One of the fun things to spending a winter aboard in a cold climate, is the number of folks that will pop out in T shirts and shorts when the temp gets all the way up to 50F.
Or the flip side, is you are used to the heat and humidity of Florida, the temperature goes to 60, and you have to wear a parka to keep from shivering.
That was me, waiting outside for class to start, reading a Stephen King novel, and wondering if I would freeze to death before they let us inside. I wear that same parka when I go skying now a days....
Now I go out side in cold weather and do not really feel it.
We were in Ireland one year in late June and early July. It did get a bit chilly in the evening and we would wear a light jacket. The locals were running around in puffy winter jackets.
Like there was a blizzard on the way. On another trip to Ireland, in July and August, there was a heat wave and the locals were dying in the heat. It was 85F.
We thought it was nice, even staying in houses with no AC.
I don't know what kinda of cheap a....ss asphalt they use for the road in Ireland, we read about it before we left, and the roads do MELT, and I do me MELT, in 85 degree weather!
We were driving up a south facing hill and it was like driving on ice because the pavement was melting.
We though we knew potholes.... Ireland has some potholes. Lovely place. Great people. Can't wait to go back. If you rent a car, the insurance is expensive and a scam both for tourists and the locals, but buy the full package of insurance. You will USE it.
We were not on the road for more than 60-90 minutes, we had crossed into Northern Ireland for a bit, and saw a construction sign.
The sign was warning of road work with gravel and showed a truck with a bow wave.
Except the bow wave was the truck spewing gravel.
Sure enough, a truck drove by as we were on a road that was being graveled, said truck spewed gravel like the bow wave on boat going full displacement speed, a rock hit and cracked the windshield.
Later, we were on what the Irish call a road. It really is a freaking trail. A bit of pavement with bushes growing out into the road with what they consider two lanes. Heck, on one road we were racing a sheep.
Stupid rental car has driver assist that goes off whenever I get as close to the edge of the road as possible so we don't have a head on collision with oncoming cars. The driver's assist is going off because of the jungle growing into the road!
Apparently they let the hedges grow like this for wildlife....
Car got a bit of faint scratches in the paint because of this but the insurance covered it at the end of the trip, along with the cracked window. Just handed them the keys and walked away.
Ireland is a lovely country. Driving around is wonderful and an experience. Just get the insurance.
You will need it.
Just take shorts and a light coat for the extreme weather.
Later,
Dan
..Hopefully the boat in Oriental, NC is OK, been below freezing several days, yard says still plugged in with heater in the engine room
