Sausages & Soda Bread
This past June, my boyfriend Ryan and I set out for a cross-country road trip in Ireland. My dad's family is 100% Irish, and I'm lucky enough to have original documentation of my first ancestor who immigrated to Fayette County, Pennsylvania from Ireland in 1892. My dad, who was absolutely obsessed with being Irish, inspired me to foster pride in my heritage, and after he passed away, I knew I had to go.
Because Ireland is only the size of the state of Indiana, we decided to rent a car. Many thanks to Ryan for not only driving the whole trip (on the left side of the road), but driving up the sides of mountains on a road that's really only big enough for a smart car. My job? Navigation and herding sheep to a safe crossing.
Once we landed in Dublin, we started our road trip right away. Check out the map at the end of the post for all of the destinations, food and drink spots, sightseeing, and attractions. Our trip was scheduled.for just one week, so we were on the move quite a bit. I must say, of all of our destinations, the Dingle Peninsula was by far my favorite stop. A car ride up a mountainside from Castlegregory to Dingle via Conor Pass leads you to a beautiful waterfall, and a quick hike reveals the source, a serene glacial lake, known as Pedler's Lake.
Now, let's talk food. I'll admit, most of what drives me to travel is the local fare. I wasn't particularly excited for trying traditional Irish cuisine, especially after one of the most delicious food-cations I had last summer in Italy, France, and Spain. With that said, there is something about Irish food that hits different senses. It elicits nostalgia in the most comforting way. Quintessential Irish food isn't just meat and potatoes (okay, it's a lot of meat and potatoes), it's made with the landscape in mind. When two terrains collide, you're met with an abundance of fresh seafood and happy farm animals, which we all know tastes better.
There's wasn't any food I didn't enjoy (usually that's always the case though). But, there were two things that I would have time and time again. A full Irish breakfast will leave you full all day. It consists of sausages, rashers (their version of bacon which tastes like ham steak), black pudding, white pudding, sautéed mushrooms and baked tomato half. Don't forget the toast, butter, jam, and coffee, of course.
The second treat, that I think Ryan would say is his favorite....Guinness. We can count that as a meal, right? It tastes completely different than the U.S. version. It's creamy, light, and extremely smooth. The craft beer scene in Ireland is ever-growing, and we had the opportunity to taste several beers. Two others that I would consider staples alongside Guinness include Beamish,an Irish stout from Cork, and Smithwick's (pronounced "Smiddicks"), an Irish red-style ale from Kilkenny).
I could go on and on about Ireland for hours. And, I won't lie. It's pretty much exactly what you think it's going to be like: green, rolling hills, tons of sheep, lots of Guinness, and old Irish men drinking beer, embracing each other's shoulders and singing Irish pub songs. But, you still need to skip across the Pond and see it to believe it.
