Irland Herbst 2000 Our plans had been quite different, but now our photographer Stevie Bootz and I were on a plane from London to Shannon in Ireland. As a matter of fact, we should have been in Scotland for more than a week by then, but unforeseeable circumstances had forced us to improvise once more. One of them was the PWA World Cup in Dingle Bay which had been set at short notice and at which our travel companions Levi Siver, Kevin Ponichera and Andy Wolf wanted to gain some valuable World Cup points. So we were on our way to the most western point of Europe, at least, we stuck with the British Isles. So far, my associations with this country were limited to catchwords such as continuous rain, red hair, whisky, IRA and U2, however this idea was to change thoroughly within the following ten days. Our trip led us through Limerick, Galway and Castlebar - one day all across Western Ireland to Easky, a little village neighbouring the town of Sligo. The idea of "changing the islands" as soon as possible was still in our heads, which means that the actual destination of our trip was still Scotland. In order to save some time, we literally left aside some of the tried and tested Irish wave-spots. According to a number of locals, the north was to have some especially fantastic windsurf- and surf-conditions ready for us. There surely are innumerable further spots to be discovered all along the Irish West Coast, spreading for more than 500 kilometres, as well as on the islands off the coast. A road-trip through Ireland is rather uncomplicated, as even in the most remote fishing-villages there are still Bed and Breakfast places to be found. The outstandingly nice locals usually have a lot of stories to tell about the country and its people. Even travelling in a group as wild as ours, made up of four windsurfers, a photographer and a camera team, we only met friendly and open-minded people. Everywhere we received a welcome with open arms and plenty of food and at the pubs we had a glass of Whisky or a pint of Guinness along with the most amazing stories. The following days, we travelled along the coast north of Ballyshannon and sighted a number of good spots. Shortly before coming to Malin More, we found a little bay surrounded by cliffs with a clean straight left break. Unfortunately, here too the wind was blowing mostly offshore and it was more than difficult to get through the forceful shore-break. Andy and Kevin had enough patience to wait for a strong enough gust and were rewarded by a session with clean waves of 2-3 metres. Even before getting there, I was convinced that Dublin would have to be a great city, after all it's the hometown of the ultimate band - U2. We spent a marvellous evening in the old town centre and were enthusiastic about the atmosphere there. The setting reminded us of the urban life in Mediterranean capitals such as Barcelona - much more than in Germany life seems to take place out in the streets here. We all would have loved to add another evening at the clubs to our stay, but our flights having been booked now for the next day but one, we had to get on our way. The crossing on the Stenaline high-speed ferry was at breakneck speed and we reached the British Kingdom after only 1 ½ hours. I couldn't possibly imagine a more comfortable way to travel - it doesn't take you any longer than flying, but additionally offers all sorts of entertainment such as a casino, Whisky-bars and a cinema. However, the remaining 400km from Holyhead to London took us eight solid hours, as the complete railway system had broken down. Going into detail about our London experiences would go beyond the scope now, but I would like to take the opportunity to tell everyone to go there in any case, even if the exchange rate to the British Pound doesn't look attractive. London definitely is the most expensive city I know, but also one of the most fascinating. After an eventful night, it was time to say goodbye the next morning. Levi, Kevin and Barne took their flight to LA and directly on to Maui. Andi decided to go to Munich first to visit his parents for a few days. Turtel and I took in Kiel along the way to swap our winter-jackets for surf-shorts. Despite the short number of windsurfing days we all agreed that the trip had been a great success and that the Scotland trip should follow as soon as possible. - Maybe already next spring. As for me, I'm sure that I haven't visited Ireland for the last time. Its nature, its people and last but not least the infinite potential for windsurfing and surfing made a strong impression on me and once more proved the fact that you don't have to fly around half the planet to get to know new worlds. So, just set out and discover....