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Melissa5


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Irish Heat Wave Caused By MY RAINCOATS
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Hi Michele and friendly travellers! I just got back from Ireland and have you seen the headlines in the paper? "Irish Heat Wave Caused By Excess of Tourist Raincoats". Yep, that was us from sunny california!

Seriously I'm not even unpacked yet. Couldn't resist hopping on here for a moment. We were in Ireland July 8 through 23. The daytime temps, as recorded on our car's "outside" temp monitor, ranged from 15 to 31 degrees centigrade...that's getting mighty close to 90 degrees! We barely had any rain, though there was just enough to make those raincoats handy.

MAKE SURE YOUR CAR HAS WORKING AIR CONDITIONING! If you are traveling to Ireland this summer, you never know what the whether will be. We arrived in Shannon to rain and chilly weather. Within a day or so the weather was pleasantly warm. Then it was so hot it was hard to sleep at night in those b&bs, because you know none of them have air conditioning...they just don't need it...most of the year!!!

In a country with few trees, and no iced tea (only hot tea), where pubs and restaurants and b&bs don't have air conditioning, and drinks are often served without ice, temps in the 80's (fahrenheit) or 30 degrees centegrade can be uncomfortable.

A whole day of travelling in a small car packed with luggage during an Irish heat wave, AND NO AIR CONDITIONING, with 2 squabbling daughters in the back seat, and hubby's window open all the way, blowing the daughter's hair all around, can turn into quite a pickle!

We were supposed to have air conditioning, but didn't notice it didn't work until we needed it...2 days later. Oops!

I have major jet lag and I'm still woozy from 24-hour dramamine so I will be purring about the wonders of Ireland by tomorrow. Today I just want to advise summer visitors to Ireland who are leaving soon to do the following:

AIR CONDITIONING: You need air conditioning in the car. (Don't worry about air conditioning in the accomodations. You can open the windows at night.)

PACKING FOR IRISH SUMMERS: Pack long light-weight pants, which will do for even chilly summer days. Pack light-weight capri pants if you have them...great for hotter days. Pack zip-off long pants, which can become shorts for hot afternoons...they are terrific. Pack plain colored t-shirts or collar shirts, along with light-weight cover-ups like light sweaters, sweat-shirts, very light wind-breaker type jackets...this was all we needed for day-time temps ranging from 15 to 31 degrees centegrade. Ahhh! I'm so tired I'm wondering if I have mixed up "centegrade" with "celciius" and I can't find Michele's book right now.

IT'S SO HOT in IRELANDTHAT:
Bits of the road were melting...truly...if you didn't watch where you stepped you would get tar on your shoe!

SWEAT was running off of us in the pubs...but that didn't stop us from having a half-pint and enjoying the music and meeting wonderful folks!

ICE CREAM was melting before my daughter could get it in her mouth.

Okay, that's my weather report! In the space of 2 weeks in Ireland, I was rained on, chilly, pleasantly warm, and boiling hot! Also, if you ask the Irish about the weather, there are only 2 kinds of weather in Ireland. It's either "a fine sunny day" or else it will be "sunny soon". They are very optimistic! Love those Irish deep down to my Irish soul. I promise a more detailed report starting tomorrow including lodging, food, scenery, etc.

The Irish all told us this weather is unusual, by the way. So pack your windbreaker/raincoats like Michele says!

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Michele Erdvig


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Melissa,


Welcome home. So those lovely windbreakers did the trick and ushered in global warming in the Emerald Isle! Leave it to a Yank to be the cause of world-wide changing weather patterns. Who knew you would have to worry about not only sheep dung but melting road tar on your white sneakers. My husband prefers Guinness stains on his. (He is a bit messy.)


Get a good rest and chase away the jet-lag. We are looking forward to a rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud trip report soon.


Michele



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Roy


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My mother-in-law in Co. Westmeath has been raving about how wonderful the warmth of the heat is! Heats all a matter of perspective I suppose. After the hot, humid days here in Virginia even the unseasonable warm Ireland summer might be a break.

Roy

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Roy
Melissa5


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I returned home from the Irish heat wave to a San Diego heat wave here at home...and it's even hotter here! So I guess you can't escape global warming.

I'm going to have breakfast and work on my trip report. Who cares about dirty laundry?! (Just returned last night.)

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maureencol


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"I returned home from the Irish heat wave to a San Diego heat wave here at home"


Melissa, I live near Escondido.  Do you ever go to the House of Ireland in Balboa Park??


I talked to my cousin in Mullingar last weekend and I think their heat wave is over.  Back to the rain.  I usually go in October or November and have the best weather.  But then, living in California, I love the cool weather and rain anyway.  Always a pub close to have a nice hot whiskey!



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Shawn


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Our first 2 days in Dublin were 37 degrees and it was the hottest it had been since 1911.  I hate hot weather...and the people there did not like it either! 


Shawn



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Melissa5


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Maureencol, how nice you have a cousin in Ireland to visit. Sometimes on Sunday I stop by the Ireland hosue in Balboa Park and the other little cottages...cute! It was boiling hot in San Diego when we left for IReland...san diego heat wave...and we thought we would escape it in Ireland, but of course Ireland was having a heat wave too!



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Melissa5


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Shawn, our car registered outside temps up to 31 degrees C when we were in Ireland! The tar on some of the side roads was melting!

The locals seemed to enjoy the warm weather, but that was in the countryside. Big cities like Dublin must be even hotter with all that pavement. But then, I heard some locals say they enjoy the Irish winters too because there's nothing to do but sit inside with a cuppa tea or a cuppa something stronger and good company and they don't feel like they are missing anything outside!

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