Michele is the GOLDILOCKS of Ireland!

Melissa5 · Guru

Michele is the GOLDILOCKS of Ireland!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Melissa,

WOW! I am overwhelmed by your lovely comments about my book. Not only have you made my day, you have made my year!! It is so nice to know that my book was a big help with your trip and that it is something unique in the guidebook world. Maybe I can clone myself and visit every other country in the world and do books on them too. Even then I doubt there would be enough time.

I humbly accept the Goldilocks Award. Many thanks!

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 18:43, 2006-11-19

yesiree · Guru

And the Award Goes To...

CowboyCraic · Guru

RE: Michele is the GOLDILOCKS of Ireland!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Thanks to all of you for your kindness. But I must mention that the forum would be nothing without all the loyal members like you. It is what adds spice to the mix.

Corey, I love the award you made. It is the first time I have seen virtual Waterford Crystal. Thanks a bunch. Do I have your permission to put it on my website? You will have to tell me what software program you used. My husband loves to tinker with such things.

Michele

yesiree · Guru

Michele, I'd say your website is the equivalent of your virtual mantel, so that is definitely where your award belongs.

I doctored up the image in Photoshop. It can be a fun tool to play with...just be ready for your husband to start putting people's heads on different people's bodies, placing himself in photos with celebrities and adding a Loch Ness monster to Allatoona Lake.

Hats off to everyone on the board...and to Michele for bringing us all together.

Corey

Melissa5 · Guru

yesiree, I love the trophy! That is really cool!

Michele, yes, oh yes, please do visit all the countries in the world and write us some more books!

We were so spoiled in Ireland. Michele has found all these great b&bs for moderate prices with fabulous breakfasts included...and friendly hosts/hostesses. It is really hard to duplicate that for other countries, I am finding.

The Irish really know how to feed guests! Why do you suppose that seems to be especially Irish?

For some other countries I am finding that a continental breakfast is more likely to be included, or no breakfast at all. For a higher price as well.

Why do the Irish feed you such a great breakfast, and at such a good price, in the b&b's?

And why do the Irish like to compete for the "tidy town" award? That is also a really neat trend!

We all know that Goldilocks was picky as well. Everything had to be just right for her to be satisfied...not too big, not too small. Not too hot, not too cold. Not too hard, not too soft. Thanks to Goldilocks, I fondly remember not only the beauty of Ireland, but I remember the b&bs and guesthouses as being memorable in themselves...they were more than just a place to sleep.

Michele, your books provide a consistency of quality that is hard to find anyplace else.

I like using tripadvisor guest reviews (www.tripadvisor.com) but the trouble there is that you are reading accounts from lots of different people. There is conflicting advice. It can get confusing. Plus you can't tell if the visiting guest is more like Goldilocks, or more like the Big Bad Wolf!

Sigh...I'm so spoiled. Nobody to tell me if the shower has good water pressure, if the bed is too hard or too soft for New Zealand.

You can bet I'll be back to Ireland as soon as I can find my way back! My husband is considering going to a conference in England next June...just a boat-ride over from Ireland! Crossing my fingers!

Merle · Senior Member

Melissa,

Your comments comparing Michele to Goldilocks were RIGHT ON. I completely agree with everything.

Corey,

I loved the award. It was awesome.

Merle

Michele Erdvig · Host

Melissa,

You are the queen of travel research! I'm sure you will have a grand time in New Zealand and your accommodations will be "just right" because of all the hard work you do in advance. Trip Advisor can be tricky especially when you find that the owners have posted their own reviews. It does happen on occasion. I always try to read between the lines when using things like that. And you are right; different people have different opinions. The more you read the more nuances you will become attuned to.

I think the Irish breakfast is a hold-over from when farmers needed a hearty meal to start out their day of hard work. Also, the Irish had a tough time of it during the famine and there is a long history of hospitality and sharing whatever you have with visitors that goes back thousands of years. They don't want anyone to leave their homes hungry!

I am so happy to "spoil" all my readers with my opinions. As I often tell my husband when he complains about my pickiness, "I get paid to be fussy." You really nailed it Melissa when you named me the Goldilocks of Ireland.

Michele

P.S. Ireland is only about an hour's flight from England! There are some great, cheap airfares there.

Melissa5 · Guru

Goldilocks, thanks for calling me the "queen of travel research". Finally I get to be the queen of something! Remember when I was frantically checking out all the rain gear for my first trip to Ireland? And you recommended that nature web-site which was offering cheap water-resistant windbreakers? Yes, you saved me a lot of money as I bought them for the whole family...and we did look like flowers in our photos. Well, now I am shopping and packing for New Zealand...probably will pack the same raincoat! I will have to return to Ireland though since it was a heat wave while we were in Ireland and my raincoat barely got christened with the Irish rain!

I miss chatting with you about Ireland. Can't keep up til I get back from NZ. Then I will catch up on the new trip reports I see posted. This is our 25th anniversary trip to NZ. Our trip to Ireland was a family trip with young adult daughters. And it has been unanimously agreed by all that my husband and I deserve a trip back to Ireland just for the 2 of us next time! (Although I notice his mother has been wishing for a trip to Ireland...)

My 21-year-old daughter still sighs and gets all dreamy-eyed when she sees photos of the Cliffs of Moher...We had a hard time pealing her off the Cliffs to head to Doolin for dinner...Of course not one of us went past that sign that says no trespassing beyond this point...is the sign still there?

Irish lovers, enjoy planning your trip to the greenest and friendliest isle I have ever stuffed myself silly on and ever written poetry on and ever searched for the ghosts of my ancestors on...

Michele Erdvig · Host

Melissa,

Great to hear from you again. Congrats on your 25th! I have always wanted to go to New Zeland. Perhaps I will do it for my 40th. You must be getting excited about your trip there. Once you are back you can return here and start planning your couples trip to Ireland (with mother-in-law along!!).

Check these out:

http://www.irelandyes.com/forum.html http://www.irelandyes.com/testimonials.html

They will give you a good laugh.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 18:17, 2007-01-19