The Wrap I: Still doesn't know

Just went back and reread my comments from before leaving Ireland. In the air on the way home, they still seem fair. I can't reasonably write the whole place off based on our limited experience, but the fact remains that it was a distinctly underwhelming experience. I sifted through my photos looking for some that really resonate for me, and there just weren't really any like that, other than the images of ruins and castles.

Still, it was a good place to visit. Even if it was just to find out that the romantic ideal I had in mind doesn't really exist, that is part of what travelling is about. I'm not unhappy we went to Ireland, far from it, but that also doesn't mean that I will be rushing back.

Another thing travelling though, is about is trying to figure out the symbology of the road signs in the countries that you go to. If you can't read the language, at least the pictograms are usually relatively universal. In Ireland however, we came across one that was rather opaque on the first day's drive.


My first impression was something to do with Triffids, and we still don't know for sure what it is, but in the end we think it is probably a warning about potential high winds on exposed parts of the motorways.

This next one was more clear:





Even though our car was a bit more boxy than the one in the picture, we did NOT go down this road.

I also didn't like this one at the airport. It just bothered me that this was as much a part of the airport facilities as the cargo section.



There is one other type of sign which was highly prevalent in Ireland which needs to be mentioned.


As I understand, there has been an enormous building boom there for the past few years, but there are nowhere near enough people for all the houses. Everywhere there are brand new developments and estates, full of identical houses and usually quite well finished and landscaped - but mostly unoccupied, and some already starting to show early signs of decrepitness. These signs are everywhere (except when you want to get a picture of one!).

Huge developments were visible even as we were flying in, and everywhere we drove there was a staggering amount of very new building, and heaps of these ghost estates. I understand that this has been the source of the current economic problems, just a huge over-investment that can't now be paid for. Everywhere we went we had conversations with people who were looking to leave Ireland for work, or had had spent time working abroad, especially Perth for some reason.

Interestingly, it sounds as though a similar thing might happening to some extent in Abu Dhabi - a lot of developments, some of staggering scope, and perhaps too many for a post-GFC world to deal with. They are very nervous abut the current economic showdown in the US, there is a lot of money tied up in the US economy, and they do not at all like what they are seeing from the Republicans.

Location:In the air between Abu Dhabi and Sydney