MINERAL WELLS — “A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moment’s thought, our stitching and unstitching has been naught,” wrote Ireland’s revered poet, W.B. Yeats, in “Adam’s curse.”

I am not sure that Yeats and I are talking about the same thing, except for the hours of which he spoke. And he might not have been speaking of the same line which I will discuss. However, I thought a mention of his name in connection with Ireland would set a poetic mood.

My latest adventure into the travel world revealed two sides of a visit to Ireland. The one deals with “the trip” and the other deals with “being there.” One is arduous and tiring, being filled with long lines at “Arrivals,” “Security” and “Boarding” and ultimately long lines to attain the “Lavatory Vacant” status aboard the plane on which one is booked.

Departures produce a like number of lines, plus “Customs.” None of these details can be overlooked. Add to those difficulties the high costs of everything, the cold weather, the heavy traffic on very narrow roads, the nearness of heavy, non-mown grass and shrubbery along the roadside, and then add the confusing issue of driving on the wrong side of both the road and the car!

The other side is the high pleasure of meeting the Irish people, enjoying their culture, the Irish music, the friendliness of the people (you’d almost forget that you were not in Texas), the historical features of castles, the ring forts, the awesome sight of the Dingle Peninsula and the Burrens, the calming parks and beauty of the varied and green countryside, the poetry of Tralee and Galway Bay, to say nothing of the extravagance of Waterford and its crystal.

And don’t forget the McDonald’s eating place which features chicken nuggets with “Sweet Chili” dip.

There is no place nor people more interesting. I will go more into depth on the enjoyment of Ireland in another column. The memories of the “trip” are still too strong and discomfiting to overlook. Let’s go on with the rigors of travel.

As you may not know, I travel at the expense and pleasure of American Airlines, thanks to Colon’s 30-year employment with the company. This affords the “non-revenue” traveler some experiences which teach lessons (you figure out which ones as I tell you about it), a great deal of tension (while waiting to see if there is a seat left for you on the plane), last-minute adjustment of travel plans and the consumption of quantities of coffee and reading material. Except for those details, my traveling costs are nil from here to there. This has allowed me to travel to many parts of the world, which would have been impossible otherwise. The travel has occasionally been difficult. I have implied several things earlier about the rigors of going to Ireland. I will not drag out the description except to detail some of the more memorable bumps in my road.

The first mistake I made was in not taking my walking/sitting stick. My daughter, Elaine, had told me that she was renting a car and we would not be doing a great deal of walking. Wrong! The aforementioned traffic situation made parking and walking an absolute must.  Add to that, the sidewalks/trails/streets were rough and uneven. Although the green hillsides were velvety and soft looking, the walking places were not. Add to that truth the fact that much was at night and I am rather visually disabled, even in daylight. I am also a slow walker, due to big feet and short legs, I am easily winded and carry around with me some considerable bulk on very scrawny legs.  

Secondly, I had prepared for rainy weather with a raincoat worn by Colon to fish in Alaska, which was too big, and not warm at all. The rain was not what I should have planned for, but the temperature! A slicker-type garment keeps you dry, but not warm. I think the warmest temperature while in Ireland was about 30 degrees Celsius, which translates to the low 60s in Texas.  

The third is the high cost of Ireland. There are many places to spend your food budget in Ireland, but none at which to meet it. A cuppa coffee cost 2.5 Euros, which means $3.50, or thereabouts. And they don’t serve free water with meals in many places. At this point I am still dehydrated, because I didn’t drink the Guinness. A McDonald’s-type lunch for four could be kept under $60 American, but only with careful planning and leaving hungry.

As a temptation to readers, my article to follow will give some good things about Ireland.  For instance, bed and breakfast, ambience of the countryside, genuine friendliness of the people and coming home.