That’s not a clever title, that’s just where I am. Waiting at Knock Airport after an all too brief weekend in the far west of Ireland with Mrs iceblah and her enormous (as in numerous) family. Beautiful weather, and
the sort of scenery that is very similar to Iceland in its splendour under sunshine and its epic anger under dark skies. A lovely weekend, other than gtting stung by a wasp – first time in at least 20 years. Good lord, they hurt.

Nothing to report on Icelandic music, although on Friday night in a local bar a few more Guinesses than prudent nearly (but not quite) got me involved in dancing the quickstep or waltz to that brand of country and western ‘lite’ that seems to work in this sort of place.

I do have a couple of stories (both true) that need to be shared though. The first was from a great old local man, who recalled years ago being a car passenger with a friend who had just recently learned to drive late on in life. This was around the time electricity was arriving in the very far west tip of County Mayo (mid 70s). It was dark and the car headlights were on. The driver spotted some more lights coming in the distance and at the same time he spotted a lay-by. Being nervous he pulled off the narrow road into the lay-by to wait for the other car to pass. It was dark and late and the other car seemed to be taking forever. They waited, admiring this other driver for his cautious approach. It was only after an hour or so of this waiting that the light disappeared and they decided to continue forwards. There was no other car to be seen out there, the only thing they came across for miles was a solitary house which as they passed was in complete darkness. It was then they realised they had been sat waiting for the householders to turn off their lights and go to bed.

The other (shorter) story is actually a conversation between two ladies I overheard at good old Stansted airport. They were discussing those blindfolds you get on planes to help you sleep. One woman was saying how very useful they are but how she wished they would open (with flaps?!) when you awoke to save the bother of taking it off. I couldn’t help but think, isn’t that just how faces, and specifically eyelids work? Nice one, now come on ryanair…

Update: "on time" is the only good thing I can say about the flight and the airline, but the hour did give me the chance to remember how good Jimmy by MIA and So Long Marianne by Leonard Cohen are.