Everyone is Irish on Sct. Patrick's Day!

So it’s that time on year again. March 17 and the world turns green for a day! Some love it, other hate it. Like Valentines Day, some find that adopting foreign traditions is hollow and merely a money machine, but I say. “Take it for it is..”

For everyone who hasn’t Irish blood in their veins it can never be a “true” holiday, but it can be a day to rejoice and get together. Have fun with the cosy Irish people and celebrate them and all we associate with Ireland.

Indeed.. It's Sct. Patricks Day and it’s a time for celebration! In Denmark the Sct. Patricks Day association are having a parade, lots of dancing, and other sorts of festivities on Main Square (Rådhuspladsen). This year theyre having a couple of danish "Irish" dancers and musicianswarming up and then its time for the "Céilí Mor", an Irish dance. They have even convinced Tom McEwan to act up as the saint himself.. And it makes me wonder. Tom McEwan.. isnt he of scottish origin? Imean.. "Mc" = son of in scottish and "O'" = son of in Irish. I mean.. PLEASE.. Guys.. You could have done better than that!

Interesting enough.. Until 1996, when Dublin launched its annual festival, St. Patrick's Day festivities in Ireland ranged from low-key to nonexistent. Now the doings include a long weekend of parades, concerts, art exhibits and a "Monster Ceili" on St. Steven's Green. This year's bash runs from March 16-19. (Source)

Another interesting fact.. Sct. Patrick wasnt even Irish. As a matter a face he was british and born either in Scotland or whats known as Roman England sometime around the later half of the 4th century AD. His birth name wasnt Patrick either, but as far as we are told "Maewyn Succat". He was named Patricius when he was patronized, and first later known as Patrick. As a young boy he was kidnapped by pirates who sold him into slavery in Ireland. After being held slave, and mostly imprisoned for six years, its said that God came to him in a dream and told him how and when to escape. And escape he did. To France where he joined monastary. After 12 years of studying he had another dream telling him to return to Ireland and teach the Irish about God. This he did.. And did well. For 20 years he travelled thorugh Ireland converting so many people, even members of the royal families. The celtic druids were upset and he was actually imprisoned several times, but managed to escape. Quite an escapist ;) All in all the story of Sct. Patrick is fascinating, and there is much more below the surface, and funny facts emerges when you scratch it. Did you know that though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. Or, rather, 'be an Irish Day '. And the Irish has borne it as part of their national tradition in everywhere they populated and prospered. The Catholic feast day for this most loved of Irish saints has become a holiday in celebration of the Irish and Irish culture. The leprechaun, a Celtic fairy, has become entrenched as a chief symbol for this holiday, as is the shamrock, an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit. It is fitting that this holiday should fall at the time of the year when the return of spring begins to seem at hand
Source!


Somehow this specific Sct. Paddy’s Day is very special for me. For the first time in my life I’m leaving for Scotland on March 23 and after a few days I will arrive in Dublin.(March 29). I’m spending a week with my baby sister and then 6 days on my own. So in a way.. I’m merely warming up for 3 weeks speaking English all the time and soaking in all the Irish and Scottish atmosphere I can get a hold of. I'm even considering buying myself a irish kilt ;) Here's a link more about the Irish Kilt!

On another blog (The Global Small Business Blog)I stumbled across this fine picture.. Seriously.. Them americans.. Theyre nuts!


The Chicago River is dyed green every year! This is one of the world's most famous St. Patrick day traditions. The River is dyed green before the Downtown St. Patrick's day parade.

I have been searching other curiosities of people celebration the day, but the rivr is the only really odd one. Maybe you can find a nother ? :)

Belgium - chocolate, cheese and "french fries"

So I joined this new website called Virtualtourist.com, a place to do a bit of research when travelling to a foreign contry or maybe just to share your pictures and stories with likeminded people. I had a story to tell. Maybe not a good one, but at least I wanted to do my share and maybe put a smile on one of the rare visitors to my profile.. And now it just came to me.. Why not share this on my blog to? In time, I will upload some photos taken while there, but for now. Please enjoy my little story about my trip to Belgium in 2009!

Impulsive.. who.. me ?
January 2009.. its darn cold outside and Im spending the evening at the computer chatting with Christina, a girl I met in the summer 2008 at a western ride facility in Jutland who was now working on a American Quarterhorse stud farm in Marche en Femme in Belgium. Suddenly.. out of nowhere we began talking about me visiting her and with me.. Theres not a long walk from talk to action.

