Carol remarked on our second day in Ireland that this trip so far seemed “chopped.” I conceded her point, keeping my own thoughts on the subject to myself. Namely, “chopped” is exactly the way I wanted this trip to unfold.

The Guiness Brewery bar. Perfect combo of sightseeing while having a pint

  Ireland would be our first trip together that was not structured by the terms of a Eurail Pass, or a stay-and-play plan like our two weeks in Tours a couple of years back. But we found ourselves in Dublin for four days, with no clear plan of where we’d be going next, or how we would get there. Making the advance decision not to try learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road, we would be figuring out where to go next and then whether a bus or train would get us there. 

“Carol can see when I’ve had my fill of cathedrals, statues and ruins. And I can tell when Carol’s had it with sitting in a cafe and staring.”

  Without set plans, the days can unfold naturally, without schedules or deadlines to lock you into a fixed itinerary. True, this lackadaisical approach might mean missing some critical points of interest. On the other hand, you’re bound to stumble onto something interesting, given you’re in a foreign country to begin with, and everything should be interesting to some extent. You’re also guaranteed not to be late for it or get lost getting there, because you weren’t at any time looking for it in the first place. 

A personal fantasy of mine

  Carol needs a bit more structure than that. And I am happy to compromise my slovenly approach for one that’s, shall I say, more mature. And so it was, as the pints accumulated in a cheerful Dublin pub, so did an itinerary. Which, given the way it emerged from thin air, has now been modified three or four times, without any wear and tear on our enjoyment of how it’s all turning out.

  Jumping ahead for the moment, we’re waiting for a bus to take us to the fourth destination on our current plan, and there’s been no sense of having left anything of significance out. Even the weather,  predicted to be raw and wet, has turned out with a little more sunshine than we were expecting. I consider it a testament to the value of just waking up on the road and seeing what happens.

  I will admit we’ve done and seen more under Carol’s leadership than would have occurred under mine. The Guinness brewery, for instance. It’s a must see in all the guidebooks, and I can happily  announce we saw it. I probably would not have gone on my own, a preference for copiously consuming the product with little curiosity as to its making, being a more preferred use of my time. 

Best way to see the sights in Dublin – atop the Guinness brewery 

  The reason we work well as travelers is that we can read each other exceptionally well. Carol can see when I’ve had my fill of cathedrals, statues and ruins. And I can tell when Carol’s had it with sitting in a cafe and staring.

  What’s interesting is how the polarities change once a course of action has been determined. In Carol’s case, once the tickets are bought, she’s ready to find some place to sit and stare, while I start fretting about either being late, getting a good seat or missing it altogether.

  I guess that’s what companionship is all about.