It's the same, except that it isn't.

I've been to Europe a few times now, but this last trip was completely untreaded territory. And I really have nothing bad to say about the most excellent United Kingdom. Excellent company, excellent weather (Europe's going through a psycho heat wave right now, imagine 80 and sunny on the beach in Ireland), excellent luck finding hidden coves and towns and B&Bs, and never went too hungry. That said, what's a vacation without a little culture shock, even for an Irish lass? Allow me to elaborate:

1. The Guinness is better. The cider is better. The pubs are plentiful. Let the games begin!

2. "Still water" is water. "Sparkling water" is carbonated water. Simple enough, right? No. For reasons unexplained to me, some carbonated water stocked on the shelf with all the other water contains aspartame, which in my book begins to classify as soda. Dutiful label reading must ensue to avoid sugar alternative-induced headaches.
3. Mayonnaise haters beware! It's everywhere! Expect strange looks when asking for mustard or ketchup on items like sandwiches and veggie burgers.

4. Don't even get me started on the veggie burgers. I liked them, but I have no idea what they were supposed to be.

- When sheep are really used to humans, they'll lay in the middle of the road and won't move even if you're about to drive over them (we didn't).

5. Corporate America is depressing, but driving past a McDonald's down the road from a castle in Northern Wales is really depressing.

6. During traditional Irish breakfast, you will be served thick, homemade wheat bread and toasted white bread and expected to eat both. If you don't want to eat the bacon, ham, sausage and eggs, it's best to bring along a napkin to smuggle them off your plate so as not to offend your B&B host. You can always feed your traveling partner later if he starts to whine.

7. Vegetarians are generally pitied (see above).

8. There's nothing more beautiful than Ireland's million shades of green.

9. But don't expect anything that resembles a salad. Ok, salads do exist. But they won't look leafy and green and there's a good chance they'll be covered with what looks and tastes like mayonnaise.

10. Driving on the left side of the road/right side of the car isn't as hard as you would think. The rules are the same, they're just inverted.  It's like weird mirror math. Fun!

11. The deep-fried Mars bar craze actually exists and is quite possibly the most delightful piece of junk I've ever put into my body. Imagine an oozing, hot candy bar that tastes like a doughnut. Oh. My. God.

12. Architectural history is abundant and breathtaking and amazing.

Enjoy a few more pics, my friends:

Behind the scenes of London's fabulous tube:

Fancy a round?

I never said the deep-fried Mars bar looked as good as it tasted. 

Howth harbor at sunset:

Blogging abroad:

Got mountain?

Happy weekend everyone!

Comments

[Mr.M]

Those pictures are beautiful.

[Phil]

Dude! Corprate America fucking rocks!! Not depressing.

[Don Labia]

wow Drinking is Soooo Cool im gogin to grow up and be cool to

[Cypher]

Except for GM and tabacoo companies, corporate America is pretty cool. Anyway those pics are amazing. I'll have to visit the UK sometime it's pretty damn beuatiful. By the way, if some of you guys don't have the time or money(like me) to visit Europe, Colorado is a very clean and beautiful state. But Europe looks great and keep the pics coming.

[Ellen]

Great Pictures..:) I can see it was a great trip...I wish I could go there...

[Chris Inman]

I agree that commercialization of corporate America sucks. Everybody wants to stick their fingers in the pie. And there are too many similar businesses competing. Even though it helps against monopolies it's still oversaturated. Seeing a McDonalds near a castle would upset me too.

I'm not a full fledged vegetarian. I still like seafood, but some of it has turned my stomach. There's nothing like cooking your own food. Homemade mayonaise rules. I'll miss honey mustard chicken, but have learned of an unlimited variety of alternatives through vegetarian dishes that beat the hamburger hot dog world. I currently have a thing for marinades if anyone knows of a good reference or resource. I'm not sure about a deep fried Mars bar, but the thought of hot melted chocolate has me in extasy. 8D

Ahhh... Don you remind me of myself at the age of 16 with a license a 66' mustang and a love for partying. Just remember quality over quantity and self control. It's better to stay in control and see someone else puke or worse than to have it the other way around. I'm still a big social drinker to this day at the age of 30 and it's still a lot of fun. Just don't get too crazy like me :D.

Once again, thanks for the pictures Sarah. I've been having fantasies of running free through the lush green landscape. It's better than my nightmares of running and fighting zombies. ;D Stay cool.

Hyper Smiley

[Chris Inman]

Oh yeah, just be thankful the McDonalds wasn't inside the castle. Oops, don't wanna give Mickey D's any ideas ;D

[Tim]

Beautiful. Cheers!

[Pip]

Slick Mountains.

[AB]

I just got back from Europe Monday and I agree about the commercialization thing. Salisbury is a very good example, the place looks like common town USA. Though it must be noted there still exists there the Salisbury Cathedral, awesome place, very old and well it's just cool. Hope you had fun on your trip.

PS- Am I the only one that finds it weird that over in Europe the concept of ice filled cups is foreign.

[iom]

That looks like a deep-fried turd. That thing wouldn't go within a radius of 5 feet of my mouth (or since it's 'Yurp .. 1.5239999899416001 Meters, although metrics borders on gay) ;)~

It just goes to show ya though .. you can wrap a deep-fried coating around anything and it'll taste good. I have a deep-fried pair of nunchucks next to me that's looking tasty. =)

[Corey]

Nice pics Sarah oh that Mars Bar looks pretty funnt to me.

