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On being unloved

Head Rambles Posted on by

A thought rambled through my head yesterday.

Holidays.

We didn’t have a break this year so I think I deserve one next year.  One needs a break from doing nothing, and the best break from doing nothing is to do something.

The problem that arose then is where to go?

I toyed with the idea of France again, and tossed in Ireland as a possible alternative.  I started looking around the various areas of France that I might be interested in, trying to avoid the Dordogne as I have been there several times before.  My requirements are simple – somewhere that likes dogs and isn’t paranoid about smokers.  I did a search for a place in France and found about five, and none of them in an area where I particularly wanted to visit.

So to take a break from looking at France I took a look at Ireland.  Jayzus but that was worse!  I got pissed off trying to find somewhere that would accommodate my simple desires. The concept of a holiday seemed to be fading.

Then another thought crossed my mind.  Why France or Ireland?  Why not try England?

There are advantages and disadvantages to a trip to the UK. 

The main advantages are that they speak a close approximation to English, though judging by their latest census figures, that’s about to change and to visit I soon would have to learn Pakistani or Urdu or something.  They are also quite close.  The old ferry trip is only three or four hours what means it’s a lot cheaper and Penny wouldn’t be caged up for too long.  They also drive on roughly the same side of the road as us.

The main disadvantages are that they generally have much the same weather as us and it’s a long way to go to get pissed on, and they don’t have cheap tobacco so I can’t stock up for the journey home.

I had a look around and to my surprise there are quite a few places that are dog and smoker friendly.  England is beginning to look like a distinct possibility.

I only have one fear though.

Why do I picture myself arriving and finding a big sign in the window – “No Irish”?

 

Comments

On being unloved — 32 Comments

  1. You found smoke-friendly rentals over here? You'll have to share that particular website. 🙂

    • There quite a lot!  Just do a search for "smoker friendly holiday cottages".  A lot of the places when you drill down to them say smoking is veboten but that still leaves a sizeable chunk.  I was quite surprised.

  2. Dogs and smokers in Ireland ? 

    Well avoid the O'Callaghans Hotel on Stephen's Green then. I stayed there for my first and last time  last night. They do not want smokers in their place, refuse to offer smoking bedrooms, insist you stand in the rain outside their front door, and as far as I could see, the dogs were kept behind the reception desk and forced to work in the bar also !

    • Don't worry.  I think the chances of looking for accommodation in Dublin are considerably less than zero.  Now if you knew of a place in West Cork…….?

  3. One thing England has. Lots and lots of cask conditioned / real ale. Get your CAMRA guide before you go.

  4. GD…USA will gladly take your tourist euros.   However, you may have to board the pup and smoke behind the wood shed.

  5. No BlacksNo IrishNo dogs Used to be in the front window of every respectable B&B. Bit like the signs that used to be common on gates when I was a kid: No TinkersNo circularsNo Trespassing UK has always been a friendly, welcoming country. You'll feel right at home, GD. 🙂 Oh, don't forget to tell the missus to pack her niqab (Actually, I do the Brits a disservice here. They're really a pretty decent bunch of coves.Trust me.No, really, I mean it.Honest, Guv, they are. I know. I'm one of them.)

    • I wrote a wee scribble about this a couple of years ago – I an the new nigger.    Times haven't changed much.

      Not a bad idea about the niqab though.  I might buy her a couple for around the house here.

  6. Ah come on now GD!  England doesn't have the same climate as Ireland.  I know you're in the "sunny southeast" of Ireland, but even so it is a lot wetter than the SE of England.  Why not spend you holiday on the Kent coast (Broadstairs is nice) and less than an hours drive to Folkstone and the Eurotunnel.  I haven't seen a "No Irish" sign since the '50s and that way you get to fill up your tobacco cabinet and do the UK economy some good at the same time 🙂

    • Actually I was thinking more about the sunny South West.  As for nipping across to France for baccy, sure I might as well just go to France in the first place?

      • GD, I live in the west country, about 20 miles east of Bristol and believe me the south west is almost as wet as where you are.  Kent is one of the driest counties in England, only challenged by the eastern counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.   Why aren't I living there?  Well, I had every intention of moving back to Kent after retirement, but I find we can no longer afford the fancy house prices.The argument for taking your vacation (that to please #t ) in the UK as opposed to going to France revolves around the one affinity I believe the Irish people and the Brits share.  The need to extract our joint arses from the clutches of the EU.

        • That's grand so.  I'll let you know when I arrive and you can buy me a few pints.

          Somerset and I go way back and I thought it would be nice to see some of the old haunts again.   I also know Cambridge which can be very warm in summer, but it's rather flat.

          • So is real Somerset cider, but it packs one hell of punch.  OK pints are on me.  Email me when you arrive.

            • Ah!  Good old Scrumpy!! 

              Thanks for putting that offer in writing.  You may have just decided on my destination.

  7. With regard to holidaying in the UK, you'd have to add the factor that the pints are pure panther piss. Other than that I'd personally choose the UK over Frogland any day. My personal favourite though has to be a place called Camp, around ten miles from Tralee on the Dingle peninsula. Lots of friendly folk, miles of beaches to chill about on and (most importantly) you're never more than a ten minute walk from the nearest watering hole. 😉

    • Having climbed Caherconree and Baurtregaum from Derrymore (before you get to Camp from Tralee),  I can assure you that it is a lot more than a 10 minute walk back down again to the nearest watering hole.

      • Aha!  Camp!  Don't I know it [too] well.  One year I got stranded in a camp site there for two days after the road flooded.  Another year I was staying in Caherdaniel and was driving across the Conor Pass one day.  I thought it was exceptionally windy up there and discovered after I had crossed at the height of Hurricane Charley.

      • Well ….. they do say that time flies when you're having liquid fun! Certainly felt only like ten minutes from Ashe's pub to Shore Acre caravan park :p

        • Bloody hell!  That name rings a bell.  I'm fairly sure Shore Acre is where we got stranded.  That would have been around forty years ago.  Wonder what the place looks like now?

        • Hah! Just found Shore Acre on Google Earth.  That's the place all right, though in those days it was just a grassy patch behind the dunes.  No hard standing, roadway or caravans.  In fact the only facility was one tap mounted on a rotting wooden post.

    • If you don't mind me saying, Dave but I haven't seen any mention of the WAR on the news?  If I were one of you lot I'd vote for independence and then not apply to reenter the EU.  Win win?!  At that point I would probably migrate there instead of just holiday.

  9. I live in Kent and you would be welcome and could smoke as much as you like, some nice pubs and restaurants, none I know of is smoking friendly though. Unfortunately I have three cats and I don't think they would appreciate the dog!

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