would be emotionally drained--but I wanted to see places that only driver/guide could take us.

And I am so happy that we had our guides. Hearing about Ireland from the viewpoints of Mary G and Michelle was one of the lasting benefits of the trip.

AlessandraZoe

Fra_Diavolo--Praise coming from you is high praise indeed. I owe you big for many a travel tip.

As to fans of Irish Trad, to each his own. My husband still to this day cannot reconcile my enjoyment of Bluegrass and Trad with my love of...HEAVY METAL. I kid you not. I wasn't even a high school druggie, so no excuse. Thank goodness grocery store music does not lend itself to "Immigrant Song" or "Whole Lotta Love" because while I do sing along out loud to Motown tracks most people forgive me.

AlessandraZoe

Just a quick update:

As I stated a few posts ago, I am starting to research our June 2024 trip to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. I'd booked my flights, started some routing, and had been chugging merrily along when I came to a dead halt.

OMG--I have to make sure my husband can get an IPA--and hopefully at a lower-end ABV-- at each stop. Or where can he get a Guinness? Crisis time.

The heck for finding the directions to the Kon-Tiki Museum or the best way to do a DIY Norway in a Nutshell route. For the past 36 hours, I've done nothing but research Scandinavian IPAs and bars where I can find them. The heck with researching art museums. Where's the best bar in town? I've even googled "Irish Bars in Stockholm".

In other words, where will be "our local" in 2024?
My Excel spreadsheet "Scandinavian Bars and Beers" is growing.

Happy planning to all of you, wherever you may be going.
AZ

SusanP

Since this is a completely different destination, you would probably be better off starting a new thread.

AlessandraZoe

Uh, since
a) I am NOT asking for advice
and
b) this is MY trip report and post
I'm pretty sure I can add whatever comment I like to it
(as long as I don't frighten the horses)

SusanP

Wow, of course you can post whatever you like on your thread, but that's a pretty strong response to a simple suggestion! And you DID ask where the best bars in town are. Sorry if I interpreted that as asking for advice.
I did enjoy your report.

greytop13

Hi AZ. I brew IPAs, porters and stouts at home (one of the reasons I enjoyed your trip report). I don't know how adventurous your hubby wants to be, but a trip to Norway offers a unique experience to try some farmhouse brews. The farmers there use a traditional Norwegian yeast known as "kveik" that gives their beer a special flavor. I've used it in my home brewing and enjoyed it. Here's an article about Norwegian farm brewing: https://www.brewer-world.com/lalbrew...stern%20Norway.

AlessandraZoe

Oh Greytop13, not only did you totally "get" the Dingle we experienced and understood why certain pubs were "us" and why certain ones were not, but you are a brewmaster too! Forum BFFs now.

No, we don't brew. But we always enjoy people who brew. Unfortunately, our taste range, like our energy, is pretty limited now. I don't know yet if I can do Scandinavian sour beers. My husband will give it a whirl.

When we got married, we started out with a broader view of the Beeriverse. I've never, ever been able to drink a Guinness--it's always tasted like dish soap to me--but once upon a time, I easily drank Bass Ale and Smithwick's. Maybe I did not love them, but they were not offensive to me. Now after decades, I just don't enjoy malt-ish beers. My husband still likes that taste. Our house beer is a 4.8 ABV hoppy session--one that he really likes--but he can venture off the reservation easily to Malt Town. Hence, because I lean hops, I know which hops I like while he really isn't a firm believer in any hops edge that way--to him there has to be a malt/hop balance range. Plus low ABV if possible.

But Scandinavian yeasts? Hmm. Interesting. I'll get him reading on that. We've been married well over 40 years (OMG--just did the math. Today is our anniversary. OOPS) and he could use an investigation point other than Scandinavian economic outlook, an outlook about which I've had to hear about over and over again for eons.

My beer research has been promising and among all the other videos and websites, I've been enjoying the videos from Real Ale Craft Beer.

Thanks, Greytop13. Yeast investigation it will be.

PS to others, I promise I SHALL start a new post whenever I have something factual to report that is HELPFUL to others. In the meantime, my mind is still in Ireland with a frontal lobe in Liverpool, even if my body is not.

AlessandraZoe

So my husband and I had traveled to another American city on St Patrick's Day 2024, and we managed after one "strike-out" to find the right local in which to celebrate. Little Irish dancers from local troupes running around the place, good band, singing crowd. Perfect.

Yes, the band played the old standards of "Wild Rover" and "Whiskey in the Jar", but they also played lesser known, but very lovely Irish tunes that their appreciative audience knew. Then they started playing Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl" and the place went wild. Soon we were all on our feet--some standing on chairs, a few standing on tables--singing "Sha Na Na Na" to the high heavens, and I had a sudden flashback to Dingle and the oblivious "Obviously American" family.

OMG--this was the very song that failed to move them. Imagine an entire Dingle pub of people of all ages from countries all over the world invested in the chorus, pumping arms overhead, singing away, and my fellow Americans weren't even tapping their feet.

Still baffles me.

travlsolo2

It baffles me, too! Outside venue, a beer fest in northern Germany, standing audience, Tina Turner lookalike doing Proud Mary and also Mustang Sally, everybody singing and moving,....and a 50ish man near me didn't move a muscle. Couldn't believe it!!