I now had a lot of planning in front of me.. I love to plan.. Really... I do.. For me sometimes thats the most fun of it. Considering all the places you wanna go, and finnaly picking out the lucky few you know you'll have the time for, knowing that everything might change when you get there, and even more choices appear in front of you. So fascinating :)

Road trip.. YEAH! .. or something
So in May 2009 I found myself driving towards Belgium in the middle of the night, or well. maybe it was rather around 06.00 AM, in order to skip the worst traffic out of Denmark. Anyway.. All packed up, I drove towards Rødby, where I took the ferry to Puttgarden. Stopped by the Toll Free shop and picked up the goods I had already ordered and began the long drive towards Marche.

According to a route planner there was approx. 900 km to drive and I should be able to get there in around 12 hours. "no problemo baby" I thought.. piece of cake.. And it WAS a piece of cake.. Until I hit Hamburg.. Sigh.. And a millions road repairs. 5 km with 20km/h and then if I was lucky.. 10 km with full throttle!.. and road repairs AGAIN.. All the way around Hamburg. It took hours.. So sitting in a hot car.. no aircon and midnoon.. god damn.. I was glad I had been so clever to put the refridgirator at the passenger seat with lots of cold beverages in it.

All this meant I arrived in Belgium around 2300. And I was a bit lost, because suddenly the gps was not working. And I had no idea where my friends belgian cellphone number was at. Well.. no need to panic. reboot the gps.. and then.. suddenly my cellphone rang.. "Hi.. this is a friend of christina.. She's wondering where you at. Her phone isnt working so she's here on skype with me".. Oh the wonders of the 2100 century :D I got my correct driving instructions and some 45 minutes later I was driving down the darkest road I can remember.. It was really.. REALLY dark. And ofcause the gps couldnt find the excact adress but luckily Christina was looking out for me and started waving at me. After a short hug and some "omg a long drive.." I grapped my gear and we got inside her little appartment. And then. Off to bed with us :)

Time goes fast when youre having fun.
The following 14 days went by quickly. Up at 0700 where the horses were impatiently awaiting our arrival. Feeding and sorting the hay in the different stables, and then moving on to the endless puzzle of making sure every horse got his/hers turn in the field and for some of the horses it was time for training. I can't even recall how many times I groomed and saddled up the youngsters for the daily training. Its was hard but fun and I learned alot :) Among other things I now know how to shine up a horse to look its best when possible buyers come for a visit.

Besides the work on the farm we visited Bruxelles a few times and almost every day stopped by Marche en Femme, to do our daily shopping etc.

We did all the tourist stuff also.. Among otherthings, we stopped by a beautiful cave, padded some belgian horse foals, ate a lot of chocolate ( i was tired of chocolate when I left Belgium.. believe it or not.). We were walking down this street and the employees from the chocolate stores (one for each 3rd shop more or less) came out with a neat little basket, offering free samples and welcoming us to their special store. Maybe this wouldnt have been nausiating if we hadnt started our shopping by eating a big icecreamdessert at the Häagen-Dazs store.

The culinary experience
Besides having some delicious Häagen-Dazs in the City Centre, we had some wonderfull meals on varoius restaurants.

Especially I recall a fishplate in Bruxelles.. With clams, salmon and some other good stuff... besides the gravel in the oysters its was delicious.. And I have NEVER eaten oysters and mussels before .)

In Marche I tried Duck Framboise.. Duck in rasberry... That was.. special.. The rasberry taste was strong a first and its would really an interestering experience.. Then the fresh rasberry just faded out and all I could taste was fat duck :D I was amazed they did serve it with french fries! Duck with french fries you may think.. She must be mad! Well.. Read on and judge by yourself!

Thing is.. Never ever say French Fries in a belgian restaurant.. Why? Uhm. .well. French Fries arent french at all... Its a belgian "dish". Its a sure way to provoke a waiter :D And actually the belgians can eat fries to almost anything. While there.. I had some kind of roast.. served with a plate of fries. That was odd.. Felt like a child in Tivoli, being fed with fries to all children meals. In Brussels I saw a sign advertising for Oysters and Fries! If thats not odd, I dont know what is !

We.. or mostly me tried out some different sorts of cheese, (goat cheese.. idrk!), sausages with wildboar.. Mmmmm.. Enjoyed a lot of belgian vaffles, which differ some in quality I must say and both were overwhelmed by the belgian love for small whippedcream-cakes. You can buy the most delicious little cakes in the supermarket, and we were tempted.. oh yes.. Often! :D Yummie!

Oh. And here's a link to a blog Bite Me, Brussels , which all visiting Brussels should stop by :)