[TonyH]

Thanks for the pictures. I would most likely be stared at over there, as I despise mayonnaise. Thank you for the warning if I should ever find myself over there. I hope to someday go over and try to trace my ancestors down, both there and in Germany. Oh, and I totally agree. Commercialization does have its incredibly bad points - drive through my hometown, or other small towns in Alabama - but you have to admit, when its 3:30 in the morning, and you need some Nyquil extremely bad, your grateful to have a Walmart within fifteen minutes of your house. Have a good weekend yourself.

[Oli]

Being vegetarian in England is pretty easy - don't know about Ireland, but it definitely is in England. Load's of choices, and no matter where you go, they'll nearly always be at least one vegetarian option.

Being vegetarian in California can be really tough.

[Shooter]

Nice shots, blind irony that the whole page is green as well? :)

Next time take me and I'll shoot B&W neg for contrast.

[thanks u too]

thanks u too.

[Taylor]

Guinness! Right on...!

I wish more of my lady friends enjoyed the taste of a real beer.

[Nigel]

I'm sure that you had fun and can u please e-mail me back.

[chat]

i just KNEW ireland was pretty! once i mentioned how i'd like to go there, people here gave me weird looks - like Paris is the only place in Europe worth visiting, right? weirdos.

the mars bar looks good to me, i'm gonna try it at home. and that mountains picture? it looked like you took a picture of a hobbit running through The Shire, if you ask me. ;)



chat

[MikeBirac]

mmmmmmmmm Guinness from Ireland, damm that must be one tasty pint. Now I'll ponder how the extra stout and the Kilkenny is there *drools* mmmm ales.Very nice pics though, glad to see people enjoying the outside world. It shocks me, as when we had the Eastern seaboard outage, people ranted and whined "I Have no internet, blah blah" IT was great weather outside, I'd have definately gone out, get some good hockey in, GO WILD AND LEAFS.

[Barb]

We're enjoying your wonderful photos & colorful stories of your trip! ;-) Thank you for taking the time to post them. Loved your Burrow movie!

[cove]

Nice pics, please post more!

[MikeBirac]

That deep fried mars bar, along with a pint of Guinness, yumm

Try this one, bbq some brie cheese in tinfoil, let it melt, spread it over good thin crackers and with blueberry jam. Server that w/ Guinness

all this time I spend as a tech, maybe I Should spend as a chef

[Mr. Munson]

I went to Europe once, on a soccer trip, and that was probably the best time i have ever had. I did go to a McDonalds while i was there and you had to pay 50 cents (American) to have a ketchup...really pissed me off so i never went to another one after that. I did go down by a harbor one time and this guy was selling fish that he had just caught and was taking out all the guts and such and then he just gave it to me for free since i was foriegn and it was dipped in onions, needless to say it WAS very tasty, even though i was very skeptical at first. But thanks for the pics, really reminds me of the beauty in Europe.

[Chris]

Thanks for the Vegetarian heads-up, Ms. Lane. My girlfriend and I have kicked around the idea of going to Ireland. She, being a Vegan, might make for interesting accommodations.

[oog]

now it all makes sense, the levitation, the evil book readin, the cream cookies you always eat... you a damn witch!

Dude, you're getting an Oooghij MIQtxXA!you buy, make oog rich, rip head off!! RAWRR!!!

[Matt C]

Oh my. All of the pictures are just beautiful...as much as I treasure it, I would glady trade my sarahlane.com Lifetime Achievement award for the chance to go overseas for a period of time. Just to look at everything. That deep fried Mars bar looks like a demonic egg roll, but I bet it tastes damn good. You've got to try deep-fried cheesecake sometime...two thumbs and one cholestoral count WAAAY up...

:) Glad you two had fun, and better yet, took pictures!

[Chris Inman]

It's good to see your comments here Matt. Demonic eggroll :D and Ohhh... Cheeesecake. I could eat cheesecake all day. If I had it, I would trade the Lifetime Achievement award too. ;)

Stay cool,Hyper Smiley

[Patrick]

My sister went to Ireland a bit before you did, and you're right, the sheep don't care. One even headbutted her rental car. The pictures are silly!

[David]

:(

i sent Sarah an email and she never answered.

:(

[Tommy Pitts]

How do you stand those jerks , Leo and Patrick.Great pictures , made me miss the old country.

[Leland]

Wow, you're a very interesting and pretty woman... not to embarass you or to have you freak out... but should that say "deep-fried mars bar" or "deep-friend mars bar" the first sounds much more delightful... I'm not sure my friends would like that... hahaha.. just teasing... keep smiling... yours are contageous...

[Tom Pitts]

Wow, I have a twin here! Sorta freaked me out for a sec. And he was posting only two days away from my birthday...weird.

Anyway I love that Guinness shot, and Ellen, I envy your '66 mustang. Pretty much all cars made after 1977 stylisticly suck. Sure a Celica handles WAY better than old Detroit Muscle, but if it comes down to the coolness factor, gimme a '67 GTO. Any car mentioned in both Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" and the Ramones "Rock & Roll High School" is OK by me.

[Its Solsbury]

A few comments down someone talks about the town "Salibury". IT is NOT Salisbury it's Solsbury you silly english konnigut!

[matt]

that GUINNESS and you look so good together. I miss Ireland it is just wonderfull. The people a great, and food is real, and the beer is the best.

by the way happy birthday, my 30th was not to long ago and I had a great time, it just keeps getting better.

PS. I like the blog and I love you on the show.

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