Today's post is called "The I's have it". Did I spell that wrong? No, I'm talking about three countries that start with "I": Ireland, Iceland and Italy. What do these I's have in common? They are all very popular destinations.
Some tourists have shied away from France this past year based on concerns around safety. These concerns are deeply personal and while we tend to look at risk from a probability standpoint, some people just don't feel comfortable going to a foreign destination when the news is dominated by terrorist activities. The probabilities say that it is more dangerous to drive your car around for an hour a day in the US than it is to spend a week in Paris. I fully accept the risk of driving and certainly have no problems spending anytime in France. Syria would be a different story for me personally. But again, this is a personal decision.
So where are people going if they are not going to France? Ireland and Iceland. And Italy remains highly popular. So today's post is about these three countries.
Having just visited Ireland (see our various posts for the trip here), the first word that I now think of when I think of Ireland is friendly. The people we met were just so amazingly friendly. Not just in the countryside but in the cities as well. And not just in the pub at midnight either. These are genuinely warm people. And while you may go to see the beautifully green countryside, you'll come back for the people.
And they are fun as well. The Irish seem to like to have a good time. It's pretty hard to take a trip to Ireland and not have a good time. So Friendly and Fun - that's two F's.
The third is "familiar". Why do I say that? Well there's so many American's with some ties to Ireland. Consider that almost 40 million Americans claim to be of Irish Descent according to this story. Particularly interesting since the entire population of Ireland is less than 7 million. Add on to that the influence of St Patrick's Day, the many Irish based educational and sport institutions (Notre Dame University, Boston Celtics) and you can see why Ireland feels so familiar to Americans. I personally have no Irish blood but I felt very at home in Ireland. It's just that sort of place - and you have to visit it to experience it.
If you've never been to Ireland, you have an image of Emerald Green rolling hills dotted with sheep. And you'd be spot on - there's lots of that sort of landscape views. But the geography is so much more diverse than that. There's dramatic cliffs, glacially carved valleys, miles of barren land, acres of bogs and of course several very well settled cities. You really do need to see the green but you'll be amazed at what's not so green.
For most American's, Iceland is just plain different. It's a place to see the northern lights and large geothermal springs. There's volcanoes, lava and waterfalls. There's beaches and tundra, reindeer and seals. There's Viking heritage, modern European influence and even a substantial city. Visit fishing villages where traditional ways of life are all they know. There's icebergs, horses and sharks. You can see puffins, cormorants and kittwakes. There's UNESCO world heritage sites to explore. And of course the seafood is as fresh as it gets. Sound different? you bet.
Dramatic is a good way to describe many of these sites as well. You'll never look at the night sky the same way after seeing the Northern Lights. Experience lava and water and new primordial images will be with you for a lifetime. But Iceland offers so much more for those that want a real adventure. Hiking, biking and rafting. Did you know you can snorkel super clear water where two tectonic plates collide? You can kayak across glacieal lakes within really deep fjords. And there's always the dramatic hike across teh fields to an unexpected hot spring. Sound both active and dramatic
So now you know a little bit more about Ireland and Iceland. But that's only two of the three I"s. Italy? well, you probably already know lots bout Italy. The pasta, the pope, the wine, the Renaissance, the volcano's. There's so much to know and love about Italy to be sure. But we'll leave it there for now.
Many of our clients already have been to Italy or it's already on their bucket lists. But people are just now starting to think about Ireland and Iceland. So the I's really do have it.
So if you're interested in going to Ireland or Iceland or Italy - what's the best way to do it? That's where a great travel agent comes in. You can do cruises or land packages. You can do adventure travel, group tour travel. You can have private guides or be totally independent. You can sleep in castles, cottages or hostels. There's so many choices. And of course with choice comes many different prices. And lots of information. And some misinformation out there. So call a great travel agent. Seek their advice. They will provide some options that you've probably never heard about. Just say "I".