Ireland

“For me… Scotland is the fairer sister,” I wrote recently.

Does it matter? Not at all. But folks ask all the time which is my favorite between Scotland and Ireland.

Ireland has plenty going for it. To start with, if I could adopt an accent, I’d choose Irish. So lovely just hearing them speak.

And lots of beautiful scenery! But in this story, I want to share some pics from my collection of odd photos from the trip.

I’ll start with one you may have seen on my Facebook page. Bog people.

Well-preserved bodies discovered in peat bogs. The bodies date from 2,000 to 4,000 years ago.

Some bog people are so well preserved, fingernails and hair are intact. In some cases, archeologists are even able to tell what their last meal was.

What most of them share in common is they died a violent death. Think strangulations, hangings or slit throats.

Many of them suffered multiple injuries archeologists call ‘overkill,’ indicating that way more injuries were inflicted that necessary to kill a person.

Execution, ritualistic sacrifice? We don’t know.

Speaking of things preserved in bogs…

I asked my wife to pose underneath to give perspective.

Irish elk antlers from a species that has been extinct for well over 10,000 years.

On a lighter note, fun store names.

I had to know if a store for gamers really served donuts. They do.

Get the latest version of Minecraft or Warhammer, then mosey to the back of the store for a pink icing glazed donut.

I didn’t have as many questions about the shop next door.

Gravity seems like an odd name for a hair salon, but if you think about it, what happens when hair is cut?

It falls. Ta-da! Gravity, baby! (That’s the best I got.)

This one is for everyone that says ‘jewelery’ (jewel-er-ree, istead of jewel-ree).

Turns out, you’re not saying it wrong, you’re just speaking a different language.

‘Jewellery‘ is how it’s spelled and pronounced in the UK and Ireland.

And finally, this. Greyfriars Bobby, a statue of a dog in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Notice his shiny nose. Visitors are asked to NOT touch his nose, as it rubs off the finish and exposes the bronze underneath. And just like in the picture, nobody listens. Nobody. Gotta get that picture.

Ireland also has a famous statue. Molly Malone is the character in a traditional Irish song. According to the song, Molly sold fish by day and had a more dubious occupation by night.

You’ll find Molly in Dublin. She is also rubbed a lot.