der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 17

DRIVING THROUGH A LOOKING GLASS AND OTHER STRANGE SIGHTS
number of golfers who were at the
same hotel where we stayed
(McGrory's), Ballyliffin must be
wonderful course. That being said,
observing their outfits, I will forever
take their critique of the tackiness of
racing suits with a grain of salt.
What makes driving County
Donegal even more hazardous
are the beautiful landscapes.
Until I visited Ireland, I thought
our country's Pacific Northwest
was the prettiest, greenest place in
the world. I stand corrected. Yes,
Seattle is the Emerald city. But

obvious why the makers of Star
Wars selected the cliffs of Malin
Head as the location for Luke
Skywalker's self-imposed exile.
While interest in visiting Malin
Head has increased because of
"Star Wars", it's better known as the
best location in Ireland to see the
Northern Lights. Be forewarned -
the best viewing is from November
to February, which are the coldest
months for that region.
As we drove the north Ireland
roads, we were mindful of the Yogi
Berra quote, ""You can observe a lot

(Above) We quickly learned why the 1 Series was a common sight.
traffic, with many of them only one
lane wide. And the reasons for the
rental vehicle scratches and dents
became quite apparent. These
narrow roads are lined with tall
grasses and with scrubs. Sections
that appear to be lined with severe
overgrowth are actually greenery
covering thick stone walls or barbed
wire fences. Driving the curvy

entering the many quaint villages,
the locals would parallel park on
both sides of the road, leaving
enough room for a single lane. And
there was neither rhyme nor reason
as to which direction they parked.
No matter the direction they were
traveling, if there was a large
enough space on either side of the
road, that's where they parked.

(Above) Yes, this look takes some getting used to!
Ireland is aptly nicknamed the
Emerald Isle. The landscapes range
from wonderfully lush and green
rolling hills, some with outlined
with perfect squares where herds of
sheep and cattle roam, to the mystical rocky cliffs and shoreline. It's

just by watching." This area is a
wonderful mixture of the old and the
new. We saw people harvesting,
cutting, and drying peat, to be
burned in fireplaces and stoves
during the winter months. We saw
strange hay harvesting machines

(Below) Yes, diesel-powered vehicles were a common sight.

(Above) The Irish appreciate the advantages of a 5-door hatchback.
mountain roads presented a special
challenge. When encountering oncoming traffic on the single-lane
roads, one vehicle would need to
back up.
Single-lane roads were not
exclusive to the country. When

March I April

The locals had a different
perspective on their roads. We
were told of the significant road
improvement projects performed to
support the 2018 Irish Open, which
was held at the Ballyliffin Golf Club
in County Donegal. Based on the

17
der Bayerische March/April 2020

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