Friday, September 2, 2011

A Boreen

Ireland is a very small country.

Which means, very small roads.

When I first moved here I was nervous even being a passenger in the cars here. I felt that the driver was going too close to the walls, the others cars, the pedestrians etc.

And learning how to drive here on the narrow roads and on the wrong side of the road/car? even harder!

but eventually I learned. I feel like it has made me a better driver. more cautious, smarter.

maybe.

But I have been wanting to film a small road near my house for a while.

The Irish call this a "Boreen"- meaning small country road or narrow road in Gaelic.

This is a road I use as a short cut into town to the grocery store...its pretty small....probably even more narrow than it looks on the film....

But anyways...here is a short youtube clip of it- there is a small part on a much larger neighborhood road first...hope it doesn't bore you too much...and yes I was going FAST!







There is some honking in the video....I learned that a lot of times on these small country roads there is a completely blind curve and to inform whomever might be on the other side there is a car coming (including other traffic) you honk....and hopefully they stop!

The road is TWO-WAY....there are almost invisible little gaps in the road where you can kinda pull your car into when another car is coming head on...leaves less then a foot between the cars to pass...a little nerve wracking but you get used to it...

That day that I filmed I met no one- but- I have met several cars including a car that forced me to reverse over the bridge and into a freaking hedge!! I was NOT happy!

oh and also....most of that greenery you see on the sides....that's not bushes...those are mostly weeds growing out of stone walls....that line both sides of the road....no room for error people!


And that folks is a country road in Ireland....and not even CLOSE to the smallest I have been down at that speed.....there are MANY small country roads here with grass growing down the middle...and YES they are ROADS!!

much to my surprise.....even to this day.

2 comments:

  1. The whole time I watched the video I was thinking, "Wow she really needs to get on the right side of the road before a car comes!" Hahahahahaha

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