h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last year I had a great 4 days in Dublin and a fantastic 10 days in other places in Eire including Kilfenora and Galway. Can't remember much about Dublin; Porterhouse Bar, Temple Bar, a Welsh Male Voice Choir, James Joyce Martello Tower, Gentlemen's Bathing Place, top
deck of a red bus and the Book of Kells. Not in that order. Hats off!

Nice to hear from a happy visitor! Red bus? Are you sure? Hmmm, not impossible, though it would have been unthinkable in my childhood. You see a number of once-red pillar boxes around here, with VR or ER or GR painted over with green . . . when they filmed "Educating Rita" in Dublin they cunningly disguised it as a British city by placing a red letterbox in every street scene. They sure jump out at you.

I trust you heard some good music in Kilfenora

In Dublin it was a red double-decker topeless bus for tourists. Everybody got off at the Guinness Brewery except us.
In a pub at Kilfenora and heard some traditional music. A racing man we'd met at Galway gave us the tip and the wink! It was all very enjoyable. We had B & B in Kilfenora and went to Waterville for 4 nights B & B and we enjoyed seeing the dolphins.
Surely you don't drive in Dublin traffic on your recumbent bike?

Oh but I do, and no scratches to show for it (yet). And yesterday I did see a red tourist

I've been cycling in Dublin traffic since the age of 11, which is 47 years now. Nothing can deter me. A training in Dublin traffic qualifies you to drive or cycle anywhere, I reckon. The first time I drove in London I hit on the method straight away; they drove faster there at that time, being utterly spoiled by timorous pedestrians (I saw them step back off pedestrian crossings!). In Dublin the pedestrian takes his right of way with aplomb, even when in the wrong.

The method, as I discovered, was to drive right up the backside of the car in front, thus creating a space behind you, which was needed in order to change lanes.